Indeed. But at least his Greatest Hits is being released on four LPs, at a bargain price and will be in my mitts tomorrow morning. Hurrah!
I've been listening to the Winwood's About Time the last couple of days and it really is worth considering for Traffic fans.
Really enjoying About Time, but I am in the minority again as I've quite enjoyed Junction Seven too. Mrs Vzok even asked who we were listening to and wanted it on her iPhone. A rarity.
Still no time for an in-depth review (the start of a semester can be brutal), but I was shocked at how much I enjoyed About Time at the time of its release. This was at long last the complete and total "return to form" I think I'd given up hope of hearing from Steve. Completely gone are the Big 80s production cliches--the emphasis is squarely on the hammond, and his band play with an organic, latin jazz-tinged sound that is reminiscent of Traffic without ever sounding like a contrived attempt to copy the earlier approach. There isn't a weak track on the album, IMHO. On the other hand, I don't recall too many obvious stand-outs either. Every track is on a really high level, but the consistency in sound and approach makes the album seem a little bit long and samey. I'll take that, though, over any sort of return to the more overtly commercial sound of his work from Back in the High Life onward. All in all, one of his very best solo albums, and one of my favorite albums of the first decade of the new millennium.
Canteen was well recorded, but suffers from a raw mix, and doesn't sound polished...less gloss and more emulsion
Nine Lives Released April 29, 2008 Label - Columbia Length - 57:16 Producer - Steve Winwood Nine Lives is Steve Winwood's ninth solo studio album. It is also his first new studio album since 2003. It was released on April 29, 2008. The album's first single, "Dirty City" featuring guitarist Eric Clapton, held the number-one added single spot for three weeks in a row and peaked at the overall number-two spot on AAA Radio[3] The album debuted at number 12 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 26,000 copies in its first week[4] [5] Track listing "I'm Not Drowning" (Steve Winwood, Peter Godwin) – 3:32 "Fly" (Winwood, Godwin, José Pires de Almeida Neto) – 7:49 "Raging Sea" (Winwood, Godwin, Neto) – 6:17 "Dirty City" (with Eric Clapton) (Winwood, Godwin) – 7:44 "We're All Looking" (Winwood, Godwin) – 5:25 "Hungry Man" (Winwood, Godwin, Neto) – 7:07 "Secrets" (Winwood, Godwin, Neto) – 6:41 "At Times We Do Forget" (Winwood, Godwin, Neto) – 5:57 "Other Shore" (Winwood, Godwin, Neto) – 6:41 Personnel Richard Bailey – drums Paul Booth – flute, saxophone, human whistle Tim Cansfield – guitar Eric Clapton – guitar José Pires de Almeida Neto – guitar Karl Vanden Bossche – percussion Steve Winwood – guitar, Hammond organ, vocals Production: Josh Cheuse – art direction, design Tony Cousins – mastering Sam Erickson – photography Juan Pont Lezica – photography Johnson Somerset – associate producer James Towler – engineer, mixing Steve Winwood – producer
I don't share the negativity on Spy in the house. To be sure, its not favorite and its a big departure from traditional winwood. But I think that's what he wanted to do. Once you give up that you're expecting to hear songs like the past ones, the tracks are pretty good. Titile track is quite good I think. There are a lot of associated tracks on singles for this one. Spy in the house (walden mix; and somerset mix, Lord-Alge mix) non-album track Come out and Dance Gotta Get back to my Jazz version a live version of Roll with it. Plenty Lovin (FO and COE versions - I don't remember what these are, my cd single is in Japanese). The biggest problem I see with this disk, is the synthetic drumming. I really didn't like that. Btw, we skipped over Reach for the light which was a soundtrack contribution to Balto (single and lp versions which reminds me that there was another earlier contribution called "your silence is your song" there are two versions of that on the soundtrack album of They Call that an Accident The album also includes Night Train and "Main Theme" credited to Winwood.
About time is definitely a return to more standard winwood. Some very good tracks there. There is a single of Why cant we live together with two versions of I'm a man (edit and club mix). Different Light (live) also appears on an Austin City Limits compilation.
I was very excited with Nine Lives and listened to it extensively when it came out. Dirty City was a great single and the prominent organ brought back many good traffic memories.
I first listened to Nine Lives about 2 months back and was blown away by it. Personally for me its my favorite Winwood album sine Arc.
I am glad to have found this thread. The song that first got me interested in Traffic was the epic "Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys." Eventually, I grew to enjoy all of their albums. I was very fortunate to have seen the Traffic reunion tour in 1994. It was a great show with Winwood in top form.
I'm going to close it out here with the last two albums. I live Florida and if Irma decides to come up the west side it will be a while before I will be able to post. Thanks for all the support you gave this thread and everyone say safe (and hang in there Texas). Released 19 May 2009 Recorded 25-28 February 2008 Length 129:09 Live from Madison Square Garden is a 2 CD/2 DVD live album by Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood which was released on 19 May 2009 by Duck / Reprise Records. The album is made up of recordings from Clapton and Winwood's performances at Madison Square Garden in February 2008. It is also Eric Clapton's ninth live album and Steve Winwood's first live album as a solo artist. The duo performed songs from their time in the band Blind Faith as well as selections from Traffic, Derek and the Dominos, Clapton's and Winwood's solo careers and some rock and blues covers. Their band consisted of Willie Weeks on bass, Ian Thomas on drums and Chris Stainton on keyboards. Background Winwood and Clapton first crossed musical paths as members of the one-off group Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse in March 1966. They recorded songs issued on the Elektra Records compilation album What's Shaking. Later they teamed up again in 1969 with the formation of Blind Faith, shortly after Clapton had left Cream. Blind Faith pioneered the fusion of rock and blues into tremendous studio and stage success. Despite critical and popular acclaim, the band was short-lived with only one album and a brief 1969 tour that debuted 12 July at Madison Square Garden and ended 24 August in Hawaii. Since then, Winwood and Clapton have remained friends but had only performed together a few times over the years; an occasional song at a charity event. In 1998, they both appeared in the movie Blues Brothers 2000 as members of the fictional blues group, the Louisiana Gator Boys (Willie Weeks was also a member). During Clapton's 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival, Clapton and Winwood played six songs together including a few Blind Faith songs. After that successful experience, the two decided to collaborate again. The 2008 Madison Square Garden shows were the first full Winwood-Clapton concerts in almost 40 years. The night before Buddy Miles died, a friend called him on his cell phone so he could hear Winwood and Clapton perform his best known song "Them Changes". When they found out the next day that Miles had died, they dedicated the performance of the song to him. [3] Tour On 11 February 2009, the pair announced a 14-city US tour that kicked off on 10 June 2009 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. They were joined on stage by Chris Stainton (keyboards), Willie Weeks (bass), Abe Laboriel, Jr. (drums), as well as backing vocalists Sharon White and Michelle John. Recording, production and artwork Live from Madison Square Garden was recorded from 25 to 28 February. The shows were recorded and mixed by James Towler, while the production was handled by James Pluta, John McDermott, and Scooter Weintraub with executive production by John Beug, Michael Eaton, Peter Jackson, and Tom Whalley.[1] Most of the production staff were also involved in the recordings for Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festivals. The art direction for the album and DVD was Ellen Wakayama with the design handled by Donny Phillips of the Tehachapi hardcore bands The Warriors and Machines, and photography by Danny Clinch.[1] Phillips is one of the lead graphic designers at Warner Bros. Records, which the other two people mentioned also work for. The artwork was based on the taijitu, although the colours on the packaging were red and blue instead of black and white. Track listing (CD Disc One No. Title Music Length 1. "Had to Cry Today" Steve Winwood 7:47 2. "Low Down" J.J. Cale 4:10 3. "Them Changes" Buddy Miles 5:10 4. "Forever Man" Jerry Lynn Williams 3:33 5. "Sleeping in the Ground" Sam Myers 4:50 6. "Presence of the Lord" Eric Clapton 5:23 7. "Glad" Steve Winwood 4:13 8. "Well All Right" Jerry Allison/Buddy Holly/Joe B. Mauldin/Norman Petty 5:35 9. "Double Trouble" Otis Rush 8:06 10. "Pearly Queen" Jim Capaldi/Steve Winwood 6:10 11. "Tell the Truth" Eric Clapton/Bobby Whitlock 6:42 12. "No Face, No Name, No Number" Jim Capaldi/Steve Winwood 4:09 Disc Two No. Title Music Length 1. "After Midnight" J.J. Cale 4:45 2. "Split Decision" Joe Walsh/Steve Winwood 6:25 3. "Rambling on My Mind (Clapton only)" Robert Johnson 4:01 4. "Georgia on My Mind (Winwood only)" Hoagy Carmichael/Stuart Gorrell 5:05 5. "Little Wing" Jimi Hendrix 6:42 6. "Voodoo Chile" Jimi Hendrix 16:23 7. "Can't Find My Way Home" Steve Winwood 5:33 8. "Dear Mr. Fantasy" Jim Capaldi/Steve Winwood/Chris Wood 7:41 9. "Cocaine" J.J. Cale 6:41 Track listing (DVD) Disc One[edit] "Had to Cry Today" "Them Changes" "Forever Man" "Sleeping in the Ground" "Presence of the Lord" "Glad" "Well All Right" "Double Trouble" "Pearly Queen" "Tell the Truth" "No Face, No Name, No Number" "After Midnight" "Split Decision" "Rambling on My Mind" Clapton solo performance "Georgia on My Mind" Winwood solo performance "Little Wing" "Voodoo Chile" "Can't Find My Way Home" "Dear Mr. Fantasy" "Cocaine" Disc Two[edit] Documentary: The Road to Madison Square Garden Documentary: Rambling on My Mind (includes Clapton at soundcheck performing "Rambling on My Mind") Bonus Performances: "Low Down", "Kind Hearted Woman", "Crossroads" Track listing (Blu-ray) The Blu-ray release carries the same material as the DVD release on a single disc. Video format is 1080p; audio is provided in LPCM 2.0 and DTS 5.1 formats
Interesting to see what reviews this album gets. The one album that's featured in both this and the Clapton AbA thread. Which does beg a question....................apologies if raised already but ive missed it if it was. Traffic albums featured, solo albums by band members, associated side projects. If all those have been featured and now the one above, hasn't one important album been missed???? Not sure if doing a Blind Faith album by album thread on its own would last too many pages.
Great thread by the way, Mainline461. I haven't contributed so much beyond Traffic but have watched with interest.
A song by song thread might be in order, if only to allow the multitude of people who think Do What You Like is a fantastic song to voice their raves
Ashamed to say I still don't own this album, even after saying id invest after it was discussed on the other thread. I like the performances on you tube very much, just not sure how often id play it being a live album. I will get it eventually.
Steve Winwood Greatest Hits Live Tracklisting for the 2-CD version: CD1 1. I’m A Man 2. Them Changes 3. Fly 4. Can’t Find My Way Home 5. Had To Cry Today 6. Low Spark of High Heeled Boys 7. Empty Pages 8. Back In The High Life Again 9. Higher Love 10. Dear Mr Fantasy 11. Gimme Some Lovin CD2 1. Rainmaker 2. Pearly Queen 3. Glad 4. Why Can’t We Live Together 5. 40,000 Headmen 6. Walking In The Wind 7. Medicated Goo 8. John Barleycorn 9. While You See A Chance 10 Arc Of A Diver 11 Freedom Overspill 12 Roll With It Tracklisting for the 4-LP version: Side A: 1. I’m A Man 2. Them Change 3. Fly Side B: 1. Can’t Find My Way Home 2. Had To Cry Today 3. Back In The High Life Side C: 1. Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys 2. Empty Pages 3. Higher Love Side D: 1. Dear Mr. Fantasy 2. Gimme Some Lovin Side E: 1. Rainmaker 2. Pearly Queen 3. Glad Side F: 1. Why Can’t We Live Together 2. 40,000 Headmen 3. Walking In The Wind Side G: 1. Medicated Goo 2. John Barleycorn, 3. While You See A Chance Side H: 1. Arc of a Diver 2. Freedom Overspill 3. Roll With It
Blind Faith was skipped because it already had three pages of threads in the archives, it would have been repetitious, imo.
Interested on reviews for this one as only been out a few days. Another live effort but looks interesting for the tracklisting.
