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| Artist: Steve Winwood
Label: Sony
Category: Music
List Price: $15.98
Buy New: $10.99
You Save: $4.99 (31%)
New (62) Used (19) from $8.38
Rating:  64 reviews
Sales Rank: 365
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 722250
UPC: 886972225029
EAN: 0886972225029
ASIN: B0014KD46W
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 Superb Album that gets better with every listening May 2, 2008
6 out of 18 found this review helpful
Well worth the 5-6 year wait and I can't stop playing this album. Its thematically similar to Steve's last album - the excellent About Time - but even more innovative and enjoyable.
When I first heard About Time, it looks 10+ listenings before I could appreciate all the songs. Its the same thing on this one. The music arrangements are complex and rich with standout work by the whole band - Steve, Jose Neto, Karl, Paul and Richard. The lyrics are very interesting with a spiritual feel.
As in any great album, its hard to single out one song or musician as being the key person - Steve's vocals and hammond organ work, Jose Neto's playful guitar grooves, Karl's incredible percussion, Paul's haunting flute and sax work, and Richard's drum work and Peter's lyrics - a real team effort.
As Steve stated in an inteview, the album came out of music that the band played in their Live sessions and it has that loose and innovative feel to it. I went to all their concerts in SF in 05 and LA in 06 and the live set has the best jamming I've heard in years. I hope Steve's successes inspire his contemporaries to experiment with more collaborative, soulful music instead of chasing radio hits or just playing the old hits.
I'm looking forward to Steve's tour with Tom Petty this summer. You know its a great album when I'm looking forward to hearing the new songs live more than the Traffic classics. Keep the new music coming, Steve and the band and thanks for a great album!
 Another Shore For Winwood May 2, 2008
9 out of 35 found this review helpful
Fresh off of a reunion tour with Blind Faith Steve Winwood emmerges with this album.While I still lean towards Steve Winwood,Arc of a Diver and Talking Back to the Night as my favorite Winwood solo albums (all three showcase his talents as a computer,vocalist and multi instrumentalist best) this album has a different kind of charm. The music here generally bridges the cap between Winwood's music with Blind Faith and Traffic with his patented genre bending blend of pop,rock,soul,funk,blues and jazz. He starts off the album in a rather quiet mood with "I'm Not Drowning" and "Fly",the later of which features a beautiful flute solo. On "Raging Sea" Winwood gets down into a funky mood which extends into the blues on the meandering "Dirty City" with Eric Clapton,adding his trademark rocking blues licks to the proceeding. The next four songs "We're All Looking","Hungry Man","Secrets" and "At Times We Do Forget" all showcase the percussive/rhythm-based sound of Traffic but again Winwoods quiet mood continues.On "Other Shore" Steve presents a very good pop song using a similar sound. There's only one question about all this-why other then some good songs would anyone beside Winwood fans want this? Steve Winwood has been around for four decades and while his music has never really wavered in quality his enthusiasm has on occasion,especially on his spotty 90's recordings. So this album isn't as much a comeback as an extension on a theme. It also has the feeling of an album that,while by no means a future classic will grow on the listener and surely become a fan favorite to some people.And being a Winwood fan I hope I am one of them.
 Steve Winwood Taking It Softly! May 1, 2008
76 out of 136 found this review helpful
There are two types of Steve Winwood music, and individual taste will dictate whether you will like this cd or not. If you are the Winwood fan who perfers his R&B pop sound,["Valarie", "Higher Love", "Roll With It", "Gimmie Some Lovin" etc], you are going to more than likely find this cd a total bore. If you perfer his soothing layed back jazzy traffic feel to his music, you are probably going to find this cd enjoyable. Having said that, after listening to this cd a few times, I find the cd to be somewhat uneventful. Well played and sung, but nothing that is going to be memorable, or even ear catching for that matter. Most of the music comes across as bland. I found the best song on the cd to be "At Times We Forget", which at least grabs the listeners ear, and is the most listenable track on this collection. "Dirty City", is another fine song, and features Eric Clapton, and predictably sounds as if it came right out of the Blind Faith era. The rest of the songs basically sound the same, with that jazzy slow uninspired sound. Steve Winwood is a great talent, but sometimes I feel he goes overboard with this smooth jazz sound that I also feel takes the fire out of many of his live shows. I do not want to sound negative, but this cd is nothing near his best work and is average at best.
Back To What He Does Best May 1, 2008
4 out of 14 found this review helpful
This album is such a welcome arrival into my collection. In a time where there are very few new artists with any...what's the word I'm looking for?...talent?!? And so many of my all time favorites releasing sub-par efforts or simply treading water, it is nice to hear someone remember what got them so far to begin with. No, this album does not break any new ground, but it does sound fresh. It's not just recycled versions of older songs. It is an excellent choice for relaxing on a Sunday afternoon and listening to good music on the living room stereo...you know, like you used to do?
Smooth Jazz Winwood Style April 30, 2008
2 out of 16 found this review helpful
After 2003 About TimeAbout Time as a HUGE Winwood fan I was ecstatic about his new Jamming direction which he explained in the title
song "Different Light". His new Album NINE LIVES was billed as a continuation of that style. Although the new Album does not contain the searing Hammond B or Guitar Solos(except Clapton's help on Dirty City), it has a great contemporary smooth jazz style with wide interludes( perhaps too wide on "Hungry Man"). Check out "Fly", "Other Shore", "At Times we do forget and "Raging Sea". As a 60 year old Winwood may be slowing down a bit but he is still Rocking on!!!(Could the same be said for Phil Collins or Billy Joel?)
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