05.20.07
It’s not for the cock, it’s for blue eyed soul
Steve Winwood - Arc of a Diver
Steve Winwood is a fantastic soul musician. He’s not from Detroit. He’s not from Memphis. He’s from Birmingham. He’s not even black. Guess what? It doesn’t matter in the slightest.
Steve Winwood plays every instrument on this album, and also provides the vocals. While this could easily leave the album’s flavour quite raw and maybe bare it is actually very rich, whilst still being very nutrious - a sure nod to the chef’s musical prowess.
The first track, While You See a Chance, opens with an iconic keyboard piece, which he wrote on the spot after accidentally deleting his drums track. If ever there were to be evidence for fate, this would be it. This are the foundations upon which great monuments are built. The song is constructed from here on, from its melodic and almost holy origin to its peak at the chorus. Here, atop his masterpiece, Winwood preaches motivationally to the masses. When the song finishes there is an urge to rewind to the beginning, but if you aren’t quick enough you’ll be caught by its successor Arc of a Diver.
The main criticism I have of the album is that there is no unifying theme running through the album, nothing that stops it from being just a random compilation album. But with this dark thundering cloud there is a silver lining. Each song has a very different ambiance and emotional posture, carried by the music more deftly than by the lyrics.
Each track is delightful, with the exception of the fairly tedious Slowdown Sundown but I suppose not all albums can be as good as my previous entry’s.
Steve Winwood, despite being almost 60, is on tour in the USA and Europe, having just finished his UK tour. Dates are on his Myspace