Music : Arc of a Diver

Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0042284236522
Label: Island
Manufacturer: Island
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Island
Release Date: August 31, 1990
Studio: Island
Sales Rank: 3174
MPN: 842365

Disc 1:

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Editorial Review:

Album Details:
Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.

Amazon.com:
He wasn't Little Stevie, the 16-year-old phenom who set mid- '60s London blazing with his Ray Charles-like vocals, anymore. He was a half-forgotten ex-member of some of rock's most progressive (Traffic) and vilified (Blind Faith) bands, and he was considering leaving show business while recording this--his second album--alone and without a backup band. Arc of a Diver reflects a resigned-to-fate mood. It boasts a synth-heavy, dub-like ambience, with dirge-y tracks like "Spanish Dancer" and the wistful single "While You See a Chance" all but zoning out of your speakers. The fates were kind, though. Recording the single, Winwood inadvertently erased the drum intro. This spacey alteration, together with his catchiest tune since "Paper Sun," catapulted the song onto the charts. In a few years he would be among the top-selling vocalists in the world. His mood was lighter. He could afford to hire engineers that didn't make mistakes. --Don Harrison

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- Awesome disc - a Winwood Classic!
Forget about all of the negative comments appearing here, this is one great collection of music! Of course it is keyboard heavy, but that's what Steve Winwood does best!

The title track is just incredible and "While You see a Chance," one of the most positive set of lyrics penned.

Although these two tracks are undoubtedly the standouts, "Dust", "Slowdown Sundown" and "Second Hand Woman" are also very strong.

If there is a weak track on this disc, it would ... Read More

Rating:

- Melodious and Mellow Follow-Up
A friend once described this as "aural wallpaper", and he thought he was being kind. Well, I must really dig wallcoverings on my ears, then, because once this finds its way into my CD player, it's a few days before it comes back out again.

The follow-up to his eponymous first solo album is inspired by the work of three acclaimed lyricists: Will Jennings, George Fleming and Viv Stanshall. Getting back to the strictly one-man band vibe that is all at once looser and funkier than the preceding ... Read More

Rating:

- A One of a Kind Recording
Without Davis and Mason, Steve Winwood's nuturance of all he recorded without a band, resulted in a beautifully wrapped package of Ballads, and semi-Ballads. TRAFFIC lovers and critics alike, point to When You See a Chance as a redefinition of pop-rock. A lotta soul, and a big heart. The songs were written especially for him, which shouldn't surprise anyone since he wrote them, and take full advantage of his range. If you buy just one recording by Steve Winwood, look no further, Arc of a Diver is the one ... Read More

Rating:

- A Sleeping Giant
Steve Winwood with his best solo effort. Although Steve won his recognition on his next recording effort featuring "Back in the Highlife Again," in my opinion "Arc of a Diver" was his actual crowning achievement. Highlighting his hit "While You See a Chance" starting off the recording, then on to the title song "Arc of a Diver" (which is in itself an excelent song), through to the final song "Dust". I recomend this CD as a must for any classic collection of one of the greats in rock and roll.

Weldon ... Read More

Rating:

- Steve Winwood's Masterpiece
ARC OF A DIVER is Steve Winwood's masterpiece. Many of the songs cut a lot deeper than their pop veneer would indicate on first listen, including, especially, the opening cut, "While You See A Chance", which tells people not to let opportunities pass them by, and the title track, which is about how hard connecting with others can be. Winwood's belief that the young Australian tourist jailed in Indonesia since 2005 for drug-smuggling was unjustly convicted makes even disco pap like "Second Hand Woman" and "Spanish ... Read More

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