Arc of a Diver

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

Arc of a Diver,Steve Winwood,Island,Adult Contemporary,Album Rock,Blue-Eyed Soul,Pop,Pop/Rock,Popular Music,Rock,Rock/Pop,Soul

Arc of a Diver

Average customer rating:

Awesome disc - a Winwood Classic!
Melodious and Mellow Follow-Up
A One of a Kind Recording
A Sleeping Giant
Steve Winwood's Masterpiece

Arc of a Diver
Steve Winwood
Manufacturer: Island
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Back in the High Life
Roll with It
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ASIN: B000001FSY
Release Date: 1990-08-31

Tracks:

While You See A Chance
Arc Of A Diver
Second-Hand Woman
Slowdown Sundown
Spanish Dancer
Night Train
Dust

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:

Awesome disc - a Winwood Classic!.......2006-08-03

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 have to be "Night Train", but even saying that is stretching things. In fact, its' very reminiscent of Warren Zevon's "Nighttime in the Switching Yard" and Bruce Cockburn's same titled track from his "The Charity of Night" release.

All in all, a solid set from Steve Winwood that certainly holds its own alongside "Refugees of the Heart" and "Roll With It".

Melodious and Mellow Follow-Up.......2006-04-01

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 album, he constructs some great melodies around the ethereal (but at least understandable) lyrics. No, it's not a perfect effort, though it did yield his first megahit after his Spencer Davis Group-glory days, with "While You See A Chance." He would go on to produce more pop-chart friendly work with the multi-platinum "Back In The High Life." At the very least, ARC recalls the work of Gary Wright and Todd Rundgren, with a lot less emphasis on bombast or electronically-infused melodrama.

A One of a Kind Recording.......2005-09-27

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 everybody was talking about.

A Sleeping Giant.......2005-08-01

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 Wood

Steve Winwood's Masterpiece.......2005-06-16

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 Dancer" bearable, and results in ARC OF A DIVER being an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.