Hold On/Time Is Running Out/Midland Maniac/Vacant Chair/Luck's In/Let Me Make Something In Your Life
Eponymous debut solo album from the former front man of Spencer Davis Group and Traffic. However this bland forgettable release is light years from the dynamic music he was making a decade previously. (US:22 UK:12)
“This record could easily put you to sleep if you are not careful. However there are some quite good passages especially Vacant Chair and the beautiful arrangement that finishes this song. Time Is Running Out is much more rousing as a piece of blue eyed soul.”
“The reason I like it the most is because it's the most Traffic sounding of any of his solo projects. It has that dreamy quality that I find so appealing in the Traffic albums of that time.”
“Subtle, textured music that stands repeated listens. There is honestly not a bad song here. As often as I play this it always sounds good, and I find myself discovering different parts. One can see the transition from the old Traffic days to the newer pop Winwood of the 80s.”
“Winwood carves out an elegant and affable mellow groove and doesn't stray far from it. Although somewhat enervating it's still enjoyable to hear the sound of a master craftsman at work, and at least it doesn't lean towards the slickness of his later releases.”
“Steve Winwood has to rank as one of the most disappointing solo debuts by an already accomplished artist. Gone is the high-octane R & B of Gimme Some Lovin and the eclectic experimentation of Traffic and Blind Faith. Instead, we have extremely mellow, laid-back late '70s sludge. While Midland Maniac and Vacant Chair have some interesting hooks, the rest of the album reveals no musical spark or inspiration whatsoever, and the overall effect is simply depressing.”
“The magic that had sustained his output since the mid-1960s had taken leave from Winwood, and the result is one of his weakest albums. If what you are seeking is some light jazz-rock, there is a wealth of it to be mined from this disc. Memorable melodies do not abound here.”
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