''About Time'' is the eighth solo studio album by
Steve Winwood, released in 2003. It was his first album since 1997 and it featured a return to a musical style more in line with his earlier work with
Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...
. That basic style is emphasized in the three piece set of the band: Hammond Organ, guitar and drums/percussion, joined on various tracks by saxophone, flute and additional percussion characteristic of the Traffic sound.
Critical reception
Reviewing for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
, critic
Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote of the album "Winwood's voice is now a little rough (which comes as a surprise), it nevertheless fits the scaled-down, relaxed atmosphere. And if individual songs aren't necessarily memorable, they don't necessarily need to be -- the feel is the thing here, and while it isn't first-rate Steve Winwood, it does feel like a welcome update from an old friend, which, after several years of waiting and several uneven records, is enough."
Track listing
#"Different Light"
( Steve Winwood) – 6:35
#"Cigano (For the Gypsies)"
(S. Winwood, José Neto) – 6:20
#"Take It to the Final Hour"
(S. Winwood, Anthony Crawford) – 5:36
#"
Why Can't We Live Together
"Why Can't We Live Together" is a song written and recorded by Timmy Thomas in 1972. A chart hit in the following year, it was included on the album '' Why Can't We Live Together''. It was one of the first major hits to feature the use of a rhyt ...
"
(Timmy Thomas
Timothy Earle Thomas (November 13, 1944 – March 11, 2022) was an American R&B singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer, best known for the hit song, " Why Can't We Live Together".
Life and career
Thomas was born in Evansville, I ...
) – 6:39
#"Domingo Morning"
(S. Winwood, Neto) – 5:06
#"Now That You're Alive"
(S. Winwood, Eugenia Winwood) – 5:29
#"Bully"
(S. Winwood, E. Winwood) – 5:40
#"Phoenix Rising"
(S. Winwood, William Topley) – 7:26
#"Horizon"
(S. Winwood, E. Winwood) – 4:31
#"Walking On"
(S. Winwood, Crawford) – 4:54
#"Silvia (Who Is She?)"
(S. Winwood, Neto) – 11:25
Bonus Disc, 2004 Expanded Edition
#"
Dear Mr. Fantasy
"Dear Mr. Fantasy" is a rock song by Traffic from their 1967 album, ''Mr. Fantasy''. Jim Capaldi contributed the lyrics, while Steve Winwood and Chris Wood composed the music.
In a song review for AllMusic, Lindsay Planer commented:
Dave ...
" (live)
(S. Winwood, J.Capaldi, C.Wood) – 8:17
#"
Why Can't We Live Together
"Why Can't We Live Together" is a song written and recorded by Timmy Thomas in 1972. A chart hit in the following year, it was included on the album '' Why Can't We Live Together''. It was one of the first major hits to feature the use of a rhyt ...
" (live)
(Timmy Thomas
Timothy Earle Thomas (November 13, 1944 – March 11, 2022) was an American R&B singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer, best known for the hit song, " Why Can't We Live Together".
Life and career
Thomas was born in Evansville, I ...
) – 6:31
#"
Voodoo Chile
"Voodoo Chile" ( ) is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded in 1968 for the third Jimi Hendrix Experience album ''Electric Ladyland''. It is based on the Muddy Waters blues song " Rollin' Stone", but with original lyrics and music. At 15 min ...
"
( Jimi Hendrix) - 14:49
Personnel
*
Steve Winwood – vocals,
Hammond B3 organ
*
José Pires de Almeida Neto – guitars
*
Walfredo Reyes Jr. – drums, additional percussion (2, 4)
* Karl Vanden Bossche –
congas (2, 4, 6-8, 10)
* Richard Bailey –
timbales
Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed tom-toms and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfico ...
(2, 4, 6-8, 10)
*
Karl Denson
Karl Denson (born December 27, 1956) is an American funk and jazz saxophonist, flutist and vocalist from Santa Ana, California. He was a member of Lenny Kravitz's band and has co-founded and led The Greyboy Allstars. Denson has recorded with ...
– saxophone (1, 6),
flute (8, 10)
Production
* Producer – Steve Winwood
* Associate Producer – Johnson Somerset
* Engineer –
George Shilling
George Edward Shilling (born 1966 in Redbridge, London) is an English musician, record producer, composer and audio engineer. He is the son of Eric Shilling, formerly of the English National Opera and actress Erica Johns. He studied cello at the ...
* Mixing and Assistant Engineer – James Towler
* Recorded and Mixed at Wincraft Studios
* Mastered by Tony Cousins at
Metropolis Mastering (London, UK).
* Bonus Tracks mastered by Bunt Stafford-Clark at
Townhouse Studios
The Town House (also known as Townhouse Studios) was a recording studio located at 150 Goldhawk Road, Shepherd's Bush in London, built in 1978 under the direction of Richard Branson for Virgin Records. The studios changed ownership and eventuall ...
(London, UK).
* Artwork – Michael Rios
* Photography – Gordon Jackson
* CD Booklet – Andy Dutlinger and Mark Berger/Madison House Design
* Artist Management – Mick Newton at Atomic (London, UK); Madison House Inc. (Boulder, CO).
* Business Management – Brighton Jeffrey James (London, UK) and Charles Sussman (Nashville, TN).
References
External links
Review at allaboutjazz.com
{{Authority control
Steve Winwood albums
2003 albums
Albums produced by Steve Winwood