This is an important album, despite its flaws. It introduced Stevie Winwood to a much larger audience, and began a string of albums by Winwood, some very strong, that launched his career as one of a handful of “superstar” artists in the late 60’s. Winwood’s story is also the story of Chris Blackwell in many ways: as a very young member of the Spencer Davis Group, led by older brother Muff Winwood (who later became a significant record producer for Island Records and other artists), Winwood already had some hits, including “Gimme Some Lovin” and “I’m a Man.” Blackwell... Read More

I don’t know if the term “super-group” has any relevance today, but at the time this album was released, it went beyond that: (The) Cream, rock’s “first” super-group, had broken up to great public fanfare, and out of the still-warm ashes rose something that was, to me, even more thrilling- Clapton and Ginger Baker from Cream, plus Steve Winwood, from Traffic (which had also broken up, for a time). The assembly of all this talent missed one key ingredient from the “old” Cream- Jack Bruce, whose talent was undeniable then, and whose contributions, not limited to Cream, seem... Read More

I was a pretty big fan of Stevie Winwood in the late 60’s. Traffic was an interesting experiment, part blue-eyed soul, part exotica- the Indian music motifs, jazz elements and psychedelia was an interesting brew, even if it didn’t always work, e.g., the first part of track,”Colored Rain” from the Mr. Fantasy album (also known as Heaven is in Your Mind in the U.S.) is a romp- classic early Winwood- on-pitch blues ‘shouting,’ carrying a great melodic line which just falls apart halfway through. Dave Mason’s on again/off again role in the group wasn’t really a big deal for me;... Read More

As usual, I came to this party late.  While the States was enjoying a folk revival in the mid-sixties that led to a range of new sounds from artists like Bob Dylan, the UK folk scene developed a little differently. Joe Boyd, who is credited with helping Dylan “plug in” at Newport, was working the London club scene with bands like Pink Floyd and managed to sign this new folk group—Fairport Convention– to capture some of that American folk sound: what resulted was eventually quite different, and led to a series of albums that saw the band develop a far more distinctive sound... Read More

  Tull was, even in its heyday, an acquired taste. The band achieved international acclaim with Aqualung, which got radio play and brought the piped-piper of rock to the fore as a sort of mad minstrel of arena rock. But Tull started as a blues band and Ian Anderson’s flute playing was not always at the forefront on the earliest albums. Stand-Up is one of my favorites because it captures the band at its bluesy best, with elements of the medieval minstrel stuff nicely worked in; listen to ‘We Used to Know’ and appreciate that the medieval and the blues can co-exist.... Read More

The band that Daniel Lanois put together with Trixie Whitley showcases her voice and multi-instrumental talent. It may now be out of print on vinyl as a U.S. pressing  but sealed copies are still floating around online. Well worth the price of admission. Who said there is no good ‘new’ music? Three sides of vinyl bliss- “I Believe in You,” “Last Time” and “Silverado” are all catchy, kick-ass tunes that combine Trixie’s marvelous voice with a driving rhythm section- the ever versatile Brian Blade on drums, solid production values... Read More