WM0001 About Time
Produced by Steve Winwood
Released on June 17, 2003
US CHART POSITION #126
Find it at GEMM
WM0001 cover
[high resolution scan]

K RONOMYTH 10.0: BETTER LATIN THAN NEVER. I usually mix Cream, Traffic and Santana together at some point, but in the case of Winwood rarely and not since his first solo album (“Luck’s In”). The cover of About Time looks like a Santana album. Turns out it sounds like one too. Joined by Brazilian guitarist Jose Neto and Santana drummer/percussionist Walfredo Reyes Jr., Steve Winwood is back behind his Hammond and back on top of his game. The post-High Life albums were generally listless, though by most accounts Junction Seven was a departure from formula. About Time is a new journey (for Winwood) into Latin music, during which he rediscovers the musical passion missing from most of his albums. As he sings on the opening song (“Different Light”), “I had overlooked a part of me,” presumably the part that embraced change and experimentation over comfort and control. This album celebrates its return. The sounds literally leap off the disc, and never do I recall that Hammond so clear and commanding. Honestly, I felt Winwood and Phil Collins had both lapsed into ennui, and all but counted them out of the game. What I didn’t count on was Winwood making an album this vibrant and engaging. It may not have produced a hit single (blame the six-year span or lack of a major-label push), but there’s a lot on here to like: “Different Light,” “Final Hour,” “Phoenix Rising,” “Walking On.” Also included is a cover of Timmy Thomas’ “Why Can’t We Live Together,” which had been covered earlier by Santana. Cynics might see this as a fashionably late Latin vacation, but I for one am glad to be back in a world where the question “What will Steve Winwood do next?” isn’t so easily answered.

TRACK LISTING

  1. DIFFERENT LIGHT    (Steve Winwood)    6:35
  2. CIGANO (FOR THE GYPSIES)    (Steve Winwood/Jose Neto)    6:20
  3. TAKE IT TO THE FINAL HOUR    (Steve Winwood/Anthony Crawford)    5:36
  4. WHY CAN'T WE LIVE TOGETHER    (Timmy Thomas)    6:39
  5. DOMINGO MORNING    (Steve Winwood/Jose Neto)    5:06
  6. NOW THAT YOU'RE ALIVE    (Steve Winwood/Eugenia Wniwood)    5:29
  7. BULLY    (Steve Winwood/Eugenia Winwood)    5:40
  8. PHOENIX RISING    (Steve Winwood/William Topley)    7:26
  9. HORIZON    (Steve Winwood/Eugenia Winwood)    4:31
  10. WALKING ON    (Steve Winwood/Anthony Crawford)    4:54
  11. SILVIA (WHO IS SHE?)    (Steve Winwood/Jose Neto)    11:25

    JPN CD reissue bonus track
  12. DIFFERENT LIGHT (RADIO EDIT)

    UK Bonus CDS tracks
  13. DEAR MR. FANTASY (LIVE)
  14. WHY CAN'T WE LIVE TOGETHER (LIVE)
  15. VOODOO CHILE

    UK Dual Disc bonus tracks
  16. DEAR MR. FANTASY (LIVE)
  17. TALKING BACK TO THE NIGHT (LIVE)
  18. DIFFERENT LIGHT (LIVE)

CREDITS

STEVE WINWOOD -- vocals and Hammond organ
JOSE PIRESDE ALMEIDA NETO -- guitar
WALFREDO REYES JR. -- drums, percussion
Richard Bailey -- timbales
Karl Denson -- saxophone, flute
Karl Vanden Bossche -- congas
Johnson Somerset -- associate producer
George Shilling -- engineer
James Towler -- mixing
Michael Rios - artwork
Andy Dutlinger and Mark Berger at Madison House Design -- CD booklet design
Gordon Jackson -- photography

REGION RELEASE DATE LABEL MEDIA ID NUMBER FEATURES
UK June 17, 2003 Sanctuary CD SANCD-130  
UK 2003 Sanctuary CDPRO SANPR-130 promo
US June 17, 2003 Wincraft CD WM0001  
US 2003 Wincraft CDPRO MVRTOS-03 promo
JPN 2003 Sony CDX SICP-414 w. bonus track
UK 2004 Sanctuary 2CD SANDD-130 w. bonus CD single
UK 2005 BMG CDX 74695 Dual Disc w. bonus tracks
JPN 2005 Sony CD+2DVD SICP-1859 w. two bonus DVDs incl.
SANDD-130 tracks + live footage

 

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