Winwood, Steve
Back In The High Life

1986 US Original, With Custom Inner Sleeve. NM Vinyl. "More Meticulously Crafted Than Its Predecessor Arc Of A Diver And More Musically Adventurous Than Its Follow-Up, Roll With It, Back In The High Life Represents The Pinnacle Of Steve Winwood's '80s Pop Output. High Production Values, Interlocking Percussion Lines, R&B Backing Vocals, Horns, Synthesizers, And Ideas Borrowed From Various World Musics Enhance And Update Winwood's Proclivity For Blues, R&B, And Rock. His Distinctive Blue-Eyed Soul Vocals Are, Naturally, At The Front Of The Mix As Well. The Runaway Number One Single, "Higher Love," With Its Syncopated Groove, Pan-African Percussion, And Slick Top 40 Production, Kicks Off This Accessible Set. Elsewhere, The Dance-Gospel Of "Wake Me Up On Judgment Day," The Semi-Acoustic Title Track, And The Funk-Touched "Split Decision" (Which Proves Winwood's R&B Roots Were Still Strong) Keep The Stylistic Wheel Turning. The Record's Success, Sonically And Commercially, Should Come As No Surprise. Since His Days In Traffic, Winwood Has Been A Masterful Stylistic Synthesist, Melding A Range Of Aesthetics In Ways That Invariably Connect With Listeners. Back In The High Life Is Further Proof Of His Remarkable Abilities." AMG - Rovi Staff.