Customer Reviews
I'm not really under thirteen 
2007-04-10
I'm in my mid 20's and discovered this song a few years ago on the radio and just couldn't turn it off. It totally drew me in, musically, vocally, melodically and everything. Fortunately the radio deejay said the title and artist of the song as soon as it was over so I was able to go out and buy this album the next day and fell in love with it.
ANNIVERSARY DANCE 2007-03-08
This album is fantastic !! Steve has been around awhile and his earlier work is great too. This album came out after we were married and we established that the song " The Finer Things " was to be our song !! We even took it to Hawaii and danced to it on top Haleakala on our wedding anniversary. The whole album is full of great rock and roll. The way we the baby boomers remember. You have great dance tunes as well as R&R !!!
Is there Life After Traffic? Winwood's Spiritual Quest 2007-01-07
Hello again my New Year people! I am back to review worthy music for you. I have freshly returned from Mesa, Arizona (which I went to immediately following 12 o'clock midnight!) to recharge my energy and put new batteries in my Seer's hat. Works good too, but creates split ends. So I am now buying stock in conditioning products. And you thought the life of a Seer was easy!
I have, again, searched for excellence and have found it in Winwood's "Back in the High Life". As many of you are aware-he was frontman for that wonderful group, Traffic. And, although I have always liked the output of that band, with his solo career, he worked his way up to the high watermark of this album. It is amazing. It is the picture of a man coming to terms with himself and the world around him. It works on many levels - but the soul searching and revealing truths are to the point and made easier with the music here.
About the music- he has gathered together a crack musician team which delivers throughout. And although I loved the music of Traffic (because it was so fluid) Winwood has moved to a more precision sound with this recording. Is it good? Is it bad? Who can say? But why compare the two anyway? Each has it's own merit and we should be satisfied with that.
Getting back to the music- the beat here is more insistent and harder than previous recordings. And all the musicians provide incredibly appropriate backdrop to his keyboards. They never overshadow him- but accompany him in equal measure. And I think that, aside from the excellent songwriting, this combination spirals the songs to greater satisfaction. What is Metamorpho saying here? You must listen with complete reflection to see. But it is worth it, believe me.
We begin with "Higher Love" which is quite a tune. There must be something stronger, higher out there which will raise us up and give us the faith to continue on through life. He asks for this love - knowing that it is there and some salvation is attached. I see spirituality in this song. Lots of it. A yearning, a quest, which sets the mood of the whole album.
"Take It As It Comes" contains many premises, many levels of thought. However we are all "skating on the thinnest of ice" with our own mortality. Flowing with all of life - no matter the pitfalls, is better than waring against it. A wisdom worth noting.
I should also make another observation on the music. At many points Winwood employs a horn section which adds spice and body to the soul of the compositions. Listen to the grooves and changes. You'll see what I mean.
"Freedom Overspill" takes on the topic of pride and how we can be our own worst enemy. How our actions come back to haunt us. It is a more looping, insistent groove. But, as with many times with Winwood, filled with that glorious English "Soul" vocals. What a remarkable voice!
"Back in the High Life Again" with is country-like strumming, is a tale of a man who, after achieving success became out of touch with the things that really matter in life. It is a return to the roots with the hope that everything that made his life worthwhile is still out there for him. Again, Winwood has such an astute vision of the human condition. Bravo!
We then come to "The Finer Things" which I think is the superb cornerstone of the album. I always get an awakening when I listen to it. At times of reflection, we must overlook the bad and realize that when the finer things in life do come shining through, we are more blessed in many ways. "We must live while we can", is the telling lyric. No, life doesn't last forever. But, while we are here, we must seek enjoyment and feel the spark of aliveness. Our time is valuable, and so are we. We should all aspire to "the finer things" which all of us could be to each other. Wonderful song.
"Wake Me Up On Judgement Day" is an ode to lost souls. It is sad. But the same old story of being used and failing illustrates the plight of people who retreat from the world and only want to be awoken when everything ends. Throughout, Winwood conveys the downside of life. But, in this, he is constantly trying to rise above it all. To clense his soul and move on. So many great realizations.
"Split Decision", on the other hand, reveals the struggle within. How the personality can contain two opposite views and how nothing is exactly for certain when the world is in constant flux. At best, it is a compromise within the self-a split decision if you will. Again-content is remarkable.
"My Love's Leavin'" closes this saga. But, instead of being ordinary, it reveals that the subject really caused this-saw their contribution to the situation-and feels the pain that they, themselves created. I swear that Winwood must have been reading some very good psychology books to come up with this effort!
In closing let me say that this recording is one of the best pop-rock-soul efforts out there. I am not much for musical labels so you decide. However, Winwood very rarely disappoints and this offering has class and quality. Yes. Even after so many years.
So my people, I hope I didn't "bray" too much. You know Seers are like that at times. They go overboard with ideas - some are good-some are bad- but it doesn't excuse split ends I know.
Anyway-have fun in this bright New Year! Hope for quality music to brighten all your days!
Enjoy life.
Your own dedicated---Metamorpho
Great Music For Any Occasion 2006-11-10
Great cd to listen to for any occassion. Now matter what you are doing work or play this is the perfect cd to listen to while you are doing it. From start to finish very good listening.
Great upbeat, feel good music. 2006-11-03
I have had this album for years in cassette form and so I wanted to be able to listen to it in CD form. When I first put it in and listen for the first time that I had heard it in years, it was great. I thought I need to listen to this more often, it makes you want to tap you foot and get up and dance. Overall I really enjoy this album and would reccomend it, it is upbeat and makes you feel good and you want to sing along.
One of the cornerstones of catchy, radio-friendly pop 2007-10-29
From listening to this album, it's hard to believe that Steve Winwood used to be the lead singer for the great 60s rock groups Traffic and The Spencer Davis Group, and while some purists may call him a sellout, there's no denying that whatever kind of music Steve Winwood makes, he can do it good. Bouncy upbeat pop perfect for work, the car, or even just cleaning the house, this album made huge hits out of "Higher Love", "The Finer Things" and the title track, and all three of these (particularly Higher Love), still get played almost daily on adult contemporary radio stations. The slower paced "My Love's Leavin'" is also first-rate.
Stands the test of time 2007-07-16
The year I really started to take interest in music was 1986. It was the summer inbetween 6th and 7th grade and every song that I liked I would go out and buy the 45 single. Because I didn't have much money an album would really have to strike my interest to get me to buy it. "Back in the High Life" was one of those albums. The song "Higher Love" was a huge hit and I loved the song "Back in the High Life Again". Because there were at least two songs I liked I saved up the money and bought the tape. Every song sounded like a hit and I played the heck out of that tape until it wore out. When I got a CD player in the late 80s this was on my purchase list.
There were many albums and songs that I enjoyed in 1986 but very few albums that have held up well. Many albums had a lot of songs that sounded the same. You would have an artist that had a HUGE hit in one style and half of the next album would be trying to copy that style in order to get another big hit. Albums like this was an exception. Of course it helps that this is Steve Winwood's first big solo hit album. There is a lot of varity to keep this album interesting from the first to the last song and it is short enough that it doesn't over stay it's welcome. It is now 2007 and I have yet to get tired of this album and it has remained in my essential favorites for over 20 years.
If you are a fan of the 80s, even though you may have "Higher Love" on one of the many 80s compilations out there, the other songs are just as good and in some cases better (like "Finer Things" and "Freedom Overspill"). Give this one a chance.
My only complaint is this album is in much need of remastering. This is a minor complaint because all I have to do is turn up the volume a tad more than I have to do with other CDs.
Got it for "Back in the High Life" 
2007-07-12
Discovered I liked "Higher Love" and "Finer Things" and that was it. The sound quality on my disk isn't great--I had to raise the volume and do some fiddling to get it to compare to the previous levels that had worked for months. Wasn't worth the price, IMHO.
Three good songs and the rest is forgettable to unbearable 2007-05-28
I'm really surprised how high the ratings are for this. I'm a big Steve Winwood fan but really only three songs on here do it for me. The Celtic sounding Back In The High Life Again with nice mandolin and James Taylor harmony. Split Decision co written by Joe Walsh which gives the album an edge and My Love's Leavin' co written by former Bonzo Dog Vivian Stanshall(it's a shame the two of them didn't do this as a duet, as it's also perfect for Viv's voice). The hits Higher Love and The Finer things are okay but the rest isn't really any good in my humble opinion.
Great Variety In One Package 2007-05-12
This is a wonderful set of Steve Winwood's performances, and may be the best in all of his career. Althought there are "only" eight songs included on this disc, each one is unique and creative, with its own characteristicsand style. Also, each of these tracks is over five minutes long, for a total of about 45 minutes of play. Therefore, one does not feel shortchanged by listening to the eight songs, for each is great in its own right.
Steve primarily focuses on jazz, soul, dance, and island styles blended with good ol' rock 'n' roll. The lyrics of these songs explore fairly deep issues of life but the music tends to be light-hearted and suited for a party. Several of these tracks have become major hits on pop radio during the late 1980s, and the listener may be moved to sing along as the tune plays on the radio or on one's personal music player.
The album starts out with "Higher Love", a bouncy, lively hit with plenty of lighthearted percussion, and a memorable, sing-along chorus. This song is about finding a type of love in contrast to world problems and concerns, and was a popular hit on the radio. "The Finer Things" is generally an island sound, almost reggae-like, and was also a major hit. This track explores the enjoyment and appreciation of the good parts of a relationship with a loved one. "Back In The High Life" is perhaps the gentelest track, with a piano and synthetic fiddle in the background, and a folk/country sound; it was another major hit to reach the airwaves. It deals with returning to the good life after having to face responsibilities and problems.
The remaining five songs are of high quality as well, and noteworthy on their own. "Take It As It Comes" is the second track and is marked by a prominent brass section, giving it a jazzy flavor. This high-energy piece covers the necessity of dealing with and accepting difficulties in one's life. The next track, "Freedom Overspill" has a rhythm and blues style and brass horns, and could be misattributed to another very popular R&B singer. In this song, the subject encourages his friend to open up and talk about concerns and problems. "Wake Me Up On Judgement Day" makes a great dance song for a party, with a high-energy pop/synth background, even though the lyrics are about a guy who would rather sleep through the world's problems caused by human error. The second-to-last track "Split Decision" includes verses with a reggae sound and a chorus with a southern rock style similar to that of Joe Walsh. This mid-paced song tells a story about a guy in conflict with himself over making decisions and taking action. The last track "My Love's Leavin'" contains a synthetic string background along with extensive percusion and electronic keyboard. As the title suggests, this song is about experiencing the loss and heartache when one's lover leaves him.
Overall, this is probably the best of Steve Winwood's albums in his entire music career. If the listener obtains just one of his albums for their collection, this would be the best one to choose. It demonstrates his versatility in his musical styles and performances.
