Album Review

Lindsey Horner [allmusic.com]

I must respectfully disagree with those who claim that this record was ''a bust''. Those who had been listening carefully heard this as a deeper return to form from which Traffic had drifted in its latter days. The grooves are thick, the singing is soulful, quintessential Winwood, the band is tight and the songs memorable. ''Hold On'' , ''Time is Running Out'', ''Vacant Chair'', all stand the test of time and a discerning listener can detect a musician breathing free for the first time in years. What it isn't is pop radio friendly, the music too serious to be a commercial success. Almost 40 years after its release, I still listen to it regularly and if you like strong music played by one of the best musicians in the rock idiom, I urge you to do the same. If, on the other hand, you prefer the lighter weight, more commercial pop fare that even Steve Winwood succumbed to in the 80's, maybe this is not for you.