Steve Winwood - Back In The High Life

Back In The High Life is the fourth solo studio album by British rock musician Steve Winwood, originally released in June 1986 via Island Records.

Winwood recorded two successful solo albums on which he played all the instruments and self produced the material at his home studio in the UK, Ark of a Diver (1980) and Talking Back To The Night (1982). For his next album Back In The High Life, Winwood changed approach by moving recording sessions to New York for his next album and teaming up with producer Russ Titelman. He also used a variety of musicians to play on the songs, marking a major shift in approach to the prior records. Will Jennings again co-wrote most of the songs on the album with Winwood.

The results were very positive and the album was a major commercial success peaking at #3 on the US Billboard 200 Albums chart and spawning seven singles, of which “Higher Love” reached #1 in the US with another five singles reaching the Top 50. The album has sold more than five million copies.

The first single “Higher Love” features vocals by Chaka Khan, which has a great groove and percussion and horn arrangement. “Freedom Overspill” features Joe Walsh on slide guitar and James Taylor contributes vocals on the title track “Back In The High Life Again”. “Wake Me Up On Judgement Day” is a great dance gospel arrangement with Nile Rogers on guitars. “Split Decision” was co-written with Joe Walsh who also plays guitar on the song. “My Love’s Leavin’” features a string arrangement by legendary Arif Mardin.

All in all the album has a great R&B feel incorporating world music percussive rhythms, horns, extensive backing vocals and synthesised keyboards. It is no wonder this album became such a success across the globe. The album is another classic from this blues prodigy who started out playing Hammond organ and guitar backing many US blues musicians touring the UK and who joined the Spencer Davis Group at the age of 14. An amazing musician.

Check out the tracks: “Higher Love”; “Freedom Overspill”; “Back In The High Life Again”; “Wake Me Up On Judgement Day” and “The Finer Things”.

This LP record is a 2017 reissue on 180 gram heavyweight vinyl with replicated artwork, pressed in Europe.