Track listing
Show track credits
- 1 Spy in the House of Love 4:46
-
songwriter, rhythm guitar
-
keyboards, drums, bass, drum programming, songwriter
-
keyboards
-
guitar
-
percussion
-
Tony Lindseybackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
background vocals
-
Tina Gibsonbackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
Jeff 'G' Grayassistant engineer
-
songwriter
-
- 2 Angel of Mercy 5:02
-
songwriter, rhythm guitar, Wurlitzer, guitar, Hammond organ
-
bass, drum programming, percussion, songwriter
-
keyboards, voices
-
drum programming
-
string arrangements, conductor
-
concertmaster
-
Tony Lindseybackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
background vocals
-
Tina Gibsonbackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
Jeff 'G' Grayassistant engineer
-
songwriter
-
- 3 Just Wanna Have Some Fun 4:57
-
songwriter, Hammond organ, synthesizer, Clavinet
-
keyboards, bass, drum programming, percussion, synthesizer, songwriter
-
horn arrangements, trumpet
-
Tony Lindseybackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
background vocals
-
Tina Gibsonbackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
keyboards, programming
-
guitar
-
percussion
-
saxophone
-
trombone
-
Jeff 'G' Grayassistant engineer
-
Marc 'Elvis' Reyburnadditional engineer
-
- 4 Let Your Love Come Down 5:47
-
songwriter, lead guitar, organ
-
drums, bass, drum programming, organ, cymbals, songwriter
-
synthesizer, piano
-
bass, rhythm guitar
-
horn arrangements, trumpet
-
background vocals
-
Tina Gibsonbackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
keyboards, programming
-
percussion
-
saxophone
-
trombone
-
guitar
-
background vocals
-
Sandy Griffithbackground vocals
-
Jeff 'G' Grayassistant engineer
-
additional engineer
-
songwriter
-
- 5 Real Love 5:22
-
songwriter, piano
-
keyboards, drum programming, percussion, songwriter
-
keyboards, bass, drum programming, synth strings
-
string arrangements, conductor
-
concertmaster
-
keyboards, programming, bass
-
Eugenia Winwoodsongwriter
-
- 6 Fill Me Up 4:27
-
songwriter, acoustic guitar
-
drum programming
-
keyboards, bass, drum programming, Dobro
-
background vocals
-
Simone Sauphanorbackground vocals
-
Eugenia Winwoodbackground vocals, spoken word, songwriter
-
- 7 Gotta Get Back to My Baby 4:52
-
songwriter, claves, keyboards, horn arrangements
-
Tony Lindseyvoice
-
voice
-
voice
-
Tina Gibsonvoice
-
voice
-
percussion, drums
-
background vocals
-
Simone Sauphanorbackground vocals
-
Eugenia Winwoodsongwriter
-
piano, horn arrangements
-
bass
-
timbales, percussion
-
congas
-
saxophone
-
trumpet
-
trombone
-
trumpet
-
Jeff 'G' Grayassistant engineer
-
- 8 Someone Like You 4:38
-
songwriter
-
keyboards, bass, drum programming, cymbals, songwriter
-
keyboards, drum programming, synth strings
-
Tina Gibsonbackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
Sandy Griffithbackground vocals
-
Eugenia Winwoodsongwriter
-
- 9 Family Affair 5:17
-
piano, percussion
-
keyboards, drums, drum programming, percussion, bass synth
-
string arrangements, conductor
-
concertmaster
-
Tony Lindseybackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
background vocals
-
Tina Gibsonbackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
guitar
-
Myron Doveelectric bass
-
songwriter
-
Marc 'Elvis' Reyburnadditional engineer
-
additional engineer
-
- 10 Plenty Lovin' 5:57
-
songwriter, rhythm guitar
-
keyboards, drum programming, songwriter
-
keyboards, synth strings
-
vocals
-
acoustic guitar, electric guitar
-
electric bass
-
- 11 Lord of the Street 6:25
-
songwriter, rhythm guitar, Hammond organ, Clavinet, piano
-
drums, drum programming, percussion, synthesizer, songwriter
-
MIDI programming
-
Tony Lindseybackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
background vocals
-
Tina Gibsonbackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
keyboards, programming
-
percussion
-
Jeff 'G' Grayassistant engineer
-
songwriter
-
- Total length: 57:30
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5 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
-
Junction Seven [p]
-
Junction Seven Promo
-
Junction Seven Paper/Cardboard Sleeve, Promo
-
Junction Seven Bonus Tracks
-
7 Reviews
1001 Albums You Must Die Before You Hear
#4 - Steve Winwood - Junction Seven (1997)
Do not listen to this album. Just don't.
Winwood's a pretty inoffensive guy. He's capable of being a bit naff at times, like the rest of us, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine he would be responsible for something as stomach-churningly awful as this. Inarguably the worst thing he has ever put his name to, Junction Seven sees Steve completely surrendering his artistry to clueless chart-chasing pop, resulting in an album devoid of any merit whatsoever.
It's strange too because his previous release, the final Traffic album Far From Home, suggested he was rediscovering his song writing chops. But for whatever reason, come 1997, Winwood said "Fuck it, I want to be Michael Bolton only with less emotional credibility" and Junction Seven was born. A key figure in this disaster is producer and co-writer Narada Walden who is accused of having lead Winwood down the cookie cutter R&B rabbit hole, though Winwood presumably signed off on the material meaning he still gets some of the blame. The funny thing is Walden has a strong pedigree- he produced albums for Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and many others and was even the drummer in Mahavishnu Orchestra for three albums. He's had an interesting career, and you'd think someone asked to sit in Billy Cobham's chair would be anything but a clown.
Yet something clearly went wrong - fire up Just Wanna Have Some Fun and prepare to blush on Winwood's behalf as this hopelessly naive dancefloor emptier for the over 35s singles night farts its way through such lyrics as:
"Oh what a shambles has been my day
I know I have to go to work but I want to play
Well, I'm lookin' at my watch and it's almost half past three
And it's time for tea"
The man singing this is 49 years old and really should know better.
No joke - there are no good tracks on this album. There is no positive side. Every single one sucks. The entire album is an endurance test before I give in and hit the skip button. If Spy In The House Of Love sounds like a clueless old man trying to be down with the kids while letting himself be steered by a producer who's just as out of touch but doesn't realise it, it's probably because that's what it is. Then there's the INCREDIBLY annoying backing vocals on Let Your Love Come Down. And just you wait for the cover of Family Affair. A crime against music, Winwood's version meticulously scrubs the song clean of any feeling. That's generally the problem here - Winwood is a soul man, and soul is defined by rawness, by a feeling of unscripted emotion organically bleeding into the music from the performers. This is completely at odds with Walden’s approach which is to make everything symmetrical, perfect, polished, just so.
But oh gods, the ballads. The five minutes of Angel Of Mercy feels like five hours and that's BETTER than the excruciatingly slow, pointless Real Love. Awful drum sounds, predictable melodies, trashbag lyrics - it's all so humiliating. I think it was during the incredibly lame plastic-Latin rhythyms of Gotta Get Back To My Baby that the album entered a very exclusive club of "records that literally REAL-LIFE made me start banging my head on the wall."
A deservedly forgotten shit stain on Winwood's career, Junction Seven underlines that though Winwood transitioned masterfully from 60s to 70s to 80s styles, it was the 90s that showed he wasn't infallible.
#4 - Steve Winwood - Junction Seven (1997)
Do not listen to this album. Just don't.
Winwood's a pretty inoffensive guy. He's capable of being a bit naff at times, like the rest of us, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine he would be responsible for something as stomach-churningly awful as this. Inarguably the worst thing he has ever put his name to, Junction Seven sees Steve completely surrendering his artistry to clueless chart-chasing pop, resulting in an album devoid of any merit whatsoever.
It's strange too because his previous release, the final Traffic album Far From Home, suggested he was rediscovering his song writing chops. But for whatever reason, come 1997, Winwood said "Fuck it, I want to be Michael Bolton only with less emotional credibility" and Junction Seven was born. A key figure in this disaster is producer and co-writer Narada Walden who is accused of having lead Winwood down the cookie cutter R&B rabbit hole, though Winwood presumably signed off on the material meaning he still gets some of the blame. The funny thing is Walden has a strong pedigree- he produced albums for Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and many others and was even the drummer in Mahavishnu Orchestra for three albums. He's had an interesting career, and you'd think someone asked to sit in Billy Cobham's chair would be anything but a clown.
Yet something clearly went wrong - fire up Just Wanna Have Some Fun and prepare to blush on Winwood's behalf as this hopelessly naive dancefloor emptier for the over 35s singles night farts its way through such lyrics as:
"Oh what a shambles has been my day
I know I have to go to work but I want to play
Well, I'm lookin' at my watch and it's almost half past three
And it's time for tea"
The man singing this is 49 years old and really should know better.
No joke - there are no good tracks on this album. There is no positive side. Every single one sucks. The entire album is an endurance test before I give in and hit the skip button. If Spy In The House Of Love sounds like a clueless old man trying to be down with the kids while letting himself be steered by a producer who's just as out of touch but doesn't realise it, it's probably because that's what it is. Then there's the INCREDIBLY annoying backing vocals on Let Your Love Come Down. And just you wait for the cover of Family Affair. A crime against music, Winwood's version meticulously scrubs the song clean of any feeling. That's generally the problem here - Winwood is a soul man, and soul is defined by rawness, by a feeling of unscripted emotion organically bleeding into the music from the performers. This is completely at odds with Walden’s approach which is to make everything symmetrical, perfect, polished, just so.
But oh gods, the ballads. The five minutes of Angel Of Mercy feels like five hours and that's BETTER than the excruciatingly slow, pointless Real Love. Awful drum sounds, predictable melodies, trashbag lyrics - it's all so humiliating. I think it was during the incredibly lame plastic-Latin rhythyms of Gotta Get Back To My Baby that the album entered a very exclusive club of "records that literally REAL-LIFE made me start banging my head on the wall."
A deservedly forgotten shit stain on Winwood's career, Junction Seven underlines that though Winwood transitioned masterfully from 60s to 70s to 80s styles, it was the 90s that showed he wasn't infallible.
Published
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Better than advertised
Winwood has always sounded great singing upbeat R&B and that’s what this much-maligned album is all about. Why do artists have to get beaten up when they try something a little different than their norms? The assertive bass and rhythms make this easy to listen to and dance to, if you dance. Narada was a nice choice for collaborator. Angel of Mercy is gorgeous and the cover of Family Affair is a nice reminder of what Sly Stone brought us. Steve plays some actual piano, which makes up for some of the squiggly synths. Stronger melodies than on some of his previous efforts. Overall, well worth a listen for fans with open minds. Too bad it took me so long to get into this one.Published
Seeing stevie recording an album with narada michael walden gave me the fear because i knew we were going to get a record as worthless as 'junction 7' as a result.
You know the drill... soulless,over programmed,clinical,whirring beats and farting synth bass.... this is not how i like my funk. It's clearly aimed at US radio which is fine,but it's very low in quality.
Stevie tries to inject some of the variety of old - a couple of fairly nice ballads and a little diversion into latin music along the way but it feels like an afterthought. The least said about the sly stone cover the better.
Frustratingly stevies voice still sounds amazing. But he needs to pack in the solo albums and concentrate on livework/session playing if he can't deliver something better than this.
You know the drill... soulless,over programmed,clinical,whirring beats and farting synth bass.... this is not how i like my funk. It's clearly aimed at US radio which is fine,but it's very low in quality.
Stevie tries to inject some of the variety of old - a couple of fairly nice ballads and a little diversion into latin music along the way but it feels like an afterthought. The least said about the sly stone cover the better.
Frustratingly stevies voice still sounds amazing. But he needs to pack in the solo albums and concentrate on livework/session playing if he can't deliver something better than this.
Published
Summer of 1997. It was a pleasant time in my life, and one of the pleasant things I remember was the radio. It constantly played material that really sounded good to me – a few examples: "No More Talk" by Dubstar, "Sometimes" and "You Are the Universe" by Brand New Heavies, "Shine" and "Sweet Lips" by Monaco, "Kaleidoscope Skies" by Jam & Spoon, "Raincloud" by Lighthouse Family, "Strange" by Wet Wet Wet, "Who Do You Think You Are" by Spice Girls, et cetera. Most of those may feel like 'bad teen music from the Nineties' now but back then I really liked that stuff, so I can't go on and consider it unworthy. Well, enter "Spy in the House of Love" by Steve Winwood. It was one more song I liked. At first I couldn't notice that the artist was Steve Winwood, the performer of "Higher Love" – an '80s hit that I had always kind of liked – and a rock veteran who had started his career in the early (!) 1960s. When I found that out, it was one more proof that '97 was really groovy. You could be an ex-Take That, you could be an ex-Spencer Davis Group, and be part of the good vibes of the summer anyway.
However, it took me seventeen years until I really got to listen to Junction Seven, the seventh solo album by Steve Winwood. "Spy in the House of Love" is still a very good song and the Nineties vibe is still there, but sadly, that is almost all this album has to offer. "Let Your Love Come Down" (featuring Lenny Kravitz on funky guitar) and "Fill Me Up" are OK, the Latin-tinged "Gotta Get Back to My Baby" is cheesy but feel-good. The cover of "Family Affair" (Sly & the Family Stone) has no real value, "Plenty Lovin'" sounds too much like the Lisa Stansfield mock-classic "All Around the World." At its worst, Junction Seven is almost plain bad, but fortunately, at its best ("Spy...") it remains to be great.
However, it took me seventeen years until I really got to listen to Junction Seven, the seventh solo album by Steve Winwood. "Spy in the House of Love" is still a very good song and the Nineties vibe is still there, but sadly, that is almost all this album has to offer. "Let Your Love Come Down" (featuring Lenny Kravitz on funky guitar) and "Fill Me Up" are OK, the Latin-tinged "Gotta Get Back to My Baby" is cheesy but feel-good. The cover of "Family Affair" (Sly & the Family Stone) has no real value, "Plenty Lovin'" sounds too much like the Lisa Stansfield mock-classic "All Around the World." At its worst, Junction Seven is almost plain bad, but fortunately, at its best ("Spy...") it remains to be great.
Published
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Promotional press kit with complete album, photograph and documentation packed together in cardboard sleeve.
Published
n/a CD (1997)
you can read my review to "Roll with it", if you like...
Half a star added for "Family Affair".Can't stand the rest.
Stopped buying his albums after having been disappointed to the core with this one, whilest his previous Virgin-Albums hadn't been sooo much better.
I may be wrong and even appear to be too harsh but it's hard to believe that "About Time" or any other album that followed were, after all, worth buying again for me.
I'm happy with the old albums - especially "When the Eagle flies", "Steve Winwood", "Arc of a Diver" and "Talking back to the Night". I'm happy with songs such as "Your Silence is your Song", "My Love's Leaving", "Higher Love" and "Freedom Overspill", too.
Anybody who wants to listen to a document of how good Steve used to be should go for "The Finer Things",
one of the best box-sets ever ( but, for a lover of his first four solo-albums, like I am one, not exactly enough...
it's featuring the most of "Arc of a Diver", though, and a very fine selection from the others, still... all tracks remastered to the best... don't know if it's still available anyway ).
In terms of songwriting, imo, this album is Winwood's definite oath of manifestation ( or, if you like, declaration of bancruptcy ). In ( promotion - ) Interviews he said that he and his fellow musicians had a whole lot of fun in making it ( so at least they had fun, if he didn't lie ). I have a whole lot of disgust listening to it,
cause I can't feel any of that fun. No, I'm rather loathing at the clinical production that kills whatever fun may still be in there. Narada Michael Walden has done better with other artists.
Other fans have said ( to me ) that this one was all about groove and, therefore, extraordinary. I think that the grooves to those poor tracks are rather average and cannot save them. I can listen to a record by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, f.e., if I want to have a revelation in terms of groove. Nuff said.
Published
After recording the Traffic album "Far From Home" Steve Winwood returned to his solo career with this much maligned 1997 offering "Junction Seven". Being Winwood's seventh solo album and the M6 motorway junction for his hometown of Birmingham it is very cleverly named even if the cover art shows him standing on a railway line rather than a Motorway !
The album itself was produced by Narada Michael Walden and had a very different sound to most of Winwood's previous albums. This was not something which long time Winwood fans were overly pleased about and the consensus of opinion amongst them is that it would have been better billed as a combined Winwood/Walden album. Personally my only real gripe with it is the drum sound. There is far too much drum programming and not enough 'real life' drumming.
Opening track 'Spy In The House Of Love' is a funky fast paced song with a catchy beat and an infectious chorus. It maybe gets a little repatitive towards the end but it is still a great funky opener with some nice solos and benefits from having at least some live drum sound. 'Angel Of Mercy' is a slower gospel type track with a nice harmonious intro and a great chorus. Winwood also contributes some nice Hammond organ work and a great wah wah solo. For me it is one of the best tracks on the album and is up there with the best of Winwood's solo offerings. Like the opener and several other tracks on the album it was co-written by Winwood, Walden and old Traffic cohort Jim Capaldi. Quite why Capaldi wasn't asked to contribute drums to the album is beyond me. 'Just Wanna Have Some Fun' ups the tempo again and is a jazzy funky track with good bass and a nice clavinet sound. Winwood plays a nice synthesised sax solo and the track makes great use of horns and backing vocals to give it a real good time feel. 'Let Your Love Come Down' is another slower song with a bass intro and features Lenny Kravitz on guitar. It's a bit too long for me and is slightly inferior to the opening three tracks. 'Real Love' is a very slow ballad which features a full blown string arrangement but it is far too chocolate boxey for me although Winwood does sing it well. It is the first of four tracks on the album that Winwood co-wrote with his wife Eugenia. 'Fill Me Up' takes us back to the uptempo jazzy stuff and is another nice track with a funky bass line and a quirky chorus. Dobro guitar from Mike McEvoy and backing vocals from Ruby Turner help to lift it above the ordinary. Things really pick up again though for 'Got To Get Back To My Baby' a very fast and upbeat track. The calypso feel and the clever use of horns make it a real feel good tune. The use of real drums and Ruby Turner's reappearance on backing vocals both help to make it one of the highlights. 'Someone Like You' is another slower ballad type love song and once again veers just a little too much into the world of syrupy first dance at a wedding territory for me. It is not a badly composed or performed song though, it is just arranged without any great imagination and the over use of programming ruins what could have been a far better track. For me it is clearly the low point on the album although I daresay many will have a different opinion entirely.
The highpoint of the album for me follows in the shape of 'Family Affair', a cover of the Sly and Family Stone chart topping hit of 1971. It is reasonably true to original spirit of song and the live drums once again make a huge difference. A live string section, some more great backing vocals and Nile Rogers on guitar all help to make it a thoroughly enjoyable five minutes and along with the earlier 'Angel Of Mercy' well worth the price of admission. 'Plenty Lovin' sees Des'ree come in to share lead vocal duties with Winwood and Jose Netto plays a pleasant guitar solo. Overall it is a nice song with its string arrangement and nylon string guitar sound but it meanders a bit for me and the Des'ree vocal just takes it a little bit to far into that modern day R & B dance music sound for comfort. The album ends with 'Lord Of The Street' another uptempo song typical of the albums sound with its strong bass and jerky riff.
"Junction Seven" was released in June 1997 and as I stated earlier did not meet with great approval from either Winwood's fan base or the record buying public in general. For most it is regarded as the red herring or the weak link in his solo output. I take a completely opposing view though and consider it to be one of his most enjoyable solo albums. The classic Winwood sound and voice is there and it is an album well worth persevering with despite the over use of programming and the, at times, over bearing influence of Walden.
The album itself was produced by Narada Michael Walden and had a very different sound to most of Winwood's previous albums. This was not something which long time Winwood fans were overly pleased about and the consensus of opinion amongst them is that it would have been better billed as a combined Winwood/Walden album. Personally my only real gripe with it is the drum sound. There is far too much drum programming and not enough 'real life' drumming.
Opening track 'Spy In The House Of Love' is a funky fast paced song with a catchy beat and an infectious chorus. It maybe gets a little repatitive towards the end but it is still a great funky opener with some nice solos and benefits from having at least some live drum sound. 'Angel Of Mercy' is a slower gospel type track with a nice harmonious intro and a great chorus. Winwood also contributes some nice Hammond organ work and a great wah wah solo. For me it is one of the best tracks on the album and is up there with the best of Winwood's solo offerings. Like the opener and several other tracks on the album it was co-written by Winwood, Walden and old Traffic cohort Jim Capaldi. Quite why Capaldi wasn't asked to contribute drums to the album is beyond me. 'Just Wanna Have Some Fun' ups the tempo again and is a jazzy funky track with good bass and a nice clavinet sound. Winwood plays a nice synthesised sax solo and the track makes great use of horns and backing vocals to give it a real good time feel. 'Let Your Love Come Down' is another slower song with a bass intro and features Lenny Kravitz on guitar. It's a bit too long for me and is slightly inferior to the opening three tracks. 'Real Love' is a very slow ballad which features a full blown string arrangement but it is far too chocolate boxey for me although Winwood does sing it well. It is the first of four tracks on the album that Winwood co-wrote with his wife Eugenia. 'Fill Me Up' takes us back to the uptempo jazzy stuff and is another nice track with a funky bass line and a quirky chorus. Dobro guitar from Mike McEvoy and backing vocals from Ruby Turner help to lift it above the ordinary. Things really pick up again though for 'Got To Get Back To My Baby' a very fast and upbeat track. The calypso feel and the clever use of horns make it a real feel good tune. The use of real drums and Ruby Turner's reappearance on backing vocals both help to make it one of the highlights. 'Someone Like You' is another slower ballad type love song and once again veers just a little too much into the world of syrupy first dance at a wedding territory for me. It is not a badly composed or performed song though, it is just arranged without any great imagination and the over use of programming ruins what could have been a far better track. For me it is clearly the low point on the album although I daresay many will have a different opinion entirely.
The highpoint of the album for me follows in the shape of 'Family Affair', a cover of the Sly and Family Stone chart topping hit of 1971. It is reasonably true to original spirit of song and the live drums once again make a huge difference. A live string section, some more great backing vocals and Nile Rogers on guitar all help to make it a thoroughly enjoyable five minutes and along with the earlier 'Angel Of Mercy' well worth the price of admission. 'Plenty Lovin' sees Des'ree come in to share lead vocal duties with Winwood and Jose Netto plays a pleasant guitar solo. Overall it is a nice song with its string arrangement and nylon string guitar sound but it meanders a bit for me and the Des'ree vocal just takes it a little bit to far into that modern day R & B dance music sound for comfort. The album ends with 'Lord Of The Street' another uptempo song typical of the albums sound with its strong bass and jerky riff.
"Junction Seven" was released in June 1997 and as I stated earlier did not meet with great approval from either Winwood's fan base or the record buying public in general. For most it is regarded as the red herring or the weak link in his solo output. I take a completely opposing view though and consider it to be one of his most enjoyable solo albums. The classic Winwood sound and voice is there and it is an album well worth persevering with despite the over use of programming and the, at times, over bearing influence of Walden.
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