The single-disc distillation of Universal’s 2010 four-disc box set
Revolutions: The Very Best of Steve Winwood offers as well-balanced a look at
Winwood’s career as could possibly be done in a 17-track collection. Opening with a pair of
the Spencer Davis Group’s biggest hits (“Gimme Some Lovin’,” “I’m a Man”), this then gives way to five selections from
Traffic, including “Dear Mr. Fantasy” and “Glad,” and a stop at
Blind Faith’s “Can’t Find My Way Home” before winding through all of his ‘80s solo hits (substituting a new 2010 version of “Spanish Dancer” for the original), concluding with a duet with
Eric Clapton on “Dirty City.” There may be a few other tracks that could have made the cut, but what is here provides an effective introductory sampler to
Winwood’s wide-ranging career. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine