Back in The High Life

The High Street was once the heart and soul of every town in Britain. Not anymore. But what if we could turn back time, to the days of the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker?

Conventional wisdom has it that rock & roll is the aural embodiment of youth culture, but as more artists who've devoted their lives to playing the stuff grow older, they've struggled to reconcile maturity with the recklessness of the music. No surprise, then, that few if any have had the courage to do what Warren Zevon did with his 2000 set Life'll Kill Ya – create a concept album about aging, disease, decay and ultimately death. "My Shit's Fucked Up" and the title tune are bleakly witty but unblinking glimpses into the abyss of mortality, "Don't Let Us Get Sick" is a sadly hopeful prayer against the inevitable, "Porcelain Monkey" chronicles Elvis Presley's long slide into fatal irrelevance, and the cover of Steve Winwood's "Back in the High Life Again" transforms the song into a picture of a man struggling to convince himself he's going to get out alive.

As a solo artist, Steve Winwood is primarily associated with the highly polished blue-eyed soul-pop that made him a star in the '80s. Yet his turn as a slick, upscale mainstay of adult contemporary radio was simply the latest phase of a long and varied career, one that's seen the former teenage R&B shouter move through jazz, psychedelia, blues-rock, and progressive rock. Possessed of a powerful, utterly distinctive voice, Winwood was also an excellent keyboardist who remained an in-demand session musician for most of his career, even while busy with high-profile projects.

Status Quo are to release another batch of deluxe two and three CD releases via Universal Music. Under the spotlight this time are the '1+9+8+2' album released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the bands formation, 'Back To Back' from 1983, which features the last studio performances of original bass player Alan Lancaster before he left the band in late 1985, 'In The Army Now' (originally released in 1986) and its 1988 follow up, 'Ain't Complaining' which are all due for release by UMC/Mercury on Friday 28th September 2018.

Time Life has put together the best-loved romantic, adult contemporary hits of the eighties. From sexy and sensual ballads to soft and sweet love songs and even some of the decade's greatest power ballads, the 'Easy '80s' collection is all about love.

Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English singer and musician whose genres include progressive rock, blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, pop rock, and jazz. Though primarily a vocalist and keyboardist, Winwood also plays the Hammond organ, bass guitar, drums, acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, violin, and other strings.