I LOVE THIS CD. Even though it was originally recorded in 1988, it is one of my all time favorites and I love every single song on it. Steve Winwood and the many groups he belonged to were staples in my teen years and way beyond. I am so happy to have a copy of this album again. Thanks, Amazon, for carrying it.

Roll With It is a song I just enjoy dancing and listening to any time. This is one of his best and still rocks on after some 20 years! There are some other great tracks but Roll With It is the best!!

It was a big risk for Steve Winwood to follow a hugely successful album in Back in the High Life from '86 with this 1988 album. And while I like the songs here, such as Roll With It, it lacks the excitement of High Life or its major hits. Roll With It sounds like it was recorded in a blues soul club in a Southern town. It recalls '60s soul in a big way but with a 1988 sheen to it. Don't You Know What the Night Can Do has that cool, modern feel to it, as if it's to be heard under neon lights. The album version feels and sounds long every time I hear it. But Holding On sounds too dull every time I hear it. It still doesn't grab me like his earlier records. The rest of the album tries too hard to follow the formula of the last effort. Where High Life has more of a relaxed comfortable feel, some songs on Roll With It sound a little too forced in the way they were performed and recorded. Winwood sounds superb vocally on all numbers, but without the excitement of the other one. His keyboard playing is among the best in the business, but he falls short on some songs. Roll With It has had the strongest shelf life, as I hear it a lot in some stores. The other singles haven't been as memorable.

Steve Windwood doesn`t dissapoint on this one. The reason i think it`s his voice, and the way it fits in as a shining guide, inbetween the very "urban street sound" which brings associations to smoke clouded nightclubs and highlife so to say. Track 1 Roll with it, is an ok starter, which paints a "funky musical tempo up beat " all trough the song. Track 2 Holding on is a classic, or should have been the forgotten hit song gem. It starts, so, so, but then when it build`s up on the refrain, it realy kick`s your`e soul into "heaven feel". There`s something with the refrain that fills you with some sort of religious mood that gives you a good emotion. Track 3 The Morning side is an ok ballad, but it`s a minor let down from the song before. It`s moody, and the Windwood magic is still there`, but it`s not realy up there. Track 4 Put on your dancing shoes, it`s a fastback hard top rock and roller with guts and glory and also have the right element`s to make it shine in a way. Track 5 Don`t you know what the night can do ?, shines in it`s glory. It has a halleluja feel over it, and the Windwood quality dripping on the right notes, so to speak. Track 6 Hearts om fire, is a minor let down. It has tempo, it has a certain flair, and a funky beat, but that`s all. It`s easily forgotten, even when the refrain kick`s in,but the shining quality is still there. Track 7 One More Morning is an ok ballad, but that`s all. It`s to tiny in a way. Track 8 Shining song doesn`t shines too much, sorry to say. Anyway. To sum it up. Roll with this man. Winwood always deliver`s.
That`s a fact.

I admit this album reminds me of his last one in a few ways. Mostly because I think half of the 8 tracks are excellent, and of course the other half is just so-so. Obviously, like "Back In The Highlife", it's the singles that really shine here. The title track is a great upbeat song, even if it was overplayed at the time, and I really do like "Holding On" as well. However, it's "Don't You Know What The Night Can Do" that keeps this in my collection. It's link to the late 80's beer commercial has faded from my memory, and now I just enjoy it as the great song it is. This is a good album for any fan, but what he really needs now is a simple 15-20 track "Greatest Hits" of his solo years, or a double including everything he's done.