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Far From Home

Time, flowing relentlessly with bittersweet melancholy, carries everything with it: bright and blurry memories, loves, passions, unrealized dreams, experiences both constructive and destructive. Yet, shortly before leaving this existence, the mathematician Gödel claimed that the illusion of the passage of time arises from a confusion between data and reality. Far from home... perhaps distant precisely from a memorable and indelible past that will hardly return, if not in memory. Perhaps... So also for the eclectic multi-instrumentalist Winwood and drummer Capaldi, the forward-looking creativity of the glorious '70s, now seemingly almost faded by the changing times and fashions, returns to shine in brief flashes in the present album.

A full twenty years have passed since the last release from the band. In the meantime, such numerous and vast changes and upheavals have occurred in music: impossible to analyze and list them all. With the intent to evoke the famous group, the two remaining musicians decide to dedicate the compositions to their prematurely deceased friend Chris Wood. At first, the music did not excessively thrill or move me. However, upon listening to it again, I had to admit I appreciated it, especially thanks to a pleasant and successful return to elaborate compositional patterns reminiscent of their early works. Long and intricate Folk Soul and Jazz Rock ballads blend with the much-loved Progressive, in a strong collection of ten musical piéces crafted with passion and technical skill. "Riding High", "Nowhere Is Their Freedom" and "This Train Won't Stop" with dense exuberant rhythms, the melancholic, intimate and relaxing "Far From Home", "Holy Ground" (Uilleann Pipes by D. Spillane) and "State Of Grace", and the electric "Here Come A Man" and "Mozambique". In all tracks, excluding the instrumental "Mozambique", the characteristic and unmistakable dusky voice of Winwood predominates. It almost seems as if the seasons have not passed for him, as his extraordinary vocal and instrumental talents have lost virtually none of their luster and impact. In my opinion, however, in some sections, the vocal parts are a bit too predominant and prolonged, where it would have been better to leave more space for the solid instrumental passages. An occasionally delightful album to listen to, particularly while traveling, especially when traffic is light.

The fold-out booklet is graced with the lyrics of the songs and a series of small photographs. The uninspired cover features a curious circular cadmium red symbol, also present in some previous works of the group. The frantic rhythms of contemporary life demand an incessant flow of artistic and musical traffic. Indeed, every product of human intellect is dragged, tossed here and there, submerged and swallowed up, often forgotten too soon. Instead, sometimes, we should pause to reflect more deeply on what surrounds us. However, at the same time, this endless flow allows body and mind to remain always active and in motion, thus assimilating new experiences in an attempt to improve and with the hope of reaching new goals.