Some musicians and rock stars have been around for so long, it’s like they’ve always been a part of my life. And one of the weird things about getting old(er) is finding out that younger generations have no idea who these people are. I suppose that’s only natural, but when you’re on the receiving end, it just feels strange.

One of the running jokes in the ’70s was that the Beatles were Paul McCartney’s back-up band before he was in Wings. Today, most kids probably have little idea that the Beatles or Wings ever existed (a pleasant thought in the case of Wings) and if they’ve heard of Paul McCartney at all, it’s probably due to all the coverage of his recent divorce. There was this one moment in the movie Superbad that really rang untrue – it is when Jonah Hill is comparing the first time a girl looked at him to the first time he heard the Beatles. Sorry, no one born in 1990’s gets misty eyed over the Beatles.

Hong Kong schools probably do not offer classes in the history of rock and roll and most local record shops seem to be poorly stocked when it comes to anything other than Celine Dion or Kenny G. So welcome to Grandpa Spike’s History of Rock and Roll, another in a series of random columns looking back at some seminal artists from music history.

I have a feeling that most of the local record buying public (an increasingly small demographic) has little if no idea who Steve Winwood is, though for me he’s one of the essential journeymen of rock music, someone who has been around for as long as I can remember. And I certainly haven’t liked everything he’s released, but he’s put out more than enough worthwhile records to counteract some of the crap that’s also worn his name.

I think even now, anyone who hears those early singles when he was with the Spencer Davis Group – that great organ sound, the astonishingly soulful voice – will sit up and take notice. A year later, he formed the first version of Traffic, easily one of the Great British Psychedelic Bands of the ’60s, though when their final album included a 10-minute version of an Anthony Newley song, it was probably a good time for them to say goodbye.

Next Winwood joined forces with Eric Clapton to form Blind Faith, and whether you want to say I was excited by the prospect of two of my musical favorites coming together or that I swallowed the hype hook, line and sinker, I remember that I ran away from summer camp and hitchhiked to the nearest town to buy the LP (and the shop in that sleepy mountain town only had the version of the album with the band photo on front rather than the semi-controversial version with the topless 11- year-old girl). After all that effort to get the platter in my hands, truth to tell it just wasn’t that great.

After that, Winwood reformed Traffic and released one of the most successful records of his career, John Barleycorn Must Die. That was then followed by an increasingly meandering series of records. 1973’s Shoot Out At the Fantasy Factory was more memorable for the shape of its cover than the music within. I still recall when a New York DJ played a track from this album, (Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired and then followed it with the comment, “Sometimes you sound so uninspired, Stevie.”

Winwood went solo in the late ’70s, getting some of his old fire back. He had a big hit around 1980 with the album Arc of a Diver. I loved that many of the lyrics on this album were written by former Bonzo Vivian Stanshall. If I recall correctly, record company execs couldn’t figure out what the songs were about and when they asked Winwood to explain, he said that he had no idea what those lyrics were about either but that they felt right.

Winwood continued to score huge successes in the ’80s, with songs like Back in the High Life and Roll With It, making adult pop music that may not have scaled the heights of his earlier years but at least never condescended to his audience. However, the last 20 years have not been kind to Winwood, at least not in the commercial sense. From 1990 to 2003 he released three albums that failed to make a dent.

Earlier this year, Winwood did three shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden sharing the stage with old friend Eric Clapton, performing healthy chunks of the old Blind Faith album. In a recent interview, Winwood (who will turn 60 right around when this column hits the streets) said, “To be a rock 'n' roller at a ripe old age is maybe slightly questionable,” yet his playing during these shows (widely circulated on the internet) shows a performer who hasn’t lost his touch, at least once he steps out on stage.

But then, we have Nine Lives, Winwood’s first new album in five years. It’s great to have him back in any form and his voice still sounds great. The album however, is definitely not the work of a “rock ‘n’ roller.” The mellow tempos, congas, sax and flute remind me at best of that mid-’70s, sleep-inducing version of Traffic. Just listen to the opening song, I’m Not Drowning. Drum sticks clicking on drum rims, some bluesy acoustic guitar – normally this is the sort of thing that goes on for 45 seconds until the power chords hit and it builds into an actual song. Here it never happens; it just sails along at the same pace until it finally fades out three and a half minutes later. If you’re looking for excitement, skip to the fourth song, Dirty City, said excitement being delivered courtesy of Eric Clapton, but you have to get to the 5:40 point in the song before Clapton starts doing anything vaguely Clapton-y.

So, while some Steve Winwood albums should find a home in almost any collection, Nine Lives is definitely not the place to start. Look for a Traffic compilation called Feelin’ Alright: The Definitive Collection, then toss in Arc of a Diver or Back in the High Life and don’t forget some compilation that includes Spencer Davis Group’s Gimme Some Lovin’. Winwood’s going to be hitting the road this summer with Tom Petty and that’s almost guaranteed to be a rockin’ good time – just don’t hold your breath waiting for them to bring it to Hong Kong.