Entertainment For Lively Minds
Yesterday was Thursday, which must have meant...
Posted by Bob on 18 November 2011 - 10:15am.
...it was Stevie Wonder time. A conversation on Twitter prompted me to put his three masterpieces - "Songs In The Key Of Life", "Innervisions" and "Talking Book" - on my phone, and yesterday I listened to all three for the first time in at least a year.
They need no introduction, and are more or less perfect. But just imagine - just imagine - having written, played and recorded this:
(Stevie Wonder - "As")
Stevie just blows me away.
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Innervisions
is his most complete, cohesive album. It just flows from track and I have never just listened to one track off of it, always the whole album.
And as for Songs In The Key Of Life - has there ever been a stronger double album, especially by a solo artist?
No. There hasn't.
I can't think of another double album that doesn't need a serious cull. Not SITKOL. It's perfect, even "Isn't She Lovely". I wouldn't change a note.
Not sure if anyone has ever had a run of albums/singles like it.
A whole decade of perfection, or something close to it.
It's astonishing.
A towering achievement. There's never been anyone quite like Stevie Wonder, and I don't know if there will be again. A force of nature.
I would say...
... Stevie's run of 70's albums - from "Where I'm Coming From" to "SITKOL" is the most awesome run of albums by anyone. Criminally underrated by younger people who only know him for IJCTSILY.
If I could cheat a bit...
...I'd suggest "Where I'm Coming From" up to "Hotter Than July," but skipping the one about the plants. That's still 8 albums (including one double album with a 4 track bonus EP) in 11 years. Wow.
Hotter Than July
I've been giving that album a lot of time this year. The track Cash In Your Face is indicative of my favourite kind of Stevie song, a perfect balance between groove and melody.
Also:
His earlier albums, "Where I'm Coming From" and "Music Of My Mind" are worth a shout. Not masterpieces, but still very good.
Agree - Stevie's 70s run was a monumental triumph. Too bad about the 80s, eh...?
Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)
from Music Of My Mind is just superb - haunting, acerbic but resigned.
In many ways, "If You Really Love Me" from the earlier prototypical Where I'm Coming From is a condensed version of that latter masterpiece with melodic inventiveness, rhythmic complexity and sheer pop joyfulness.
Christ, I sound like a cross between Charles Shaar Murray and Hurree Jamset Ram Singh from the Bunter books.
Anyway, if you were to add Fulfillingness First Finale and even parts of Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants (but only a very few parts) - then I would say it's a sequence of work matched only by very few.
My own favourite single LP maybe Talking Book which features track after track of unadulterated genius. I cannot find a You Tube clip but if I could I would post "Tuesday Heartbreak" or "Blame It On The Sun" which perhaps only peak time McCartney or Smokey could come close to matching for plaintive heart string manipulation
I think I'm the only person
who REALLY likes "Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants." Taken as four long-form pieces of music with different movements, I've always liked the way it flows.
If I had to make the choice, I wouldn't pick it above "Songs In The Key Of Life" or "Talking Book" (choosing between those two alone WOULD be difficult), but I still love it.
Trilogy in 4 Parts
The Classic Period trilogy is usually quoted as:
Talking Book
Innervisions
Songs In The Key Of Life
The "forgotten" album of this period is "Fulfillingness' First Finale"
(probably not as consistently strong as the other 3, but still a wholly fantastic listen)
You Haven't Done Nothin'