BCB 100 - Stevie Wonder

[Velvis]

The syrupy stuff does tend to overwhelm when listening to the old albums of his purple patch. They do need a critical re-evaluation.

Favorite Album: (I know it's not a "proper" album, but it's so well sequenced it sounds like one) Original Musiquarium

Favorite Song: Tie. "Superwoman/Where Were You When I Needed You", "He's Misstra Know-It-All".

[The Dríver]

Fave album: Songs In The Key Of Life

Fave track: I Wish

SITKOL is not one of his best albums. There's a lot of superfluous bumf on it, as The Slider has already suggested. It does, however, contain some great tunes, and I've often thought that if 50% of it was binned it could have been an absolute cracker.

I also agree with Slidey as regards my favourite track. I Wish has one of the funkiest, grooviest intro's that I know, and the brass on the playout is fantastic.

I do have a major soft spot for Lately, though.

[geoffcowgill]

I disagree with much of what you've said, but accept it as just different tastes, a matter of opinion. This, however, is insanity.

'Jesus Children..'? Pure sugar.

I'm not religious and I get a bit turned off by religious proselytizing in song, but this track is not simple "la la la la la, Jesus loves all the little children." It sounds like you quit listening after the first verse and never listened to the music. This is a song about desperation and indignation and it's performed as such, with a seething menace. It's a song terrifically applicable to the situation in the US today, with "Christians" controlling the government and culture who treat their faith as membership in a powerful fraternity and have no idea what their organization is meant to be.

And Mr. Chopping--- I didn't take to Talking Book immediately, myself. I think it may be a bit of a grower. Give it a few more spins, see if it seeps in a little, before giving up on it.

[Bungo the Mungo]

Tell me which particular songs you are singling out as 'just as bad' and I will try to illustrate how they have some sort of point to make, or message to impart....

You are the sunshine of my life
That's why I'll always be around,
You are the apple of my eye,
Forever you'll stay in my heart

I feel like this is the beginning,
Though I've loved you for a million years,
And if I thought our love was ending,
I'd find myself drowning in my own tears.

You are the sunshine of my life,
That's why I'll always stay around,
You are the apple of my eye,
Forever you'll stay in my heart,

You must have known that I was lonely,
Because you came to my rescue,
And I know that this must be heaven,
How could so much love be inside of you?

You are the sunshine of my life, yeah,
That's why I'll always stay around,
You are the apple of my eye,
Forever you'll stay in my heart.

(Background) Love has joined us,
Love has joined us,
Let's think sweet love.

OR...

Dodo do do do dodo
Do do dodo do dodo
Dodo dodo do do

Dodo do do do dodo
Do do do do dodo do
Dodo dodo dodo

I'm too high
I'm too high
But I ain't touched the sky

I'm too high
I'm too high
But I ain't touched the sky

She's a girl in a dream
She sees a four eyed cartoon monster on the T.V. screen
She takes another puff and says "It's a crazy scene"
That red is green
And she's a tangerine

I'm too high
I'm too high
But I ain't left the ground

I'm too high
I'm too high
I hope I never ever come down

She's the girl in her life
But her world's a superficial paradise
She had a chance to make it big more than once or twice
But no dice
She wasn't very nice

Ooh

Dodo do do do dodo
Do do dodo do dodo
Do do do do do do

Dodo do do do dodo
Do do dodo do dodo
Dodo dodo
Dodo dodo
Dodo dodo

I'm too high
I'm too high
I can't ever touch the sky

I'm too high
I'm so high
I feel like I'm about to die

She's a girl of the past
I guess that I got to her at last
A did you hear the news about the girl today
She passed away
What did her friend say

They said she's too high
Too high
Can't hang around anyway...

Dodo do do do dodo
Do do dodo do dodo
do...do...do...
do...do...do...
do...

[K]

Two fucking great songs.

You Are the Sunshine of my Life and Too High both start with wonderfully jazz-influenced sounds. The augmented and diminshed chords that accompany not the genius star of the album by two backing singers on Sunshine, and the whoom-sound of the bass on Too High.

I also love the Funkadelic like background noise throughout Sunshine, a song which also features some of Stevie's best singing.

Too High is madcap magic from start to finish. The tinging cymbal that dances throughout the song is terrific, as is his perfect harp solo.

[The Slider]

Are you seriously saying that 'Too High' is musically sugary?

And that 'You Are The Sunshine of My Life' (which may well be a little musically lightweight but hardly in the same league of nursery rhyme sing-song as IJCTSILY) is in the same lyrically-trite catagory?

I think you are probably on your own on that one.

[Bungo the Mungo]

:?

Are you seriously saying that 'Too High' is musically sugary?

Maybe 'sugary' is the wrong word, but it's certainly very slight.

[toomanyhatz]

:?

Are you seriously saying that 'Too High' is musically sugary?

And that 'You Are The Sunshine of My Life' (which may well be a little musically lightweight but hardly in the same league of nursery rhyme sing-song as IJCTSILY) is in the same lyrically-trite catagory?

I think you are probably on your own on that one.

Exactly. I can almost agree with Coan's sentiment if not for the fact that:

a) The sugary ones during his classic album run at least have a sense of effort being put into them, regardless of whether or not they're my personal taste, and

b) any album that has one of the funkiest tracks ever made- like every single one between Talking Book and SitKOL- I tend to be forgiving of.

And if you really need it spelled out for you, get the box set. Play discs 1-3 and you'll definitely skip a few tracks here and there. But play disc 4 and, except for the first few tracks, you'll have to take a shower afterwards.

I can even get behind the idea that we're too forgiving of him, but to say the 70s is loaded with songs as bad as IJCTSILY- that's a bridge too far.

[Mozz]

Album:Innervisions

Song:Knocks Me Off My Feet


For me, Innervisions is one of the greatest albums of all time. There's no other single (as opposed to double) album I've got that has so much variety on it: the ups and downs of love, songs that deal with politics, racism and religion. It's got funk, soul, pop and ballads. It's just fantastic and there's not a duff moment on it. As good as Talking Book is, I cannot help but see it as Innervisions with 50% less fat and more added sugar.

But as for my favourite song, it comes from SITKOL, perhaps the Stevie Wonder album that prompts the most debate. It does have some great moments but the descent into mediocrity has well and truly begun. 'Knocks Me Off My Feet' is anything but mediocre: joyous, melodically spot-on, and with a key change to die for. Its romantic without being cheesy, and wouldn't have sounded out of place if it had been on Innervisions.

[brassneck..]

So I went out and picked up Talking Book. What a dissapointment. I Believe (When I Fall...) is great of course and Superstition is alright but not amazing. You Are The Sunshine In My Life is a keyboard stuck in demonstration mode and the rest is dull.

I was another latecomer to Stevie. It took me a long time to really enjoy Talking Book. But i think it is worth persevering.

Album - Talking Book

Song - He's Misstra Know It All

[sloopjohnc]

We were writing about great artists' comps the other week. No one mentioned this one, but it stands out as one of the best



I don't have a problem with Wonder's sentimentality, like I don't have a problem with McCartney's. It just comes with the package.

In another thread, I admitted to being a "sucka" sometimes for cloying, contrived sentimentality. Given that's a given---I'd rather listen to it done by a master.

[Prince Of Peace]

Album : Innervisions

Track : Pastime Paradise.

[Clippernolan]

Hmm. Hard to seperate the four classic albums (SITKOL is not one of them - too much saccharine filler) but if it is going to have to come down to one...

Album: Talking Book

Song: I Wish - the funkiest (which is why it beats out Sir Duke for me), most joyful (along with Sir Duke) piece of music I can think of at this moment in time.

What he said.

[Sneelock]

sugary shmugary.
shoot some insulin or take a pass.
you either like the sound of a human singing or you don't

ablum: Innervisions
I was shunned by my fellow slouching surly teens for yakking about how much I loved this record. I didn't mind as I became somewhat less surly.

song: My Cherie Amour
honest. the melody and his vocal just enchant me.

[Count Machuki]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8553585.stm

US singer Stevie Wonder has collected one of France's top cultural honours in Paris, 30 years after he was first named to receive it.

The 59-year-old Motown star was made a Commander of the Arts and Letters by French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand.

Mr Mitterrand praised the singer as "music's familiar genius".

[Moleskin]

Just now -

Album: Where I'm Coming From
Song: 'Misstra Know It All'

[Count Machuki]

3 Stevie songs