Reviews (page 10 of 15)
Ah, we’re back to the Stevie Wonder Russian roulette again. It’s the same story as ‘Talking Book’ really. He’s either really magnificently funky or dull as dishwater, with nothing inbetween. And this time that precarious balance extends across a double album. On balance I’ll take the extra excellent tracks as a positive here (there aren’t many albums that have this many bangers). So let’s mark it one more star than the single album! (I’m also assuming I’m not the only one who did a massive double take at ‘passtime paradise’. I never knew that Coolio had ripped that off so blatantly.)
As, Another Star, Sir Duke all 10/10. 4.5/5
Masterpiece.
more songs need to be in the key of life god damn this is good
Fantastic!
I think I like Stevie Wonder, but I just don't really want to listen to this
Light years beyond smooth Vastly emotional pop With funky breakdowns
this is good but wayyyy too long 4/5
YAY!! There’s a bunch of songs that just don’t resonate with me. But then the classics start and who can care about anything else. So many brilliant hits off this album. 5/5
First of these I've listened to before! Very grateful for the incentive to listen again since it didn't stick the first time. I still think this is quite a ways below Innervisions since (almost by definition) it's a bit inconsistent, but found it a lot stronger this time around. Lovely stuff all around.
Very relaxing voice mixed with great rhythms. Nice use of various instruments. I massively enjoyed the first half of the album and liked the second.
Great grooves
Not sure how to rate a double album with a couple of great songs -- enduring classics -- and a lot of songs I wouldn't want to hear again. I don't think it does a good job as an *album* if that's what we're rating. 2.5
There is so much amazing stuff on this album, but the stuff that is bad is so, so, so incredibly bad.
This was fun! I love "Sir Duke" of course. I feel like I don't have very many comments LOL but I enjoyed it, and I would listen again.
REAL mixed bag on this one, Stevland. I struggle with albums that are so long and so mixed, bc I feel taunted by the fact that there could have been a normal length phenomenal album with some editing. 2.5
I wish this was a single album. +1 extra star for Sir Duke
I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this album, and I’ve added several songs to my playlist. However, when Contusion goes too far into jazz city, and the playtime is almost endless, I can’t give more than a 4.
Clompetely hypnotizing. Good for listening while doing something
Love's in Need of Love is too long; it's not a bad song just not a song that deserves 7 minutes Have A Talk with God is really good I Wish is good Pasttime Paradise is what Gangsta's Paradise sampled from so that's neat mostly just not my genre of music
The hits hit harder than most entire albums, so the parts that are a little weirder get pushed under the rug pretty quickly. Definitely enjoyable, but has flaws.
The best from the best.
Thankfully, this was a much more enjoyable album compared to the last Stevie Wonder album I reviewed, especially considering it’s a double album. “Songs in the Key of Life” is a very soulful album that covers a lot of ground. It features a wide array of instruments, from traditional ones to horns, strings, harmonica, keyboards, and synthesizers. Another fun fact I learned while listening to this album is that Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” is a complete rip-off of Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise.”
Unfortunate you started with this one because now everything else has to live up to the greatest/most influential soul/R&B album ever recorded
One of the greatest albums of all time and for a damn good reason. It's groovy, it's soulful, it makes me feel alive and most importantly, ive listened to like half of this album despite never listening to this album you know something is influential when you have several "THAT'S WHERE THATS FROM?!" moments. Past time Paradise. Isn't She Lovely. Black Man. This is an album I'm gonna show my kids.
Stevie Wonder and this type of music have never really been my thing but I can easily recognize that this album was an accomplishment and while it's a bit too long, it's an enjoyable listen. I'd be remiss to give this anything less than a 4 even though it's not something I'd seek out.
initially while i was listening, i was worried that i wasnt going to like this especially since i finally have an excuse to listen to this. this one has been sitting in my listen list, but i never got to it because of its length. i wasnt really getting into it until i got to sir duke, then it picked up from there. unfortunately, i cant really say the same for the second half. isnt she lovely is great, but overall i felt like the first half was better than the second. as and another star were also great, but the hits in general on first half were better imo. despite this being almost 2 hours, i enjoyed the listen even after listening to it all in one go. 4 personal favs: i wish, pastime paradise, summer soft, another star
Some of Wonder’s best and most popular work, for good reason. Lots of song variety too, which felt fresh. Two discs felt like a lot, but still a great album.
I never listen to this genre and I detest double albums. This is the best example of both I've heard. Wonderful stuff from start to finish.
Peak Stevie? Maybe.
Sometime around 1976 my Dad bought home a proper music centre with two cassette tapes - a “super sounds of stereo” sampler and Stevie Wonder. I can still remember the experience of hearing the room filled with this marvellous music, hearing each instrument in its own place on the sound stage. The highlight on this for me is Sir Duke, paying tribute to Duke Ellington and other jazz greats.
This is good R&B/soul, well written, well interpreted, but it's a bit too long to my taste even though I can understand that if you're into the genre it's probably the best almost-2 hours you can spend. I'd put a 3.5 if I could, but let's round it to 4.
Pretty undeniably good. Maybe too long but it's got a lot of good tracks and they are all very well made, performed and produced. Will I listen to again: 95%
How can a person listen to this and not rate it at least a 4? I haven't actually heard a Stevie Wonder album coming into this... I was a bit sceptical going in, noting the length and the fact that this was like his eighteenth album or something. But luckily, this is just solid from beginning to end, and it was over before I knew it.
There are some great songs on this album, but the album is long and the songs are long. And for the most part, it’s not my favorite kind of music.
I liked it
One of the greatest musicians of our time. I don't love every single track, but this album has just so many beautiful songs (Sir Duke, As, I Wish, Saturn, If It's Magic, Ebony Eyes, Isn't She Lovely) that it's a timeless album. 5/5
Goes hard. This album is at its best on the soul harmonies, Stevie’s balmy voice or the stanky jazz instrumental tracks. Contusion is an ahead of time song that belongs in Mario Kart. The string arrangements in pasttime paradise go so much harder in the original track. The groove is all absorbing. It’s much brighter than my average mood, and like much of motown records it drags me along. Bass line in all day sucker is crazy. Cheesy lyrics, but they get carried by insane melodies and funky grooves. Few tracks I don’t personally connect as hard. I end up skipping them in relistens. Have a talk with god or ghetto land. Since the harmony is a bit simpler, the plain but well intentioned imagery in the lyrics don’t carry the tracks home. Music is sooo great in black man, some verses are cringe worthy though. All in all, after several listenings across a week I hear influencing that echoes through a lot of my favourite artists of all time.
Okay I normally hate double albums because I feel like they're usually bloated and contain a bunch of material that should have been cut, but oh my god everything on this is golden. It's a foundational album, been sampled to hell and back and for good reason. Absolutely a must-listen. This album will stay with me forever.
Love love love it
Isn't he lovely
There are few albums where the listener can sense that the artist delivered his/her heart and soul into their work. This is one of those works. Songs In the Key Of Life has many main stream hits such as Sir Duke, I Wish, and Isn't She Lovely. However for me it's the other gems that I really enjoyed such as the illustrative Village Ghetto Land, Pastime Paradise, and heartfelt Joy Inside My Tears.
A terribly and highly overrated album with only one or two interesting songs.
every one of these songs i think has become an iconic sample for some great song. as a whole i like innervisions a bit more just cause this one is a little long for my gen z brain, but still is rated accurately in the zeitgeist.
Isn't she lovely.
Margt mjög gott - mikið af kunnuglegum lögum sem hafa verið tekin upp af öðrum
This is one of the best albums ever made. So many of Stevie Wonder's hits are on this album alongside some of his most lyrically and musically complex and brilliant songs. So many lyrics of this album like the ones for Pastime Paradise are so amazing and make an important statement. I'd like to highlight the song "As" because it is my favorite from this album. The build-up is incredible and the theme of love is so well presented. This is Stevie Wonder's magnum opus and peak album. It is one of the best albums of all time without a question. Favorite songs: Sir Duke, I Wish, Knocks Me Off My Feet, Pastime Paradise, Summer Soft, Ordinary Pain, Isn't She Lovely, As, Another Star
Playing my copy of this. Absolute gem of an album.
Stevie Wonder is fantastic, this didn’t need to be a double album though.
Good
First off, I can see why this album is one the list: the musicianship is top notch, and some of the hip hop sounds to come out of this album seem to be about 10-15 years ahead of their time! Also, it contains the protoplasm of three huge hits to come out later: Michael Jackson's Bad (I Wish), and Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise / Weird Al's Amish Paradise (Pastime Paradise.) All that said, most of the album didn't really connect with me and I found myself hoping that “this” is the last track and I'd be able to move along to the next album. I'm inclined to give this album a 2, forget it, and never come back to it. However, given what I've written about it, I kind of feel like I have to give it at least 3... responsibly. I should probably give this another listen or two, just to rule out not liking it vs simpily not being in the mood for it.
Good for what it is, but not my jam. Fun instrumentation from time to time, and I found my head bopping at points, but asking me to fully appreciate a double-length 70's pop/soul/funk album is a tall ask (although I did listen to all of it). It was fun to learn that "Gangsta's Paradise" (and more significantly for me personally, "Amish Paradise") originated with Stevie Wonder in 1976. How about that? 2.7
An album I've been meaning to listen to, and it didn't disappoint.
I could easily wax poetic about this album. This album and the prior run of 4 albums by Stevie are truly impressive. A double album full of bangers is a mighty feat. 5 stars all day.
Great album, one of the best!!
Didn’t realize Stevie was so influential on 90s rap. Solid background album to play while working. Best Song: Sir Duke
Yet another album I don’t need to listen to because I already know how wonderful it is, but I’m doing my present and future self the favor of listening to it again. Mr. Wonder is timeless. His voice is captivating. His words are inspiring. His music is emotional. This record is beautiful from start to finish. So many samples lifted from this one from other artists I listen to. There will never be another Stevie Wonder in the history of humanity. Thank you, Mr. Wonder, for everything you’ve done.
Oh baby! One of the greatest, best produced albums ever made. My one and only criticism is that some (a lot) of the songs drag on for way too long. Putting that aside, this is an all time great. If it's magic is my go to song to test speakers, it has so much space to breathe. 6 stars
I'm giving this 4 stars. Let's be clear here, this album is from a genre that I despise. I normally can't stand Soul, R&B, Pop, Jazz-Soul, or anything vaguely related to these genres. I'm 425 albums in and my three worst genres are Soul, Pop, and World. This album should be getting a low rating from me based on the genre alone. However, I actually really enjoyed this. There were some tracks I knew, but hadn't know their names, but the majority of this material was new to me. I didn't get bored with the length, as there were enough changes in tempo and style to keep things moving along. It's just a really, really good album. I still couldn't quite bring myself to rate it as a 5 star album, even though I strongly believe that the quality here deserves that top rating. By my own voting standards, it's something I might listen to again, but it's not going on regular rotation, so 4 stars it is.
I really wanted to give this album a 4/5, but as it went on I decided to give it a 3. I think disk 1 is super solid, but then the album gets bogged down by a ton of filler songs on disk 2. Way too long, which led to the loss of effectiveness. Good music, but best listened to in bite sized pieces.
A wonderful classic, has so much soul
A good album, I liked Knock Me Off My Feet, Sir Duke and I Wish. I also didn't realize Gangster's Paradise was based off another song but Pastime Paradise is really good!
Lyrical,good songs im general. Storytelling in some songs is top tier and the whole sound is great
If this isn't a 5, what could be?
Favourite song - Sir duke
This would be a perfect album without some of the outros which seen to go on forever.
So many bangers on this one - it's an impressively massive double album with tracks that are just in the ether (Sir Duke, Isn't She Lovely). Not as tight as Innervisions, but something I'll come back to again.
Not bad, I only listened to the first album. I learnt that Coolio used Pastime Paradise (or ripped it off?) for his Gangstas Paradise ... there you go.
-this is fantastic. Even for such a long album, there was never a dull moment. Some really interesting and progressive social commentary which I appreciated too -I like the groovy and electronic-sounding songs best -Favorites are Sir Duke, I Wish, Isn’t She Lovely, and Black Man
with compelling reason and without exaggeration, probably the best album in recorded music's history
(learning about music for the first time) wow this is awesome!!!! (it's kinda sad that i didn't know though)
5/5 This album is a testament to great songwriting, with the 100+ minutes full of great grooves, lyrics and vocal performances by Stevie (and of course an incredible feature by Shirley Brewer). The diversity of instrumentation, genre, and vibes shows a truly talented artist. Some of my favourite songs appear on the bonus EP to the double album showing the insane depth of quality. Love's In Need Of Love Today 4.5/5 Have A Talk With God 5/5 Village Ghetto Land 5/5 Contusion 3.5/5 (LEAST FAV) Sir Duke 4/5 I Wish 5/5 (FAV) Knocks Me Off My Feet 5/5 Pastime Paradise 5/5 Summer Soft 4/5 Ordinary Pain 4.5/5 Isn't She Lovely 5/5 Joy Inside My Tears 4.5/5 Black Man 4.5/5 Ngiculela-Es Una Historia-I Am Singing 5/5 If It's Magic 4.5/5 As 5/5 Another Star 5/5 Saturn 5/5 Ebony Eyes 5/5 All Day Sucker 4/5 Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call) 3.5/5
So many all time beautiful songs. Truly a pop genius
Si bien este no se trata de un álbum nuevo para mi, si podría ser un re descubrimiento del mismo. Si tuviera que hablarle de este LP a alguien que nunca antes lo ha escuchado lo describiría como "un compilado de mejores éxitos, que casualmente también es un álbum". Así, con 21 canciones y 104 minutos de música, Songs In The Key Of Life es fácilmente un indispensable entre los álbumes que debemos escuchar antes de estirar la pata. Definir la grandeza de este trabajo resulta complejo porque no encuentras por donde empezar. Primero, y frente a cualquier pronostico, su larga duración no es impedimento para disfrutarlo. Cada canción es una joya sin excepción. Ello permite no solo retomarlo desde cualquier canción, sino también desde cualquier momento del álbum y no perder el hilo conductor que el artista busca dar a entender con sus canciones. Tomando este último punto, es clave mencionar que el trabajo realmente funciona como un manifiesto de las inquietudes de Stevie Wonder: el amor, la paternidad y la lucha por la igualdad racial son alguna de las muchas más ideas que nutren cada una de las canciones en este trabajo. Respecto a las canciones, las letras no decepcionan y las composiciones tampoco, siempre caracterizadas por la excelencia en el sonido de Stevie Wonder. Desde canciones sumamente groovy hasta las baladas más hermosas, el artista simplemente no falla en transmitir sentimiento con cada detalle. Podría seguir mencionando elementos con lupa en mano, pero para ello es mejor que quien sea que lea esta columna lo compruebe por si mismo. Impecable LP. FAVTRAXS: Contusion, Sir Duke, I Wish, Ordinary Love, Isn't She Lovely, Black Man, As, Another Star, Ebony Eyes, All Day Sucker LEASTFAV: Ngiculela-Es una historia-I Am singing (el español de Stevie me distrae un poco, pero gran canción). 4.5 (En la teoría es un 5, pero probablemente la cifra crezca con cada escucha).
Stevie Wonder is a gift.
Hell yeah, love it
Of course, my number #1 just after having Soundgarden. Well played guys !
so so good
It's alright
Blindingly good
My least favorite instruments are piano and horn and among my least favorite genres is R&B, yet this is a brilliant album of songs performed by a great artist. Still, not much fun for me - the quality is obvious, but it's not my cup of tea. Still.....
This is so obviously a creative triumph in every way that I'm not sure what to say about it. The musicianship, passion, and level of craft is unquestionable. I can't really fault it, not even the runtime. I guess I could do without the baby crying and talking sounds on "Isn't She Lovely", but saying that out loud makes me feel like a monster. Highlights: Love's In Need Of Love Today, Have A Talk With God, Sir Duke, Pastime Paradise, Summer Soft, Ngiculela-Es Una Historia-I Am Singing, If It's Magic, As
Sorry Stevie, this one lost me a bit in the middle
Absolutely heavenly no words Whole album: 100/10
What an amazing album
there aren't many albums without a dud or two on them, and this is one of those albums - no filler, AND there's an extra 7" with even more great songs. A classic.
Wonderful album full of well known and lesser known songs. Great.
The Soul record you have to listen to. Nearly 90 minutes long but each song super melodic and catchy. Wonder's velvet smooth sound is very beautiful to listen to. Songs have great production: sounds very clean. Like Mozart pieces. Fun and enjoyable. Political lyrics seems a bit cliched (still relevant though). Favorites: Love's in need of love today, Sir Duke, Joy inside my tears, Another star, Ebony Eyes.
I enjoyed most of this, and I understand its significance, influence and staying power. Stevie definitely had an ear, some funk and a solid groove. Several of these tracks are stapes of any 70’s pop or easy listening list. I should have known that Coolio borrowed basically the entire song of Gangstas Paradise from Stevie, but that was a surprise. Plays a little long and has some lulls, but I still give it a high mark all things considered. 4.25/5
This was a commitment to write and produce and just amazing that Stevie did this all at the age of 24-25. It was also a commitment to listen to in full and probably my only complaint due to its length. But damn…hard to argue against its cultural and industry relevance. A genre-spanning work that has some cheesy moments but overall grooves its way into forever top lists for a reason.
Hot start to the week! At his best, few can groove like Stevie. Like with any album this long, there’s some stuff I could do without and Stevie can get sappy at times, but obviously this is a great album.
A bit long for my tastes (both songs and album) but overall a solid groove and Stevie has endless talent, musicianship and creativity. You got a problem? Have a talk with gawd.
Please hold while I come up with something unique to say about an album that is consensus one of the best of all time............... Only thing I got is it is a bit long for my taste, especially when you add in the bonus tracks included as a separate 45 with the album. Saturn prob should have been the last track and nix the others. That's a very small knock on a wonderful album. 4.75/5
Hell yeah, Black man is so great I feel like more people need to talk about it. Also, didn't know gangsters paradise was a sample.
Incredible composition and instrumentation.
Look, I think it's unfair to many other well-respected and loved albums to call this one the GOAT. So I won't say that. I'll just say that in a hypothetical situation where you came across a human who had never listened to any music in their lifetime, and would never be allowed to again after a window of about two hours, you'd be wrong if you didn't play them this album.
The Keys Of Life In Song.
Both as a regular listener and as a song writer this album is amazing. both complex harmonically and catchy at the same time without discourage either group. It is a bit long though and it can be repetitive at some points. Allot of hits but also some less memorable tracks. If I had listened to this album when i grew up it would probably be a 5 but from one listen i rank it a 4.
Hits are GREAT but the rest is meh.
Day168 - another all time great album and i learned that pastime paradise is the music for gangsta’s paradise which was a fun discovery
I couldn't finish. I appreciate the artistry but repetitive lyrics, particularly towards the end of a song, irritates me.
It's a classic. I love it, BUT there are sections that lower the score. Specially forgettable songs like Saturn and If It's Magic. Plus the non-musical moments on Black Man and Isn't She Lovely hurt the replay value. There is some pure magic on this album, like Knocks Me Off My Feet, but I'm giving it a 4 overall.
It was better than expected! I thought about a sleepy soul record but his one has a lot energy and some very good lyrics too.
Not my thing but very good. Did not know that gangsta's Paradise was based on a song from this (or maybe it comes from even before that)
so much music and yet all so powerful, so joyful, the title of the album says it all, but stevie's outlook on life and its translation into music is unlike no other, we are blessed to have him on this earth. I'd listen to this non stop to feel better
Många fina låtar.
8,24
Meistaraverk. Svo sérstakur fílingur í plötunni. Fáránlega vel út sett lög og textarnir frábærir hjá honum. Margir all time klassikerar í þokkabók. As er eitt besta lag allra tíma, en Ebony Eyes greip mig í fyrstu yfirferð (SAXOPHONE RIGHT HERE!!!). Stevie er all time great og þetta er besta platan hans. Þetta er hans ÁTJÁNDA PLATA og hann er enn að toppa sig þarna. Segir allt sem segja þarf um þennan tónlistarmann. Reyndar mjög fyndið að hann var að hugsa um að flytja til Ghana og helga sig hjálpræðisstarfi en gerði þessa plötu í staðinn. Myndi íhuga 5 og hálfa stjörnu ef það væri möguleiki.
Opus Magnum undrabarns. Tímalaus snilld.
4.5/5
7.5/10
Impresionante!!! Discazo. Una canción tras otra es una sorpresa digna de escuchar. Hubiera prescindido de de "Knocks me off..." Y bueno, Isnt't She Lovely... TEMAZO, con solos incluidos Black man, que buen tema Ni que decir Ebony eyes Muy bueno el resto del disco, no comments
brilliant
See, I'm basing my star count on how much I ENJOY these sounds. Some times I'll give a star for talent, but not usually.. I don't like this guy's music, partly because it's overplayed. I know it's talented tho. 2 stars
A musical genius. This is a masterpiece which he never again came close to achieving.
A 1 star, I'm afraid. I'm simply not a fan of his music and didn't like a single track (as per others I reviewed)
Really excellent album. Pure Stevie Wonder. I was previously really only familiar with the hits, but this album is just great. It delves into so many genres. My favorite is probably Contusion, which sounds like it could be from a Return to Forever album.
A bit of an odd one for me. There's nothing stand out bad here, and there are some absolute gems, but it just feels a bit bloated and too damn long. There's nothing wrong, but it just didn't grip me like The White Album or Physical Grafitti does.
Songs in the key of Super Mario brothers
This album is very long at 1h45m (double album plus an EP). It has a number of damned fine songs, but it is far too long and some of the songs don't really hold my attention. I found the lyrics rather banal. On the other hand, this is his 18th album and he was only 26. He must have been writing and recording songs at one hell of a pace!
Great Album
A few songs are "easy listening", but that's not a fair assessment. The album is more of a total sonic experience in soul and R&B.
Some classics on here. Some I didn’t know. Some hits, some misses.
Love Stevie. I see how highly rated this is but for me it’s not quite up there with his very best because it’s a double album and it does overstay it’s welcome a bit. So it’s a 4
I'm of the opinion that any album longer than an hour usually has songs that could easily be cut and it would improve the album. Yes, every song on this album is between good and great, but even good and great songs lose their lustre when they go on too long. Now imagine a single album with only the best songs, it would've been so tight. Now it just meanders on at points, it is a shame.
Stevie Wonder is an amazing musician. The album is a masterfully done collection of different textures and sounds. For me, however, some of the songs are too long. The topics, though as relevant today as ever, are not always captivating to me on a long listening scale. Still, there are numerous hits and smooth listening pieces to be experienced here.
Almost 2 hours long and this didn’t drag once! I was dancing in public with this one on, really vibed with this one. Reputation very much deserved.
A beautiful album.
Damn this was a long one hahaha
Goat behaviour 🐐🐐🐐🐐
Damn good
Þetta var löng plata en stórkostlega gaman að hlusta á hana. Ég efast um að ég muni nokkurn tímann ná að hlusta á hana í heild sinni þar sem hún svona löng en ég mun alveg pottþétt setja hana á og hafa hana í bakgrunni. Þetta er nefnilega algjört gæðaefni.
Beautiful
Crazy not to get bored of an album this long, but it was a blast from start to finish!
Other than a few blips (and that's just parts. not entire songs), this is really great. There's some absolute classics and most of the songs that were new for me, are bangers as well.
Great
I usually dunk on double albums, but I can’t here. One if the most surprising things about listening to an album a day is how much I love artists I previously only heard the hits from, and I think Stevie Wonder is the strongest example of that for me. Beautiful voice, I love the instrumental tracks as well, and I like the range and experimentation in his discography.
- Stevie delivert einfach irgendwie immer. Das haut mich jetzt nicht absolut vom Hocker, ist aber wirklich konstant unterhaltend und kreativ - Sehr lang und das war für mich nachher leider etwas zu viel Funk für mich - Sir Duke und Isnt She Lovely absolute Banger 3,5/4
2,75
East listening with some great songs!
Sir Duke and I Wish lead the way. A little too many ups and downs but a very diverse and powerful set of music by a legend.
A master of his craft. Super warm acoustics, full sound.
Absolutely stellar start to finish.
It’s a classic! And a great one! If this were one album of the best songs, I’d give it over 5 stars….as a double album. It gets 4 1/2 stars. All in all, I will round up and give it the praise that it deserves. I could listen to that album any day of the week.
Such a good album and easy to listen to. There are some greats on the album, but not something I would listen to all the way through regularly.
Quelques bons trucs, mais je n'ai pas embarqué. À plusieurs moments, j'ai trouvé ça trop long. Ai sauté la fin de chansons (en particulier Ordinary Pain, qui m'est vraiment tombé sur les nerfs).
I didn't know that his song "Pastime Paradise" was sampled for Gangsters Paradise. This is the case where a song can make an album.
Stevie Wonder went through such an era of explosive creativity in the early/mid 70s that a double album with a bonus EP almost seems so fitting as the quintessential example from this period. There are too many great tracks on this monster album to count. At nearly 2 hours with the EP, it’s long as hell, but I always end up finding something new to love about it. The eight song run from Sir Duke to Joy Inside My Tears might be one of the best ever in popular music.
Really enjoyed this! So many classics and such variety in style overall, really loved it.
Wow, what an album. Easily a top 20 of all time for me.
Great album, well deserved as one of the top of that era. Maybe goes on a bit too long but a very enjoyable listen. Haven't given Stevie Wonder too much airplay before but he's a fantastic artist. Can't believe this is his 18th album!
Amazing production and instrumentals. Stevie Wonder has a voice that doesn’t even sound real. I’ve already listened to this album before.
my only real complaint is that Black Man is just We Didn't Start the Fire for 1970's American race relations and it is the longest track here which makes it stick out. Moments where the album drags (Ordinary Pain, Black Man/Ngicuela) are immediately followed by highlights (Isn't She Lovely, If It's Magic) and preceded by highlights (the run from Sir Duke to Summertime Soft, Joy Inside My Tears). One of the few albums where I knew it was a classic from a first listen, it's an absolute titan of soul and melody. The strings on Village Ghetto Land and the harmonica on Isn't She Lovely are my two favorites pieces of the music on Songs in the Key of Life. This could easily be a 5/5 on further listens if I warm up to those previously mentioned drags.
already listened
Alors c'est clairement bon mais saint seigneur, c'est beaucoup trop long.
Good
Espectacular disco doble. El mejor Stevie.
A no-skip double album is quite the feat. I was raised with many of these songs and will return to many of these songs again.
Don’t trust anyone who doesn’t give this album 5 stars.
Aside from one cringey song this was flawless
im just not a stevie wonder fan. im a zoomer so im not sure i could ever really love a triple album but i especially cant love a soul triple album. innervisions is better purely because its an hour shorter. theres a lot of cool stuff here but hes gotta cut out the majority of the album to make me enjoy it. low 6/10
I had no idea Gangster's Paradise was based on a Stevie Wonder song!
Holy shit this is good. This is the first 2 hour album I have ever enjoyed
Sir duke, isn’t she lovely, I wish, pastime paradise. Interesting, diverse, fun album. Love
An interesting mix of styles from soul to funk to cheesy love songs (see Isn't she lovely). And how did I not know that Gangsters Paradise was sampled from Pastime Paradise? Best song Sir Duke. 3/5
Best album of all time!!
Nearly flawless! An intriguing and important cultural milestone. Beautiful tunes perfectly executed, sort of like Rumors from a technical point of view. Eclectic. Socially conscious pop music is pretty rare, even more rare is socially conscious music that universally acclaimed and beloved. I don't know what happened to music after this. It just got dumber and lower quality. Thank god for this high bar though.
Album was a bit too long. A lot of solid songs.
Great album. Sprawling, hopeful, touching, loose. Has some of the greatest songs of all time (Isn't She Lovely, Sir Duke) and it really does instill some form of optimism. Stevie will always be a legend in originality
I like a few songs, but overall not a big fan
Classic
One of the best from one of the best, what else is there to say. You can feel it all over.
Signature work by a master of his craft.
Mä olin unohtanut, että Gangsters Paradise on versioitu Stevie Wonderista. Levyn nimensä mukaisesti aika iloista ja funkkaavaa musaa. Contusion oli siisti jazz instrumentaali. Samanlaista mitä Saimaa tekee. Eka puoli oli parempi, toinen oli rauhallisempaa. Pelkällä ekalla puolella olisi ollut 4 tähteä, mutta laski kolmeen. Sir Duke oli kanssa ehkä tuttu. Parhaat: Contusion, Sir Duke, Pastime Paradise
Didn't get to the end of it because of time. Need to go back later
When the songs hit, they really hit, but this is way too long. Could definitely cut at least 2 songs, and eliminate some of the overly long codas that are in nearly every song. Sir Duke stays one of the greatest songs ever though. Contusion is an awesome prog jazz fusion thing. I Wish is an absolute bop.
This is how you do a double album - my favorite Stevie Wonder record.
I think it’s rather unfair to include a greatest hits on this list. What’s that? It’s a regular studio album? His 18th studio album?! Jesus! Stevie Wonder doesn’t miss a single beat on this monumental achievement.
holy shit, this album is INCREDIBLE, why haven't I listened to this?? instrumentals are lush, vocals are transcendent, what's not to love? A lot of diversity in songs as well, also found out gangster's paradise by coolio is clear heavily inspired by pastime paradise. One disc of 2 in and it's easily one of the best albums I've ever heard. Disc 2 doesn't slow down, immediately hits with "Isn't she lovely"
Pretty good but not my jam. Got bored through the second disc. Very surprised by the paradise song
What a beautiful, wonderful album. There's really nothing to say about this album that hasn't already been said, but it was a joy to listen to. One note: I didn't know that Coolio's Gangster's Paradise sampled Stevie Wonder.
Hovering between 3 and 4 star. The good songs are great but there are a few fillers. But there's something good about having fillers ...
1. Love's In Need of Love Today - The introduction reminds of Jacob Collier in some ways. Really nice bass parts in the verse of the song. Really nice and simple approach to the instrumental at the moment, the vocal harmonies really add to the mellow atmosphere. The mixing on the track is also really well done, Stevie's voice is placed in a very good spot in the mix. Like a lot of Stevie tracks i've heard, it serves as a great groove/jam song, going over the same or similar chord progressions. Lyrics aren't particularly strong but they carry the theme very well. The ending is drawn out, but in this case I don't really mind, for a first track, it does really well to ease the listener into the entire album. 2. Have a Talk With God - Such a funky sound coming from this one, really like the keys and what i'm guessing is bass. Feels very extra terrestrial, really like Stevie's vocal take on this track, really adds to the groove. Quite a progressive track for 1976, is quite a refreshing sound to listen to, branches off from Stevie's usual style. Overall really like this track. 3. Village Ghetto Land - Really appreciating the stylistic range the album has so far, the strings on this track are really pleasant, and oddly suits Stevie's voice. The blend of classical instrumentation with a blues like vocal tone does a great job, makes you pay a lot more attention to the lyrics of the song. I also appreciate the fact that they didn't use any other instruments on this track, especially leaving out timpani or anything like that, really does a good job. 4. Contusion - The crunchy chords on this track go really hard, the guitar and bass communication is really nice, very fun song to listen to. Really good instrumentation, the guitarist knows what they are doing, bass player doing a great job also. The drums are nice, I feel like they could play maybe a little bit looser or experiment a bit further with the grooves. I find it interesting to place this Jazz/Funk fusion on this album in particular, doesn't necessarily go against the theme of the album but is an interesting and potentially jarring transition to go from the previous track to this one. Really love the key playing on this track as always. 5. Sir Duke - Classic track, super fun to play with a group of people, there's a lot you can do with those chords. Melody in the introduction is really strong, the muted guitar is doing a really good job. The chromatic bridge motif might be my favourite part of the song. The instrumental part C section is super tight, very fun to listen to (hard to play well lol). I feel that the players are enjoying themselves while playing, which seeps into the listening experience as well. Not much more to say about the track, everything plays their role perfectly and doesn't overstep into other areas of the song. 6. I Wish - Absolutely love the groove on this one, feels the most refined and well developed so far. Nice chord progressions, really helps build the tension into some areas of the song. Very fun to hum along to the vocals but also very much the instrumental, mainly the horns. Probably my favourite track so far, overall just really fun to listen to manages to remain fresh throughout the entire song. 7. Knocks Me Off My Feet - I could imagine a lot of people sampling this track, very mellow, and is definitely a good song to unwind after the previous two tracks. Really love the melodic nature of all the tracks on the album, makes each listen really unique as you can focus on an entirely different part of the song and still discover new things about it. Really like the drum part on this song carries the tune quite well. The key change was really well done I thought, the keyboard run down made it feel very seamless. The singing is very amazing. 8. Pastime Paradise - Really interesting start to the track, had no idea that this song was THIS song. Really nice mood change in the album, feels like it has combined the classical strings and funk of the previous songs to make a sombre yet groovy track. Feels like Stevie has taken a much more serious approach on this track vocally, which is an interesting and cool thing to see. Love the gospel like outro. 9. Summer Soft - Really pretty song, despite being quite personal and heartfelt, it manages to maintain a lot of momentum, especially after the bass kicks in. Really love the harmony and chord changes in this piece, it does it's best to surprise you and you are unsure of where it's going to next which I love. When the piece picks up after the half way mark, it hits so hard, and is one of my favourite moments of the album. Stevie really hits it home with the vocal take at the end as well, feels like they poured a lot of their soul onto this track. The keys in the outro are very brilliant, shows off Stevies supreme talent. 10. Ordinary Pain - Since the first second, it feels like a create song to rap up the first disc. Contextually, it feels like a very nice piece to land on, after going through such a variety of sounds and feelings. The longer the track goes the more it ages I feel, however considering this album is 1 hour and 45 minutes long it isn't so bad. The change up near the halfway mark is super nice though, was very surprisingly and made me get back into the track. I like the different perspectives the lyrics take on this song, feels like quite a story focused song. Pretty solid backing track on this song, it's a little difficult to pick out a lot of the niche details of each part, as it feels like a solid wall of sound. Really brilliant songs here, all of them are so melodic and interesting to listen to. I'm not going to do the second half of the album because I don't have enough time, but a lot of those tracks I know for a fact that they are very strong. Beautiful album which its influence has gone far and wide. Rating: 9/10
Classic album by an artist people are starting to forget.
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would!
You obviously can't deny the talent. The fact that this is his 18th album is pretty unbelievable. Having said that, while I enjoyed some of it, most of it just wasn't for me. Favorite tracks, Sir Duke and Isn't She Lovely.
Biggest bangers, but the rest of the album could do with a little more fun
Amazing album, I always get stuck on the long albums in this project - this one being no exception. Loved how many hits there are on here, and the origin sample of Gangsters Paradise (never knew). I really did bounce between 4 and 5 stars here and while I think 4.5 would be appropriate. I’m going to go with 5 because this honestly was a masterpiece. While it’s a bit too long and some songs drag on (Another Star), it overall packs a mean punch. The racial messages are all about harmony amongst all which I also really enjoyed. It felt like an hour and 45 minutes. But at the same time, it stayed enjoyable throughout. That’s a really tough thing to do.
This album is wildly long. It's almost hard to review since it has so much content. Some of it is clearly 5/5 but this could be tighter but I'll add this to the list of it may have just been the wrong day for me. Sir Duke is wildly good, especially the instrumental stuff going on. I can barely keep track of it all and it jives perfectly.
Once again his talent is undeniable. His musicianship and the people he works with amazing. As an album this was very hard to process in one day. Sonically overall for me a 4, I think the copy I was listening to hurt this, it was laking a certain warmth that maybe a vinyl listen would bring. I'm listening again as I write this and I'm on Another Star, (ironic?) this track is a 5. Maybe I'll re visit this album some day but for now it's a very strong 4 for me.
Bangers, bangers, bangers. Dit is echt een beetje het best of album van Stevie. Nadeel: De beste man heeft heel veel hele goede nummers. Waarom is dit een nadeel denk je nu vast? Omdat dit album een uur en 45(!!!!!!!!!!!!!) minuten duurt. Bijna 2 uur!?!?!??! En dan denk je dan pak je alleen de normale versie... MAAR DAT IS DE NORMALE VERSIE Stevie wat de neuk ouwe... Het zijn bangers hoor, begrijp me niet verkeerd. En ik verveel me niet, maar na een uur Stevie, wil ik toch ook wel eens iets anders! En toch... En toch is dit album gewoon puur vuur. Toch zijn de nummers die niet als favo gemarkeerd zijn allemaal echt lekker. Ze zijn gewoon net niet favo'tjes. Toch is Pastime Paradise iconisch, zelfs al is Gangsta's Paradise nog iconischer. De hits kennen we natuurlijk allemaal al(Isn't she lovely staat pas op disc 2 he, craaaazy) Maar toch raad ik je absoluut aan als je dit album nog nooit helemaal hebt geluisterd, doe het een keer. Nummers als Knocks me off my feet en Summer Soft zijn echt geweldig en verdienen meer aandacht. Maarja, het is voor mij geen 5 sterren album, daar is het toch echt net ff te lang voor. Wel een fantastisch album en absoluut een aanrader voor iedereen die kan genieten van Stevie's hits. Oftewel iedereen die ooit op een feest is geweest waar een band speelde. FAVO: Have a talk with god,Contusion, Sir Duke, I wish, Knocks me off my feet, Pastime Paradise, Summer Soft, Isn't She Lovely, As
Supposed all timer. Extremely good but perhaps a bit of its time.
Did everyone except me already know how great Stevie Wonder is? I just gave Robbie Williams 5 stars 😭 Obviously my rating system wasn't fully calibrated yet.
Has every song on this album been sampled by 90s rap artists?
I feel like, as one of the most famous albums of all time, this one is kind of weird because it only has a couple of songs that everyone would know. Really I bet if you asked random people if they'd heard of this record almost all of them would say yes but then if you asked to name 3 songs from the album, most people couldn't. But it's a great record. I mean it's Stevie Wonder, how can it be bad? Solid 4/5 from me.
Classic. Heard this before and it bangs.
This is one of those albums that captivates you from the first moment, without needing to listen to it several times to make you fall in love.
I have never heard this album before, obviously I've heard the hits. This album is insanely good, very funky beats and of course excellent vocals. This is an album that I will most likely buy and listen to many times, I'm disappointed that it took me so long to give the album a chance.
By the late 70s, Stevie Wonder had already established himself as a music legend. He had an incredibly successful run of albums up to this point with Talking Book, Music of My Mind, Innervisions, and Fulfillingness' First Finale. The insane thing is that by 1976 he was thinking of quitting music altogether. He surprisingly changed his mind and signed a contract extension with Motown/Tamla. Not only was this the largest recording deal in history up to that point, but it also allowed for Stevie to have full artistic control over his output. The subsequent contract allowed for Stevie to release this monster of an album. In addition to being a full double record, he also threw in a bonus EP consisting of 4 extra songs. Some of the highlights on here are obvious: Sir Duke, I Wish, Knocks Me Off My Feet, Isn't She Lovely. But in reality there is just banger after banger on here. Village Ghetto Land, the jazz funk excursion Contusion, the famously-sampled Pastime Paradise. The list just goes on and on. This album showcases Stevie Wonder at his best and most creative. It still boggles my mind how a single musician can have such a consistent and killer career output. Truly a musical legend.
I love Stevie. Of his two most popular albums, I enjoy Talking Book more, but this one is still a tour-de-force. The one-two punch of Sir Duke and I Wish is the strongest on the album, but the rest is still quite the ride.
70’s don’t care
It's songs in the key of life. Just don't listen to the albums after it.
So long but still consistent.
This feels like an album that everyone should know about. Classic Stevie just oozing with personality. If it was condensed (which I’m sure there’s a version) then it would be a 5. But with a few songs that didn’t quite hit, bouncing it back to a 4.
I was going to mark this down because it felt like it just wasn't for me, but then Contusion came on and totally blew me away! Still, it's a bit long and about half of it just isn't music that I vibe with so it's a 3.5 rounded down.
Inte igen visade sig bli. Vilken tur det kom lite Stevie igen. Den här skivan är mycket bättre än förra. Village Ghetto Land är en intressant låt. Kul att han kör någon slags 1700-tals vibe på den. Sir Duke är svår att inte älska. I Wish en höjdare. Och hallå Pastime Paradise är inte alls en Coolio låt. Mindblown!!! Att det är hans 18e skiva hörs inte alls. Den här är ju pigg och nyskapande inte alls trött och tråkig.
Ok. Evighetslånga skiva. Blir lite svårare att ta in då. Men helhetsintrycket är ändå, "det är helt ok". Vissa låtar är bättre. Många meh. Isnt she lovely är en favorit (utan barn ljuden)
Lyssnat på denna 3 ggr nu och den växer för varje gång. Misstänker att den kommer att fortsätta växa med fler lyssningar.
First listen Saved 7/17 Top track: Sir Duke
This was difficult to listen to because it could have been a great album. Unfortunately there were too many tracks that lasted far too long, going on and on and on becoming extremely irritating. I have no problem with long tracks, "Autobahn" by Kraftwerk is 22 minutes long and when I am listening to that not once during that 22 minutes do I think "Why is this not finished yet?" For every track on this album that went over five minutes I found myself thinking just that, usually even before the five minute mark. And that irritated me greatly particularly because most of these tracks would have been great at 3 to 4 minutes long.
The "genius" label gets thrown around too often, but there's no other way to accurately describe Stevie Wonder and his body of work in the 70s.
6.5/10 Not really for me, but it's a good album Highlights: Sir Duke As Black Man Pastime Paradise
Ef þetta væri í útvarpinu myndi ég skipta um stöð :/
This was a great album. I enjoyed almost all of it. I do think it trailed off a little on tail end of the second album though. I will definitely listen again. 4.5 stars
*** Sorry this review is so long *** I've done myself a disservice by not listening to this album for years. But Lucky Me! I get to climb inside my headphones and spend almost 2 hours listening to one of my favorite albums. It is insane how excellent this album is. Yesterday I heard someone refer to Stevie Wonder as a singer-songwriter. He is definitely a storyteller. And a genius. I remember, as a kid, being blown away by FINGERTIPS, fascinated by the music a "fellow kid" was making, and then being further amazed that he was blind! Seemed impossible. Now, listening to this album, it's equally amazing that he mastered the music in his head and produced such excellent complex, joyful, spiritual, and political music. There are so so many things going on in the background of these songs. Mid-seventies is my favorite era for Stevie Wonder music. Very tricky. VILLAGE GHETTO LAND sounds like a light classical piece, but the lyrics sharply define life for a large segment of American society. And suddenly - Boom - the jazz bouncer CONTUSION smacks you upside the head. Gonna listen to this twice. (Little Feat basically ripped this off a year later for A DAY AT THE DOG RACES.) I'm not gonna write down my reaction to every song in this collection, but Holy Moly is this great! And he writes a terrific love song (e.g., KNOCKS ME OFF MY FEET; ISN'T SHE LOVELY; AS; ANOTHER STAR). Required reading: the lyrics to BLACK MAN while listening to the funk. AS - This 7:03 gem gives me rolling chills, as very few songs do, when it breaks at 2:03 into the "Until..." list. Love it. [[ One negative thing about having sold/given away all my vinyl is that I can't sit on the floor and read the liner notes to see who played what. There's so much going on here, I'd love to know who's doing it. I bet they had an absolute blast.GO HERE: https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_in_the_Key_of_Life ]] I would give this ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐+⭐ if I could. ________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 53 🎧 LPs left to review: 948 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 12 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 17 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 14
Ok so the last SW album I was given (Talking Book) was a complete disappointment, this one is NOT! Really good throughout, everyone knows the hits but the rest of the album is just as good. Highly recommend.
It's always impresive to get a 21 track album, all songs of decent length, but without a hint of filler on it. Maybe a couple tracks aren't amazing, but the highlights are stunning. 'Isn't She Lovely' might be one of the most beautiful and joyous songs ever written. Stevie keeps it fresh the whole runtime somehow, a master songwriter without a doubt. Filled to the brim with pure soul.
Classic that on its face seems like something I'd enjoy, but just not vibing with it. Better starting with "Contusion," but still not an album I'd choose to listen to.
classic album, all over the place musically but still fits together. loves songs and social/political songs also. plenty of hits on this one
Sociopolitical anthems, romantic ballads, funky jams. Funk, jazz, gospel, Latin, pop, classical — sometimes all in the same song.
Epically good and sounds so fresh. Charted the way for many I hear so much in here.
Golden Era Stevie
Absolutely classic, timeless music. Incredible stuff.
An amazing album as well
Let’s go Stevie, this one is on many ‘must listen’ lists Nice work, I can see how this is beloved. I may revisit a few songs, but overall not my style Double album. Liked the first to second. Some electronic sounds, reminds me of beck. Got slow immediately with 3, then plodded through a lot of very nice but rather similaresque easy listening songs. Some really good stuff especially second disc, more upbeat. Fantastic album overall, glad I’ve heard it. Probably won’t revisit but a song or two.
Fast alles Klassiker von Stevie
Rating: 10/10 One of the greatest albums of all time, Stevie Wonder is a genius. The mix of funk, soul, and R&B (amongst other genres) is truly remarkable. The songs are all beaming with life and energy that is incredibly infectious while also being extremely creative. The songwriting is top-notch, the musicianship is fantastic, and the production is superb. A timeless classic. Favorite songs: pretty much all of them. Worst song: Love's In Need Of Love Today.
amazing. wall to wall bangers.
Great album, with some odd choices.
Love everything about this. Just a joyous example of musical genius.
Some hits here!
I think the most uplifting album of all time for me, it can make any rainy day shine :)
Stevie Wonder was at the height of his powers - musically, politically and lyrically - in the 1970s, and 'Songs in the key of life' is a fine example, though as a somewhat sprawling and uneven double album, it's a bit of a mixed bag. 'Sir Duke' is a rousing call for a national day to celebrate the life of MLK jr, 'Past time paradise' is a brooding number, though its power is rather diluted by over familiarity with Coolio's 'Gangster's paradise', but the standouts are surely the beautiful, heartfelt 'As' and the frantic, nostalgic and exciting 'I wish' ("You nasty boy!"), which I remember being bowled over by when I first heard it on TOTP in 1976. Overall, a rather joyous listen!
What can I say that hasn't been said? Smart, luscious, catchy.
The absolute culmination of an incredible run of albums that perhaps no other artist has equaled in terms of creativity, critical approval, and fan recognition. It’s like Wonder knew this was going to be his apex moment, so he poured everything he had into “Songs.” It’s the most accurate compliment to say only Stevie Wonder could’ve pulled this off. The record contains some of Wonder’s most uplifting songs, “Isn’t She Lovely” and “I Wish” come to mind, that celebrate new life and childhood. “Sir Duke” wears Wonder’s musical heroes on its sleeve. The first three tracks are social commentary disguised as bright Soul Pop music. It’s just a stunning array of musical ideas, melodies, lyrics, and sounds. And he’s one of the finest artists to ever justify the excess of a double album—there’s no filler here, just expanse and worlds to discover on repeated listens. “Genius” gets thrown around a lot nowadays, especially in our hyperbolic online world. For this record and for this artist, genius is a standard-setting measure. And he sets the standard somewhere in the atmosphere.
Not bad but couldn’t find a case id put it back on. Strong 2
Brilliant album that I own on vinyl.
Stevie Wonder - I have no words, just FIVE STARS!
Maybe not my favourite Stevie Wonder album but still an absolute classic.
A master piece.
Nice album - timeless - plays as well now as art did 40+ years ago. There a some hits you will know, but not needed to enjoy the songs - range from pop to r&B and some good funk
Love’s In Need Of Love Today // Village Ghetto Land // Sir Duke // I Wish // Knocks Me Off My Feet // Pastime Paradise // Ordinary Pain // Isn’t She Lovely // Joy Inside My Tears // If It’s Magic // As //
Smash
If I could give this ten stars, I would!
So groovy. Joy Inside My Tears is my favourite song I think.
love it!!
This is an excellent album -- even the songs I didn't know were good. I'm so glad I got to listen to this straight through.
There isn’t a bad track on this record.
Long double albums....I was ready to hate on it because when I scanned it I didn't recognize any of the tunes. I'm an idiot. So fucking smooth and dynamic and rich. His influence on ALL music is on display here. Amazing album.
Songs in the Key of Life is the perfect title of this album. I feel like it really captures a huge essence of the general human experience. Fantastic song writing. This album captures a vibe without staying to similar from song to song.
For this review, I am looking at the original release of this album. I will not include the four-song EP "A Something's Extra" that gets tacked on to the end of the CD and streaming releases. That still leaves us with a double album that runs for about an hour and a half, and that runtime seems to be the elephant in the room here. As experimental as Stevie gets here, I don't think there's a bad or filler track per se, even though the baby recordings on the album cut of "Isn't She Lovely" are jarring, and some tracks like "Another Star" and "Black Man" go on for longer than they need to. That said, I do not recommend marathoning this album in one session, because there is such a case for "too much of a good thing." Take a break between discs/records for this one. It belongs on this list, but only when approached with the right mindset. Update 3/12/2026: Against the advice of my past self, I re-listened to this album in one session. Amazingly, I was not fatigued and thoroughly enjoyed it all the way through. I will freely admit that I felt intimidated when I got this record so early on in my album journey. I was only a little over two weeks in when this behemoth dropped on me, so I caved in a bit. But, with time, I was able to warm up to longer releases, and that gave me the courage to consider revisiting Songs in the Key of Life, and I was not disappointed. Credit to Stevie himself for being a masterful lyricist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist on this record, as he knew how to make a song engaging and thought-provoking in sonic and poetic detail. Songs like "Another Star" and "Black Man", upon re-listening, were some of the most fun extended funk jams I heard in some time with such aspirational messaging. Even the baby recordings on "Isn't She Lovely" now sound right at home as Stevie sang a heartfelt tribute to his daughter. Not to mention other highlights like the ominous synth-funk of "Have a Talk with God", the baroque arrangement of "Village Ghetto Land", the boppin' expression of music appreciation on "Sir Duke", the super eclectic horn and bass combo of "I Wish", the Latin beat influence on cuts like "Pastime Paradise" and "Ngiculela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing", I could keep going on... I do think it is worth giving Songs in the Key of Life the time of day, and I am glad to have come back to it after so long.
Good but like kinda long
Like Cazales run of movies in a similar time frame, or Eddie Murphies comedy in the early 80s - it doesn't make sense that that much talent and energy can congregate in one person. Not only is every aspect immaculate but he made a whole ass double album after making multiple world-changing albums just before. Sir Duke is pure Joy. Saturn is hilarious. So much funk, but so much musical movement. Easter eggs: Coolio, wild wild west, probably some more I just didn't quite catch. If this doesn't do it for you, there is no hope.
Grew up on this music
disc 1 is probably a 4, disc 2 lowers the overall
Great album, not every song hits but the ones that do are heavy hitters. High 3.
While it’s mostly good(and very often great) it’s so over blown and every single song is longer than it needs to be.
Wow! No fillers, each song was so strong.
Stevie 10/10, absolute legend. Loved this.
Classic hits and other great grooves. Love Stevie's sound!!
Two Stevie Wonder golden-era records in one week's time! This is probably the third of my three favorite Stevie records, along with Innervisions and Talking Book. A worthy and timeless culmination of his best period. Imagining a 26-year-old writing, arranging, and recording nearly everything here by himself is utterly flabbergasting. It still stands untarnished today, a testament to his genius. Probably somewhere on my shortlist for greatest albums ever recorded.
Just a realll groovy time. A story told beginning to end. The composition of each song is so much more intricate than it appears on first glance. Dying over some of the funky riffs that I think are still sampled today. I got lost in this one - in the best way. Maybe a touch long but that’s literally my only critique
Stevieeeeee the best to ever do it, this album is long but never repetitive he just had too many good ideas
An album I can see musicians being inspired by. An odd body of work unsure how I feel bout it overall. It’s not bad tho just weird, may need to relisten
didn’t know his shit was this fire
Es ist okay. Aber es begeistert mich nicht und ich empfand dass Durchhören des Albums als anstrengend.
I love Stevie Wonder, and this is really his best album. But listening to it all the way through, since this is a double album, it's very clear that the first album is much stronger than the second. At times the second album was really a slog to get through (and those lyrics to "Black Man"... yikes!). I will say, the four bonus songs are fantastic ("Saturn" is gorgeous) and should have been the second half instead of what's actually there. With all that being said, this is still an amazing album and more than deserves to be on this list. Personally it's around a 4.5 for me, but it's Stevie and there's some stellar songs here, so I'm rounding up.
This album is virtually perfect. Won album of the year over so many incredible records. This is truly art and arguably one of the best pieces of music ever made.
Isn’t Steve lovely, isn’t Steve Wonder-ful?
An immaculate first half followed by a pretty lengthy and self-indulgent second half. Still, there is so much good music here that it barely matters. A bright and joyful album. Best song: Sir Duke
This is definitely a classic amazing album. I like a lot of songs on there and the ones I didn’t I didn’t have to wait for long before another one came in that I did like.
I mean it’s Stevie Wonder. Instant classic. 4/5
wonderweekend :D :D :D
I mean, it's no Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" or anything, but I guess it's still pretty great, maybe an 11/10, nothing crazy.
Long album but unique
Wonder shows the world what he's truly capable of when he puts his all. Here we have a double album and an added EP of his most eclectic, creative ideas put to their limits. Each song pushes the boundaries of music at the time. And although they lack coherency, it's a joy to listen to these mind-blowing ideas back to back. It's not just the ideas. I just can't believe how much power, emotion, and energy is behind everything: Wonder's voice, all the instruments, even the back vocals. It's hard to believe how every contributor just feels so alive. And with how fast-paced it is, not a single second feels wasted. Every moment is being thrown with some subtle instrument that adds so much yet can't be picked out unless you keep listening and point out all the hidden quirks. As a double album experience, it's very easy to get into. There are at least 3 hits on this album that are still played on some radio station anywhere in the US. You can find something to like and groove to in each cut, and I bet each person has their own underrated favorite. Mine is "Ngiculela". Starts off with the patient yet catchy "Love's in Need for Today" which could pull in any listener. The next 2 are a bit strange to put near the beginning since they're some of the weakest on the record. But then the jazz fusion "Contusion" and our two big hits will make sure anyone sticks around. The end finishes triumphantly with the epic "As" and "Another Star." I personally do not like how the A Something's Extra EP is appended to the end. Although very fun and creative, they make the album a bit too long; the cuts aren't as incredible as the rest of the album; and it's weird to follow up on the epic grand finale of "As" and "Another Star." I'd just stop listening at the end of "Another Star." I won't let this impact the score.
This is a phenomenal album. It took me a little while to get into it due to a variety of styles, but it certainly paid off! I absolutely love the funky and jazzy portions of the album...Contusion blew me away! There were two tracks that I didn't quite care for (Village Ghetto Land and If It's Magic), but there's so many high quality songs that I don't even care, haha. Brilliant! Favorite tracks...the hell with it: all of them!
I love how whacky the instrumentals are on Have a Talk With God. Some fun electronic sounding stuff. This album actually just has a wide variety of styles and sounds that make it interesting. Contusion caught me off guard because I didn't really expect a random instrumental prog song in this record haha. I've never noticed all the weird sound effects in Isn't She Lovely. Honestly I think that song probably could have done without all those lol. Wow this is one long record. It was pretty enjoyable overall but it took me all day tp get through.
This is a really awesome album. So many cool instruments, lots of cool blues harmonica, saxaphone, brass, great keys. The sound is really full. This is not music that was played in my house growing up and as my music tastes evolved, I didn't listen to a lot of R&B. So when I listen to this type of R&B, it always sounds a bit foreign. It's probably how some listeners feel when they hear John Prine, his voice, the style is objectionally great, but it sounds a bit foreign. Which is a shame, because this is truly great American music. I have put in the work and effort to listen to more Stevie Wonder over the past 2 years, and so I am familiar with this record. This one does feel a bit more "poppy," than Inversions (which I think I like more.) However, I really love the social and civil rights focus of the lyrics. For as fun and playful as this record sounds, its has some heavy undertones. The thing that I notice the most though, is just how much fun Stevie and the band are having with each song. He's just bringing the heat with every song. They're mixing instruments, sounds, vocals, even like full on choirs at some points. There is a lot going on, but it never feels overwhelming. This is a great record that I need to spend more time with.
fun 2.5
Honestly I don't feel like it's QUITE a 5 for me, but like all Stevie Wonder albums it's got some crazy good songs on it. Sick ass bass playing on this too. And didn't feel as long as it was, even though it still feels long as hell tbh. I don't know, I'm tempted to give it the ol' 4.5-rounded-up, but... Perhaps not. Maybe on the relistens, but again, it's long as hell and that's kind of a commitment lol. It's still EASILY a 4 just for the singles though.
Een behoooorlijke knalpijp. Wat een legende zeg, hebben blijkbaar 130 mensen ofzo aan gewerkt. Beste nummer: Sir Duke.
Pastime Paradise! Original gangster’s paradise! 🤔 I never made the connection.
I’m gonna make every song I write in the key of life if it sounds this good (shitty joke).
Sometimes the hype is real. Sometimes an album is everything they say it is and even more. "Songs In the Key of Life" is one of those times. Just an overflowing of love, tenderness, sadness, tragedy, hope, despair, and humanity. Oh, the humanity! The musicianship is of such high quality too. It's astounding as each bar will leave you shaking your head in Wonder that something this miraculous exists. It's a miracle.
A few dramatic singing songs but overall great experience and some great instrumentation
I forgot how stacked side 1 of this album is. So many great songs with no misses. Side 2 could have been a little tighter. There are a couple of okay songs and some that could be trimmed down a few minutes. Overall still a really great album and it reminds me I need to listen to more Stevie Wonder. 4.5
Stevie Wonder is a genius. this was in his prime of creating great music.
I liked this double (?) album better than the other of his that I listened to. It had more upbeat music mixed in. I love his voice and talent!
Contusion sounds like a Mario Kart soundtrack.
Standard and classic Stevie wonder. New find for me in pastime paradise, a clear predecessor to gangster paradise.
A very quality album. Not one that I’ll listen to again but one that just flew by while I listened to it. That did not feel as long as it was. Some really great songs here. 8/10 Top 3: 1. Sir Duke 2. Love’s In Need Of Love Today 3. Knocks Me Off My Feet
A little all over the place and some songs seemed to go on forever, but its Stevie Wonder!
There are some really great songs on this, but I can't give it more than 4 stars. It's influential, and I can hear/get that, but some songs are just too long for me to really get into. 4/5
This is a perfect album
Decent album. Unreal the amount of sampling later hip hop artists took from this album.
seemed fine, couple solid ones
Discazo con canciones casi perfectas.
Gema.
There are so many great tracks on this album, but listening to it all at once can sometimes be a bit too much - like eating a particularly rich & heavy gateau (Isn't She Lovely being a case in point). I've wavered between 4 and 5 for this one (it's 4.5 for me) but looking at my 4s and 5s so far, it belongs in the company of the 5s (and I did give All Things Must Pass allowances for its bonus EP).