Songs In The Key Of Life

Essential! More to it than well constructed pop. Experimental at times.

Good, but a lot

Nice easy listening. A few classics in there.

Yes.

I've loved songs from this album at different times of my life. I think everyone has heard Sir Duke more than anything. What's special about this one, Dolores and I had our first dance to As at our wedding. Good memories.

First album!!! Giving this a shot, cannot wait to expand my musical horizons :) some absolute gems here, amazed at how many songs on this have been sampled over the years. Does go on too long, in numbers of songs and the songs themselves. But they cover a really wide range of styles, and now interested in what else stevie made over the years.

Fantastic album, so many good songs

I've been meaning to listen to this album for a long time now; what a fantastic album title. Despite the length, I was surprised at the variety on the album and how well it flows. Contusion reminded me of Herbie Hancock or Jimmy Smith jazz fusion, followed by a damning social critique on Village Ghetto Land juxtaposed with light hearted instrumentation. I don't have anything smart to say about any other tracks but "As" was probably my favorite that I didn't know before. A great album but I'm maintaining an arbitrary rule of "5 star rating means I would never skip a single track".

This album has only 1 negative. It’s too long. The first 11-12 songs are an absolute masterpiece. Incredibly produced, everything still holds up today. You can hear melodies ripped from Stevie in multiple songs. 8.9/10

Some great tracks!

I held off listening to this for a long time, it's almost two hours long after all. That was a capital M Mistake, this album slaps.

Timeless work. You can clearly hear how this has influenced so much music.

liked it more than i thought i would - some songs i knew but didn't know that i did and didn't know the song titles. Very cool couple of songs that were brand new to me - lots of different styles of music. Knocks Me Off My Feet was great - love the piano in the beginning

Great album, very long. A few songs lost my attention as the album went on.

Lots of rappers samples songs from this album. Sir Duke is one of my all-time favorite songs by any artist ever. So good. But - this album is too long. They can't all be bangers, Stevie.

this was an enjoyable listen, even for a double album! stevie knocks it out of the park again with some amazing tracks here and solid musicianship throughout. i definitely liked the first half more, but nothing felt like a bad inclusion here. favorites: sir duke, i wish, pastime paradise, summer soft, isn't she lovely

a fascinating mix of rock, jazz, disco, gospel, with progressive elements. songs about love, social progress, race relations. just a gorgeous well crafted album. tis a solid choice for this endeavor. highlights: “village ghetto land”, “sir duke”, “pastime paradise”, “joy inside my tears”…

- Listen Stevie, you're great but an hour 45 is too much - Okay this is actually insanely good - Great production quality, variety of song styles, and smooth lyrics - Would be a 5 if it was shorter, but a decent 4.5 for now

- fantastic joyful vibes - Sir Duke and Isn’t She Lovely are just so good - not sure you can say “red man” and “yellow man” anymore - could’ve been a 5 but a little too long

A great album with a nice flow, from a very talented artist!

Hmm... I like Stevie Wonder and I like some songs on this, but it's just too damn long and really starts to drag in the latter half. Given how I'm a stickler for long albums, unless they really make it work, I have to knock this down a bit for the length. 4.5/5

Pretty good album, some songs that are really popular that I’ve heard my whole life. Sir Duke is amazing.

I’m floored. I had no idea Coolio ripped off Stevie’s song “Pastime Paradise” and then had the nerve to get peeved when Weird Al released “Amish Paradise.” Also I didn’t realize that I really enjoy Stevie Wonder.

ah, the rare legitimate double album that actually works and has two distinct sides, which each thematically enrich one another. great stuff stevie amazing that this doesn't drag on despite its enormous runtime. best tracks: sir duke, saturn, knocks me off my feet

Super authentic funk. Really distinctive and mature voice. Great themes.

-- consistently relaxing instrumentals that have since become a bit cliché -- no obviously bad tracks, unified aesthetic, the instrumentals don't really change but the tracks mostly feel different from one another -- on second listen, definitely some catchy tracks

Often seen as Wonders magnum opus. This is a two album spanner with hits across its 21 tracks. Wonder waxes on Duke Ellington as well as a love song for his, at the time, infant daughter. Beautifully played and well produced…especially for the time.

Love’s In Need of Love Today has one of the smoothest instrumentals and is such a smooth way to start the album. Listening to Saturn on the Pacifica beach while the sun is setting is a whole vibe. Sir Duke, Isn’t She Lovely, and As are some of my other favorite songs. Although I’ve listened to this before, listening to it after listening to Talking Book last week made me enjoy it so much more. This man Stevie got the soullll.

Hh

I had huge expectations going into this album and while it took a couple songs to get going, the album really hit its stride. I really enjoyed this the more and more it went on. very cool

This was my first time listening to this album all the way through. Usually I've come to this one just for the singles. There are some other nice jams in this one.

Rediscovered this album after a long time. It’s just so beautiful!!

Some 45 minute albums on this list feel like like it's a three-hour listen. Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life comes in at a whopping 1:45 on two discs and feels like it's a 45 minute listen. That my friends is mastery of the art. There's many reasons a person of Stevie Wonder's stature can put out 18+ albums and SitKoL is a prime example. 4.5/5

Pop. Soul. Funk. Muy largo y muy bueno.

I went into this expecting some degree of bloat, it being a long double album. I guess it would be silly to say I was surprised at a Stevie Wonder Album being great, but I kind of was. There were a couple of tracks that didn’t hit me quite as hard and of course, some degree of cheesiness is just part of the Stevie Wonder experience, but overall, this is album is amazing.

Some stand out tracks for sure, but not loving the vibe all the way through.

pasttime paradise............mitävittua.REVELAATIO.. noh meikäläinen tyhmä juntti vaan...nyt toinen albumi herralta ja tuplaria vielä ja tajusin että en tykkää äänensävystä...älä mulle tuu tollattiin..He's basically responsible for modern R&B music MITÄH? MITÄH HELVETTIÄ... 0 TÅHTEÅ..kattelin tossa arvosteluja ja herrankuukkelis rauhassa siellä rauhottelappa vähän... JOJOO ON HYVÄ ALBUMMi...herran tuuttelis MIETIPPÄ OBJEKTIIVISESTI..... jaksa kattoa tollasta saatana. neljä kautta viisi. as

An absolutely incredible album with 1 star deducted because of Isn't She Lovely. 1) the song makes me feel really quite nauseous generally 2) it sounds like they've tacked on a recording of Stevie having a massive piss at the end of the track

A very good album with so many funky tunes on it. The songwriting and production are excellent. It's very long and it makes a bit difficult to listen to it in one sit, and I loved the second disc more.

Double albums can be a bit sprawling sometimes but this manages to maintain high quality all the way through.

A classic! Very long though and not as cohesive as I’d hope.

Again one the best

Honestly, what a wonderful voice. Should listen to Stevie Wonder more often.

A bit too long, but some very good songs on here.

Not my cup of tea so far tbh Okay okay okay have a talk with God is cooking CONTUSION IS COOKING Sir Duke that's all Bro is cooking GANGSTERS PARADISE IS A SAMPLE??????????? Peak album 8.5/10

This is the artistically and technically incredible album that isn't for me. I enjoyed listening to it enough, but I just can't connect to it on a higher level the way I see many people connecting to it. It's also neat listening to it and noticing how many different artists were informed by the wide range of sounds on the album.

great song writing, some songs stick with you longer than others and a couple don't hit personally

Isnt she lovely

Definitely some classic hits but they sit alongside some snoozers, too.

Stevie doing Stevie

TIL Gangster's Paradise was sampled off of Stevie Wonder. Made it through the first disc. It's ok. I get why it's famous and whatnot, but not my style.

So much on this album. His vocals are so styled and the musicianship throughout is genius. What a storyteller and innovator. Only one Stevie Wonder.

Конечно, человек с невероятной историей жизни и невероятным талантом. Не видел границ, да-да!) Ну просто настолько растворяешься в этом, в этих детских голосах, в этих вяжущих и тянущих мотивах, что не может собраться в кучу обратно потом. Единственное - длинновато. А так - шик.

A well crafted and produced effort. There is a sunny disposition and charming tone to this album. Great album to have on when out on the deck for an afternoon.

Again pretty fucking long, good points are bloodly great though.

Could do with a bit of a trim as with most double albums but still packed with bangers. Would be 4.5 if possible because Isn’t She Lovely makes me feel ill.

Really enjoyed it and was surprised by many samples that I didn't even know were samples until now

Wow so much variety in this one with so many classics. However- the songs I didn't like, I really didn't like. And that's what prevents the five. Some of those just sounded so synthy and cartoony. This album also has like 3 songs that are the base for other songs I didn't know about!!! Past time paradise?! Amazing

Some killer songs (I wish, past time paradise, as, and especially sir Duke) but just too long

Stevie Wonder is the only artist who can pull off naming his album "Songs In The Key Of Life" and not have it come off as pretentious or cheezy. A masterpiece for all time. 🎼🎼🎼🎼

All time classic. Love in Need of Love Today Sir Duke Pastime Paradise Isn't She Lovely As

One of the most influential soul albums of all time. Songs on this have been used in commercials, movies, television shows, and countless weddings. This also served as direct inspiration for the late Coolio's "Gangster's Paradise"

I know people love this album, and I enjoy it, but it's hard for me to get through. It's great background Sunday morning music for me, but on the day to day I don't really flow with it enough to be willing to get through the volume of creativity here. The hits are awesome and the lesser known songs are a great glue, but I just can't make it all the way through.

Interesting take on the different facets of the human experience. Some hits, some misses, but overall pretty nice.

Fantastic album all around... Does Stevie ever disappoint tho? Love hearing the original Gangstas Paradise sample on the album as well.

The Funk Bible.

Toimiva paketti! 4/5

Despite being very (very) long, this thing just doesn't let up. Amazingly strong from start to finish, with some Wonder's most adventurous compositions I have heard yet.

Very long but very strong. So many timeless classics.

Very good!

Another strong album from Stevie Wonder.

This is the one, brilliant

OKAYYY 8.5/10

ett bra album men för långt.

I was a little concerned that I just didn't get it with the first few songs on this album, with them not doing much for me, but Sir Duke and onward it was off to the races, with very few songs to slow it down. There are quite a few songs here I can't imagine I'll come back to too often, hence the four star, but otherwise an amazing album with some fantastic songs on here, such as the already mentioned Sir Duke, as well as Another Star, As, Summer Soft, and quite a few more. I'd say had the album trimmed the fat a little this would be a solid five for me, but as it stands still really good and I'm looking forward to the other albums present on the list.

Very good soul album with some funk influences but really draws from a lot of genres. Despite being extremely long making it hard to listen to in one listen, there are no real weak tracks at all and there is enough variety. I really enjoyed this.

I love Stevie and if anyone should do a double album (which there seems to be a lot of on this list!) it's him. The two albums are chock full of great songs and performances, but I did find myself drifting by disc 2. Am not a ballad type of guy, so that may be why. Admittedly, disc 2 has Black Man and As, but I would still prefer this as one amazing album rather than two - to me - very good albums.

Rich and heartfelt vocals - and that's just the backing. This was the ideal Friday afternoon music to help me wind down ahead of the weekend. Stevie does the message of love far better than The Beatles ever did. Sir Duke is sublime. This would have worked even as an instrumental with the big brass sound leading the way. A little too long to make it to five stars.

Feels wrong to only give 4 stars given the number of classics on the ablum, but it double albums rarley work.

Fantástico

Vahvaa nelosta paskonu tää kaveri ulos.. jatkena samalla linjalla.. pyyhkii hyvin kaverilla.. The railroads for trains Came on tracking that was laid By the yellow man Here me out Use of martial arts In our country got its start By a yellow man Who was the soldier of Company G who won high honors for extraordinary heroism in World War 1? Sing Kee, a yellow man Who was the leader of the first microbiotic center in America? Micho Kushi, a yellow man God saved his world for all men All people All babies All children All colors All races [Bridge] The railroads for trains Came on tracking that was laid By the yellow man yellow man... The yellow man! yellow man... The yellow man! yellow man... yellow man... The yellow man! yellow man... The yellow man! Huhhuh.. ei hupiukko ollu.. keltatautimies.. Vaan ei nähnyt keltaisuuttaan... Muut näki... Filosofia.. Havainnon subjektiivisuus.. Aisteihin ei voi luottaa..

Songs in the Key of Life is regarded by music journalists as the culmination of Wonder's "classic period" of recording, and even though he was one of the most popular recording artists in 1976, Stevie seriously considered quitting the music industry and planned to emigrate to Ghana to work with disabled children. An admirable guy! This is regarded as Stevie Wonder's magnus opus and is ranked #4 on the RS Top 500, the highest of any album I've listened to on my 1001 Albums journey. My personal takeaways: Stevie is soulful to a fault, Sir Duke is a staple, the message on Love's In Need Of Love Today is pressing and important 50 years after it was recorded, I loved Knocks Me Off My Feet a lot, too. Very soulful. I can see how this would mean a lot to a young artist. The start of a revolution!

Amazing album and honestly it has shockingly little filler considering it's 100+ minutes long but still... 100 minutes is too long too long to hold my attention. That's my only real complaint though. Otherwise it's such a fantastic listen. Maybe just best in 2 sittings.

Tiny bit of filler

What are these star ratings for? Like the list itself, sometimes they're about "objective quality + importance", sometimes they're reflecting something about *me*, sometimes literally *who the hell knows what's going on*, and sometimes I'm just being a little saucy. Anyway, I'll tell you who they're not for: Stevie Wonder. He doesn't need me to tell him he made something great. Four stars.

Funky

I mean my god. How the fuck was this man still producing absolute bangers by his 18th album. What the fuck.

Very happy album, I know this is one of my mum's favourites

Wow

Some ral great music and some duds. Wanted to love it ended up liking it.

I guess this is Stevie Wonder's magnum opus. Yes, there are several duds here, but also many songs that withstood the test of time very well and can best be described using the professional term "hits". I do appreciate the effort and the achievement, even if this genre of music is not my typical cup of coffee.

Soul progresivo, R&B. Está bien. Un 4.

good album. I recognized a few of the songs!

Great time, bit too long though

Brilliant

Already one of my favourite albums of all time, almost perfect from front to back, no skips. I would rate it 9.5/10

What can I say about SITKOL that hasn't already been said? It's an incredible album throughout. Strong singles, no filler. I think I prefer Innervisions, but this is still an absolutely classic album for a reason.

Fantastic. The funky instrumentals are unbelievably gripping, and the voice is so uniquely suited for it. Great album. Favorite track: Another Star

Zo veel classic hiphop samples die hieruit komen. Heel uitgebreide sound over het album verdeeld. Het is moeilijk de rode draad er in te vinden maar de meeste nummers zijn zodanig sterk dat ze op zichzelf staan.

Never heard the non-singles. Wow, Contusion is one of the best he's ever written. This deserves its reputation. Although.... most of the vamps go on like 2x too long, and it's a repeated problem so it gets kinda distracting. Ordinary Pain's vamp is great, the rest kinda go nowhere.

This album shows Stevie at the peak of his creativity and the songs still shine with originality, freshness, beauty and humanity.

Very long album, but with a lot of good stuff

They can feel it all oooooover

Great album that's just a little bit too long. It's good that the songs vary in character through the album so it doesn't become repetitive. The production is excellent.

Вот это да, ебать 1ч 45 минут, каждая третья песня хитяры Минусы- не может в классику, просто беспомощный Пытается там свои квази скрипочки и литавры Фу И тексты как с си эн эн списаны, но это тогда Но в своей теме, фанк и арнби он просто бог

Who knew he wrote Gangsta paradise I thought the hits were from the 80s

Back when albums were a proper length. Good background music, with a few big hits in there to catch your attention.

Had some timeless classics. Album was a double and a bit long, but overall very good. Adding a subwoofer helps a lot. This album was heavily sampled by warren g and Coolio. 4 stars

So good! I hate that I wish it was shorter though :/ My attention span is wrecked.

A classic. It had been a while and I never realized how long this was. Quite a few 10/10 songs for me on there but a few just okay ones as well.

Stivie Wonderful

Sometimes excess comes from vanity, sometimes from generosity. This is emphatically the latter. Here, genteel delicacy; there, hot-blooded exhortation. Loopy and mesmeric ballads give way to motorik funk cede to visions off a musical future that in the decades to come will be verified by the sheer number of hip hop samples grabbed from this record. A preternaturally gifted composer and protean performer rolling out the full extent of his talent.

Love Sir Duke and I Wish. They are absolute masterpieces. Isn't she lovely is sweeter than sweet. The album is full of other really great tracks as well such as Pastime Paradise, As, and my favorite unknown song from the album is If it's Magic. The album is funky, soulful and a joy to listen to. 4/5

VERY LONG so I didn’t get to listen to it all.Need to do that.But the songs I was able to listen to were amazing.So futuristic for the 70s it’s crazy.I understand why people say Stevie wonder is a genius.

Great album overall, enjoyed eveery second and it made me wanna dance a lot :) Sir Duke will always be one of my absolute favourite stevie wonder songs. 9/10

So much funk in one album, it should be a sin.

Undoubtedly a great album. I think it is a little too long though.

It’s a shame I grew up with 80’s Stevie Wonder. 70’s Stevie Wonder was very talented.

Was really looking forward to this, but it’s too long to really give it the time it needs. Clearly at least a 4 and likely a 5. Is the length too much? Not if all the songs absorb well. Need more time to make that call.

Some of my favorites are on this album

Pastime Paradise - every days a school day

Bought this one when it came out. An very good album.

Very long

All bops from one of the best but my guy 1:45 runtime, chill

An absolute beaut

Liked it a lot. I think I had this one built up too much from years of seeing it listed on top of greatest albums lists and such. Doesn’t quiet reach those heights for me. Pastime Paradise, Feel It All Over and Isn’t She Lovely are all timers.

What a beautiful double album.

Different Stevie Wonder than what I knew, which was admitedly little. Also, unlike today's albums this had an extended lenght.

I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this...obviously I know the name Stevie Wonder and I recognized a few songs.

Love this, but bloody he'll its a long one.

Yes

I really struggled with this one, partly because there’s so much to say about it and I’d never heard it all the way through before. But also partly because I’m aware of it’s stellar reputation but didn’t think it lived up to it. It’s not that it’s bad- in fact in many ways it’s brilliant- but it’s not my style, and in my opinion has some flaws. Had to listen to it a few times, and I do t have a coherent review but here’s a few thoughts. Wonder himself is a brilliant singer- he has a wonderful timbre and powerful projection in the middle of his tenor range. And he can extend that pretty well into the upper registers. This CD mostly features strong backing vocals throughout, and they complement Stevie well- I especially like the rich backing parts on “Have a Talk with God” and “Pastime Paradise”. Curiously, though, on some places where he could really use it- like the chorus of “Sir Duke”, which stretches his range to the max and lacks the deep instrumental color of the verses- the backing vocals are totally absent. They’re also absent on some of the other singles (“My Wish” and “Isn’t She Lovely”, the latter of which Wonder carries just fine by himself), which is just an odd pattern- rich chorus on the deep cuts, none on the hits. There’s also some really superb composition and production throughout. Starting with the production, the album has a deep, crisp sound with a very diverse sonic palette. Every song seems to feature a different instrument - from the electric guitar on "Contusion" to the (I think it's a) kazoo (??) on "Isn't She Lovely." And Stevie just has a wonderful way with musical color - "Sir Duke" is a clinic on it, he even manages to successfully (one might even say "brilliantly") employ a slide whistle about halfway through. "Sir Duke" is probably the strongest track in terms of harmony and composition, but virtually track has some interesting turns - lots of jazzy extensions, lots of transpositions into minor (e.g. on "As"). So what's not to like about it? The main thing is the pacing - it's way too slow and way too long. It opens with three straight slow ballads followed by an instrumental (granted it's a banging instrumental). That's way too much lead-in, we need to get to the action faster. And it really has a ton of ballads - I get that Stevie is a piano-based singer, and piano-based singers love slow ballads, but this is way too many. On a 17-track, hour-and-a-half CD, there's really only three rockers totaling about 10 minutes ("Sir Duke", "I Wish", and "I Am Singing"). I'm sorry Stevie, but 80 minutes of slow ballad just cannot hold my attention that well. Even some of the hits like "Isn't She Lovely" are simply way too long - that song just drags on and on long after it's made it's final point, and both "As" and "Another Star" are longer still and have fewer interesting musical points to make. "Sir Duke" it totally brilliant, a 10/10, and "I Wish" and a few others are good as singles as well, but when you get right down to it, even for a double-album (which have inherent problems) it has a pretty low hit rate. Wonder should've probably cut half the songs on here. I liked listening to it and reviewing it, and I can see the qualities, but for me it can't get a perfect score.

Ok

4.0

4.5

Probably was in the wrong headspace for this one. It’s obviously good but wasn’t feeling it.

It's pretty clear why this album's on the list! Any number of people have extolled its virtues, and many rank it as the best (or one of the very best) of all time. I'd heard many but by no means all of the tracks before. Listening from end to end, there was a lot to really enjoy, but some songs I'd skip or at least consider background music only. Although some songs outstay their welcome (including the very first, at 8+ mins - never a good move), the variety just keeps coming with each song, especially when the bonus EP is included. The musicianship is consistently a treat, whether it's Stevie or others playing the tracks. I ran out of time for a second listen, which might have helped me decide between 4 and 4.5 stars - do the less appealing songs and occasional moments of (over?)earnestness grow on me, or grate? But I'll definitely be back, so for the official 4-point scale definitely a 4.

goes on a tad long, very lively and bright, didn’t really click for me though. Favorite track - As 4

Maybe the best album by Stevie Wonder enjoyable and interesting in every track with also great hits such as "Isn't She Lovely" or "Sir Duke". Phenomenal project, probably a bit too long, but still impressive.

Didn’t finish. Good cheerful morning music.

Great

Great if not very long. Still incredible stuff on here

Hits are hits for sure, some of the loosey jazz stuff is a little loosey...

Very long album, great hits but also meaningful soul throughout

Most of songs I knew already, full of classics. Including the original Gangsta's Paradise... Pleasant music.

Unfortunately, I was not able to give the the listen it deserves — just too many meetings and work yesterday and this morning. That said, I own this album, so it's not unfamiliar territory. This is a mammoth endeavor, and chock-full of amazing material. To my ear, the hits leap out of the speakers with a greater intensity than much of the other material, which is as much a commentary on the serious nature of so many of the songs here. The two-punch wallop of "Sir Duke" and "I Wish" are just awesome — Stevie is at his best when he matches fantastic riffs with rollicking melodies, and those songs have that in spades. But this is a lot to take in in one listen — it's like three albums in one. That, from one perspective, is a testament to the brilliance of this album. But it is part of what makes this less than five stars in my book. It's hard to take it all in at once. But a great talent at a high point in his career and one that certainly belongs on the list of albums you need to hear before you die.

cannot complain.

Very good. Don't listen loads but a stone cold classic.

Strong album! I didn’t know Pastime Paradise was the source for Gangstas Paradise; crazy how many amazing tracks Stevie Wonder managed to fit onto one album. Good stuff!

It's definitely an impressive album and has some amazing hits, but it definitely starts to drag on during the second disc. At almost 2 hours, its a real commitment to listen all the way through, and can be a bit of a struggle.

Good, but not 1 hour 45 good. However, this project has taught me that Stevie Wonder is better than I thought. I though he was all "Isn't she lovely", rather than "Pastime Paradise"

4.4/5 it's good but too long

really good

The range of this album is really impressive. It got off to a really hot start and even the less interesting tracks were carried by Stevie's voice. But man this album could've easily been 30 minutes shorter. So many songs in the second half had a good idea going and then ended by doing nothing for an extra four minutes. Would've been five stars without that

A masterpiece on so many levels I cannot really enumerate all the ways. Sometimes an artist will make an album that is special, in a class of its own, and head and shoulders above anything else their peers were doing. This is such an album. The fires of inspiration really cooked Stevie in the brewing of this critical and fan darling of a gem. There’s a lot more going on here than just bright, fun singalong songs. He deals with some pretty dark themes, exploring despair with the same energy he extols hope, and there’s quite a spicy mix of funk thrown into the soul.

Beautiful album with a lot of great production. The music is bright and cheerful. It's definitely a weekend album, and I think listening on the week day dulled my experience. There's a reason Stevie has done so well!

The very first song bored me, but then the album opened up hugely, music was almost experimental at times. great fun and groovy.

Full of passion with talent to back it up, 4/5 Highlight- "Ebony Eyes"

ALBUM RATING: 3.53 ALBUM GRADE: B- TRACK RATINGS: 1. Love’s in Need of Love Today - 3 2. Have a Talk With God - 4 3. Village Ghetto Land - 3.5 4. Contusion - 4 5. Sir Duke - 3.5 6. I Wish - 4.5 7. Knocks Me off My Feet - 3 8. Pastime Paradise - 4 9. Summer Soft - 3.5 10. Ordinary Pain - 4 11. Isn’t She Lovely? - 3.5 12. Joy Inside My Tears - 3 13. Black Man - 4 14. Ngiculela - Es una Historia - I Am Singing - 3 15. If It’s Magic - 3 16. As - 4 17. Another Star - 4 18. Saturn - 3 19. Body Eyes - 3 20. All Day Sucker - 3 21. Easy Goin’ Evening (My Mama’s Call) - 3

Long ass album mr wonder but very good

I haven't really listened to Stevie Wonder beyond the singles, so the amount of freedom and experimentation was surprising to me. I love how Ordinary Pain just completely sheds it's pop song opening about a third of the way for an aggressive driving battle of the synth solos. And the pop song "intro" just never comes back. That's the song now. Cool. Joy Inside My Tears could have been a bog standard anthem, but someone had license to add synth elements under it that just add so much interest. That synth bass on Black Man. The delay on the synth on Ngiculela. Maybe I should have known that all this cool shit existed, but I didn't. Thanks 1001 albums. I'm not a big fan of the saccharine and preachy songs, but there are so many songs on here that skipping those ones still leaves more than a regular album full of great tracks.

A lot of great tracks (shout out to Isn't She Lovely), but also just a LOT of tracks. Not sure this needed to be a double album, but still had a good time listening to it.

Didn't care for first two songs but everything after was good and it was cool to see how influential this album has been. Recognized a lot of songs from samples being used elsewhere

This is hard because it's clearly very good but a lot of it I'm just not into. I love the idea of some of these songs positivity and love, but in practice I never wanna hear songs about that, lmao. Definite 5 for legacy/talent, 3 for enjoyment. 4 It is.

sir duke!

I like Stevie Wonder - but never listened to this album in total. While some parts are a bit slick, and others a bit dated, overall it is pretty fantastic. There's also a lot to take in - I'll be coming back to this

Not my favourite, but obviously a few really amazing, classic tracks here

One of my favorite albums in my vinyl collection.

Très bon album. Malgré la longueur on ne s'ennuit pas puisqu'il y a très peu de moment faible. Définitivement un classique

Awesome way to start

Starts out strong. Some great songs though a bit preachy at times.. Then the album continues and keeps on. Lots of filler though no really bad songs. Probably just an hour longer than it should have been.

It’s a solid 4

STEVIE

Legal , diferente do q esperava

klassse

Long. Angry!

Sir Duke has such a perfect groove, and that lead horn is divine. This is a great album. There's a bit of cheese leftover but glad I gave this another listen.

Ça réveille

point fort : super titre

How does his voice go that high?

Such a fantastic album. I never gave Stevie Wonder a chance before, but after hearing this album I am glad I did!

Eighteenth album and he nearly threw in the towel? Well, I'm certainly glad he didn't. This is a side of Stevie I wasn't familiar with and certainly keen to keep on the playlist. Faves: As, Saturn, All Day Sucker

I'd say this guy deserves the label "musical genius." I don't always love his softer, sappier music, but when he gets a little funky watch out. This is a great album. Also, little known fact, but the song "Isn't She Lovely" wasn't meant as a rhetorical question. He was asking whether she was really lovely, because he literally had no idea. 4 stars.

Stevie Wonder is great. This album is good and has plenty of hits. Since it is two discs, it is over an hour and 40 minutes. There are some songs that are little long and others that are just kinda meh. Disc 1 is better than Disc 2 and almost all of the hits are located on Disc 1. Disc 2 has some good songs and a couple that were recognizable. You can definitely hear how his music has influenced other artists. I don't think I would listen to both discs again back to back, but listening to disc 1 only is more likely.

Great album - perhaps a bit long, but it has some excellent songs.

Stevie's one of the great

very good album, unique sound, kinda too long- 8,5/10

Seriously impressive group of songs with some absolute classics in there. And he played most of the instruments himself. Super

good! 4 star because there were a few moments that were too much but still

A classic!

Thoroughly surprised with the album. Funky beats and classics throughout. I found a few tracks to add to my "liked" playlist

I have this on vinyl. Was considered a must-own. Listened to bits here and there, didn't catch on. Reviews here again raved. 5s across the board. I must be missing something. So...I was, somewhat. My first listen start to finish unearthed a lot of well-known songs and sampled-songs. But it's very, very long. And many songs feel much longer than they need to be. I will be generous with a 4.

Nice but a bit lengthy

Some classics! Not managed the full album yet but enjoyed most of what I heard

4.75

Amazing! Stevie convinces me with the first two songs. (I mean all the good songs would have fit on one album).... (8/10) FT: I Wish, Sir Duke, Isn't She Lovely, Pasttime Paradise, As, Another Star

Prima, erg lang, sommige nummers te langdradig

Liked this more than "Talking Book" - there was less overly-sugary sweetness. Fave track - "As" is badass. Also enjoyed the educational "Black Man"...

This was a truly enjoyable listen, if a bit overly long. I was already a fan of Stevie Wonder's radio hits, but I found I liked some of the deeper cuts even more. "Contusion" was a standout for me, a cool instrumental interlude that reminded me of some of Frank Zappa's instrumental numbers. 4/5 stars, would have been higher if they had cut a few songs.

Upbeat, positive messages. Fun

This came as a breath of fresh air to me. It’s such a peaceful record that treats very important themes. I love everything about this piece of art. The music, the vocals, the lyrics. Everything is in perfect harmony with each other. I was pleasantly surprised and I am glad I came across this record.

A true classic

Devo dire che mi ha stupito, non mi aspettavo che fosse così. Pensavo fosse più una smarmellata pop smelensa. Un po' troppo lungo come album, ma nel complesso mi è piaciuto.

Isn't it lovely, made of love? Well, yes it is.

So many styles. So many songs. Such a solid groove and tone. Four classic bangers. Some tracks need shaving.

Wow - this feels like it had a bit of everything; hard funk, psych soul, yacht rock, even something resembling a Zappa instrumental. Unlike other lengthy albums, not one moment felt like a chore. So many chewy, fun musical ideas here. 'I Wish' was my favourite song on this collection, but as someone not particularly familiar with Stevie Wonder, it was a kick to hear the track that Coolio's biggest hit was built around too.

Wow, so this is his "White Album." It's quite a ride and while it for sure felt like an uneven one to my ears, I also found it hard to deny just the sheer impressiveness of the ground covered on all 672 of these tracks. Some bonafide classics and nice surprises (for me, at least) too. I didn't know "Village Ghetto Land" and that's a beautiful tune. I also didn't know about the "Gangsta's Paradise" connection, but that's on me and fairly embarrassing. I don't know that I'd put this on and just listen to it in sequence in one sitting again. But I could sure as shit cull a greatest hits from this record and listen to the hell out of that.

This was good, but it was also very long. Every song on here was of quality, however, with a runtime of 104 minutes, this album becomes somewhat of a hassle to listen to. My favorite track from this album was "Isn't She Lovely".

Ich mag die Alben aus der Liste bislang sehr gern, aber dieses hier wirkt anfangs etwas generischer um dann aber eine Genialität herauszulösen, wie beim Waschen von Gold. Das dreckige Ghetto verbrämt in bei-barocken Klängen, Gedanken zum Gegen-, Bei- und Miteinander dominieren die lyrics und die schmissigen Songs eskalieren so locker aus der Hüfte, dass es fast wehtut, sich nicht mitzubewegen. 4.3

my man <3

I try to like Stevie Wonder due to his obvious talent, but some of his songs are just so syrupy. I prefer the tracks with more funk or social commentary. It's fun to pick out the samples that have been used in other songs like "Gangsta's Paradise" and "Wild Wild West".

Kósý

Quick notes as I catch up: super good, way easy to listen to.

Mate. I will neeever tire of Sir Duke, and shoot me dead if ever I listen to it without miming the horns. Classy all round. Fav new track: Pastime Paradise cos I HAD NO IDEA 🤯

lyssna inte på fnaskask detta är ett bra album

Stevie Wonder was pretty great and that includes this album. It's definitely on the long side and could have benefited from cutting some of the less exciting songs. But there are some fantastic tracks on here such as As or Another Star and the album has a lot of variety going for it.

Enjoyed this, 1st time listening to a Stevie album, only familiar w the big hits. Loved the funk, wasn't into the jazz. I'll own it, I don't care for Contusion. Some of the slower lovey songs got a little long for me. Depressing how relevant some of these lyrics are 45 yrs later. My Highlights! Village Ghetto Land Sir Duke ☆☆☆☆☆ Pastime Paradise surprised me too folks Ordinary Pain after 2:40 The harp on If It's Magic bc fucking harp Saturn Ebony Eyes

Decent… just really long. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it!

“You wanna impress me? Take the wheel for a little while, motherfucker!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0_vTUnokNU Even Ezequiel thinks my mind is gone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOfZLb33uCg

Dobar, prerade jos bolje (y)

No brainer! I love Stevie....and this album is the best of the best. He is a craftsman sitting behind the keyboard, a sound that just fills the heart and soul with rhythm, a classic! His voice so his own. So much talent accumulated into one body.

A favorite of mine in high school

I've been just putting ratings on these last few albums because it's a lot to catch up on but wanted to make a note about this one. This was a fantastic album, the original longer than one CD type album and I was here for it. Yes it ran long, and yes there were some that I wasn't a fan of, but I could feel the bones of so many current day songs within this album just like Stevie mentioned with Pastors Paradise and others. Stevie Wonder truly is that, and it is incredible that he gifted this album to the world and felt the need to make so much music within one timeframe. I can't wait to listen to some of these again.

venía posponiendo este álbum hace meses y sinceramente no sé por qué, porque me encantó.

7/10. I’d want to score this higher because it has some amazing tracks but it’s just too fucking long , I know this would be a 5 star single album if they had just cut it down

8, incredibly good, would be higher but it's so long

8/10. Really long, but good music. Doubt I'll want to listen to it all in one sitting again.

Yes it's very good, lots of bangers. And didn't know Gangster's Paradise was a ripoff. Bit too long though and some filler

Bangers

Some great songs on here, but it does outstay its welcome a little bit.

Genius

Every other song, I had a moment of "OH THIS SONG". So iconic. I just felt the album was a little long.

Enjoyed iy

Really good album!! Just a bit too long😅

Fantastic by almost all accounts. The album is quite long and does begin to drag after "As" and the synths used throughout are a bit dated. However, the hits can't possibly be denied. I mean, Sir Duke... It's Sir Duke.

Enjoyed this album. Crazy to hear all the tracks of his on here that have been sampled elsewhere into huge songs. I loved Contusion, it's basically a Steely Danier Steely Dan song. Easy Goin Evening is also a great little jazz transition closer

Some classics there but I’m happy to wait to hear them every now and again on the radio. Nevertheless 4*

Didn't think I would have heard a remake of Gangsta's Paradise from Stevie Wonder, but there it is ! Really smooth album.

A modern-day classic.

It's a classic, some excellent tracks. As a whole album it's too long for me to listen to in one sitting, but still good stuff

Starts super groovy. Great first song. Summer soft worst song so far.

Excelente álbum. La música cautiva a primera escucha con su groove hipnótico y con sus excelentes baladas. Sin embargo, me atrevo a decir que su duración le arrebata el título de obra maestra, especialmente la segunda mitad que es un poco menos concisa y apretada que la primera. Para mí un sólido 9/10 (4 estrellas)

- wonderful, joyous and jazzy - consistent album, nice flow - some funky standouts and big hitters (Sir Duke being more popular than Isn't She Lovely surprised me)

Good funky soul album

Classic!

Way better than expected 9/10

Never heard the non-singles. Wow, Contusion is one of the best he's ever written. This deserves its reputation. Although.... most of the vamps go on like 2x too long, and it's a repeated problem so it gets kinda distracting. Ordinary Pain's vamp is great, the rest kinda go nowhere.

Contusion: La prima che m'è piaciuta, forse perché il vecchio Stevie non apre bocca. Pastime Paradise: Nonostante la fama devo ammette che è un gran pezzo. Ordinary Pain: Figa la coda alla fine Isn't she lovely: No dai, l'assolo de armonica è veramente eccessivo. Black Man: Forse la tira un po' per le lunghe però figa. As: Mazza questa è figa forte. La smattatura finale m'ha fatto venì la pelle d'oca, non possono non tenerne conto.. Another Star: Pure questo figo ammazza, se l'è lasciati tutti per la fine. Ebony Eyes: Vale solo per l'assolo di chitarra fatto co la voce. All Day Sucker: L'arrangiamento è bello sbroccato, figo il basso e l'andamento mezzo funk ma zoppicante. Il vecchio Tonino non glie l'avrebbe mai fatto fa sto pezzo. In conclusione: Minchia! E' partito veramente male con la prima che secondo me è indubbiamente la peggiore del disco, ma poi è decisamente ripartito. Io Stevie Wonder me lo ricordavo molto più sciapetto e invece cazzo zio Stevie je l'ammolla! Si sente che questo era il periodo in cui i musicisti erano veramente forti, la maggior parte dei pezzi so un pretesto per cazzeggiare e molti dei pezzi so tipo come vorrei fa i pezzi io: 1 minuto de pezzo e 5 de finale. Diciamo che se sente l'influenza '70 e RnB e quando partono le ballatone so proprio na smarmellatura de palle, però quando è figo è veramente figo. Tra l'altro suona da paura non se sa come fa, non sembra per niente un disco del 76 se non fosse per i vari synth. M'ha lasciato la voglia di risentirlo.

Stevie wonder groova come pochi e si sentono solo piccoli accenni alle polpette degli anni successivi. A volte si sta sull’orlo dell’esagerazione ma si rimane cool.

jeez its long. am i supposed to listen to the reissue? suuuuuper nice start. lol i'd never listened to the song that gangster paradise samples. baby at the start of isnt she lovely scared the shit out of me lol. theres this little camera shutter sound that made me think i was accidentally taking screenshots lol. im done, album was VERY good but im conflicted if i like the length or not lol cause its not easy making a long album work and this really works i think. but its a little much, almost 2 hours long. i was sorta ready for it to be done before the last 4 tracks. curious if ill come back to it.

Es bastante bueno, pero las canciones son larguísimas y da la sensación de ser interminable. Fuera de eso está bastante bien.

solid, not as good as coldplay album tho

Phenomenal talent, impact is undeniable, especially on Pastime Paradise. A little long to be an album for me to come back to and listen all the way through, but there are definitely songs I would like to give another listen Saved: Sir Duke, Pastime Paradise

Some of the best moments in recorded music here, but oddly it’s too long

Chille muziek. erg fijn

I think the songs I didn't know from this album are more interesting than the ones I did know.

Great - again could be a single album.

So many classics, so happy, so powerful.

stevie at his best. 4 cause there is still some filler and i prefer innervisions..

Some classics on here, but a bit overlong

Solid album from Stevie

For an 18th album to be a 1 hr 45 min, 21 track, double + album, and be regarded as Wonder's masterpiece and an all time classic illustrates his genius. Personally preferred disc 1 to the more experimental disc 2 and b-side-esque 7", so can't give it 5*s. Love the ambition and first half of the record, but in my view less would have been more.

5 if it was shorter

Quite a change-up after Jon Spencer! I think I actually borrowed this CD from the Toronto Public Library back in the 90s. So many classic tracks here. A cast of thousands in the studio. Some nice jazzy bits. I think if you put all the outstanding tracks together, that CD would be a 5. Some of the others are heading in the direction of “I just called to say I love you”

Boom DAJE!

Really good funk, great musicianship. This is why Stevie's so frequently returned to.

There are some good songs on it

Lots of songs, lots of soul. I've never listened to this whole album before but knew a lot of the songs. I really like Stevie Wonder and this album is great.

bueno

Rating after listening to half the album, but don’t need any further info. It’s a long album! Lots of 10 songs that are just pure unadulterated music, and I chase the idea of lack of pretension when listening to music and Stevie Wonder is the epitome of that lack thereof. Just such a joy to listen to and wonder for a last name is well warranted. The only reason I didn’t list it at 5 stars is there is some fluff, it’s not as “tight” as I like my albums. It’s my fault more than anyone else’s but I’m not a fan of most “jamming” when it gets repetitive without too much character to it.

Love Stevie Wonder and this album has several favorites (Sir Duke especially).

Relaxing and enjoyable

Bra, pastime paradise klassiker. Inget för mig dock. Seg

7.5

Far too long but very good song om it

Loved it. Lotta cool bass riffs. Soulful and funky as fuck

Groß. Nicht GANZ groß, aber schon sehr groß. Das Album und auch manche Songs sind ein bisschen zu lang. Höre gerade 'Black Man‘ in Dauerschleife.

So many great hits, some really interesting protest/civil rights songs and messages.

Great company. Wonderful messages. Will revisit lots of these.

Has the classics Sir Duke and I Wish on it, a groovy, soul album by none other.

Hit after hit after hit. Practically a greatest hits record. Soul, funk, rock, it's got it all. Just a tad bit long. Favorite tracks: "I Wish", "As", "Black Man", "Isn't She Lovely"

This was a long listen, but very worthwhile. I liked the complexity of it at times.

I was already familiar with a few songs on this album but had never listened to it all the way through. Super impressed with the instrumentation on a lot of the songs. 'Contusion' in particular is fantastic. The sound is both super 70s (which in turn makes it sound a bit dated) but also timeless, traditional jazz in other aspects. It's really good but I can't see myself listening to the album from start to finish on regular rotation which is what keeps me from giving it 5 stars. I'm an idiot for not knowing about Pastime Paradise? Okay on second thought this album is fucking incredible but still won't be in my regular rotation save for a handful of songs. So 4 stars it is.

Brightened my day thats for sure.

This is a realy good album but not my cup of tea

Is it possible for an album to be too good for too long? Twenty-four hours is just not enough time to reckon with this beast. Consider my rating tentative...I'd like to return as often as I can in the coming weeks.

Classic album

Pastime Paradise, never heard it before! This album was a lot for me. I probably won't listen to it again.

This was good

Honestly started out so high. I wrote “always know I’m in good hands when a Stevie record starts”. Still true but the sheer length of this thing dragged me down. Favs: track 1, knocks me off my feet, ngiculela Nah calling yourself an All Day Sucker is crazyyyy….

I think if the album was like... Even 5 songs shorter I would have no problem giving it a 4. I think I'm going to go with three because I can't see myself relistening to this

I’ve Stevied, and I’ve Wondered, mainly when it was going to stop. It’s like being given a 2kg tub of vanilla ice cream. It’s not the flavour I’d usually go for but it’s nice enough and it can hit the spot if you’re in the mood, but that doesn’t mean you can sit there and comfortably eat the whole damn thing. I enjoyed hearing pastime paradise and the difference between that and Amish paradise is hilarious. There’s some bangers in there and plenty of decent songs. But there’s also songs like Joy Inside My Tears where it takes repetition to new levels, the weirdness of Black Man as a song even if I appreciate the sentiment, and then after that so much of the second disc is completely forgettable. Benefit of the doubt 3 as there’s some mastery and ease but plenty of dross too.

I have a personal aversion towards soul music for some reason.  I don't massively enjoy the slow burn grooves I think paired with heavy bass plods (or when faster it's the stretching of words over the melody seems to drag it out for me).  I can never fully explain why and in the context of Stevie wonder is clearly a legend of sorts and very expressive.  What's not to like you would think. Liked songs "Sir Duke", "I wish", "Pastime Paradise" (didn't realise until now Coolio did a cover of sorts of this song) and "As". A classic album of its time completely lost to my dumb ears.  I enjoyed some songs clearly as nearly impossibly not to with Steevie boy but a few bangers does not make an album. Not my thing but compelled to experiance it and actually enjoyed it in the end.

I carved out some time to sit down and give this a proper chance but I just don't get the hype. Yeah it's technically good music, really tightly played, recorded and produced. I just don't understand why this is worshipped as much as it is. A few inoffensive wedding tunes but otherwise an album that just isn't my jam. Too happy clappy and so so long... It's like 105 minutes of Calton Banks' dancing.

Honestly this is kinda weird, there are some fantastic songs in it but lots of things that kept surprising me (not in a good way).

Didnt really like it...got tired after 4 song

I liked Innervisions more but this one is alright. Its over 90 minutes so I will have to remove a star leaving this a 3.

Did not know that Pastime Paradise was from him.

Good vibes.

It's pretty cool.