Songs In The Key Of Life

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.

Stevie Wonder- Songs in the Key of Life (1976) If Sgt. Peppers was the Beatles on acid, then I have no idea what Stevie was on. This felt like a mixing pot of every instrument and genre known to man i.e. violins, brass band, Hispanic, etc. The overall theme made sense, with the title of the album. There were highs i.e. Isn't she lovely, Sir Duke, but also lows i.e. Village Ghetto Land, Pastime Paradise (which I learned was sampled for Coolio's hit!) I'm glad I listened to the album, and found some new songs, but overall I wouldn't listen in full again due to very long songs that should have been cut earlier. Album Rank: 6.7 Favorite Song: Pastime Paradise

✅Sir Duke ✅Ordinary Pain

No sé… no entiendo a SW. pero tiene buenas rolas

Pastime Paradise became Gangsta's Paradise. I Wish became the backbone of Will Smith's Summertime. Sir Duke has been inside your head your entire life whether you invited it or not. Isn't She Lovely exists. The Library of Congress inducted this album into the National Recording Registry. Rolling Stone ranked it number four on the greatest albums of all time. Paul Simon won the Grammy for Album of the Year the previous year and publicly thanked Stevie for not releasing anything, because when Stevie releases something, everyone else goes home. I grew up on MTV, alternative, metal, and punk. I know exactly what this album is and exactly where it sits in the history of recorded music. I hold Stevie Wonder in a respect reserved for very few artists. I will not however be putting this on regular rotation. That is not a criticism. That is just an honest accounting of who I am versus what this album requires. Songs in the Key of Life does not need my regular rotation. It was doing fine before I arrived and will continue doing fine long after I am gone. 3 out of 5. All three stars given with a slight bow.

Quite good.

No fue mi vibe, pero Pastime Paradise fue una sorpresa el enterarme que era el inicio de muchas canciones de hip hop.

NEGAWATT

Stevie Wonder is an astonishing artist. He has an amazing voice and is musically gifted in many senses of the word. This collection was a bit long for me but it was a good listen nonetheless. Stevie’s classic hits will always be bangers with lyrics that paint a picture and drums, guitars and horns that make the rest of the album easy to listen to. A good compilation overall.

This album has several drawbacks for me: it’s too busy, it’s too upbeat, and it’s too long. Is it objectively worse than some albums I have given four stars? Probably not, but we’re not doing objectivity here. The man deserves his own eponymous genre label, but this is not for me.

good

If this wasn't a double album, it would be packed with hits. As such, it just has too many filler tracks to be the fantastic album it has every right to be.

Me parecio muy alegre y medio religioso. No me gustaron todas las canciones, pero tiene varias que son :)

Me gusto, me hizo pensar cosas bonitas

Oh no I think I'm alone on this one. I just don't get it. I can understand that much of this is virtuosic, it just doesn't do much for me.

Pastime Paradise

Clearly, this is a well-liked album, and I can recognise why. But staying true to how I rate albums here, this is not, for me personally, the masterpiece many have deemed it. For me, it's alright, albeit a little too long.

Super

disk 1 was straight vibes. by disk 2 I was super tired of the album. And makes me not wanna return to listen again, and just listen to the tracks I liked the most. I like the funk, but its like soul funk and idk how to feel about it.

Too long but good

Osad laulud ei kõlanud eriti meeldejäävalt, aga samas leidsin 'gansters paradise' meloodia originaali ja ka ühe laulu, mis minu jaoks täpselt parajalt iseennast kordas, sellise hea taustamuusika: 'Another Star´'. See album oli lõbusaks kontrastiks eelmisele Kendrick Lamar albumile, sest stili poolest olid nad väga erinevad, aga mis puutub sisusse oli seal palju sarnasusi. Mõlemad kasutasid klippe, mis sisaldasid igapäevahelisid ja jutuajamist ning tegelesid teemadega, mis kimbutasid Ameerikat siis ja kimbutavad ka praegu nagu nt rassiline diskrimineerimine.

Me gustó mucho, lindos sonidos, no me gustó que sea muy largo. MEJOR TEMA ISN’t SHE LOVELY

Classic but didn’t hit how i’ve been told it would

Definitely enjoyed some songs more than others. Would probably say it’s more of a 2.5

Pastime Paradise caught me off guard. So did "I wish". I haven't heard it since the last time I watched Happy Feet, which was a very long time ago. So, points for that. Also, Stevie Wonder is still alive? Weird how I thought he was a lot older than he actually is. The album as a whole, though... not entirely it for me.

REVISIT

Álbum legal com bastante Groove, funk, Soul, jazz... Vocais bem legais e pianos em destaque. QoA Adonis New.

Obviously a classic but I'm not sure I was enjoying it much in the moment. As is still a banger though

Some great songs on here, but the sheer number of songs also means that there are a fair few weak tracks. A few of them are twice as long as they are need to be as well. Nice enough.

I get it, Stevie Wonder is a wonderful composer and musician, some songs on this record did stir my interest, but most were just not my cup of tea.

There seems to be a lot of love for this album I was pretty sceptical, but now I've finally listened to it, I do get why Quite a surprise!

A very jazzy modern collection of songs. Lengthy and substantial and full of surprises

Kinda decent like 6.5/10

Didn't hit as much as I thought. Superstition still slaps.

some absolute bangers in there but ultimately way too long

It's not My stile but agrege un par a mi playlist

There's definitely some gems in here, and he has a beautiful voice and lots if talent. There were plenty of songs that just didn't grab me tho. Overall I liked it, felt long, wouldn't run to listen to the whole album. But added a few to my dance mix!

Hes so smooth, and writes fantastic songs.

Helt ok.

little bit too long 7/10 Will I add this album to my library: no

Stevie singt I don't wanna bore you with it, tut es dann aber trotzdem. Hier, kriegst ne 3 für die Hits und Pastime Paradise, und weil da vielleicht noch ein guter Song hinten raus ist, den ich mir aber einfach nicht mehr anhören kann.

idk why this is overhyped ASFF but its pretty normal, nothing special

Very few songs I actually liked. A lot of them were very long and repetitive. I can see the jazz influences, and know that I’m not a huge fan of the 70s sound. A ton of experimentation that I understand how influential it was. So glad I listened to it, probably won’t return any time soon.

mid

Despite it being long, I can appreciate the creativity with nuggets of songs that I would be happy to listen too. Then again there's some overly long songs that do drag on.

No es mi rollo, aunque escucharlo con auriculares malos en un AVE Barcelona-Madrid seguro que no ha ayudado.

Solid SW. lots of big hits.

great double (triple) album

Честно, вроде и вайбит а вроде и нет. Конечно совершенно далёкие от меня темы про афроамериканцев и гетто, но инструментал просто охуенный. ВАУ КОНТУЗИЯ ЕБАТЬ ПАРАРАРАРАПАРАААААМ ААААА!!!! Зачем было вставлять плачь ребёнка....

esta bueno, bastante variado, muchos sonidos. no sabia que estaba la cancion original de gangsta paradise. me gusto para tenerlo en vinilo

Toujours un plaisir d'écouter Pastime paradise !

Bon c'est très long 1h44 Pour des chansons qui se ressemblent, on voit le temps passer quand même Isn't she lovely Sir Duke Pastime paradise Et I wish sont des banger Mais.c'est loooong Puis je suis pas fan de la pochette

starting this from the perspective that I’ce always found Isn’t She Lovely too saccharine for my tastes and almost grating, and I think somewhat influenced my feelings about the rest of the album. There were some great moments (Pastime Paradise, Village Ghetto Land and As were my favourites), I appreciated that there were at times some quite weird things going on, but it also felt like it dragged at some moments and there were sections I didn’t enjoy at all

Son 18ème album. Dur à croire qu'il pensait se retirer de la musique quelques temps avant cet album et finalement il sort un double album de 1h45 de long! J'aime l'ambiance générale, petit passage à vide durant la deuxième moitié. Ça atteint pas le hype d'Innervisions selon moi.

Had no idea that 'Gangsta's Paradise' was based off a song in this album ('Pastime Paradise'). Second disc was better than the first.

Some songs are iconic and great, but generally I don't vibe with a lot of what is on the album.

I don't like how he sings on most of these songs. However, his take on Amish Paradise is really good.

Never been that big a fan of Stevie. Sort of easy listening though.

Love’s in Need of Love Today, Have a Talk with God, Sir Duke, Pastime Paradise, Isn’t She Lovely, Joy Inside My Tears, If It’s Magic, As Closer to 3.5

The first song is so long but Stevie Wonder is kinda worth it. Many song s sound a lot like street music you'd hear someone sing on sesame street to uplift and teach kids.

Enjoyed more than his previous entry. Not too bad

just like any other soul album imo, only gets glazed because Steveland Hardaway Judkins happens to be blind. like i know that its impressive that he can play instruments and all that whilst unable to see, but that doesn't make it musically better or more enjoyable to listen to.

the first few songs felt very videogame-like, it reminded me a lot of pikmik Bloom music jsjsj. Soem songs were a little too weird to me, but i liked it quite a bit overall

One of the songs sounded too much like Christmas. I didn’t expect so many different sounds from this album.

It’s a strange album from the start. It kind of feels confused and some of the production and backing is terrible. Feel ‘Village Ghetto Land’ could be great, but so let down by the backing. BUT the. You get hit with ‘Sir Duke’ and ‘I Wish’ so jury is still out. But EIGHTEENTH studio album and still able to do this?! 🤯 Not getting the “greatest album of all time” vibes that some claim, but I’m ready for more (even if it is 1hr 45!) Very solid start to CD2 with ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ but still not grabbed the same as others. Obviously some huge bangers, but rest doesn’t just haven’t the quality for me. Might be heading for 3.5 😬 and never knew Gangstas Paradise was basically a cover 🤯

Des chansons iconiques et d'autres un peu moins bien. Je suis mitigée !

Never bee a big fan of this guy. This isn’t bad. Won’t add it to a playlist though.

its Stevie. Some classics

I thought it got better as it went on. It is tough to listen in one go, I’m not sure if that’s the best way to digest this one. Ideally I should listen to it at least another time before rating but don’t have the time. Rating: 3.4

I listened to disk one during my run, and it was ok. Very much background music, and didn’t massively energise me. A few songs were better but mostly mediocre. I started to listen to disk 2 when relaxing and playing videos games and this was the more mellow vibe intended for me to listen to I think. Might listen in the future but will use as personal time background music. 6/10

Fourth Stevie Wonder album I've gotten on this list. It's fine. I just don't think I like Stevie Wonder that much....

Feels a bit unfocused in my opinion. It doesn’t quite hold up Wonder’s 60s era. Summer soft is a sick song though.

Great album

Pretty chill, kinda fun at times. 3/5

It's quite a journey - not always my thing, but definitely always something. Great production and a good few songs which sound like they were written/recorded last week!

Some belters but some shiters

Jag har aldrig fastnat riktigt för Stevie. Ofta lite för snällt och polerat. Hans sammetsmjuka tonsäkra sång, instrumental perfektion. Lite smuts och skav och hårdhet hade inte skadat. Med det sagt finns det ändå en handfull bra låtar på skivan. Dessa är: As Knocks me off my feet Ordinary pain Joy inside my tears Black man De bästa låtarna på en enkelskiva hade kunnat generera en fyra.

Frisk blandning av hög toppar, mediokra låtar och några riktiga bottennapp. En utrensning till en enkel-LP hade varit önskvärt. På plussidan håller jag Have a Talk with God, Sir Duke, I Wish och As. Till bottennappen hör nästan hela andra skivan med undantag för Black Man, As och Another Star. Första skivan är en stark trea. Andra skivan en svag tvåa.

Pastime Paradise threw me for a loop.

A brilliant album from a run of brilliant albums by Stevie Wonder

Ok

This was a challenge! I don't particularly like soul at the best of times so to be thrown into an hour and 45 minutes of mid tempo soul was a little overbearing. I didnt hate it but I did think most of the songs could have been half the length they were.

I don't know why, but somehow I never really click with Stevie Wonder. That is obviously on me, not him. The nearest comparison I can make is when I hear some younger people say they don't get Prince. My first instinct is to say: Can't you hear how talented he was? How many styles he brought together? How incredibly prolific he was? And they say something like 'yeah, but it doesn't do much for me'. So that's me with Stevie Wonder. I admire him but I am rubbish at listening to him

Not too bad

Once again I have the same feeling as before with Stevie Wonder. I appreciate the craftsmanship and the tunes. It is executed to perfection. That being said, I feel that throughout its runtime it juggles with the same themes musically and at some point it starts to drag. It is influential but at the same time I can't really connect with it. The tracks I liked the most are "Have A Talk With God", "I Wish" and "Pastime Paradise".

Enjoyed this. Several classics on this 2 disc set (Sir Duke, I Wish, Isn't She Lovely). Embarrased to admit that I didn't know that Gangstas Paradise = Pasttime Paradise. Never had heard the Stevie Wonder version before! Overall good album, a little long. (3)

Fun

Stevie Wonder is a genius songwriter and an incredible singer and multi instrumentalist, but his music is often just too twee and saccharine for me. There are couple of great songs in here though (this most definitely does not include isn’t she lovely) and it sounds absolutely incredible throughout.

Jon Bontempi

Second double album of the week This is not a “ good thing” This is not a terrible album. But it’s not really my thing and there’s an awful lot of it I appreciate that people consider Wonder a genius, and I appreciate the importance of this album. I just don’t particularly like it.

A little long, but overall an enjoyable listen

Lo que es tener talento. Qué adlibs Qué voz, en la tercera ya puedo sentir más y combinado con la música de fondo. Suena mucho a musical. “Now some folks say that we should be glad what we have. Tell me would you be happy in village guetto life” Esta la de gansta paradise en versión reflexiva jajaja me gusta más la original pero uff la letra. Sonaron unas como de Bruno Mars. El man es el padre de Bruno. No es mi estiloooo mucho pero es talentoso El resto del álbum siguió sonando y es niceee pero no fue hasta “As” que de verdad me levanté. El run con another star y Saturn interesantísimo. Ya después vuelve a la esencia y no es muy de mi gusto, sin embargo es música de calidad. Destacable: inicio y final (menos lo último que ya que mamera el soul). Muy impresionante calidad. Entiendo por qué sea reconocido AS es un temazo

5/10 Best songs: Pastime Paradise, As There is a very specific easy listening genre from the 90s that I find excruciatingly dull. This album absolutely fits into that genre, with the caveat that it was released 20 years prior. I guess the album is quite ahead of its time in that regard. Unfortunately I just find it pretty boring. I appreciate that he touches on social issues, and there are no stand out bad songs, but it's so average.

I can’t remember what I thought

First repeat artist on this list, but happy to listen to more Wonder. I did not know this album either, except for I Wish and the song that Coolio would eventually cover. This album had a more chaotic energy, with anger, sadness and hope. I really enjoyed it!

Oh Stevie. Towering figure in music. I respect him far more than I enjoyed this sprawling record. Moments of genius but overall too saccharine for my palate. There’s a 45 minute clear 4* album in here, but (self imposed) rules are rules. Sorry.

He's obviously a genius musician, but also this drags towards the end ("Saturn", "Ebony Eyes"), and about half of it is too schmaltzy and sentimental for my tastes. 7.0 Fav track: I Wish Least fav: Isn't She Lovely (sorry, just no)

Our last SW album out of 4 in the 1,001. This would have been much stronger as a one disc release. The hits are great, but the rest is hit and miss. 3.5 rounded down.

Classic, influential, forward thinking album. Too long though but with no real bad songs. Should be 2 separate albums

A lot better than Marvin Gaye or any of the other early R&B/Soul records I’ve gotten so far. There’s a 4 star album in there somewhere, but it’s too long.

Ok and a couple of great tracks

Much like the other Stevie album, what I hear is an amazing talent who focuses on a type of music I don't really like. "I Wish" is the "Superstition" of this album: a classic I'll always enjoy, with an amazing groove. I also liked hearing Coolio's source, which I didn't know.

this was difficult because i love some of these songs and really hate other ones

Um bom álbum, nada além disso.

I was surprised how many samples I recognized from future songs that originated with this album. Little long and there were some gems and some stinkers.

A good album, doesn't make me a fan of Stevie wonder wonder but i understand the significance of the album. A lot of samples i recognised

Прикольно, но не совсем моё

It's a very neutral album. One can listen to it from start to finish without skipping any song, but there is no memorable songs either (dispite Isn't she Lovely, I feel I heard better versions of this song elsewhere). Its good if you want something playing in the background.

its technically a good album and i did like some songs on it but its not really my style

Gorgeous voice Not massively my bag, but enjoying it Finding myself wanting to put something else on Sir Duke is a banger Did not know Gangstas paradise sampled this Why is this album so long? It’s a bit samey, is that sacrilege to say? I can appreciate that it’s good but it’s just not my thing 3/5

This was fun! I feel like I wouldn't have chosen this album on my own, but it was a funky start to my day and felt appropriate for this Wednesday!

No es mi estilo, de hecho está bastante lejano a lo que suelo escuchar, sin embargo es buen álbum, no diría el mejor, pero es disfrutable, así que le doy un 7/10

not my usual cup of tea but was pleasantly surprised

A little long, and a little gospel-y at times, but some real bangers mixed in, and generally enjoyed the ride.

Didn’t realize how many songs off this albums were sampled to make other songs, it really is a staple album

nie posłuchałam do końca.. ogólnie taki ok

Background music I’ll stop and listen to

Funky

There's some real bangers on this overstuffed double LP. However there's a lot of muck to wade through - it's not doing too much to make me rethink that double records should not exist.

Overall liked this album! Felt very groovy and loving. Strong message of black power, but I liked that he also included that all of the races are important and that we should work together. Recognized some of the songs as Stevie Wonder, but also noticed the sampling of his music in more recent artist’s work.

It was very nice

De acá nació Gangsta Paradise! que loco, no? Variado el Stevie, tiene canciones para muchos eventos, es un embajador de la buena vibra, muy habilidoso para volver esas situaciones canción 2hrs dura estaba inspirado Un 3.5 en mis libros

Instruments are great, wish they got a bit more show and centre stage otherwise nothing wrong with it

A long Christmas weekend hardly leaves room for a rich, gooey, overstuffed double album. I had already unbuckled my belt before I started. Still, this is the better of the Wonder albums that we’ve listened to thus far and I was struck by the instances when he sounded like Van Morrison. Otherwise, I find Stevie’s voice generally sits odd in the mix: the harmonic extensions of his playing too thick and so much chromaticism that he is always struggling to be distinguished. But there is great music here, As for example, but it all goes on too long. 2.5 Do people really like Stevie Wonder as much as they think they do? I know he has lots of nice, famous tunes but if you made everyone who owns this album sit down for an hour and a half and give their full attention to its procession of ever-so-smooth musical and lyrical platitudes how many wouldn’t just nod off? When Wonder programmed 6 1/2 minutes of ‘Isn’t She Lovely?’ alongside 6 1/2 minutes of ‘Joy Inside My Tears’ to open side 3 of his record, surely he knew no listener would come out the other side conscious. Even the funkier songs wouldn’t trouble a sleeper, so diligently are the edges removed in performance and recording. You could criticise this album from other angles - the datedness of the keyboard sounds, the mawkish naivety of some of the lyrics (Have a Talk With God, Black Man) - but what do any of its other faults count for when you’re having a nice nap anyway? 2.5/5

Lots of great songs on this- fun for a party, but I might not just put it on to listen to at home.

Lots of great tracks, enjoyed it, but enthusiasm waned through the second disc. A few I’d skip throughout it. Nice to listen to overall.

Some classics, some not.

Not my cup of tea but it's not that baf

Okay. Some hits, but not my taste

3.5

Favorite: Contusion Least Favorite: If It's Magic Overall Rating: 7.5/10 I thoroughly enjoyed this album, though it's not necessarily something I would seek out on my own. Some of the songs felt a bit too similar to each other, but it was still a good time.

i enjoyed it lots, there was a wide variety and i saved all the songs i liked, i didnt end up completeing it , i got to the the 70% mark tho, def appreciate the production on the tracks and his voice is heavingly . i will go through my faves son again and continue listening to the album

(1:25:43 double album, 17 tracks, 1976, 18th Album) R&B/Soul Eighteenth album - incredible - for Stevie Wonder. Singles: I Wish Isn't She Lovely Sir Duke Another Star As Pastime Paradise is infinitely recognizable as Coolio's rework Gangsta's Paradise. I Wish (Wild Wild West, Will Smith)

I'm not a massive Stevie Wonder fan, and so this drifts in and out for me a bit. Some classic, great songs. High 3