Songs In The Key Of Life

Gotta say as an overall piece, I was a left a little "meh". Surprised me. In a not great way.

Stevie is amazing human being, although this album was more hit-and-miss than I expected. Some tracks really lost me, whereas others had me totally hooked.

Biggest surprise take away was learning Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise came from this album.

Funky

I get that this supposed to be a good album and all but I just can't get into the funkiness of this.

Meh

Some great songs. Some great funk and some great lyrics.

So like the other Stevie album I’m going with a 3 because I do appreciate it for what it is. This whole album gives me Sesame Street flashbacks? I hadn’t heard Saturn before and I love it!!

Not my music

Takie 3.5/5 czyli tutaj 3. Przyjemne, ale bardzo długie. Kilka utowrów się wyróżnia, reszta w sumie podobna do siebie. Pasttime paradise zaskakujące.

Don't get me wrong Stevie has some absolutely great songs but I just don't think albums like this deserve the praise it gets because the deep cuts just aren't very good. 2.667

My 6-year-old is in love with “Sir Duke.” It’s been her favorite song for the last month, ever since listening to it in music class. She’s not wrong. It’s a great song. So is “Isn’t She Lovely.” The rest is either forgettable or a little too much. This has been true of all of the Stevie Wonder albums on the list - the greatest hits are great, but I wouldn’t call the albums great.

I was today years old when I found out that Ganstas Paradise is based on a Stevie Wonder sample. I think as much as I can appreciate the idea of Stevie Wonder, the reality is that it's just not my jam, especially the slow ballads. An album with just the faster, funkier songs like I Wish would be a different story.

It’s nice to get an album that deserves its place on the list. This is a high quality album with solid consistency throughout. It’s not really my thing so I’m not inclined to rate it as such, but I can understand why other people like this.

Was interested to see if this lived up to the hype as it’s an album you always hear about. Main takeout from listening to this was that pretty much every song has been sampled in one way or another! Also in keeping with many albums on this list, there’s some longgggg songs on it. Sometimes a 10-12 track album of songs that are 4 minutes tops is fine!! Pass it on. Overall, this was fairly decent. Some good tunes!

Not my normal listening fair, but it is a solid album.

This album held a few surprises for me, because I had not known that the blueprint for "Gangsta’s Paradise" with "Pastime Paradise" is by Stevie Wonder and George Michaels "As" is originally by Stevie Wonder too. In addition there are the well known hits "Sir Duke", "Isn't She Lovely" and "Another Star". But besides all these hits the album is too long for me and has too many songs that don´t catch me at all. As often - less would be more 🤷‍♂️ As always his harmonica-play is great! 3,5

I lost the game

Stevie Wonder is always great. This album was quite long and while the high spots were particularly bright, there were some lulls. Three stars.

Pretty good album. Loved Contusion, Sir Drake and Pasttime Paradise.

250 albums up so a gnats cockhair off a quarter of the way through. To celebrate this achievement (right word??) I was hoping for a blockbuster album. Well this is certainly a blockbuster but not so based on my own personal taste. Stevie Wonder is one of music’s greatest artists and Songs In The Key Of Life is an album every musoo is aware of. Awareness for me does not equal liking. An inoffensive album but I simply don’t like this style of music. Another album which has a right to be on this list and I rate on its own magnitude rather than my own preference. 3/5 9/9/24

Good album from a legend

Fun but too dang long, and even the good tracks are themselves too long

Einige geniale Songs, im Großen und Ganzen aber eher durchschnittlich 5/10

Looooong. Some good songs. Sir Duke is my favorite

Not fussed but a few bangers.

Muchos megahits, pero un poco rollazo ....

A lot of great songs and I would listen to a lot of them again. But as a whole the Album was too long to want to pick listen to it in its entirety.

Very nice and fresh album, although it is not as exciting as I thought it would, but it was still pretty good. There were some very slow tracks, but there were also some great bops. I never knew that Gangsta's Paradise was sampled from Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise, 19 years later.

Easy listen

Not overly exciting. Stevie's voice can sound odd on some songs. Boring but fine.

I think I like Stevie Wonder, but I just don't really want to listen to this

First of these I've listened to before! Very grateful for the incentive to listen again since it didn't stick the first time. I still think this is quite a ways below Innervisions since (almost by definition) it's a bit inconsistent, but found it a lot stronger this time around. Lovely stuff all around.

Not sure how to rate a double album with a couple of great songs -- enduring classics -- and a lot of songs I wouldn't want to hear again. I don't think it does a good job as an *album* if that's what we're rating. 2.5

REAL mixed bag on this one, Stevland. I struggle with albums that are so long and so mixed, bc I feel taunted by the fact that there could have been a normal length phenomenal album with some editing. 2.5

I wish this was a single album. +1 extra star for Sir Duke

There are some great songs on this album, but the album is long and the songs are long. And for the most part, it’s not my favorite kind of music.

Isn't he lovely

Margt mjög gott - mikið af kunnuglegum lögum sem hafa verið tekin upp af öðrum

First off, I can see why this album is one the list: the musicianship is top notch, and some of the hip hop sounds to come out of this album seem to be about 10-15 years ahead of their time! Also, it contains the protoplasm of three huge hits to come out later: Michael Jackson's Bad (I Wish), and Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise / Weird Al's Amish Paradise (Pastime Paradise.) All that said, most of the album didn't really connect with me and I found myself hoping that “this” is the last track and I'd be able to move along to the next album. I'm inclined to give this album a 2, forget it, and never come back to it. However, given what I've written about it, I kind of feel like I have to give it at least 3... responsibly. I should probably give this another listen or two, just to rule out not liking it vs simpily not being in the mood for it.

Good for what it is, but not my jam. Fun instrumentation from time to time, and I found my head bopping at points, but asking me to fully appreciate a double-length 70's pop/soul/funk album is a tall ask (although I did listen to all of it). It was fun to learn that "Gangsta's Paradise" (and more significantly for me personally, "Amish Paradise") originated with Stevie Wonder in 1976. How about that? 2.7

I really wanted to give this album a 4/5, but as it went on I decided to give it a 3. I think disk 1 is super solid, but then the album gets bogged down by a ton of filler songs on disk 2. Way too long, which led to the loss of effectiveness. Good music, but best listened to in bite sized pieces.

Not bad, I only listened to the first album. I learnt that Coolio used Pastime Paradise (or ripped it off?) for his Gangstas Paradise ... there you go.

It's alright

Sorry Stevie, this one lost me a bit in the middle

Hits are GREAT but the rest is meh.

Some classics on here. Some I didn’t know. Some hits, some misses.

Stevie Wonder is an amazing musician. The album is a masterfully done collection of different textures and sounds. For me, however, some of the songs are too long. The topics, though as relevant today as ever, are not always captivating to me on a long listening scale. Still, there are numerous hits and smooth listening pieces to be experienced here.

Damn this was a long one hahaha

- Stevie delivert einfach irgendwie immer. Das haut mich jetzt nicht absolut vom Hocker, ist aber wirklich konstant unterhaltend und kreativ - Sehr lang und das war für mich nachher leider etwas zu viel Funk für mich - Sir Duke und Isnt She Lovely absolute Banger 3,5/4

2,75

Sir Duke and I Wish lead the way. A little too many ups and downs but a very diverse and powerful set of music by a legend.

Alors c'est clairement bon mais saint seigneur, c'est beaucoup trop long.

im just not a stevie wonder fan. im a zoomer so im not sure i could ever really love a triple album but i especially cant love a soul triple album. innervisions is better purely because its an hour shorter. theres a lot of cool stuff here but hes gotta cut out the majority of the album to make me enjoy it. low 6/10

I had no idea Gangster's Paradise was based on a Stevie Wonder song!

An interesting mix of styles from soul to funk to cheesy love songs (see Isn't she lovely). And how did I not know that Gangsters Paradise was sampled from Pastime Paradise? Best song Sir Duke. 3/5

Album was a bit too long. A lot of solid songs.

Mä olin unohtanut, että Gangsters Paradise on versioitu Stevie Wonderista. Levyn nimensä mukaisesti aika iloista ja funkkaavaa musaa. Contusion oli siisti jazz instrumentaali. Samanlaista mitä Saimaa tekee. Eka puoli oli parempi, toinen oli rauhallisempaa. Pelkällä ekalla puolella olisi ollut 4 tähteä, mutta laski kolmeen. Sir Duke oli kanssa ehkä tuttu. Parhaat: Contusion, Sir Duke, Pastime Paradise

Pretty good but not my jam. Got bored through the second disc. Very surprised by the paradise song

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would!

I was going to mark this down because it felt like it just wasn't for me, but then Contusion came on and totally blew me away! Still, it's a bit long and about half of it just isn't music that I vibe with so it's a 3.5 rounded down.

Ok. Evighetslånga skiva. Blir lite svårare att ta in då. Men helhetsintrycket är ändå, "det är helt ok". Vissa låtar är bättre. Många meh. Isnt she lovely är en favorit (utan barn ljuden)

First listen Saved 7/17 Top track: Sir Duke

6.5/10 Not really for me, but it's a good album Highlights: Sir Duke As Black Man Pastime Paradise

Ef þetta væri í útvarpinu myndi ég skipta um stöð :/

Grew up on this music

disc 1 is probably a 4, disc 2 lowers the overall

Great album, not every song hits but the ones that do are heavy hitters. High 3.

Es ist okay. Aber es begeistert mich nicht und ich empfand dass Durchhören des Albums als anstrengend.

Contusion sounds like a Mario Kart soundtrack.

Decent album. Unreal the amount of sampling later hip hop artists took from this album.

Solid album. Disc 1>2. Enjoy the more upbeat songs. Standout songs: Contusion Sir Duke Pastime Paradise

over long and not really my thing

Good but too long

Lowkey I thought Stevie Wonder touched kids idk why. Anyway pretty good album, high quality production and instrumentals, just not really my type of music. 3/5

Seichter progressive Soul. Highlight ist das Lied "Pasttime Paradies", which is the Basis for Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise".

Kuunnellessa mietin, kuinka vähän tiedän Stevie Wonderista (Pastime paradise oli mulle ihan tuntematon kappale!!), mutta toisaalta tiesin sen, että Stevien musa on siirappista. Enkä oikein osaa sanoa, mitä muuta tämä levy olisi kuin juuri sitä alusta loppuun. Toki miellyttävää, brunssisoittolista-tavalla. Laittaisin kyllä soimaan lähinnä puolivitsillä. Erinomaista genressään, siksi ei täysin vitsillä.

Again with the eleven minute songs. Pretty good album, I just do not GET the long ass songs. Stevie is a legend, and the highs are HIGH, but the long rambly songs are not for me.

Vrhunski momenti, ali previše ne tako dobrih

I've tried to listen to this in the past and it doesn't stick much. I like Stevie Wonder singles but his deeper cuts don't do much for me.

3 brilliant tunes, some of it is ok, but can get a bit boring

Another star, isn't she lovely, and love in bed of love today were the standouts. Very solid and listenable for such a large album.

Stevie has so many bangers, it was a longer album and I got pissed after work seeing Shanksy so couldn't fully enjoy. An easy 3 but deserves more

Much better than the other Stevie. Learned a lot about people who sample him!

Muchos megahits, pero un poco rollazo ....

7.5/10 - 3/5 I had heard this album before, and it didn't really stick with me. It was better than I remember, but just so long.

not for me

I feel like this is a victim of just having to pump out an album a year. The highlights of this album are awesome, but there's just so much fluff that's not needed. A 'Best Of' album by Stevie Wonder would be an auto-10, but there's so many songs on this album that aren't even that good. Even some of the songs have extra fluff, that if you trimmed them down they'd be a lot better. Honestly, just go listen to Stevie's best songs and leave the albums alone.

Some good hits, too long

Muy largo

A very good album. I just don't like it

I've never liked Stevie Wonder as much as as I thought I should. His style of music isn't my favorite. Love Sir Duke and the other upbeat songs much more than the slower ballads. Overall it's a decent listen but not one I'll go back to other than a few songs.

Pop/Soul, 1976, -> 3

Couple of good songs. Really liked “Pastime Paradise” and didn’t realize that was the original that the Coolio remake was based upon.

Classic 70's soul. I liked it. Sir Duke is a proper jam but overall it went on for a bit too long. A solid 3.

How does he remember all the lyrics!

Lidt langt, lille 3'er

Just not my bag

Nicht ganz mein vibe, aber ein paar nice songs + überraschende Ausschnitte

When I worked at Jimmy John's I went through a Soul/Funk discovery phase and Songs in the Key of Life was front and center. Obviously this has a lot of the well known stuff like Sir Duke and Isn't She Lovely but it also has some really moving and beautiful performances elsewhere too. Saturn makes me yearn for a civilization I doubt we'll ever see and Have a talk with God is a pretty rational look at religion. Double album so it can definitely cut some stuff back but I enjoy the vast majority of this. 3

So I thought this was gonna be a 5 - Sir Duke, Isn't She Lovely, Pastime Paradise But I feel like a lot of the album was preachy - lots of God and related subject matter

And there was me thinking Will Smith’s Wild Wild West was an original song. Turns out he just sampled I Wish from this album, and that’s not the only familiar tune on this album. Considered the Magnum Opus of Wonder’s career, it was a mixed bag for me. Some tracks, mainly those familiar ones were enjoyable and others I cared nothing for.

I like Stevie, but this album didn't live up to the hype for me. This should have been a single album and should have punched up a lot of the tracks that should have left off. When it was good, it was good.

Eh. I get it musically, but it is so damn cheesy (to me).

Some great, classic songs of course. Not a great fan of many that I don't really know. Great all-time artist.

Pretty solid album. A few big hits and some really unique fun deep cuts sprinkled across all sides. There's enough here to make a Grade A album if Stevie chose to cut it down. I understand why this album is so highly regarded and it definitely belongs on the list. I definitely enjoyed the ride but the length is too much for me to want to revisit it. Stevie should realize that often less is more when it comes to a solid concept album. I can appreciate Songs in the Key of Life but I'll stick to singles play. That being said it is recommended for a single full listen and deserves its 3.0 stars.

It was good, but we can't remember the specifics 🤷

6/10 Sonido arrebato setentero Motown, muy buena instrumentación.

Tässä oli hyviä biisejä mutta aika paljon tylsiä. Tiivistämällä ois saanut nelosen albumin tästä.

Pretty good. Some sweet songs

Very groovy. 3 stars

My hubs is a big Stevie fan so I had heard a lot of this before. It was invigorating!

6/10

Interesting, allotta crazy vocals

a few I'd like to revisit; deep cuts are more lyrically rich than I expected

Another quality recording from the unique talent that is Stevie Wonder.

3 stars.

Wow was shocked to hear Gangsta's Paradise... Overall this is a solid album, and I can understand the love surrounding it, but it just doesn't always click for me. Also it's just too long.

Ling album... but the hits are great!

Pretty cool songs

Decent, probably shouldn't have been a double album. I actually have never heard the original that inspired Gangster's Paradise before so that was cool.

Extrem einflussreiches Soul-Bollwerk (100min). Finde Innervisions allerdings stimmiger und besser. 2,5

"They've been spending most their lives, Living in a pastime paradise" I feel so sorry (and stupid) for thinking Coolio could create the melodies (and hook) for Gangsta's paradise. Stevie Wonder is undeniably a musical genius, and this album does show his heightened sense of hearing. That being said, I wouldn't listen to this record again, and found myself wishing the current song would pass by quicker than it did, and if I have to listen to "Isn't she lovely" again, I might go insane. "Sir Duke" is a bonafide classic, and I was glad to have it ripping through my eardrums upon listening to this album, I wish the rest of the album kept as funky fresh as this track was (playlist). As per my rating promise, if I wouldn't put the record on again, it gets no higher than a 3- so that's what it gets, sorry Mr. Wonder.

A handful of nearly-perfect songs, stapled to a boring collection of sap and treacle. Impeccably crafted, but frustratingly forgettable. I’m glad it influenced bands and artists I enjoy more.

Love's in Need - 4/5 Have a Talk With God - 3/5 Village Ghetto Land - 4/5 Contusion - 3/5 Sir Duke - 5/5 I Wish - 5/5 Knocks Me Off My Feet - 3/5 Pastime Paradise - 4/5 Summer Soft - 3/5 Ordinary Pain - 3/5 Isn't She Lovely - 4/5 Joy Inside My Tears - 2/5 Black Man - 4/5 I Am Singing - 2/5 If It's Magic - 2/5 As- 3/5 Another Star - 4/5 Saturn - 3/5 Ebony Eyes - 3/5 All Day Sucker - 4/5 Easy Goin Evening -2/5

1-3 churchy not my vibe 4-6 Hell yeah 7 these churchy ones feel like piano bar or elevator music but obv insane vocals? Confusing. 8 omg no way....... I was today years old. Can only hear amish paradise. 9-10 ok some of these are really damn long 11 yes she is 12 funky and ends with helpful history lesson idk if I like red/yellow as a category.. 13 -rest Yeah idk other than the obvious bops I probably won't come back to this one steven

man. i wanna love stevie wonder, yknow? he's talented. perfectly enjoyable. i just fear i don't GET him. i took a point away for isn't she lovely. gave one back for black man. it's a great album and i totally respect it. i just can't see myself coming back it it. i am sorry mister wonder.

Good classic album

some classic bangers and mind boggling how many samples came from this album.

And you thought Paul McCartney could right some songs

There's a 5 star album hiding in there.

Double album was a lot too much Stevie Wonder for me, was ok but dragged too much

Could have been half of the length and nothing would have changed. Some really great songs, but they drag on.

Прикольно, интересно и мотивы знакомые

TIL “Gangsta’s Paradise” came from this album.

I don't mind a bit of Stevie Wonder. SitKoL is groundbreaking and ahead of its time with very good musicianship and amazing production, but not something I'll go back and actively listen to. That said, if it comes up again somewhere, I'll dig it.

amazing!! what a great voice and mind. rest in peace mr. wonder

I can see the talent, the unique timeless rhythm of the songs and understand the impact this album had on the genres after it came out. But I didn’t love it- I enjoyed it.

big highlights, but a loong lp to listen

Was some great edm but the song stress alone made me bugggg out . I liked the rest tho

Cet album nous présente la transformation toute récente de Stevie Wonder en castor. Stevie ne maîtrise malheureusement pas encore totalement l'art du barrage, ce dernier présentant de multiples trous laissant échapper de vastes volumes d'eau.

Beautiful voice! Reminds me a lot of Jackson. The synthesizer strings are not my fav. Loved 16 "As".

it was extremely groovy. but it reminded me of church music at the beginning

"This album has 'As' and 'Sir duke' on it, why do i feel like i don't like this album too much?" was my thought process seeing this album and remembering listening to it on my IPod. Then i saw that it is nearly 2 hours long. Honestly, that's too much man. Listening to it, I found I wasn't enjoying it as much as I thought I would. None of my favourite Stevie Wonder songs are on here (except for "As"). Still it was an ok listen and while I know it is a classic I don't think it was for me today.

Not something I'd usually listen to, but I enjoyed it

Stevie's masterpiece. I respect it but I didn't enjoy it as much as I would like. Maybe if it's a bit shorter i would've liked it more.

Ok, ikke helt min greie. Litt mye wall of sound.

I’ve had enough Stevie Wonder

Sonido algo monótono, grandes arreglos, voz increíble. Too long.

decent, but hasn't aged terribly well. Not my thing.

This actually grew old fast. The hits are still the hits. But, I don't need Stevie telling me to turn to God.

Lots of different iterations of the RnB band sound showing its range. There are jazz fusion tracks like Contusion that are fast, with great riffs and guitar/keyboard tones and tight collective playing through intricate parts. There are funky uptempo style songs lead by the horns and melodic bass playing like Sir Duke that have a motown basis but incorporate a bigband jazz sound with harmonized horn/guitar leads. There are songs like Ordinary Pain that anticipate the galactic funk of parliament. The bass is the star on so many songs, relentlessly grooving through the changes with imaginative lines and perfect anticipation. Lots of good stuff, but the slow songs are really dire, with orchestral strings and horrible overwrought lyrics like 'babies die before they're born infected with disease'. Isn't She Lovely is so sickeningly sachharine I have diabetes now. If It's Magic is a warbly and tuneless 4 minute ballad. I know he's a legendary singer, but I find his voice to be very nasal and almost thin at times and just at the edge of being off key like on Summer Soft - I'm sure it's intentional and has to do with the jazzy chords/modes he's using where he's delaying resolution to the tonic? But still, find it kind of unpleasant at times. Favorites: Contusion, I Wish, Ordinary Pain, Another Star, As, All Day Sucker

I Dunno. I like some stuff on this (Sir Duke is my favorite Stevie Wonder song) but most of it seems more generic than I had been led to believe. Not bad, but I think it’s a bit overrated.

Uno de los mejores álbumes dobles de la historia. Una gran batería de canciones de Soul, Funk y R&B que dejan claro por qué Stevie Wonder es uno de los prodigios más prolíficos de la historia de la música, influenciando toda la música estadounidense que salió después del peak de su carrera.

Nice

There’s lots I really like on here but it is very long!

Kinda nice at times but also a bit long

This album has some absolutely amazing songs. Unfortunately there were also some parts of the album where I would rather have listend to those same amazing songs 5 times in a row.

Beauty and the beast wasnt really for me. 2/5 Joe the lion was far better, way more energy. 3/5 Heroes one of my all time favorite Songs. Could do without that 1st verse though. Still fantastic. 5/5 Sons of a silent age is decent, but not really that great either 2.5/5 Sons of silent age isnt really good, just way too wierd for me. 1.5/5 Blackout starts off really strong, but gets really akward at some spots for me personally, 3/5 V-Schneieder is pretty average, still nice tho, 3.5/5 Sense of doubt starts of fine, but then gets way to long, 1/5 Moss garden same deal, but worse lol. 0.5/5 Neuköln is fine, but not really my cup of tea. 2/5 The secret life of arabia is finally a good Songs again 4/5 for me. So on average we get a 2.5/5

Could be a single record and still need to use some filler. The 4 songs I do like are spectacularly good, so that just about makes up for the frankly ridiculous 105 minute runtime. 3 / 5 stars.

Kinda long for me today... good songs are amazing though

A lot of songs…. Maybe too many. There are quite a few classics here though too.. Standouts: Sir Duke, Isn’t She Lovely, As, I Wish, Pastime Paradise, Village Ghetto Land 3.5/5

fun stuff, groovy, funky, sometimes schmalzy. wonder brings you higher and sometimes he makes you want to get out this elevator. still cool doe.

3/4

Många. (!) bangers å glassixkt men lite lustigt långt ja e splittrad mellan 3 å 4 så idkkkk

3.5 stars

Это классная соул-госпел музыка с нотками забавной электроники (иногда крипово, но чаще забавно)

в целом даже длительность не доебала. было и оч вкусно на фон, а было и действительно интересно. Но моменты с криками детей это крипота

nice album

Some great songs, but a lot I didn’t care about either. If it had been slimmed down to the top tracks I would have enjoyed it more.

Had some pretty good songs on here, but a bit long.

This was a fun one to hear on a hot late spring day.

Decent.

Muchos megahits, pero un poco rollazo ....

Sommige nummers echt fantastisch, maar als een geheel vond ik het album best wel saai.

Ihan jees soulfunk. Ei lemppari Stevieni. Sanoisin että hieman pitkähkö. 3/5

Too long, and this genre/style never resonated with me. It’s a bit samey between songs after so many. Never unpleasant, I guess. Favorite: If It’s Magic

A few bangers, a lot of filler, and a few songs that belong on the soundtrack of a dodgy 70s porno

Some bangers, probably didn't need to be that long

p372. 1976. 3 stars. Further evidence that Stevie Wonder makes great singles and so-so albums. This is far too long, falls into the trap of excessive 70s wankage on several tracks, and the production hasn't aged well. Don't get me wrong, there are some classics here, but they do show up the rest of the tracks as the filler that they are - a lot of this is simply bland. A bit of judicious editing and this could have been a 5 star single album.

Nice, smooth music. Kinda funky. Enjoyable.

Another double album with too much filler. Good, meaningful lyrics, but a lot of the songs were just boring. I'm a little ashamed to say cause Stevie is a legend and all that, but whatever. No mercy. This is an okay album.

good shit

A couple of great tracks, but I prefer the earlier Talking Book and Innervisions albums. There are a couple of standout tracks including Isn't She Lovely, As, and Pastime Paradise which was later covered by Coolio as Gangsta's Paradise.

Good grooves, some background tracks however.

Today's scroogey feeling is impossible to blame on Stevie Wonder; The double album I listened to was solidly life-affirming and the datedness of the synths was more cute than schmaltzy and the length really put one in a mood. Yet I'm not seeing masterpiece written on this one: It's longer than the other Wonder projects I've heard and does less, hits aside.

3.75

Really dug “As” and “All Day Sucker.”

A decent album with Stevie Wonder showing his breadth and skill. Unfortunately, it felt a bit too long, at times unfocused. Closer a 4 than a 3.

a couple good songs and you can’t help but respect the sheer scope of the whole record but most of it just isn’t my cup of tea

As it happens, I dislike double albums because I have the attention span of a goldfish. Some real gems, some forgettable cuts.

Another Stevie Wonder album? That's about five I've listened to now. Anyway, the usual "funky souly Stevie good", "ballad Stevie a tad dull".

Goede zanger, leuke muziek. Helaas waren de verwachtingen van Stevie Wonder ook wel heel hoog, dus wat dat betreft knalt dit album in zijn geheel er niet meteen bovenuit. Er staan wel een paar klassiekers op, maar ook veel nummers die niet meteen mijn smaak zijn. ***

Slow songs are horrible. Funky fast songs are great! Really like Contusion, Sir Duke and whatever came after that one

It's fine. More than fine for people that like this sort thing, I just don't know what that is. Kinda souly and that's fine. Kinda funky Motown, that's fine too. VERY 80s sounding, despite the fact I think this one in 79. His voice is pitched in a way I find grating but that's not his fault. The album shows flourishes of something exciting, just for someone else

A really good album. Fucking long!! I’m not sure if I ever heard the song pastime Paradise before it completely threw me for a loop

Most of the songs on this album have parts that I like, which is surprising considering how many songs are on here. The problem is that the songs I like the most (especially “As” and “Another Star”) go on for way too long for me. Favorite song: “As”.

Isn't She Lovely gets stuck in my head at least a few times a month. Some classic soul tracks on here but probably didn't need to be this long

Smooth. Good Sunday listen. Very, very long though.

This feels like a seminal album in Stevie Wonder's opus, not that I am overly familiar with all his work. There are so many tracks that I recognise from having been sampled latterly, and it rings pretty true that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Wonder's musicianship is without question, his voice is unique and the sound is wholesome, if a little of the era.

Very influential album. Not my favorite though

Very long and quite out there. Had not realised so many of his songs had been sampled!

Solid

Some great songs, but way too long. If I could’ve just listened to half those songs, the really good ones, I would’ve been happy. But it turns out that the Key of life needs a bloody hefty liposuction.

I listened to this album a few times, and I have to say that, if the original release had only been the first disc – or maybe even the first three sides – I would have given this a 4. Stevie was indeed a wonder, and there are some absolute hits here. Unfortunately, for me at least, there's also enough not-so-great music to bring the overall average down, especially in the fourth and final side.

A bit too hefty after the singles

Quite the collection of classics and otherwise good songs. The album is, overall, quite a bit too long, though.

favourite song: summer soft an obviously good and well made album but my god does it go on. really not for me i dont think.

I enjoy this album, it's a little too long for my liking, but at least the music is good, so I can't complain too much. The longer (6+ minute) songs I feel are too long and start to drag on, but they're still good. Favorite song: Summer Soft or Sir Duke Worst song: Easy Goin' Evening

Jesus. Fucking. Christ. I've had his 15th, 16th, 17th... and now 18th studio album. Seriously? Out of the millions of albums in the world Stevie's streak of 4 albums (or is it more?? Am I going to get his 19th and 20th too??) released in his early 20s are somehow in the top 1001? This project is fun but the more shit like this happens the more I think that book is trash. On to the album review... it was ok. Some great songs. Drug on a bit longer than necessary. Starts to all blur together, with the exception of some of the bigger hits.

Nice album with some fa ous and we'll known songs but ultimately it's just a genre that fails to grab me in, I remain very indifferent to it

Good

Classic album with all the hits of Stevie. I get why it's the most referenced Stevie Wonder album. However, it was just too long for me. I think he could have killed some of his darlings. Google Ray Kurzweil and Stevie Wonder if you don't know their story. Kurzweil, like Stevie, is an American gem.

shit cover of gangsters paradise. shit cover of george michael. using his wonky eyesight to get away with noncing is just not cricket. there is actually a decent 10 track album in here, but fucking hell its bloated with shite.

Blind nonce.

Niet geluisterd, maar ken het album vrij goed. Kan hier altijd met veel plezier naar luisteren.

Beetje veel Stevie, maar wel een stuk funkier dan de vorige plaat van hem die hier voorbij kwam. Ik wist niet dat die nummers van coolio en George Michael uit de keuken van Stevie kwamen.

Some excellent parts in it.

Gangster’s Paradise rips the music track entirely from Pastime Paradise . Fascinating listening to it.

Good album with great songs, but lots of stuff that doesn’t pique my interest as much

Not really my jam, but I appreciate the artistry.

Recognized several of the songs because they were sampled by other artists. For example, Pastime Paradise/Gangsta's Paradise. Decent music just not my preferred style.

A lot of great tracks, but too many long instrumental breakdowns. Felt like it wandered a bit.

Me gustó más de lo que esperaba. Asumí que encontraría puras baladas y no es así. No todo es el piano, Pastime Paradise y hasta canta en español. El disco es bastante largo y no todo es bueno, pero sí hay joyas como Sir Duke y Joy Inside My Tears. Sólido 3.

Great voice and great music, however I thought for a double album some songs were weak.

Would be a great set of two albums As it stands it was a mess of back-and-forth mismatched music.

Long ass album. Double sided and nearly two hours. Kind of excessive for me personally. Production is immaculate. Legitimately sounds better then 90% of modern releases. I actually did a double check to see if it was a modern remix. Incredibly tight. Pastime Paradise caught me off guard lol. I knew Gangstas Paradise was a sample but I didn't realize the whole melody was lifted as well. Shameless. Honestly, the album sounds great but it's just not something I'm drawn to. It was kind of a drag for me to get through due to it's length. It's just not for me. All most too tight and perfect sounding for me as weird as that sounds. "Another Star" has an absolute banger rhythm section though.

eu gosto muito da voz do stevie, conheço pouco dele, mas as musicas dele sempre passam uma vibe feliz e dançante que te faz refletir sobre amor e vida sem ser aquela coisa nojenta exagerada. eu aprecio demais as melodias dele que são complexas mas boas pro ouvido. é um album duplo, isso é chato. são poucos os albuns duplos que eu consigo aguentar direto.

Listened Before? N This was pretty good. I didn't even know some of these songs were by Stevie Wonder. I see why this is a classic. The only drawback I found was that one of those songs I didn't know was by SW is "Sir Duke". There's just something about this song that I can't stand. It's so repetitive. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just not for me. Added to Library? N Songs added to Playlist: I Wish

Pretty good, maybe the best Stevie Wonder album I’ve heard.

Average

Toda una voz con toques de soul y de blues. Con varias canciones muy conocidas. Agradable de escuchar, pero un poco para fanáticos de este estilo

7/10. some tunes. didn’t realise gangsters paradise was a sample lol

Szpile w glowie czesc szosta

Good but long

Well... yeah. Stevie Wonder. Good album, I guess. Funk and soul with lots of ideas and variation, expertly played by the masters of their respective instruments. Only problem I have is that it doesn't really speak to me. Might just not be my style. Oh, well ... 3/5.

I couldn't finish it but i can recognize the quality and genius of Stevie. A lot of familiar sounds and themes. I have to say I prefer the Gangsta's version of paridise, don't shoot me, I'm just millennial

Its way too long. Which is ironic as there is so much fat on here? An editor required maybe? Of course, Stevie's talent is without question

Some bangers but other then that pretty okay.

Pretty good, some real classics in there

It’s to this album’s credit that it manages to be so entertaining enough as to warrant nearly 2 full hours of airtime. Not every song is a hit (and some tend to stay well past their welcome), but those that are pulse with a genuine, earned passion and joy that’s hard to turn off.

First time to listen to a Stevie Wonder full album. Met my expectation. Smooth and well produced from start to finish. Never knew Gangster Paradise was a rip off of Pastime Paradise.

Few classics, one surprise : Pastime Paradise…

Nice to hear a whole album

I dig it

A few great songs, but this still isn't really for me.

Enjoyable for sure. There are some really great songs here. However, the album is a bit bloated with a nearly 2 hour play time. Some songs couldve been trimmed a bit and some just aren't that great period. Overall, I liked this album but in the future I will probably only revisit certain songs or listen to it in chunks due to the length.

First Listen. There are a few truly great songs on this album. The rest of the album was unknown to me. 3/5

When I was growing up, hearing these songs on the radio are my first memory of Stevie Wonder. I didn't pay much attention at the time and in the mid-80's in his, "I just Called To Say I Loved You" popularity phase, it was hard to ignore (but I did!) because his music was everywhere! Looking back now, the music from the seventies, his "classic" period, really wasn't that bad. Songs In The Key Of Life is critically acclaimed and award winning, the songs are fine and there was some joy to be had listening to this album. Which I guess means I kinda liked it...

So many recognizable songs! I didn't know I knew so many Stevie Wonder songs. I liked "As" a lot. I think the album could've been shorter.

I surprised myself by liking more of this than I thought I would; so I bought it - 20 odd years ago

‘Love’s in Need of Love Today’ is typical Stevie sounding song and didn’t think was a good opening song for where the album goes. Lennon sang ‘God is a concept by which we measure our pain’ and guess I haven’t had much pain because I don’t believe in that mumbo jumbo so ‘Have a Talk With God’ didn’t resonate with me. Lyrical flow of ‘Village Ghetto Land’ didn’t seem to work, odd and clunky. But then the album kicks into high gear. ‘Contusion’ was an enjoyable funky little ditty, even without. ‘Sir Duke’ and ‘I Wish’ were always a hit with me with the latter having me bopping in my chair wishing I was on a dance floor. ‘Knocks me off my feet’ slows things down pretty quickly and I’ve definitely have had enough of silly love songs, I don’t care what McCartney thinks. Embarrassed to admit but did not realize ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ was a remix of ‘Pastime Paradise’. Loved it! Meh to ‘Summer Soft’ and ‘Ordinary Pain’. ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ is what it is; a solid classic. More about love with ‘Joy Inside my Tears’ and I’m definitely over it. ‘Black Man’ brings it back up and possibly the song I liked the most as a whole; good tune, impactful and thought-provoking lyrics supported with Stevie’s unmistakable voice. Was considering 4 star, and I know many believe this is Stevie’s best album but the rest of the album didn’t do much for me (save maybe the music from ‘Another Star’ but just another love song) and dragged the album down to a 3 star rating for me.

Classic

Really funky, some great tracks just that it's too long and couldn't hold my interest

Funky but not hard enough

Zeer soulfull. Met een paar nummers waarvan ik niet wist dat ze van Stevie Wonder zijn

meh, was listenable, not really my style tho.

Dakle, napokon da slušam taj album za kojeg viču da je savršenstvo. Toliko sample-ova što se u rapu koristilo, sad znam sa kojeg je albuma. Love's in Need of Love Today, Pastime Paradise. Zapravo je dobar album, stvarno je, ali nije onako kako ga ljudi dižu gore jel.

A sprawling thing of joy. Not entirely my thing – I think I prefer Talking Book – but incredibly influential and surprisingly consistent given a) its length and b) the fact it's his EIGHTEENTH ALBUM.

Stivie Wonder has been a referent. The best song of this doble album is "Pastime Paradise".

Soul

some classics, some cheese

Started out with way more guitars than expected. Soon settled in to Wonder style grooves. A few surprises and a few familiar tunes. Quite the easy afternoon listen. 76 FTW!

I didn't like this album as much as I wanted to, but Stevie Wonder is great and I'm glad I listened to it.

Pretty good. Has some bangers in there but too long

6/10

Good and jazzy but pretty long too. 3RS

Lots of good songs but for some reason I wasn't captivated by it.

There's a lot of it and it's all fine but a bit too major keyed

Fluiu bem para a disco duplo.

This is difficult to score. The great tracks are legendaril awesome, but there's a lot of mediocre filling the space between them. This would have been a much better album if there was less of it.

Not bad.

Super pleasant listen! I don't think anyone can dislike Stevie Wonder. It's good background music. But the album is soooooo long, I wouldn't be able to listen without doing something busy or else I would get bored.

I enjoyed disc one and Pastime Paradise was a surprise! Disc two was kind of a slog to listen too. The length of the album wore me down and it wasn’t different enough to keep me interested the whole way.

Very long it I was never bored.

way too long and not his best work, but there's def some good songs there

pleasant, if somewhat cringey? idk. it's good fun with some whacky key changes. shame it made me think of jacob collier

I've never heard this album, but I've heard a few of the tracks and songs that have sampled from these tracks. My favorite track from this first listen was the instrumental "Contusion", followed by "Sir Duke" and "Have a Talk With God". I don't see myself sitting down to listen to the whole album again. 3 stars. (On a side note, ¿How could Coolio be upset about Weird Al's parody of "Gangsta's Paradise", when Coolio sampled SO MUCH of Stevie's "Pastime Paradise"?)

Classics. Kinda funk jazz soul. 'Contusion' had Thundercat vibes. 'Pastime Paradise' was the track Coolio sampled for Gangsters Paradise. Got a bored after halfway but it picks up again. 'As' is a great track. 3 stars

Gonna come back to it

wowser bowser what a talented guy we have here

liked it way more than I was expecting too, lots of bangers. had no idea gangster's paradise was a sample either so that's cool

Interesting choice. This is considered by many to be the crowning glory of Stevie's amazing run of classic albums starting with either Music of My Mind or Talking Book. I'm not one of them. The quality of Songs In the Key of Life is a marked drop-off from those earlier albums. Isn't She Lovely is musically trite. Ebony Eyes sounds like something he knocked out in five minutes as a joke. The instrumental Contusion is a cringeable foray into fusion, lacking sophistication or subtlety, with awful, on-the-nose drumming. The synths on Village Ghetto Land, Pastime Paradise, Saturn, and I Am Singing are an embarrassment. How could this happen? Because this is the first album in Stevie's classic run that didn't have Malcolm Cecil and Bob Margouleff programming Stevie's synthesizers. And maybe, after all the adulation, Stevie started to believe his own press, and came to the conclusion that he was incapable of creating mediocre music. It turns out Stevie did have limits to his talent, after all. That said, we're talking about Stevie Wonder, one of a handful of indisputable geniuses of R&B. So of course there are a number of wonderful songs on Songs In the Key of Life. It's just not the classic it's cracked up to be. 3 stars out of 5.

fine, too long

Pretty wide range of music styles but it’s Stevie

Not that impressed... Too long, but A few classics on there of course. Not what I was expecting

pleasant

Don't think I've ever listened to a Stevie Wonder Album. Looks like hes drawn the album cover on this one. Certainly a nice voice rooted in gospel singing. As most of you know i uncomfortable with all things church/Religion based so not keen on some of the subject matter. When he steers clear of that the voice carries the songs nicely and its pleasant rather than groundbreaking. The second half of the album is much better than the first half. Probably didn't need to be a double album here. But good none the less, without ever really being great. 3/5

Good a lotta bangers, soem really high highs but some mediocre shit tho

Isn't She Lovely es una canción fabulosa, con sólo esta canción el álbum ya debería pasar a la historia de la música pop.

I can see how this slickly produced album went on to influence popular acts in the 70s and 80s such as Whitney Huston, Lionel Ritchie et al. Most of it was too mainstream for me, but the 70s jazz fusion of Contusion surprised me and I had no idea that Eminem sampled Pastime Paradise!

-classic RnB - some songs more heartfelt ballads, other more funky rhythms - Didn’t grab my attention really

Obviously super talented band and musicians. Production is solid. Cool 70s soul/funk sounds. But I can’t do Stevie. Sounds like a goat.

Definitely like the funkier more than the gospel like

It was ok

Pop that comes from jazz. Some very enjoyable melodic turns. Sir Duke is one of the most joyful pop songs out there. For every brilliant song, there is an equally boring song.

Another 3.5 star album. Really good but I probably wouldn't add to my regular listening rotation.

Listened to a bit. Not bad

Decent album but nothing really stood out to me. I liked a few songs, mainly Have A Talk With God

Reminds me a lot of Jamiroquai.