Songs In The Key Of Life

I put this in the realm of some of the best albums of all time.

Just wonder!

THIS IS MY FAVORITE ALBUM OF ALL TIME AND IT WILL ALWAYS BE!!! Legitimately the best album EVER RECORDED in the history of Western music!!!! I would give it 100 stars if I could.

For being 1 hour 45 minutes it was never bored. Really liked if it’s magic

There's just too much to love on this album to give it a lower rating

classic

delícia de ouvir. nem tão funky como algumas músicas do stevie, mas menos baladinha do que a fase 80s dele. amei conhecer e quero absorver tudo desse álbum

I don't really know why but I usually find Stevie Wonder's albums to be long, even when they are not, so when I found myself in front of his double (and highly praised) album I felt a bit overwhelmed before even embarking on the journey. But what a journey this was! Yes, it's long, but it's thoroughly consistent and varied at the same time.  Village Ghetto Land with its string arrangement is a nice change in pace. As Confusion came up, I had to check my player, as I thought it had switched me to a 70s prog band. I already knew Pastime Paradise as it was sampled somewhere. Ordinary Pain is plain funk with female vocals and it also comes out of nowhere as if it were played from another artist, another album. I also knew Isn't She Lovely, probably a radio staple? He's kind of cute singing in Spanish, but please don't let him do that again! No Spanish to be reported on As but pretty much Latin rhythm with gospel-like choruses, while Another Star has an eye on Rio.  Final verdict, an absolute classic, in spite of its length. It feels at times like a various artists compilation. Very few songs feel like filler and it was less tiring than expected. 

Amazing

Amazing album. Loved it growing up, and it’s still just as great today as it was upon first listen.

My second Stevie Wonder album in this exercise and what is considered his masterpiece. I'd have to agree: what an achievement! This is a big, double album; it is a sprawling in the best sense covering a lot of ground, musically and lyrically. Just look at Side A: "Love's in Need of Love Today" - a very soft, soulful song with Stevie longing for more love in the world, "Have a Talk with God" - complex keyboards and noises and more spiritual by having a talk with God about problems, "Village Ghetto Lord" - more serious song about the crime, poverty, starvation with a majestic symphonic background, "Contusion" - mostly instrumental and a 70's jazzy-guitar and prog-rock feel and finally, "Sir Duke"- a joyous homage to Duke Ellington and one of my all-time favorite songs. And now, we still have three more sides of music. The rest of the album does not slow down in variety, originality and excellence. So many highlights: the grooves of "I Wish" and "Isn't She Lovely", the soul of "As" and the majesty and uplifting of "Another Star." Some may crtique the excess with the album and some song lengths. A number of songs do clock in at the six to eight-minute length. It did not bother me too much. This album is rightfully considered one of the best albums of all time and also included into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for its culturally, historically and aesthetically significance.

Good album. Some big hits

Wonderful album and probably Stevie wonders most complete. Between the Melodies and great songwriting this album is an R&B classic. Almost half of the album is full of classic songs. This is a must listen and relisten all the time. 8.9/10

Vinyle

Absolutely loved this album. It's so funky. Stevie Wonder is obviously a legend but I had never sat down and listened to an album of his all the way through, and I'm really glad that I did. There are some obvious favorites like Sir Duke and Isn't she lovely, but some of the lesser known songs on the album like I Wish, Ordinary Pain, Another Star, and All Day Sucker are real gems as well.

5. It's a 5. The album is a 5. Everybody knows it's a 5 even if they're too afraid to give it a 5. I've listened to this album before and I remember when I first saw it in my parent's album collection. I thought it would be okay, I mean it's Stevie Wonder after all, but I never expected (before I listened to it) that it would be so impactful, creative, and masterful. It was album of the year, it's his bestselling album, and it's a 5. 'Love's In Need Of Love Today' as an appetizer, moving into 'Have a Talk With God,' just, how can you listen to those two opening songs and not fall in love with this album. And then it hits you over the head with 'I Wish' and 'Pastime Paradise.' And that's just the first half. Incredible. 5/5. It's just a 5. Get over it.

FIVE STARS An all-time classic As is usually the case with those five-stars albums, I won't write a full-blown review about this particular record, because others have already written wonderful stuff about it and there's not much I can add that I feel could be relevant and interesting. It's just a gem. Go and listen to it a.s.a.p. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 951 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 23 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 12 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important to me): 15

One of the best albums, period

I have loved this album for years. Between talking Book and this album I don't think Stevie could have really done anything poorly in the 70s.

4.6 - what an epic opus of an album. It’s hard to put out nearly two hours of music without filler, but Wonder did it here. Was filled with songs I know themselves, songs I knew through later samples and songs I was unfamiliar with, but utterly amazed by. “Black Man” was my favorite new discovery off the album. Will be coming back.

Fantastic album. Imagine my surprise when I noticed it was a double!

An absolute classic. SW at his peak.

Prachtig album, dit verdient wel 5 sterren

This album is one of my all time favourites. Great and catchy songs from start to finish. I think I have a slight preference for Volume 2, especially because some of the tracks on Volume 1 are just slightly too long sometimes. Nevertheless, both are great.

So many hits on this (admittedly long, though never boring) album. Consistently excellent. The only songs I might skip on occasion are Village Ghetto Land and Ngiculela, but that's probably just because I suck rather than the songs, ya know? I also hate the baby crying on Isn't She Lovely. Yes, I know the story behind it and yes, I still hate it. Other than that, though, it's *chef's kiss*.

This was an impressive effort. I really think it is one that would have been improved by making it shorter but even the songs I didn't like as much were still 3+ or 4+ songs. I'd listen to this any place any time. Some of the social commentary was a little too heavy-handed for my taste but usually the groove made up for it. 4.6 stars

Album de la vida

Nothing new to say. Genius from front to back. Classic status for a good reason

One of the things I really liked about this album was how every song was different from the previous song. I have only seen that happen once before (Faith No More's King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime). Sir Duke... I played this song when I was in the Marching Ravens, what a great piece, but that brass part is a bear. Pastime Paradise... did not know that that was where Gangsta's Paradise came from. Shows you what I know. Easy Goin' Evenin' - Loved the harmonica on this I was surprised at how much there were a few songs that sounded like things were sampled, but it was 76 so I know that that wasn't the case. Great album, listened to it a few times and that doesn't happen too much for these.

Dang. They don't make 'em like Stevie Wonder anymore do they? I've always been a "radio" fan of his - love his music and profess to be a fan but I don't own any albums and mostly listen to him when he's on the radio. And really that was when I was a kid/teen. I do have a group of friends where we'll put on some Stevie when we get together but really, I think this was the first time I listened to an entire album of his on my own. And what an album! 2 discs, 4 sides, and a bonus side - it almost doesn't even matter what the second disc sounds like after the first one. The legacy of this album is clear in how many of these songs have been sampled. He brings so much variety - soft, subtle arrangements on some songs (Knocks Me off My Feet, Summer Soft, Joy Inside My Tears), funk or upbeat tempos on others (Sir Duke, I Wish, Ordinary Pain), and still something in the middle on others via funky/upbeat tempo but softer content (Have a Talk With God, Isn't She Lovely, As). Some songs that I didn't remember but thought were awesome were Love's In Need of Love Today (beautiful), Contusion (a funk odyssey), Black Man (powerful), If It's Magic (also beautiful). He pours his heart and soul into every minute; while he sometimes reminds us of our shortcomings he also often reminds us of what is good in this world. Could use some more of that these days. A nearly 2hr masterpiece.

Pastime Paradise --> Gangsta's Paradise --> Amish Paradise = evolution, fool. Just kidding. This album is longer than it needs to be but there are lots of great moments. Favorite tracks: Sir Duke and I Wish are a one-two punch of coolness. Ordinary Pain - I dig the "response" section. Isn't She Lovely? is a beautiful song but I could do without the crying baby (even if it's about his first daughter). "As" is one of my favorites on the album - no idea why he didn't just title it "Always." Least Favorite - Saturn - um, yeah, those lyrics are pretty bad. Technically this was on a "bonus" disk, so maybe it doesn't count. I'd call this album a 4.5 and I'll round it to a generous 5, because I've been listening to and enjoying it for days.

- I like Stevie Wonder a lot, so that's easy. - I listened to "I Wish" a lot with another arrangement, but I do not remember where. - "Pastime Paradise" is another song that I think has been sampled/remixed a lot. - "Isn't she lovely" is a great classic and it needs no comments. - The second half of the album is weaker and slower.

A Five Stars album from this soul master ...

5 O álbum é bem longo, mas é ótimo! Conhecia o básico de Stevie Wonder e nunca tinha ouvido um álbum completo dele. Favoritei várias das músicas no Spotify, são elas: Village Ghetto Land Sommer soft All day sucker Have a talk with God Another star

Muito gostosinho

That's a lot of Wonder.

What an extraordinary piece of work, the sort of album that inspires other artists to reach for higher ground themselves.

An easy 5. Thought that this album would end up getting tired by the end but... loved it all. All day sucker, second last song, was one of my favorites! Loved the bass line

One of the best to ever do it. His voice is like butter for my eardrums.

hsninsiusns

Loved it

A classic

Una de les obres mestra dels '70 i un home en plena eclosió de creativitat i inspiració. Més enllà dels seus temes més destacats, tot el disc, gairebé hora i mitja, mereix un monument a la música millor entesa, sentida, i expressada

Full of classics.

Great album love soul and funk

that was a REALLY good album, 10/10 it was a bit of a shock to find out that Gangstas Paradise was actually a cover tho

מדהים. כל מילה מיותרת. יצירת מופת

Classic 4, slaps. Actually probably a 5 this is great

Stevie is one of the greatest of all time. I Wish I’d have got this album over the weekend to really do it justice and listen to every song properly - some dark moments in there - families eating dog food to survive. Even the double album with the bonus 7” doesn’t out stay it’s welcome. I’m probably going to listen to this again today.

Great Album! Sir Duke is one of the most uplifting, fun songs out there

genial

Really good.

Stonking

D kanon!!! Lite biased för pappa spelade det mkt när jag va liten. Alla låtar är inte hits men de bra väger upp för det och overall vibe 10/10

Ett klockrent album rakt igenom, finns ingen låt av de 21st inkluderade som inte drar sin del i detta toppenalbum. Det skulle verkligen kunna vara ett samlingsalbum a'la 'greatest hits' för ett banbrytande band med massa album under bältet. Men att Stevie bara skiter ut banger efter banger på vad som ser ut att vara hans 17:e album utan den minsta antydan på att ens skrapa på ytan av sin inspiration är beundransvärt. Kvaliteten på albumet matchar låtarna i att vara absolut toppklass. Där ljudet omfamnar huvudet mjukt med bra separation, och där kören och blåset bl.a har häftig dynamisk steriomix som får ljudet att 'pop' på ett sätt som annars lite 'för proffsiga' album kan sakna. Stevie lyckas ta höga volymer utan att slå i taket och kören är fortfarande kristallklara då de sjunger lägre. 'Omfånget' är enormt och allt återges superläckert. Jag tycker Stevie lyckas bemästra både "less is more" OCH "more is more" i detta album. Det kreativa geniet bakom t.ex. "Talk with God" där det verkar vara typ 20 olika ljudspår av diverse synt, slag och analoga(?) effekter, svag backing choir och munspelsslingor som studsar runt, fram och tillbaka, upp och ner i ljudrummet utan att framstå plottrigt eller stökigt utan istället 100% naturligt och självklart? Stevie följer direkt upp detta med "Village Ghetto Land" som vad jag kan höra bara är synt och stråk (?) utan att kännas för avskalad mot kontrast av föregående låten? Samma mästerskap över minimalism kan man hitta i andra melodier på plattan, vilket verkligen förkroppsligar Antoine de Saint-Exupérys citat "Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." (LOL förlåt) vilket vissa smoothbrains inte verkar förstå. Efter den rätt snygga uppvisningen i återhållsamhet så följer Contution, en kort men intensiv proggrocks-runk som tagen direkt ifrån Frank Zappas katalog. SEN kör han "Sir Duke" vilket har dissekerats av folk kunnigare än mig som hyllar den till skyarna över dess kreativa tonsättning. Allt jag vet är att den SLAPS. EFTER DET så kommer de funkigaste slingan sen Superstition; och så fortsätter det ...i 21 låtar!! Alla tallar lite på diverse teman, utförande, genrer men alla är på en sådan nivå att det kan vara det bästa kombination av utförande, produktionskvalitet, känsla, musikalisk talang och geni i sina respektive genrer, för Stevie är det mest ett kul sidospår. Man plockar inte albumets övergripande tema för än man är några varv igenom (och läser titeln..) där alla låtar (med kanske några utantag?) touchar på olika aspekter i ett liv, från fattigdom, rasism, kärlek, romans och övergripande samhällskritik och framtida utsikter. Enbart detta album innehåller flertal låtar som man har visslat på sen man var liten utan att ens veta om vem Stevie Wonder är. Mannen ÄR ett musikalisk geni som andas, dricker, äter, pissar och skiter ENBART certifierade BANGERS. Allt han rör vid blir till guld.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Sir duke, I wish, Pastime paradise, Joy inside my tears, As, Another star, All day sucker

Truly a classic album. Very soulful.

Zo funky zoveel hits op 1 plaat

a soul extravaganza, brimming with energy and joy

Love this album. It’ weird to hear the source of some famous samples sometimes,

10

Simply put, it's a classic album by one of the world's greatest artists. Pretty much have to give it five stars, although it may be a little biased because I grew up listening to Stevie Wonder.

too long

Love's in need of love today is so poignant, especially seeing as it's an over 40 year old song. He was not wrong, and look where we've gotten.

Even though I've heard most of these songs a million times, sitting down and listening through was incredible. The songwriting, vocal performances, and the playing - all so so good. And the production is great!

If you listen to this 💿 it is full of Stevie’s love for so many areas of his life: Sir Duke, I wish, isn’t She Lovely, As , are just unforgettable for me. Then learning he was blind soon after birth you realize you are in the presence of one of Gods gift to us all…appropriately named Wonder!! Such a cool cover in the 70’s. Superstitions was unforgettable too

Wow, first time I've had two in a row that I own on vinyl, and it's while I'm on vacation. Classic. This is an album that I've somehow never listened to fully before, but boy was I missing out. I just didn't know Stevie's catalog like that. Man, there are so many unbelievable jams on here. Songs I've heard, songs I've never heard before, songs I didn't realize were actually Stevie's. Pastime Paradise--I didn't know that was the original prior to Gansta's Paradise (which became Amish Paradish courtesy of Weird Al). But of all the songs on here, "If It's Magic" stopped me in my tracks. Almost brought me to tears. Never heard that before, and it's impossibly lovely. Such beautiful lyrics, chord changes, and melody. The harp is perfect. Man, what a perfect song. Even without that track, this would get a 4.5 but I'm going with another 5 star here. The album runs a bit long, but the tracks I loved accounted for an entire hour. I'll be returning to this quite a bit. Favorite tracks: If It's Magic, Isn't She Lovely, I Wish, Sir Duke, As, Another Star, Pastime Paradise. Album art: Iconic. Seen this a million times. This and Talking Book are my favorites from him. Such a cool, warm design. 5/5

Blind

Variety, excellent hooks, eminently listenable over and over. I was delighted to be reacquainted with this album after a long layoff.

Beautiful but so long. 9/10

YES! What an amazing record. For such a long double-player the overall quality of the tracks is amazing. Stevie's talent shines through on this. The musicality and lyricism is incredible.

An all-time masterpiece. So many wonderful songs on this album.

Wow what a bloody long album that was. Enjoyed dusk 1 more than dusk 2 but some brilliant songs on there. He's a song writing power house. Didnt know gangsters paradise was a rip off one of these songs. its gotta be a 5

🎨

очень крутой альбом от легендарного Стиви)

Uno de los mejores discos de los 70. Y de la historia. Escúchenlo en vinil.

Maravilloso, apabullante, lamento mucho llegar a esto luego de tantos años. Se oye "macizo", me encantó. Sobre todo el disco 1, aunque el 2 no es que le ponga peros. Canciones que más disfruté: "Contusion", "I Wish", "Pastime Paradise", "Summer Soft" y "Another Star" 10/10.

On elf the greatest of all time

Amazing album. Going to be hard to beat.

Amazing album. So many hits.

Oh man very familiar with this album. Fucking pristine tracks cover to cover. Have A Talk With God up next to Village Ghetto Land is lots of whiplash. Contusion!! Sir Duke sparkles like a new copper penny with lush orchestration and feels just as joyful as when it was first made. Then to hit the listener with I Wish. Past time Paradise is a great track. I mean everything on here is a great track. Even the Extra LP tracks add a bunch of great tunes.

Excellent

oooh yeah babyyyy “Joy Inside My Tears”😍😍😍 hottie

Nonostante la durata di quest'album vada oltre i miei standard, l'ho ascoltato almeno tre volte prima di decidermi. Non so che dire regà, è tipo curato a livelli maniacali! L'ultima volta, l'ho ascoltato con le cuffie e sono rimasto colpito ancora di più dai dettagli che mi ero perso. Ogni cosa si incastra alla perfezione. A livello compositivo lui è un genio. Quindi concludo dicendo che il mio voto nasce proprio da tutti quei dettagli che caratterizzano la sua musica e dal fatto che riconosco una certa visione nel suo modo di scrivere che a me è quasi aliena.

Sir duke & isn't she lovely zijn echt een masterpiece

5 Boys hoe goed is dit. Prachtig ook wat samples in de hiphop van dit album (eerste song --> smile -Jay-z). Ga ik zeker nog opzetten, sowieso op het werk in de office maar het is ook gewoon een dagelijkse vibe. Als ik dan toch iets negatief moet zeggen is het dat het wel een zeer lang album is (double disc i guess). sir duke <3_<3

JA dit is muziek bruurs, hier word ik gelukkig van. Isn't she lovely; i cry everytime Ook een lang album maar hierbij stoort het niet want dit is voor die mooie lange zondagochtend.

Wonderful

Stevie Wonder is a goat

Such an incredible album, I think it's one of Stevie's best, if not the best album of his. My favourite songs are Sir Duke, Have A Talk With God, Pastime Paradise and Isn't She Lovely. 5/5 stars.

What can you say...classic!

stevie wonder. a classic. he has a number of incredible hits. excellent songs. beautiful lyrics. excellent vibes all around.

It's not perfect and I prefer the tighter Talking Book / Innervisions but jesus, what a talent.

Simply put, one of the best albums ever made. A singular artist working at the peak of his abilities.

I FUCKING LOVE THIS ALBUM

we can't even give stevie a peek?

Brilliant. All say Sucker

Masterpiece

Loved every song! Powerful then, powerful now.

This album is full of hits and one I will go back to forever. Amazing all around.

Maravilloso

Lots of styles within the album, and the songs are so good and they flow so nicely.

Saved Prior: Sir Duke, Pastime Paradise Not Saved: 21. Easy Goin' Evening 20. If It's Magic 19. Love's In Need Of Love Today 18. Ngiculela-Es Una Historia-I Am Singing 17. Black Man (without the outro this would've been saved) Cutting Edge: 16. Ordinary Pain 15. Summer Soft 14. Have A Talk With God 13. Knocks Me Off My Feet Saved: 12. Ebony Eyes 11. Joy Inside My Tears 10. All Day Sucker 9. I Wish 8. Contusion 7. Village Ghetto Land 6. Saturn 5. Isn't She Lovely 4. Another Star 3. Pastime Paradise 2. As 1. Sir Duke Overall Notes: Another album where I didn't think I was going to give it a 5 but after looking back over it I clearly liked it a lot. Even the songs I didn't really like clearly belonged on the album (except the last one) and these songs work on their own and hit even better when placed with one another. That blind mf don't miss!

The best

steeeeeevie

This album is amazing and a must-listen. There have been so many modern songs that sample this gem.

Steviieeeeeee

Easy 5, amazing album

Oh fuck ya Ser

Great album. A bit soft but still amazing

Un classique tout simplement. Les 1h45 en valent la peine 100% 5*

An absolute masterpiece. Pretty much perfect. 10/10 1. Pastime Paradise 2. Love's in Need of Love Today 3. Sir Duke

Wonder's most successful album, and widely considered one of the greatest albums of all time (Rolling Stone has it in top 10).

Stevie Wonder is one of the most talented musicians I have ever heard. I'm grateful for this list solely on the fact that I was introduced to his music. Thank you!

Amazon of course.

Certified fresh classic

One of the best albums ever

What can you say? Real genius, and with such tremendous range

say less. 10 out of 5 stars.

Just one of the absolute greatest of all time. Though I will say there are a couple of songs that go on a little longer than I would like, it’s okay because they are great songs. Ambitious in length and material and yet it includes a plethora of songs that are as well known as anything.

Funky masterpiece

Bonza. Cmon.

One of my all time favorite albums

This is an even better album than I remember it being. Even without the hits, it's solid all the way through. Stevie captures so many emotions so well 5/5

10/10 Stevie is the GOAT and the album an easy top 10 all time pick

Dig it, funky, groovy, moving. Had heard many but really dug some new ones like talk with god, village ghetto land.

Stevie’s masterpiece

endless listening on repeat

So great! Love this album.

6/17 Masterpiece.

Thankfully, this was a much more enjoyable album compared to the last Stevie Wonder album I reviewed, especially considering it’s a double album. “Songs in the Key of Life” is a very soulful album that covers a lot of ground. It features a wide array of instruments, from traditional ones to horns, strings, harmonica, keyboards, and synthesizers. Another fun fact I learned while listening to this album is that Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” is a complete rip-off of Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise.”

I’ve heard a lot of these songs as a kid, but hearing the version of Isn’t She Lovely with the sounds of his daughter made me emotional

Hyviä biisejä ja hyvä kokonaisuus kaiken kaikkiaan. Stevie biisit on hyviä ja soitanta myös. Hänen tulkintansa ja äänen sointi on erinomaista.

Really very excellent.

Absolutely iconic. Mesmerizing collection.

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Have A Talk With God, Pastime Paradise, Isn't She Lovely I was, practically, only able to listen twice, which itself a tall ask, given this is a triple album clock in at 1h45m. Despite the long runtime it's very easy listening, with plenty of variety on the tracks. You put this album on and it breezes by. The key tracks, Pastime Paradise and Isn't She Lovely are great, and catchy to boot, and while I enjoy them very much, I am even more about those funky tracks like Have a Talk With God, Contusion, I Wish, etc. Anything with a funky bass line and brass instruments. Definitely an important piece of music. Should be on the list. Not my personal favorite, but I recognize the talent.

Great album; and if the world has problems creating new songs, covering a Stevie song is always an option :)

Really funky, some incredible songs on here. However there were a few skips and some songs were a bit too long for me

Yesss!

Soulful goodness!! Had no idea Gangsta's paradise was created from pastime paradise. Saturn was a lovely song.

This album exudes joy and love and family, what life’s all about. It’s chill and approachable with many beautifully written tracks, but it’s overlong in my opinion.

Great vocals and songs, just a bit too long for me to give a 5.

This is an album I’ve been waiting for g to listen to for a while. Stevie is such an incredibly talented musician-loved the variety, composition, lyrics had so much depth. Only thing holding it back from 5 is length-I broke it up into 2 sessions. 4.5 stars

*Great hit songs but the length makes it a little daunting to listen to with some filler *The piano/synth work is top notch

Banger absolu, je connaissais plus de musiques que ce que je pensais : 4/5

This is such a jolly album wau. I didn’t think that Stevie Wonder did such good tunes but i am glad to say that this album is most definitely worth a listen!

Good rock. Surprised me that I didn’t find it annoying and same-y

its crazy how much artistry used to go into making music. like they were PLAYING those damn instruments perhaps the history of this album is cooler than the actual album long ass album... i already have two songs liked in this album (bet you can guess which they are) 1. Love's In Need Of Love Today- i like 2. Have A Talk With God- bleh not my fav 3. Village Ghetto Land 4. Contusion- good boogie music, the guitar was sick 5. Sir Duke- are we in mickey mouse clubhouse or what? fun sing along song 6. I Wish- so fun and dancey, already had this liked and for good reason 7. Knocks Me Off My Feet- this song feels so nostalgic to me 8. Pastime Paradise- BRO WHAT???? did not know this was stevies song this sent me down a rabbit hole 9. Summer Soft- feels like a broadway song 10 Ordinary Pain- groovy all the way through but i was ready for the song to be over with about 1 min left in each half 11. Saturn- 12. Ebony Eyes DISC 2 1. Isn't She Lovely- such a banger. the intro can go, i really didn’t like that 2. Joy Inside My Tears- loveeeee. vocals on this record have so much soul and depth. 3. Black Man- chills. listening to this right before the fourth of july made me cry. so good. 4. Ngiculela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing 5. If It's Magic 6. As 7. Another Star 8. All Day Sucker 9. Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)

Almost two hours of funk and soul from the amazingly talented Stevie Wonder? Yes, please! I’ll gladly take it and tap my foot and bob my head the entire time.

Stevie is speaking to us on this one. Giving us his perspective on struggle, community, and love. Musicly it's clearly R&B Soul, but each song has its own identity, this is a long album yet never get repetitive or tiresome. Hints of jazz through out, a bit of funk, and Stevie's flawless voice. Perfection. Just a wonderful album. I need to listen to this one more often.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this one. Some great songs, some really interesting songs, and overall a solid vibe.

Despite not being my favourite genre, I have to admit (as anyone with a minimum interest in music would) that the guy is a musical genius and this album is full of good songs (with some being terrific)

Classic

very relaxed, slower tunes that are still catchy I really liked the political ideas. He combines jazz with R&B with impressive vocals and catchy lyrics.

The sheer scope of what Stevie pulled off here is definitely impressive. A double album that pivots from upbeat funk and jazzy rhythms to softer piano ballads shows off his versatility as a musician. I forgot how incredibly catchy "Sir Duke" is, it instantly puts you in a great mood. "I Wish" always makes me think of the "Wild Wild West" song where Will Smith sampled it back in the day. I totally forgot "Pastime Paradise" was on here too, and man, those strings are just so good. Coolio and Mary J. Blige definitely knew exactly what they were doing when they sampled that track for their own hits. Then you have "Isn't She Lovely," which has pretty much been every single bride's walkout song since 1976. "Black Man" was also a really good, powerful social commentary for America's 200th birthday, and it is honestly well worth a thoughtful listen right now during America's 250th. He handles a ton of the instrumentation and production work himself, which gives the record a really distinct, unified perspective. Even though a few of the longer, sprawling tracks can drag a bit and make the album feel a little bloated as a whole, the deep grooves and solid melodies make it a highly enjoyable and memorable listen from start to finish. Favorite song: “Pastime Paradise”

While I don’t think it’s one of the greatest albums of all time, it’s undeniably a classic

If gods were real, you'd think after hearing the opening track one of them would have talked to Stevie and been all like 'Jesus Stevie, why in the name of fuck is this seven minutes long? That's four minutes longer than it needs to be! And quit it with the whole blind thing, I know you're faking it just so you can stare at titties all day'. If you needed any more proof that gods are make believe, the fact that the song remains in its seven minute form should be the final nail through the palm of thr hand. I have been underwhelmed by Stevie's albums, going in as someone who believed I would love them, to coming out of each wondering what the fuss is all about. This is the best one I've heard, but I have no desire to listen to it again, ot any more of his albums. A common issue with double albums is the dross which inevitably makes it through. Look no further than track 3 which is fine to hear a single time and never again, bu would never have made the final cut on a single album. He then follows it up with one of a depressingly small number of true bangers in his discography in track 4. For such a stupidly talented human, his music often fails to touch me in the same way less talented artists do. I think it's the jazz influence and inflections in his vocals - as I know you'll agree, Jazz is anti-emotion and rarely makes me feel anything.

Stuart Maconie said "You can here where he gives up half way through side 4..." And he's absolutely right. 3.5 sides of masterpieces and then trash. Side r open with As and I suggest that's where you stop listening.

pretty nice and long album. lots of good tracks, especially pastime paradise

This is #day685 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… apparently, some records just need the right time of year. Like this one, which happened to pop up in the second half of June. It might just be the ultimate summertime record, or at least one of them, just like, perhaps, any Stevie Wonder album from his classic period. With a cone of raspberry ice cream in my hand, I'm digging into an hour and a half of mid-'70s jazz, funk, and soul. One of the first records to make extensive use of the synthesizer. Ain't it fun? While it's summer, I should probably revisit his other records I've already had. Looking back, I feel I rated them far too low. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day686.

I enjoy Stevie Wonder in moderation, I liked the variety across this production (would say double album but it felt much longer). Hits were tremendous, first time I heard ‘Pastime Paradise’ as the inspiration for Coolio and by extension Weird Al, ‘Sir Duke’ probably my favorite here as the kid-noises in ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ was a bit unnecessary. This was really great. For a while. But ended up being way too long and overstayed its welcome, and is hurt in the process. Overall 4/5

Kept me from going insane during my shift today.

I am a huge fan of Stevie Wonder and at the same time, this album was a bit too long. It should’ve been split into two different parts as opposed to just one long album. That’s the only thing I’m docking a point on.

Well it’s SW so it’s quality and there are some great songs. Goes on a bit. Just a 4.

A bit long, but enough bangers in there

명불허전... 첫곡부터 좋네유

Today I learned the titles of all the Stevie Wonder songs I already knew

Already had a couple of songs from this album but it was nice to listen to the whole thing. Overall pretty cool

Life is like a box of chocolates

Great album by Stevie Wonder, a ton of signature classics, including Sir Duke, I Wish, Isn't She Lovely and As.

this is the stevie wonder i would reach for. why are the other albums by him even on here.

It reminded me of a man I use to know. Even more it reminded me of memories that in the moment where sad but now looking back they were beautiful and I was glad to have had them.

It is certainly one of the best albums of all time. That should go without saying on this album - you can literally hit shuffle and get a unique masterpiece out of any song on here. That being said, the way I should feel about this objectively versus how I do feel about it subjectively clash here, and because I took this project as an opportunity to document my subjective listening experience I have to say this didn't blow me away or expand my viewpoints as much as my 5's did, but thankfully it did for others here and this can remain near the top of this website even with my one point docked.

The first Stevie Wonder song I can remember hearing was 'I just called to say I live you', and as a preteen in the 80s it was sappy and dull. I had decided I didn't like Stevie Wonder. This relatively "early" album is so much better.

Damn enjoyable journey through this album. Well I have heard several songs, I had never heard the entire thing. This definitely deserves its place on the list

-Village Ghetto Land is darkly comedic mostly due to beautiful symphonic music while he's describing the most horrific place possible. Its stark contrast between wonderful & darkness that Wonder proves his point. -Today I learned that Stevie Wonder's real name is Stevland Hardaway Morris. It just never occurred to me to want to know his name. -I am under the weather today & it's lifting my spirits. So it's got that going for it. -Pastime Paradise is a better song than Gangstas Paradise. It makes me wonder what exactly an original song is when it comes to sampling. Pastime is about race relations & whatnot while just Gangstas just changed it out with thug lifestyle. I guess it doesn't matter as long as Stevie gets credit. -I like how not all the songs sound the same. I like the more funky songs than the slower more easy listening tracks. The album is a bit long but I still enjoy it. -Stevie can write a sickly sweet, yet great, about his baby while giving you songs about race relations, poverty, etc. strong songwriter.

This is an absolute classic album and has a number of different sounds contained within it. There are some huge hits and few songs that have gone on to have lives of their own after being sampled by artists later. I think that it is hard to overestimate the impact that this album has had in direct and indirect influence of other artists. At its core it is a funk album that can has a serious message like "Black Man". But it can also have more playful and light hearted side like in "Isnt She Lovely". I enjoyed this album but my only criticism is that some of the songs can feel a little bit self indulgent and repetitive. But when you are a musical legend, I suppose you have the scope to be a little self indulgent. (4.000)

So, my process so far has been to listen to the album and read the Wiki article for context but try to avoid paying attention to critiques. This is one album that I may be influenced. I like the sound of this album. I like most of the songs on this but I do find my attention wandering. Without the Wiki article, I may have gone a little as three but after it feels like a four or maybe a five. I must admit that I don't like 80s Stevie Wonder and there are a couple of songs here that have that flair. There is an unevenness, in terms of what is presented here. It does feel like a personal and political album from a person's life. There are plenty of songs that reflect his life at the time. Having his kid on one song can seem indulgent in one way but also very personal and just doing where he is at. There are a couple of songs that I love and some that if I relistened might become skips. Given that it is an almost two hour album, I don't have the time to go over it again and again which would probably iron out my misconceptions and uneasiness with where I am sitting right now. Have a talk with God - Why have I never heard this before. Such an odd thing to hear something like this fifty years. I have heard a lot of electronica but this sounds different. There are some choices on the rest of the album that are interesting ones. I guess I'll give it a four.

I really really enjoyed this. I want to go 5*, but I don't think I can quite get there. Maybe the length is what's in the way? Or maybe I'd just need another listen or two to get there.

This is a kaleidoscope of groove and good energy. No wonder it's #20 overall.

heard much better on this list, still exceptional

Not a huge fan of side one until Sir Duke - pops off from there.

het duurt wel lang... maar hier staat weinig slechts op...

Not something I'd normally listen to, but it holds up well.

8 - GOOD

Funky, groovy music. Intelligent and interesting with Stevie's wonderful voice. Very talented but the album felt very long and some of his songs went on for an age. Pastime paradise blew my mind though. 4/5

Beautiful album stacked with great tracks. Might be blasphemous to say, but honestly it’s longer than it needs to be. 4/5

There's not a bad song on this double album but the quality does dip in places, especially in the last 30 minutes. Trim the fat and this record is a 5. It's very good overall as is, but a little long.

Ekaa kertaa tän levyn kuuntelin alusta loppuun ja kyllähän tää toimittelee

Kovasti on ylistetty tämä lätty, ja kyllähän se ihan iloisesti raikaa. Ei haitannut pituuskaan, kun ihan mielellään kuunteli.

Tässähän oli ihan tuttuja biisejä, vaikka nimet ei sanoneet mitään. Tänään opin myös että Gangsta's Paradise onkin Stevie Wonderin eikä Coolion biisi! Ajattelin ensin että ei kyllä jaksa tämmöstä kamaa, mutta kostautuikin ihan hyväksi levyksi! Vahva kolme ja puoli tähteä, pyöristetään positiivisen yllärin johdosta nelkkuun!

Expectation: -> Interesting that this album was released on the day I was born. A couple months ago gave Talking Book a 4. This is an hour and 44 minutes long and it seems he's got a huge career catalog. Time to settle in and get to it. After listening: -> How am I just learning that Coolio sampled from Pastime Paradise? I'll never be the same. I was surprised with how much I liked Talking Book. I am surprised at how much I like this. It is safe to say that I will probably both like and be surprised that I like any other SW albums I encounter in the future. I should probably consider myself a fan at this point. This album is full of energy with a mix of varied instruments and styles amongst the tracks. Most of this is quite pleasant to the ears, melodic and joyful. 4 stars. Track ranking: Lovely Paradise Duke Love Love Magic Feet Wish Saturn Summer Ghetto Sucker Singing Ebony As Star Ordinary Joy God Black Contusion Easy

One of those albums that you start to listen to and you know a load of the songs already. And they're all classics. But, but... it suffers from the the problem most double albums have: it's bloody long, with some several tracks. Take out the filler, leave the killer and you've got one of the greatest albums of all time. Still good though!

Beautiful album. Banger after banger fr It’s only drawback is the length - far too long I’m sorry Stevie

R&B/funk. Pretty good, but a little drawn out for my liking.

This is the one everyone goes gaga for, and while it has some all-timer songs…it’s also a double album. Which means the quality varies. An aspect inherent to the form. I still prefer Innervisions and Fulfillingness’ First Finale, but this is a good album too.

Hadn’t listened to before. Lots of hits/samples. Enjoyed listening to it.

Notable Textzeile: I'm going back to Saturn where the rings all glow Rainbow moonbeams and orange snow On Saturn People live to be two hundred and five Going back to Saturn where the people smile Sehr schön so viele Ursprünge zu hören und wie er sich selbst in Sachen einschreibt, mit „Saturn“ zum Beispiel in Richtung Afrofuturismus. Das ist auch für die Länge echt okay abwechslungsreich, auch thematisch und textlich. Trotzdem natürlich sehr viel auf einmal und da zieht einiges doch an einem vorbei. Aber toller Sound, schöne Stimme und es macht mir gute Laune. Würde ich als Tonträger kaufen wenn es mir über den Weg laufen würde und dann vermutlich auch manchmal hören.

Die Hitdichte ist hoch. Und kein einziger Skip-Song. Weird dass ich das mag.

Loistavia sikermiä ihan klassikkosäveltäjältä

This starts off slowly - dully, almost - until you get to the funk of “Contusion”, which acts as a sign things are about to step up a notch. And, from there, this album skyrockets. “Sir Duke” and “I Wish” are a total toe-tapping joy, with such infectious brass sections. I have always loved “Pastime Paradise”, even if I’m of the generation that expects to hear Coolio rap the verses. The rest of the tracks on side one are the very charming Stevie Wonder standards, which are lovely to listen to; “Summer Soft”, in particular, is delightful, and the final track, “Ordinary Pain”, took a turn I wasn’t expecting, with some great funk to be found there. Side two suffers from not having an equivalent to “Sir Duke” or “I Wish” (“Black Man” is about as close as it gets), but has some real classics. You can’t help but smile listening to “Isn’t She Lovely” and, in my opinion, “As” is one of the greatest love songs ever written. This isn’t perfect, and it could be shorter, but it is impossible not to enjoy it.

I was aware that this album was considered one of the greatest albums ever made and I was excited to start listening despite it being so long. Which meant, when I pressed play, all full of enthusiasm but then didn't like track 1, Love's In Need Of Today, I got a bit worried. However, it was just a very wobbly start as from track 2 (Have A Talk With God) onwards, I enjoyed pretty much everything. It was a fun "spot the song that got sampled" album, although it did mean I ended up with "wicki-wicki-wild wild west" stuck in my head for a bit after listening to I Wish. As a confirmed disliker of skits on albums, I'm going to add weird talky intros and endings to the no-no list. I had clearly only ever heard a radio edit of Isn't She Lovely because the end of that song is weird. Nonetheless, you can hear the quality and the ideas throughout this record. It does seem bizarre that this is Stevie's 18th album - there was no running out of ideas here, although as is often the case I'd have preferred a shorter record. Ultimately for me, this is a mostly good to great collection of songs that could have done with a little bit of a trim. Still incredibly funky though. 4/5

Better than I expected, but a few of the songs.felt.like filler

"Love's In Need Of Love Today": okay this album won't be my thing but I'll listen anyway "Have A Talk With God" starts: what IS this (complimentary) This is great! Lots of styles. And songs that have been reused in the 90s?

Excellent. This has the sauce.

I can't really give this album five. It's not the kind of music I choose to listen to, and it's a very long album. But the joy of this activity is listening to albums like this, which are so influential and full of interesting songs and classic hits. I didn't realise that Gangsters Paradise was based on Pastime Paradise for one thing.

One of the greatest

There are some outstanding songs on this album, but man this thing is long. Overall, I understand why this is considered his masterpiece.

Side One/Side Two are an easy 5 for me, but unfortunately Side Three/Side Four leave quite a bit to be desired. That and the pervasive religious undertones slightly bring this down. All around though Stevie Wonder is an extremely talented musician. 4/5

It contain versatility like I have never seen in one album before

liked how genuinely weird this album is

This is my fifth Stevie Wonder album of the project. My review is basically the same as the others. The upbeat songs are some of the best songs ever recorded. The ballads are just garbage.

banger:kjedelig ratio va litt for lav t å gi 5

8/10 - God is "Have a talk with god" annoying. Rest of the first disc is 🔥. I think the album is a little long, had to listen to each disc individually b/c I just could _not_ appreciate the second dist after the first Fav Tracks: Village Ghetto Land, Pastime Paradise, Sir Duke Heard before? ---–- ❌ I'm not counting gangsta's paradise Saved a Song? ----- ✅ Saved Album? --–-- ✅ Will Listen Again? -- ✅

Que disco largo loco. de repente me di cuenta que pasaron dos horas y fue como a la verga sigo escuchando esto. Es un grandisimo disco, lo disfrute mucho. Queda guardadisimo.

Isn't this lovely...

Prior to being assigned this album here I have 4 songs liked from this one and 10 songs total liked by Steve Wonder. Liked songs on this one are "Sir Duke", "I Wish", "Isn't She Lovely", and "Pastime Paradise". The first 3 of these were on the radio all the time, and I think I discovered "Pastime Paradise" from that song called "Gangsta's Paradise". Interesting how this is extremely varied in musical styles. One song (the instrumental "Contusion") sounded like it could be a Steely Dan tune. I ended up liking 8 more songs after going through this 3 times - "Contusion", "Summer Soft", "Ordinary Pain", "Joy Inside My Tears", "Black Man", "Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing", "As", and "Another Star". Great job Stevie! Glad I got a chance to actually listen to this instead of just the hits. I'm looking forward to his other albums showing up on the website - since I mostly only have the radio songs "liked" so far. Liked songs on Spotify: 12/17 Rating: 4/5

Imagine if Superstition was on this album. This album would go from legendary to mind blowing.

Good album, some songs pop out way more than others, seems to put together some different vibes from song to song, if it was more uniform i think it might of have been better, also a little long but good time for 2 discs, could of have been 2 different albums tho, but a good 7/10 imo

Well gosh, if this wasn’t so dang long it would be a fantastic album. Perhaps perfect. I mean even Stevie gets fatiguing after an hour and a half. And while I have always seen it as organized by the theme of his daughter’s joyful birth into the problematic world of the moment, 1975, the power of its message gets diluted by its length. Like George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, I want to give it a 5 for its accomplishment, but I find myself feeling almost upset if I try to listen to the whole album in a sitting. So 4. A very respectful 4. Boolean rating: Yes, absolutely yes, even at almost 2 hours long.

tope

Some excellent songs here.

I'm torn on this one. The reputation says I should give it 5 stars or round up, but the reality says I can't. Rounding down....

I played this at home recently!

I really enjoyed this! It was fun hearing all sorts of samples that I didn’t know were from this album and imagining the impact this has had on so much music. As usual with him, I felt a lot of the songs were way longer than they needed to be. Even as a double album I think this could’ve been closer to an hour if some of the repetitive instrumentals were cut out. But overall a lot of songs that I already love or will now love. Fav tracks: As, Sir, I Wish, Summer Soft

Almost every track on this album is great. A few run a bit long, but that was clearly pretty common at the time.

a classic for a reason

Classic easy listening

Really enjoyed listening to this album. Can't go wrong with Stevie Wonder

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to give this album my full attention and listen to it in one go, and I think that would have benefitted its rating. There are a lot of great songs on this album but even more that carry on a little longer than they need to, so that made only listening to this in spurts during a busy past few days felt like a chore at times. Stevie is a fantastic artist and really shows his talent on this one.

Stevie Wonder's music has a wonderful glow about it. His soul music is cast in a sort of soft light. It's instantly recognizable as him. And his voice complements the music beautifully. I also love how funky his band can get. The rhythm section is killer! And Stevie Wonder switches gears right along with them, growling and wailing in really fun, wild way! I recently watched a youtube video of him showing off a talk box on live TV and it's pretty cool (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlsZQ3qY_r0). It was a new technology at the time and you can hear him messing around and experimenting with it. I love how forward-thinking he was and willing to try new sounds. You can hear some talk box on some of these songs in the background. I love that effect. It's so cool. Lots of classic songs on this album: "Sir Duke" (which I never knew was the name of that song), "I Wish," "Isn't She Lovely" (I prefer the shorter, single version without the baby crying though -- although it was interesting to know the song is about his daughter. I always assumed it was a more traditional love song.) and "As" are all huge songs I've heard throughout my life without even trying. They're timeless songs. Oh, and I was surprised to hear 2 tracks here that are the basis of famous rap songs. I first knew "I Wish" as Will Smith's "Wild Wild West," and it wasn't until years later that I realized Will Smith completely lifted the backing music and melody. But I was really surprised to hear "Pastime Paradise," which is the basis for "Gangsta's Paradise." That sad but somehow menacing hook played by the strings is so iconic. I didn't know Stevie Wonder deserved credit for it! This is a huge album and I found plenty to enjoy aside from the singles. With repeat listens, I could see this entering masterpiece territory. But I was really impressed and overwhelmed on a first listen.

Will forever love and have a special place for "Sir Duke" as it's the song that my wife and I entered the dance floor to on our wedding day. It's got an amazing groove, really fun sections, a stellar vocal performance by Stevie Wonder, and is just a delight to listen to. "Isn't She Lovely" is equally amazing of a song. Although I could do without the baby crying sounds at the start, even though the song is about the birth of his daughter. That's nice. There's other nice sounds that babies make though! I love when artists put some random SFX and kind of diagetic stuff into songs, but I also love to hate on the times when they are weird. Like I always found it funny being in a car and listening to the radio and hearing a song that has car beeps in it or even worse- police sirens. Like yall, what are we thinking? Anyway, beautiful song and so sweet. Great album. Stevie Wonder is really one of those great greats that writes music that makes you feel like everything is going to be OK. "Songs In The Key Of Life" is a title that maybe only he could have. It's funny how it's a little corny but it's a superb title for his kind of music.

1976 c'est la réunification du Vietnam, album commémoratif ? Peut-être que la mort de Mao le 9 septembre était l'évènement célébré par cet interminable double disque. Entre autres, Bien si on aime le rhythm. Drôlement long (Word a bugué lors de ma rédaction, interminable elle aussi, de mon mémoire. J'ai perdu une matinée de production et l'album ne m'a pas aidé à relativiser). Le double disque est-il une bonne chose ?

Pas facile celui-ci. Je me lance dans ma première écoute avec un sentiment partagé : ça semble infiniment long, mais il paraît aussi que c'est infiniment bien. Alors allons-y. Et certes c'est inventif, bien produit, régulier... Mais c'est long quoi. Je propose donc à mon moi d'aujourd'hui un 3 étoiles généreux, avec un début de mépris pour la hype autour de cet album. Je me ravise hier soir et décide de lui donner une deuxième chance, en écoute active, concentré. Et là c'est une autre expérience. En effet, c'est juste excellent sur tous les aspects, la composition, l'instrumentation, la production. La voix de Stevie nous guide de bout en bout sans qu'on se sente perdu. Ce ne sera quand même pas un 5, parce qu'en plus de faire un double-album on était peut-être pas obligé de faire des chansons de plus de 7 minutes...

There’s an all time 5/5 in here but i don’t think it’s 1.5 hours long. Still great though!

He did all this while deaf??????

It is a beautiful album. I listened to it just after I woke up and I'll tell you it's a great album to start your day with. Loved it

I like it, Stevie wonder it’s such a great artist

lindo album so ficava melhor a cada música q eu ouvia

makes my soul happy

He’s a legend for a reason

Funky songs that make you want to dance; variation in soft and loud songs but still a cohesive sound; lyrics are cyclical throughout the whole album that reflect different stages of life (hence the album title); extra points that Stevie Wonder is a pianist and so am I 😌; did feel a little long at times

Great songs but too long. Let’s be real

There was a lot to take away from this album, but a lot to be left behind. Yep, you can hear the imprint on 90s hip hop tunes. And 'Isnt she Lovely' is a catchy tune (still, I prefer the Me First and Gimme Gimmes version), despite the self indulgent outro on the album recording. Still, it felt like background music... 4 stars (just).

Incredible album. Too long. Not a lot more to say about the legendary Stevie Wonder.

I liked it. I haven't listened to much Steve Wonder so hearing the opening riff/sample that I'd only heard in Gangster Paradise was a funny surprise.

Potentially 5 stars

he is a genius, didn‘t know that this album includes so many originals from cover songs

Groovy AF, fan de todas las referencias y sampleos que han salido de aquí.

Tja, sir duke. Heel goed, maar de rest is soms een beetje té. Geen 5

Classique indémodable

Lindo

me gusta stevie wonder, más no me encanta. honestamente si no fuera por “isn’t she lovely” que me recuerda tanto a mi sobrina, le pondría 3 estrellas, pero solo por esa genialidad de canción se merece las 4

Este disco es increíble, me encanta. Ya lo conocía obviamente, pero lo volví a escuchar entero. Es un MUST en la vida. La obra cúlmine de Stevie. Le voy a poner un 4 solamente porque es demasiado largo y quizás hay alguna que otra canción que podría "sobrar". Pero igual es un discazo, lo amo. Así hay que sentir la vida, tal como indica el nombre

Songs in the Key of Life is packed with great tunes. Stevie Wonder really is a legend, and you can clearly hear just how much influence this album has had over the years. The songwriting is top-tier: funky, groovy, and full of personality. You can tell it’s the work of someone insanely talented. I also found it interesting learning that “Gangsta’s Paradise” samples from this album—that added a whole new layer of appreciation. That said, the album did feel a bit long for me. Some tracks, while great, seemed to go on longer than necessary. It’s definitely a personal preference thing, but at times it felt slightly bloated. I almost feel guilty not giving it a 5 because the highs are so high, but taste is taste. The singles are incredible—“Isn’t She Lovely” - I mean come on now!! So yeah, it’s a 4/5 for me—but a really strong 4. An album that was clearly ahead of its time, with some truly unforgettable peaks.

Very good but I'd say it's still more of a 4/5 to me than a full 5/5.

💘 Contusion 💘 Sir Duke 💘 Pastime Paradise 💘 Isn't She Lovely 💘 Black Man 💘 As

Great

I love me some Stevie and there are some absolute classic songs on this album but hot take: I still prefer Talking Book. A near 2 hour album is hard to get perfect and I think there’s some bloat.

I just realized where Gangster's Paradise was inspired. I also recognized Isn't She lovely. I have enjoyed this album's themes around the struggles experienced by the lower classes in the USA. It was a long album, but very enjoyable.

no lo acabe, pero lo que escuche, me encanto, me lo llevo de tarea

un poco largo pero guay bastante chill

L: 7 M: 9 F: 8 O: 8

The pinnacle of songs that came from this.

Mislim, da sm ta album par mesecev nazaj slučajno poslušala. Spomnim se, da je bil kul, but not necessarily neki zame. So far, sem pri 4. komadu ("Contusion", k je ful funky, hiter, instrumentalen), ki je sledil neki počasni baladi o težkem lajfu v ghettu ("Village Ghetto Land") - tko da kr razgibano. Začetek "Sir Duke" je ful familiar. Stevie ma tok dobr glas. "I Wish" je zanimiv slišat original, ker mam v glavi tok vtisnjeno verzijo od Will Smitha, ha. U, nevermind, "Pastime Paradise" je še težje odmislit meni bolj poznano verzijo iz 90ih. Ugh, pozabila sm, da se "Isn't She Lovely" začne z baby zvoki. Zakaj sm to že ene parkat slišala odkar poslušam albume? "As" tud od nekje poznam iz otroštva (aaaa, George Michael in Mary J. Blige! Huda verzija.). V glavnem: očitno ful influental album (že število coverjev in samplov je noro), gor maš nekaj najbl znanih komadov vseh časov (za nas vsaj "Isn't She Lovely"), ne vem če je slab komad vmes, Stevie je itak amazing. Kva še hoč na petek popoldne? (Plus, osemnajsti album?! In tak nivo?!)

So good. Stevie's influence on music is palpable throughout this album. I had no idea that Gangstas Paradise or Wild Wild West both sampled songs from this album, not to mention the amount of soundtracks several of these tunes have been in. The double album was a bit long for me but still great.

Favorites: Isn’t She Lovely Ebony Eyes Saturn Knocks Me Off My Feet Summer Soft Overall Opinion: To me this album sounds like a romantic comedy in the fall. I love the themes of love, not only romantic but also fatherly, and also of peace and acceptance. Also the fact that Wonder included snippets of his own life (I think) with his daughter laughing perfectly mirrors that childlike innocence he longs for in songs like Saturn or Have a Talk With God. I think in general the album feels like a warm cup of tea or a fluffy blanket even in songs where politics and violence are discussed. It just feels very current and sort of romantic to me.

Good album

Classic

Muy buen disco. Conocía algún que otro tema de Stevie Wonder, pero me sorprendió sinceramente; no era un músico que tuviera muy presente. Es un disco que escucharía seguido. Hoy lo escuché con mi papá en el auto, yendo a comprar ropa.

Wonderfull. A masterpiece. It even has some 70s jazz fusion parts.

Increíble la producción que tiene cada tema.

Starts a bit slow, but once Sir Duke hits, the rest of the album is a good ride.

Great album but could have been half the length

yeah i loved this one, but again probably wouldn't play it again. it sure was long.

Album is really good, liked a lot of the songs. Sir Duke is the best imo

I've heard nothing but praise for this album since starting this project, and I do get it, it's a phenomenal album that has had a lasting impact on music, but it's long. It impressively manages to remain consistently high quality throughout the entire album and I don't think there's any real filler here, but I still don't think I'll ever be in the mood to sit down and listen to an hour and 45 minutes of Stevie Wonder again.

wow, you never know whats going to happen next, from gospel ballads to smooth rnb to funk that makes you make the stank face something more than a collection of songs, it is a statement fueled by the talent of a visionary, ironically, and a great selection of colaborators def going back to this feels like it is more dense than what i can unpack now

I daresay this could have managed to not be a double-album. But even so, it's wall-to-wall fantastic songwriting.

I mean it's Stevie Wonder. He plays. I get stressed from life. He tries to calm me with his serenading clips.

I'd have loved to live in Stevie Wonders' world in 1976. Straight up magical. Not perfect but beautiful. Lovely album. Absolute classic.

Very good album, all songs atleast a 6/10. Perfect Best songs: Have a talk with god Isn’t she lovely I wish

insanely creative, best instrumental work I've probably ever heard in an album. gorgeous! favs: love's in need of love, knocks me off my feet, ordinary pain, saturn, ebony eyes!

second listen. good shit. got boring near the end though

Æ skjønne koffor det her e en klassiker, men det e fascineranes at nesten alle sangan e minst ett minutt for lang (gjerne to eller omså tre), sjøl om æ antar det e et bevisst valg av årsaker æ ikke skjønne.

Can’t believe id never actually listened to stevie wonder before

Lo escuché mientras me secaba el pelo. Él sabe lo que hace.

Man,, a lot of stuff I know is actually from this.

This is by far the best of Mr. Wonder’s catalog we’ve yet seen on the list. The songs are continuously adventurous and unique while fitting comfortably within his sound. There’s a lot of interesting experimentation with different tones and instruments although why some artists, like this one, suffer from the common delusion that the harmonica is a serious instrument and not a toy to be left for children. Thankfully he only ruins a couple of songs with it on this recording. Unfortunately one of them is the otherwise beautiful “Isn’t She Lovely”. That tune heads up the possibly not entirely necessary second disc and demonstrates this half of the music’s penchant for running needlessly long in tooth. Besides these missteps though I found it primarily enjoyable and a true testament to the enduring legacy of Stevie Wonder that I had been missing.

Brilliant but loses a star for length

Wow. Favourite Song: BLACK MAN - Stevie Wonder The album feels very consistent and truly is enjoyable, with lengthy songs which are unlikely to be seen in modern music, because labels push a more TikTok/social media algorithmic friendly sound and song length.

Turns out I know more Stevie Wonder songs than I thought! Some great his in here, although a number of them tend to meander on for a long time at the end and I find myself skipping the ends of them. Great album, too long.

Realmente bonito. La deuda de Jamiroquai con este disco es impagable. La imagen que tenía de Stevie Wonder ha cambiado conforme escuchaba los discos que hay de él en esta lista. Me guardo: "Village Ghetto Land", "Sir Duke", "I Wish", "Pastime Paradise", "Isn't She Lovely" y "As".

klasika

Awesome album that fades a little in the back half. It has Sir Duke on it, which is one of the greatest songs of all time. It is also fun to hear this as one of the albums where a lot of samples of more recent songs originate.

21 songs… I feel I’m on a one man crusade against double albums. If this was trimmed to the 9 or 10 best it would be perfect. Very high highs.

As, me gustó mucho. Me gustó el estilo musical, su voz, y los sonidos y ritmos experimentales que implementa. Además, los solos instrumentales son muy satisfactorios. Me gustó.

Un discazo lleno de clasica y lleno de la calidad compositiva e interpretativa de Stevie para tocar y cantar

Es un buen disco, tiene buenos temas y buenos sonidos pero no es mi estilo de música.

Disc 1: 3/5 Disc 2: 5/5