Reviews (page 8 of 15)
It feels like a sin not giving this five stars, but alas, I’m a sinner. I recognize that this is a masterpiece—a monolith of an album. That being said, I feel like I resonated more with the less flashy Fulfillingness’ First Finale more. Blasphemy, I know. Sidenote: Stevie Wonder and Weird Al Yankovic have more in common than I thought.
Some great Stevie, some just okay. Good listening.
This this is long and meandering but it is still Stevie and it is still great.
Stevie is Stevie!
Ok
Like many of Stevie's albums, there are some all time classic songs on here, but there are some kind of filler songs as well. "I Wish" and "Sir Duke" are amazing and "As" is one of the greatest love songs ever written. However, some songs go on a little long and the album may have benefited being shorter and a little more refined. Still a great listen. 4.5/5 Will listen again
This is an excellent album. I had heard several of the songs before but I enjoyed listening to this entire album from beginning to end.
Only giving 4 stars because this is not my personal preference for genre, but this is one of the few albums on the list so far where I've thought yeah, this is absolutely an album that people should listen to even if just for its sheer cultural impact.
I liked this. But it is too long for me. It was a good mix of hits, well spaced throughout the album to keep me listening. But I'm just not into R&B enough to listen to it for 2 hours.
Nice, 8.5 Linolt: 9 Hatwg: 8.5 Vgl: 8 C: 10 ⭐️ Sd: 9.5 IWish: 9 Kmomf: 7.5 Pp: 7 Ss: 8 Op: 6.5 Isl: 8.5 Jimt: 7.5 Bm: 8 Neuhias: 6.5 Iim: 6.5 🚮 As: 9 AS: 8.5 S: 9 Ee: 8.5 Ads: 7.5 Egemmc: 8
I would have given it a 5 if someone of the songs didn’t become as jammy. I love a long song but it has to have a purpose.
Good, very good
Il y a de gros banger quand même. Un peu indigeste à certains moments par contre. J’aime les albums long mais je dois dire que 1h45 c’est peut être long quand même
Ambitieus album met veel muzikale informatie maar wat tegelijkertijd toegankelijk blijft voor iedereen. Het album is wel lang, iets over de helft ben ik er wel al beetje klaar mee, had geconcentreerder gekund. Alles op de plaat is technisch bijna perfect met de beste studio muziekanten. Heb er eigenlijk niks op aan te merken. Stevie wonder is op alle vlakken aan het maximaliseren. Het is voor mij soms iets te zoet maar dat is een smaak kwestie. Het raakt mij niet, ik zal het ook niet zo snel opzetten.
Amazing. Mark off for being a bit long in parts
Number: 219 Familiarity: Moderate (3) Rating: 4 Before: ======= Oh, I thought I already had this one. I guess not. Let's see...OK, it was Fulfillingness' First Finale, which was my 3'rd album in this challenge. I gave it a 2 but I was rating more harshly when I first started. Maybe I'll revisit that one or not. Looks like there are 4 albums from him on the is list and that is one too many imo. After : ======= I did not have anything from this album on my 1976 playlist but added 3 tracks: Sir Duke, I Wish, & Isn't She Lovely. Overall I though it was a good album but not great, based on my own personal opinion, but it's not really my style. There are some very good songs but a lot of mediocre owns as well. Anyways, if it were whittled down to a single album at 40 minutes, there is a decent chance I would rate it a 5. As it is though it came out to 3.48, which I decided to round up to 4. But as I said, it's not really my style, For reference, my favorite three albums from 1976 are in order: T. Rex's "Futuristic Dragon", The Modern Lovers' "The Modern Lovers", and Boston's Boston.
As if you need to Have a Talk With God about this album. Isn’t She Lovely? Knocks Me Off My Feet.
Classic album.
Very fun if not a little too long. Love Stevie Wonder, but don’t think I need an hour and a half of nonstop Stevie Wonder
7/10 - Didn't finish the album due to length but every song I heard was good at worst so worth a solid review
Pretty good, liked the other Stevie wonder album more
A great album with some absolute classics and I really enjoyed Contusion. Stevie Wonder’s voice is magical and he shows off some great songwriting pomp in this double album. I think there is some tail off in this album that caused me to lose a bit of engagement in this listen. For me it doesn’t quite make it an all timer perfect album. But I’ve been wrong before.
Just like most Stevie Wonder albums, they are just great to listen to. There were so many songs on this album that I've heard multiple times and are just great and iconic songs.
A bit lengthy, several really great songs, most of the rest ist also very good, but IMHO there are some skippable tracks.
I’ve seen this listed as an album with no skippable songs, which seems crazy to me. Next time I listen to it I’ll tap out after ”As”
LONG. The hits were good but I guess it held together? I need to hear it again
Good listen
Solid. A little long
Magical listen through, thank you Stevie
How did I not know that Gangster’s Paradise was ripped off? This album is legendary Stevie album, and for good reason: this ain’t little Motown Stevie, this is full-power Stevie on the move. I was a little surprised by the song Pastime Paradise, as it was an inspiration for Coolio’s Gangster’s Paradise. Isn’t She Lovely is a lovely song, and Sir Duke is pure show off goodness subject to a thousand bass videos for being one of the hardest songs ever. But then there is Pastime/Gangster’s Paradise, which caught me off guard, and kind of just destroyed my childhood, like discovering Ariel kills herself in the original HC Anderson version of Little Mermaid. Contusion is pure fusion jazz but my favorite song was Black Man, which I had never heard and regret it. Speaking regret: WHAT THE FUCK!? PASTTIME PARADISE?!?!? Another Star was cool too, with the Afro-Jazz style. If this is ever in the stacks, this may come home. I’m going to listen to again while contemplating the shattered reality of my gangster/pastime paradise….
Random thoughts: * Stevie wonder had music and talent to spare! A double LP + another 4 song EP tacked on. Wow! * Standout tracks were: Sir Duke, I Wish, Isn't She Lovely, and As * Surprisingly the first track on the album is one of the weakest. * I kind of wish Stevie had maybe made this into two separate albums. One could have been a bit more upbeat and jazz influenced while also containing the racially progressive songs; one could have been more just life songs like Isn't she Lovely and As. But you gotta respect the artist and his choices. * The album peaked for me at the song trio of "Contusion", "Sir Duke" , and "I Wish". Wanted a whole album upbeat like that. * I did appreciate the racially conscious tracks on LP 2 of "Black Man" and "Ngicuela" * This is quite the range and really does encompass the songs in the key of life. Really great album!
volume 2 was niet nodig behalve isnt she lovely maar het zijn allemaal solid nummers
kijk ik snap waarom dit een 5/5 album zou moeten zijn maar het klikt niet zoo erg bij mij.. sommige liedjes zijn iconisch, maar sommige zijn ook mega saai.. het gaat gwn te lang door
Too long but fun
R&B and soul are not genres I typically gravitate toward - as a general rule, they aren’t for me, much like hip-hop and jazz. However, I am well acquainted with the style; my brother had that side of the musical spectrum firmly covered when we were teenagers back in the 1970s and early '80s. Because of that, I was already somewhat familiar with "Songs in the Key of Life" before sitting down to give it a proper listen today. I admire Stevie Wonder's musicianship and the production on what is an incredibly adventurous undertaking of an album is crystal clear, punchy, and remarkably full-sounding. It’s far from a standard R&B record; Wonder throws in an array of styles, from the Beatles-esque chamber pop of 'Village Ghetto Land' to the fiery, jazz-rock-infused fusion of 'Contusion'. There is the pure, joyful pop of' 'Sir Duke' and 'Isn't She Lovely', alongside the vibrant Latin influences on 'Another Star'. Personally, Wonder's music clicks most for me when he leans into the funk, as he does brilliantly on 'I Wish' and 'Ordinary Pain'. Meanwhile, a track like 'Knocks Me Off My Feet' feels like a timeless standard written straight for the Great American Songbook of the 1940s or '50s. Ultimately, I found myself sitting right on the cusp of a three or a four-star rating. At one hour and forty-five minutes (including the " A Something's Extra EP"), the runtime is a bit too much Stevie Wonder for my personal taste. However, choosing to accentuate the positive, it earns four stars. Side one 1 "Love's in Need of Love Today" (3/5) 2 "Have a Talk with God" (3/5) 3 "Village Ghetto Land" (3/5) 4 "Contusion" (instrumental) (3/5) 5 "Sir Duke" (5/5) Side two 1 "I Wish" (5/5) 2 "Knocks Me Off My Feet" (4/5) 3 "Pastime Paradise" (5/5) 4 "Summer Soft" (3/5) 5 "Ordinary Pain" (4/5) Side three 1 "Isn't She Lovely" (5/5) 2 "Joy Inside My Tears" (3/5) 3 "Black Man" (3/5) Side four 1 "Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing" (3/5) 2 "If It's Magic" (3/5) 3 "As" (3/5) 4 "Another Star" (3/5) A Something's Extra EP Side one 1 "Saturn" (3/5) 2 "Ebony Eyes" (3/5) Side two 1 "All Day Sucker" (3/5) 2 "Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)" (instrumental) (3/5) Total - 73 Average - 3.5 381/1001 202/381 albums reviewed were new to me.
7.6/10
Enjoyment: 9/10 Replayability: 5/10 Cohesion: 8/10 Flow/Pacing: 7/10 Artistic Merit: 8/10 Weighted Average: 7.5/10 Review: This was a great album to listen through with plenty of well-known hits and hidden gems found within. I loved how uplifting it was, especially the baby in the bath in Isn't She Lovely - such a sweet and tender addition that I never heard with the radio edit. My only mark is that since this is a double LP, it loses some points in the Replayability category due to its extended length. Long albums aren't a problem on their own, but this one seemed to drag a few times, but not as I expected really. Liked Song(s): Love's In Need Of Love Today, Sir Duke, I Wish, Pastime Paradise, Summer Soft, Isn't She Lovely, Black Man, Saturn Disliked Song(s): Have A Talk With God, Ordinary Pain, Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call) Recommend? Yes Heard Before? Partly
I enjoyed Innervisions more - the extra run time meant that there were a few lulls in here interspersed with the bangers.
4.0
Funky, classic R&B soul
It is a very long album, nearly 2 hours so will have to finish it another day.
Nice
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.”
Sir Duke I Wish Pastime Paradise Black Man As Ebony Eyes
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.
Really good for a double album. Some of it is just okay but most of it is either solid or really good. Stevie has a great voice and great storytelling but this album just doesn't cut it for me to be 5 stars. It's too long and too much of it is just solid.
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.
Such a great album!
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.
Is I Wish the most perfect song ever? I'm not qualified to say but if I needed to nominate one for the fate of the world against imminent alien obliteration I could do much worse .
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
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
hell yeah stevie
What a flex it is to open a lengthy double album with what sounds like a closer! If I have a gripe with Wonder it’s a taste thing: his voice is gentle, approachable and many of his lyrics sit in a similar place where they are direct, even on-the-nose, rarely cloaked by metaphor. This is intentional on his part, trying to connect to as wide an audience as possible - and he succeeds! I just need a bit more grit. Still though, any collection with Sir Duke, Love in Need, As, Another Star, etc... As with any double album, I’m always left with the question of how much better it would be cut down to a single LP, but would the whole experience make sense with the lesser material left out? The common defence for every double or triple is that you don’t get it man, the length IS the experience! But I disagree...there’s variety here, just as with the White Album or London Calling, but ultimately when the sound is as cohesive as Wonder’s, this is a lot of the same meal served several times over. Would the highs not hit as high without the lesser material? There are multiple instances where bands have recorded a double album’s worth of material but then cut it down to size precisely to avoid the redundancy or due to aesthetic preference: The Cure’s Wish is maybe the clearest example where the material left off is superior to what made the cut. Likewise would In Rainbows have made sense expanded to include “Disk 2”? Or Kid A and Amnesiac released together as one expansive document in 2000? Corgan and co delivered a similar result that stretched his abilities, but its b-sides collection shows there were potentially several albums the Pumpkins could have released, some of it more in Corgan’s wheelhouse than what ended up on the Big Statement. Double albums are a quixotic pursuit ultimately, but ymmv: the first 2 records by The Wrens are technically double albums and I treasure just about every note on both.
Never knew that Gangsta's Paradisa was a hip-hop reimaging of Stevie Wonder's 1976 track Pastime Paradise. Very interesting
"Songs in the Key of Life" is one of Stevie Wonder's, and perhaps music's, most emotive albums. Musically, the album features influences from a wider variety of genres, such as funk, jazz and soul, which is all tied together by Stevie Wonder's lively, energetic voice. An atmosphere of hope and love flows through the very fabric of essentially ever song on the double album, in the warm, layered production to the mellow horns. Such an atmosphere mirrors the lyrical themes of the LP; Wonder comments on the human experience while calling for acceptance, love, a recognition of the power of music. He does so through both social critique (such as opening track "Love's in Need of Love Today") and gratefulness ("Isn't She Lovely"). He is not alone in espousing these themes, but he is unmatched in his uncanny ability to have his sentiments communicated to the listeners even without lyrics. True, the album is rather long, and some of the songs could have used a bit of trimming and get repetitive (such as the five minute long solo in "Isn't She Lovely"); but it is a great album nevertheless.
Jazzy, soul foul, and tuned into social issues! What not to like. Overall 8/10, come back rating 7.35, jam ability range of 5.2 to 9.5 depending on the song. Lyrics 9.5 out of 10
Such a fine, wide-ranging collection of masterfully produced and performed songs. Some I don’t vibe with much (“Isn’t She Lovely”—I appreciate the song’s themes but it is so grating to my ears). But the vast majority are absolutely incredible. Sir Duke has an energy that stands as unmatched in funk and soul.
Soooo groovy. Sir duke, I wish, pasttime paradise, and isn't she lovely is an absolute generational run.
mola
7.25
Calm listen. Something I would typically pass off at first glance but was very eye-opening musically. A lot of formative pieces in this album alone, I counted like three different samples/derivatives. Definitely well worth its hype. Confusion was one of my favorites, very pivotal point in the album. No words needed, the music drives the story forward.
Great album on its own. Then to discover the amount of modern songs that have sampled this album! Amazing
Even though a lot of the music style here isn't really my preferred listen, I thought this was a really good album. Immensely listenable and enjoyable the whole way through. Some really top tier songs (the Contusion-Sir Duke-I Wish trio is a legendary grouping) without really anything bad on it. There were a lot of different influences and messages woven through in a really engaging way. I can see why this album gets as much praise as it does. That said, it's not quite a 5 star album to me. For one, it's very, very long. I have to give Stevie credit for the quality here, as most double albums really only have 1.5 albums worth of material on them. This one seemed to avoid filler the whole way through. But, still, it runs almost 86 minutes (and that's not counting the bonus EP tracks). Even some of the good tracks felt like they went on a bit too long. That is going to drag down even the best of albums, since it's hard to listen to it all at one time and without losing focus at least a few times. Other than that, it's a matter of genre preference. The liveliness of this record kept me interested, but otherwise it was a little hard for me to love it. The funky, rock-like songs were the ones I enjoyed the most (unsurprisingly). The rest just lacked a cool factor I'd expect to get on a great album. So, while I thought it was really good, I'm keeping it in the 4-star range. Overall: 4.2/5
Undoubtedly a masterpiece but there's just so much of it. Respect the prolific talent but the full listen left me feeling slightly overstuffed like I went too hard on the Sunday roast.
There are a lot of really good songs on this album, guys. I feel slightly guilty giving it fewer than five stars but I don’t want to be dishonest about my personal taste.
What a consistently great album, no small order for a double. I knew Sir Duke really well already but hadn't heard any of the rest. Pastime Paradise made me sit up straight, can't believe he sampled Coolio. Definitely one I'll return to
Some absolute bangers on here, and some of the best love songs on here too. Do think some ( a lot) of the songs are a little too long, like there is a 5/5 album on here if like several of the songs are reduced by about a third lol 4
Beautiful and full of soul, this album was really solid. It was an hour and a half but I didn't find myself getting bored of it like I do with most long albums. He switches up the sound enough to keep it fresh.
There's definitely a 5-star album spread throughout this thing. I liked every song on it, but I think an editing pass to bring it down to the 10-12 best tracks would be an improvement for this album as a singular piece. As it stands, I'm giving it a 4, but it's a really good 4.
a very good album, definely needed to listen to this one
The most reluctant four star score imaginable. There are so many stone classics on here, and Sir Duke into I Wish is one of the all-time one-two combos. But there's just too much bloat on the double album for me, and a bit too much in the way of pitch-wheel fusion stylings for me to put this up with the best. Still, so much great here. Legitimately great.
I feel like you have to give this a four
Great album, really cool production. Funky, Soulful, filled with love. Insane amount of musicality and creativity to fill a double album with this much beauty. Some of the songs are a little forgettable though. 9/10
I knew a bunch of these already. Loved this album.
Great songs
Listened to before; not a first-time rating
Beautiful album. Can really hear how influential it is. Most of these albums could probably be described as “ahead of their time” and this one absolutely is. Another Planet rules.
Double albums need to be jammed with greatness in order to justify their length, otherwise they can’t help but sound self indulgent. This one doesn’t quite make it. It just goes on too long and what’s here isn’t the pinnacle of Stevie Wonder’s greatness. You can’t deny the influence or importance of this album but it’s nowhere close to Innervisions in terms of overall quality and innovation.
I like sir duke a lot, I was surprised by pastime paradise and i didn't know isn't she lovely was by stevie wonder.
que album LINDO!!! dançante, cheio de música pra cima e algumas com mensagens mais profundas por trás. achei belissimo.
Sorry for my bad English. The album has 21 songs of soul, prog, and rhythm. It’s a beautiful album. The best songs on the album are: Have a Talk with God Village Ghetto Land Contusion (precious, progressive, and sweet) Sir Duke (classic song, easy listening) I Wish (BEST SONG) Pastime Paradise (I didn’t know this was the original! Coolio’s version is the most popular, but this one is precious.) Isn’t She Lovely (beautiful and chill song) Another Star (I don’t know the influences of this song. It sounds like Argentine tango with soul.) Saturn (sounds like Stevie Wonder mixed with Pink Floyd and David Bowie. I don’t know Stevie’s full discography, sorry. Precious.)
I actually think I preferred Innervisions to this. Songs In The Key Of Life, is an iconic, sprawling album, but I think that works both in its favour and against it.
Just one word. Inspirational. Favorite song: Love's In Need Of Love Today
such an incredible musician and the singles are fantastic. i do think it overstayed its welcome a little bit for me though
Length alone keeps this from being a 5/5 for me.
Isnt she lovely and joy inside my tears are great songs
So smooth. And so many stellar songs. “Isn’t She Lovely” is dang essential, eh? But maybe an album this long should have some . . . occasional edge?
Awesome album, so many original great song. Song I like: love in need of today, sir duke, Pastime paradise, isn’t she lovely, As,
O que tem de bom tem de longo!
Steve has such a lovely voice. 4/5
Every song is a triumph, probably the closest 5 star yet
wonderful album, captivating, groovy, powerful vocals and lyrics. a bit too long for my liking (probably because the ep is bundled together with disc 2 on streaming platforms) though not at all boring.
Great
That’s your man ain’t it?
Stevie has A LOT to say on this album! Having said that it’s a great listen. 4
Some amazing songs + filler and tracks that are too long.
Thought I was losing my mind. Thought my phone skipped to a coolio playlist. Who knew?
can't believe this guy is blind
Didn’t know much Stevie. Liked it.
I don’t think it’s possible to be in a bad mood while listening to this album. This whole work is just so full of passion and joy that it’s infectious. Just so uplifting and lovely.
Great album, I'm a little embarrassed that I never gave it a full listen despite loving half the tracks on it. My only gripe is that it runs long, it's hard to find a 2 hour block to actually enjoy an album like this.
This is a good album but like some of the double albums, it good have been a brilliant single album. It didn't need to be 2 albums, similar in the vein of The White album and Physical Graffiti had some filler for sure.
найс, есть давно добавленные бенгеры, но в целом для меня это 4.
Not much of a funkhead, especially with the starting track of the first disc (Love's In Need Of Today) I was a bit put off, but the album really ramped up afterwards. Really nice to listen to, a lot of the tracks are very uplifting, which I very much enjoyed. :) Favs: Ordinary Pain, Pastime Paradise, Another Star.
funky fresh und gefühlvoll, einfach gut
Forgot how much I like Stevie Wonder.
Really good album by a legend! 7.6/10
I don’t think I’m quite as high on Stevie as the general critical consensus seems to be, but I still really like him and this is a wonderful album with wonderful songs. The first half is lights out. Every song is a winner and Knocks me off my Feet is probably my favorite Stevie tune. Unfortunately, the second half is weaker. As is great, but the overall album is too long, many individual songs are too long, and I don’t want to hear babies crying when I’m driving to work (sorry Shane). This is an extremely strong 4, but it’s a 4.
I wish my life was half as good as the quality of this album. 4.5
This is great but it’s way too long!!!
Listened to most of the album. Some great songs
Very good
Stevie is amazing!
I get it. It's long, it's pastiche. But the whole picture is better than parts. And that's saying something because there are some amazing songs in this album. I identify with Stevie's message here. It's as relevant today as it was then. 4.5/5
Reviews saying there’s no filler songs on here are nuts. Despite that and the fact it’s 40 mins too long. It’s still a four stars for me. Probably a version of this that would end up in my favourite albums of all time.
Ranking on Greatest Albums Ever lists: Paste #1 Yahoo Music Blog #1 Rolling Stone Magazine #4 Apple Music #6 VH1 #7 Telegraph #19 1001albums user ranking #20 It’s great. There’s no denying that. But… is it a smidgeon overrated?
It’s overlong like most double albums, but I like his ode to black culture, and it comes in many forms on this album. I think if I had to introduce Stevie Wonder to someone, I would choose Sir Duke. It’s the best side of his genius. It has an incredible chorus hook, the descending pre-chorus is badass, and the post chorus horn solo/riff defies explanation. It is incredibly complicated and long, yet if you’ve heard the song a half dozen times you can probably sing along with it. That’s the good side. Sometimes he over thinks things like taking the subject matter of Village Ghetto Land and rendering it in strings. That was certainly a purposeful and political statement. It doesn’t land for me. So was following that song with the jazz/funk of Contusion. Then he pays it off with Sir Duke. I think you can learn a lot about him by listening to those songs in sequence. It also is a great recording - excellent production.
4/5 - This is the best 18th album of a career anyone has ever made. Definitely on the long side, but this is peak Stevie, and a sweet mix of 70s styles.
Lots of bangers, overall really high quality and engaging to listen to. Not giving it a 5 because it’s too long for me
Surprisingly diverse in genres. Also many many songs
Another classic overall 7.5/10
Perfect example of a solid 4 / 5
4/5
One of the quintessential Stevie Wonder records. Despite its long runtime it remains interesting and soulful throughout. I'm more of an 'Innervisions' guy though. 9/10 [KEEP]
Now this is some true SOUL. Stevie Wonder effortlessly makes 105 minutes of music pass like it's 40 or so, and doesn't lose the verve or funkiness at any point. This is truly life-affirming stuff. Strong 9/10, bumped even higher by how consistently good it stays for its entire runtime, with 10/10 potential.
Really cool album and I’m surprised it was his 18th because usually people have lost the sauce by then. A few big hits, a few other really great tracks, no real bad tracks either. (The three-track run from Contusion-Sir Duke-I Wish was particularly memorable. The only thing really taking away from it is the length, as probably a decent amount could’ve been cut.
Good album and a monumental achievement but still could have benefited from a little trimming here. There are enough all time classics that this would be an easy 5 with only 12 songs on it.
“Sir Duke,” “I Wish,” and “Pastime Paradise,” are exceptional songs. The rest of the album is solid, and I think it is mathematically impossible to truly dislike Stevie Wonder.
I listened to the wrong album. Same cover, same songs, just a car with a guitar playing them. It was nice. When I realized the mistake I found Stevie’s version and it was fantastic.
This was great, I loved his singing and his message. Will definitely spin this up again.
Really good album - cannot believe this is his 18th!! First full album of Stevie Wonder that I’ve listened to - had no idea Coolio sampled a song from here for Gangster Paradise?!! A very very solid 4/5
I'm not normally a fan of the long ones but this ius Songs in the key of life - it is immoral not to enjoy it.
Pastime Paradise is unreal (it’s a crime I didn’t know it’s the basis for Gangster’s Paradise), but there are 21 tracks on the Spotify result for this album, and I could only fit in the first nine on this listening session, so I’m hedging my bets on a four star.
Fifty years later these songs still feel relevant, both through their content and the way they have been sampled and replayed in the decades since. I don't know if Stevie was trying for something timeless intentionally, the album's title kind of sounds like he is, and the use of school children's voices seems that way to me as well, but I think he achieved it. Disc 1 is certainly my favorite and has songs I've come back to listen to over and over again throughout the years but Disc 2 has some I loved as well. Isn't She Lovely is truly better in this original form as a ballad of parental joy, rather than the beauty pagent theme it became in later decades. Saturn and Easy Goin' Evening were new to me and enjoyable as well.
4.3 It's a bit of a saga, but an enjoyable one. Clocking in at 104(!) minutes, it's somehow more than a double album. Albeit the album is more manageable and enjoyable if the last 4 songs on the EP add-on are ignored (unfortunately I think these are amongst the weakest tracks, but I guess that's also the case when modern albums released a 'deluxe' edition with a couple of tracks that you can see there was a reason they weren't included on the original edition). Anyway, the rest of the album is pretty solid. There are some real highlights. The coda of Ordinary Pain. The whole of As. And pretty much the whole of side 1. Interesting to hear (I think I one knew but had forgotten) that Gangsta's Paradise and Wild Wild West have almost no originality to them. They're practically covers. A wide range of musical styles throughout this record whilst staying cohesive, a rare but impressive feat. Glad my 3 listens are now up though, as I need to get some time back in my life. Jesus Stevie.
I hadn’t heard this in forever and somehow missed/forgot that Gangster Paradise was a direct rip off from here (in addition to myriad other classics).