Reviews (page 9 of 13)
It's marvelous how someone, after making 14(!) mostly decent albums and lots of sales, all of a sudden goes: and now I'll make 5 albums of brilliance, before succumbing to mediocrity again. This is one of those five.
Artistic wonder
He is amazing.
Great album!
When Stevie's good he's good. Quite familiar with this album already, some Stevie Wonder tracks can get a little slow, but on the whole i like this album. Living for the City is my favourite.
Great historic record, of course. I've always loved it, but it doesn't all hold my attention in 2024. Salute to Margouleff.
It’s a brilliant, beautiful, classic album. Tonnes of atmosphere and the production is perfect. I listened to it on vinyl because it’s one of those records I dug out of a charity shop and felt like a winner.
Very nice Album.
Some of the better writing in Stevie’s career. Arrangements capture the era. Solidly performed from start to finish.
So good. I love the synth and even proto-auto-tune on some of the tracks. The music feels so flowy, bouncy and groovy. Really cool composition of keys, brass, drums and vocals. With really cool bass lines. Stoked on this one.
Stevie is the man. Great album. Pure funk goodness that you can’t help but move along to.
Fun poppy stuff, with funk and latin influences
a couple gems in this album.
Good tunes, not totally my style. Higher Ground is a classic
I'm starting to think that life has been extraordinarily difficult for Black people in America for many years
First two songs were nothing special, and then Living For The City started and the album started popping off. I was night swimming in the rain while listening to this and felt like I was in a Scorcese movie or something. 7.25/10
This was good. Real good. Probably now my 2nd favorite Stevie album (after songs in the key of life)
Too high ! Too high !
It's a classic for a reason but the overall sound doesn't 'do it' for, so it will never be a personal classic.
Classic Stevie
Very nice album. One of the best of its genre.
Funky. Love.
I hope this one of many Stevie albums.
Too High Living for the City Higher Ground All In Love is Fair Very fun album, should listen to Stevie Wonder more
Dammit. Tale of two halves. First 5 songs are pushing 5*. Last 4 songs are lucky to get 2*... 3.5* average then? I'll round up but Stevie's a lucky boy
All Stevie, all the time. Some well know huge hits, and great deep cuts.
Difficult to gauge how influential it was at the time but still holds up well
Funky Fridayyy
This is Stevie's best album. Little political, little romantic, funky, great vocals.
Can't go wrong with Stevie Wonder. He's the king of soul. Haven't properly listened to all of it just yet, but I will.
Pretty groovy
Funky and psychadelic undertones. Has odd musical pieces obviously designed to change up the flow. Different moods across the same distinct sound throughout the album. 8/10
Beautiful. Love the first track
Beautiful songs throughout the album
pretty good funk soul
Good nice to hear his voice young and found a great slower song by him
Talking Book has some of my fave singles, but this album really takes you on a ride. 4.5
A couple songs on the first side keep this from being a five star album for me; it’s more of a 4.5 in my mind. The second side, however, gets all the stars and is immaculate from beginning to end.
Pretty good stuff.
Too High is a weak opener but then it is back to back bangers.
1. Too High starts rather funky with a nice melody. "the bed is green but she's a tangerine" interesting lyric. The production so far is rather clean surprising. Pretty song but starts getting long and repetitive by the end. 2. Visions slows down the album with a nice acoustic and lax vocals. Stevie sounds like he is trying to be intimate with the listener. Strong vocal performance towards the back half. 3. Stevie pops off immediately on Living for The City. The funk comes back with a strong vocal performance. Story based song with a relatable story even to modern times. Favorite track so far easily. 4.Golden Lady immediately slows it down with more of a love ballad type song. The song has a nice melody but doesn't exactly stay memorable for me. 5. Is the original version of higher ground??? Classic song that is extremely memorable right off the back. Very much a song that was ahead of the curve sonically. 6. Jesus Children Of America returning to the usual for this album. Nice vibe overall. Strong vocal performance from stevie as per usual as well. Strong conclusion to the song 7. Another love ballad from in All in Love is Fair. Beautiful and from the heart. Strong vocal performance. 8. Don't you worry bout a thing is sweet song with fast pace melody. Stevie really sings the hook of this song to the melody quite effectively. He really sells the overall sentiment of the song. 9. Misstra Know-it-all another strong vocal performance but to be expected at this point. Not the most interesting of the songs and a bit weak as a conclusion.
The Stevie I always expect. It was much more chill than other albums but it was great. Didn’t expect to find the Usher “Lil Freak” sample on here.
There’s something so magical about Stevie. My fav was All In Love is Fair.
Great album! Classic tracks.
funkadelic babey!!
Best Song: Higher Ground. That wobbly funk is so fun to listen to. A palace of funk built on a foundation of jelly. Worst Song: Visions. Kind of boring for the (nearly) titular track. Overall: There's just something about Stevie Wonder's voice. Even songs which start slow and seem as though they'll never end up anywhere interesting have at least a moment where his voice takes off and it makes it feel like the whole song was worth it. Sadly, it does feel sometimes that his voice is carrying the whole album, and the rest of the musicianship really doesn't rise up to meet him.
Innovative, catchy and modern. Truly expressive masterpiece
A masterwork.
Even with my limited musical taste, I can say that this is a very good album. There are only 2 songs that really vibed with me but it’s not because the rest are awful. It’s maybe just because I am not used to the genre.
Very very good. The ballads hold this one back though. I know Stevie can do better and I hope I get to hear another project of his very soon.
Stevie stelt natuurlijk nooit echt teleur, en dit 50 jaar oude album klinkt fris alsof het gisteren gemaakt is. Voor een oppervlakkig luisteraar als ik dreigt wel het gevaar dat je allerlei maatschappijkritische thema's in de teksten niet oppikt. Dan is er een hoorspelletje nodig (zwarte man komt aan in de grote stad en wordt prompt in de cel gegooid) om je er bewust van te maken dat het over meer gaat dan enkel vrolijke muziek.
A great album, but unless you're a paid up Wonderfan it's not five stars. Make no mistake, Livin for the City, Higher Ground, Don't You Worry, Mr Know It All are all five - but that's not the whole album. No fan of Stevie syrup and Golden Lady is that, All In Love is Fair similarly.
The 70’s were an absolutely prolific time for Stevie and Innervisions kicks off what, in my opinion, he threw best albums. I struggled with whether it was a 4 or a 5, but ultimately there are songs on this album I could do without, so 4.
Been really liking the Stevie Wonder
SO GOOD
Great Stevie Wonder album.
Funky. Understand the Stevie love more.
Most of it is very groovy with cool bass lines and synths. There is also some out of genre songs that’s has elements of ballads or bossanova.
awesomeee
This album is very good and, to me, Stevie's vocals are the highlight.
I enjoyed this. Higher Ground is a good tune
Really good music, uplifting and enjoyable
Good album, my favourite of the tracks was Jesus Children Of America and He'd Misstra Know-It-All.
The musicianship on the album is undeniable. Some tracks of the upbeat tracks have some minor chords and that's an interesting effect. My only knock is that it sometimes skews a little light for my taste. The album has one foot in the past with Soul elements that remind one of classic motown, and one foot in the future with elements of smooth R&B. I personally prefer the former by a wide margin.
Absolute fire. Def a classic I will return to.
Great album really enjoyed it
Wondrous , but not superstitious
Ok
I mean, it's Stevie. The vocals, the funk guitar, the driving rhythms, there's nothing not to love. I particularly always love how much individual voice the bass has in every song. The one thing keeping thus from 5 stars is that the album doesn't play to me like its meant to be listened as one piece. Favorite song is of course living for the city, the music and the message.
Love it
Toe-tapping songs, funky synth grooves, serious social commentary, ànd amazing vocals. When you learn that he played all the instruments on 7 of the 9 songs...genius.
Awesome album with some great songs. I own this on vinyl and listen frequently. This has some of Stevie's biggest bangers with Higher Ground and Living for the City. I also really enjoy He's Misstra Know It All and Golden Lady for deeper cuts.
Just some good ol feel good music. Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: yes Favourite Song: Higher Ground
Ah this is a good album. Sure, many of the tracks last too long, but that is classic for the era. Visions, Higher Ground, and Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing are great. Quite surprised this is the first Stevie Wonder album - it is the first of three excellent albums, culminating in Songs in the Key of Life. Looking forward to more wonder.
I had heard this once before. Great album. Best: Too High, Living for the City, Higher Ground, Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing.
Este es un álbum épico. Living for the City y Higher Ground son temazos. El resto del disco no se queda atrás.
Well it's Stevie Wonder so of course its very good 4/5
Easy to over-analyze this one. A sonic gem. Stevie wonder at his musical, spiritual, and intellectual peak. Absolutely astonishing record. I could listen to Higher Ground all day every day. Some other brilliant cuts that I was unfamiliar with like Too High and Misstra Know It All make this a great listen. Will revisit many times I’m sure.
Yeah, I mean, it's Stevie in the '70s. My only complaint is his lyrics are a bit heavy-handed. But damn, those grooves are undeniable.
Funky juicy goodness
Pretty good, nice vocals
Beautiful, funky, occasionally gritty. Particularly liked "all in love is fair". Only high expectations prevented a top rating.
Stevie is good
Flows well, stand out singles, some unknown bangers
Loved it. I had forgotten how political Stevie Wonder's songs could be.
Good album, not Stevie's best, but still a great listen!
Not a fan of the spoken word parts, but at least they're short. Overall very good though. Love the synth on Living For The City. I always found the chorus of Golden Lady a bit weak, but the rest of the song is really lovely.
Very good, probably better in context.
socially conscious lyrics with a background of solid funk/rock. great album.
Pretty good.Stevie wonder is great,this album isn’t his best but it’s still a great listen.Higher ground is obviously the best song.
Never heard a Stevie Wonder album. From the very first song, this album is so funky and soulful. Amazing.
Funky
I definitely like my Stevie more funky than souly, so if we just pretend that Innervisions starts when the drums kick in on 'Living for the City', I am all for the 5/5 rating. 'Higher Ground' is one of the all time songs, and Stevie was, what 22 years old when he wrote this record? Incredible.
Little Stevie Wonder really grew up on this one. Mature, funky, soulful and a small wonder both instrumentally (of course, performed almost exclusively by Stevie himself) and compositional.
Ihan huippu. Viikonloppua vasten budjettiväsäilyjen äärellä toimi ja levy meni ihan siivillä. Kuten työtkin.
This is great music!! Embarrassed I had never listened to Stevie Wonder before
sweet album cover, classic
Solid 4-4.5
Fantastic jazz instrumentals and top notch lyrics from Stevie makes this one of the best soul albums ever.
Excellent album from Stevie Wonder at the beginning of his most creative period.
Fantastic!
Too good.
Minus some slower dragging numbers, it fires on most cylinders.
A nice and easy to listen to motown record Stand out songs: - Living For the City - He's Misstra Know-It-All
Pretty cool classic vibe
Great album. Living in the city is a song to make you laugh, cry, groove, and lament the black experience all at the same time.
a delightful album. stevie wonder mixes soul and funk in such a beautiful way. i can think of no better example than the classic opening to "higher ground". beautiful and catchy. but like you'd expect from an artist like stevie wonder, there's even a pinch of latin in the opening of "don't you worry 'bout a thing"! his voice is truly beautiful. wonder is great with a variety of songs, but with the soft, emotional songs, there is something special when he holds a note. "all in love is fair" destroyed me when i first heard it. legitimately, leave me here to die. my perception of wonder, as a millennial, is that he's an apolitical musician with a focus on soulful, romantic songs. that assessment isn't fair anymore. i knew of the song "living for the city" but only the single version. sure, wonder isn't shoving his comments on society in your face, but he doesn't need to. the full version speaks for itself, and its story is forceful. also, to be fair, it just a good song, musically. i admire the ability to create a good song with a powerful purpose and great lyrics! a good example of his songwriting prowess.
I wasn't familiar with most of the songs on this album, so I was surprised to find Stevie Wonder in somewhat of an experimental, progressive form here! This album strikes a very lovely balance between funk and soul and maintains that all throughout. This not quite a 4 for me, but I really want to give this more than a 3. So rounding it on up! This is just an incredibly well done album from start to finish.
i think this was a repeat😅
"Higher Ground" is one of Stevie's best, and "Living for the City" is classic as well. Rounding up from 3.5.
Of the Stevie Wonder albums we've listened to thus far, this is my favorite. He definetly found his own groove here. Living for The City & Higer Ground are classics, and the rest was quite enjoyable. I can also see how this particular album must've inspired modern R&B/pop artists. 4 stars.
Funky and soulful. Stevie is a great singer with a nose for the catchy verse. I was surprised to enjoy so many songs on this album. Great for casual listening!
A Wonder-ful experience. 4.5/5
Can we get Ground Higher ? Too High... Mocny bop
Actively listened to this one, and it's one of my favorites. The best album I've listened to so far.
sometimes art from the past just seems more naive than today’s, i mean mostly the lyrics, maybe it was just a better world
-STEVIE WONDERRRRR -very excited about this -GOD i forgot how nice stevie wonders voice is -first two songs are pretty average to me, redeeming quality is his voice -LOOOOVE living for the city -AND YOU CAN BET HE. BARELY MAKES A DOLLAR -golden lady is cuuuuute -HIGHER GROUND another favorite of mine -don’t you worry about a thingggg also love that one -overall i love stevie wonder and this album is an easy four stars for me
A funkylicious bonanza to groove and bop to, some really beefy twang of the bass and sharp snaps of the cymbal gives the old ear holes a nice night out.
Best singer oat
Tää on hyvä! Ollut dj-työkaluna jo pidempään! Pyöristyy neloseen. 4/5
Ai jai, sieltä taas mestari iskee! 4/5
I'm familiar with his biggest hits, but I've never done a deep dive into his albums. This was a really great album and I'm looking forward to checking out more of his work. Also I didn't know that "Higher Ground" By RHCP was a cover song until now. I was wondering what they meant by "Stevie says" in the other song, but never made the connection. Very cool!
This was a great album. Stevie has some great hits but the songs I hadn't heard before were also very enjoyable.
Yes! Stevie is so smooth vocally, great groove to this album. And a good mix of mega hits with some stuff I hadn’t heard before and it was all great.
I remember when this album came out and how revolutionary it was. Some of the tracks are beginning to sound a bit dated now, but "Too High" and "Higher Ground" are still relevant. The stand out track, of course, is "Living for the City" which even by today's standards is stupendous in its scope, and unfortunately, is more relevant than ever.
Personal Enjoyability (out of 40): 31 Consistency of Quality (out of 25): 19 Keeps Interest (out of 25): 20 Album Flow (out of 10): 8 Overall 78/100 ★★★★ Quick Review: No two songs sound the same but the quality is consistent throughout. Living for the City has always been a great song but is even more so in context of the album. Side Two of the record is on of the best that I've reviewed so far.
A real classic. Not personally a music genre I love, but I can appreciate the skill and talent that went into this.
Pretty great Stevie Wonder tracks. Some new ones for me. Pretty varied songs, liked the new ones. Solid 4!
16ème album de la légende Stevie. Album très accompli. Des belles de soul et blues. Une voix pas si folle selon moi, mais le son est superbe. Gros coup de coeur pour Higher ground. Note méritée et non volée.
An exceptional amount going on with this, between the music, the lyrics, and the pioneering forays into cutting edge synthesizer technology.
Is every Stevie album a classic?
Like the richest, silky smoothest hot chocolate. A good mix of the big hits you know and smooth jams you don't. A wonderfully laid back affair.
Great listen this, real good summer vibez. Played Steveland.
Each song seemed to build on the last one. Some incredible stuff.
Very good album with the best songs being GREAT songs. I’d give it a 9/10.
Stevie bringing it and bringing me in
Yeeessss let's go. Great album 4/5
Good production, some great songs. Overall, a pretty enjoyable album.
it really hurts to give stevie anything less than a five. and it was so close to being a five too. i just think certain tracks dragged on a lil too long and overall, there was very little coherence between them. other than that tho ABSOLUTELY FIRE THIS MAN FUCKIN B R E A T H E S MUSIC
Good first album to listen to, just got this on vinyl. Still think the chilli peppers version of higher ground is better. I forgot how dramatic some of these songs are, has all R&B. 9/10
8/10
Always a joy to listen to Stevie Wonder.
It's really good! Not quite as good as songs in the key of life so I guess I'll give it a 4 instead of a 5.
Heard it before without ever really listening. Stevie in his absolute prime.
Still relevant today, despite having tracks that reflect political and social society, Innervisions remains a pleasant listen to. Challenging at times, perhaps, but more than simply a necessary listen.
catchy yay
this man can sing also did not know higher ground was a stevie wonder song good stuff
Stevie hoort hier. Hij maakt die Wonders. Het is een vibe
Ja die man is toch puur genieten hoor
Another unassailable classic by the soul genius. Topical themes of racism and injustice, yet still ringing true today, right along with themes of goodness, love, and beauty. I love how well-rounded Stevie is as a songwriter, not afraid to explore themes that might be unpopular on all sides of the fence. Effortlessly smooth.
A classic!
Top 3: Higher Ground All in love is fair Don’t you worry bout a thing
3.5
Beautiful music. Catchy, funky, unique sound. Higher Ground is a classic. Golden Lady is a standout.
This is some of Stevie wonders best work. The funky synthesizer sounds were ahead of its time and he was so good an experience ring while sounding proficient. The positivity and joy that exudes from his music makes it some of the most enjoyable to listen to. This isn’t as good as songs in the key of life but this is probably number two in his albums. Overall it is splendid and worth listening to many times over. 8.4/10
Another really cool Stevie Wonder album. I love the striking cover and this album hits a lot of sounds while still feeling very cohesive.
Pretty fantastic.. living in the city and higher ground are amazing listens. Incredible musical ability.
Couple of absolute bangers brought the rest of the album up.
Obviously some great stuff on here
I enjoyed this - it was fun to listen to while doing the morning down stay with the dogs.
Apart from the classic that is Higher Ground to me this album is the sound of an artist testing the waters, trying to grow but not there yet. Too many false starts but enjoyable to see Stevie Wonder exploring his sound
Stevie Wonder and his career is a no-brainer when it comes to things people experience. Being born blind, his formative years being right into the Civil Rights era, Stevie Wonder was required to listen to the messaging of that day. In a way, his perspective, while not getting the visuals, is one where able to do a lot of what people do not do, and that is really, comprehensively, listen to what is happening and being said. Stevie Wonder's album Innervisions is all of the fun we expect from Stevie, and includes moments of being brought back to earth. This trapeze artist sense of balance capturing the excitement of happiness and acknowledging the anxiety of risk, makes this album more than just music. Stevie Wonder, having honed his ability to communicate at literally in the most cerebral ways, not only performs but writes a great album.
Great album, great cover
Ich mag es sehr gerne, weil Stevie Wonder einfach gut ist!!! Abwechslungsreich, Verzaubernd etc. Jeder Song hat was gutes an sich
Ich mochte das Album echt echt gerne und fand auch, dass es bis jetzt das beste Album war. Viele Songs kannte man natürlich schon. Das einzige was ich vielleicht nicht sooooooo perfekt fand war, dass machen Songs echt lange gehen und ich persönlich mag das nicht so gerne aber wie gesagt war es ein wirklich sehr gutes Album.
Bereits gehört. Stevie Wonder ist einfach eins der Besten Musiker aller Zeiten. Aber es gibt bessere Albums von ihm auch wenn Innervisions stark ist.
Groovy
Must admit, I'm a very late comer to Stevie Wonder's music. I only started really listening to his music in the past year but am slowly starting to digest thru his catalogue. This was the first album i got to. This album is great masterly crafted - some really great songs.
Golden Lady... Oh Golden Lady...
I definitely feel like the title of the very first song. To high. Although stating that I'm in a constant vision quest is a cliché. This are the vision of a blind man. I'm generally scared of the deterioration of my body, but I can't imagine loosing the little eyesight I have. I guess I'm only a techno optimist because of all the oftalmological aid I relay upon. And even with that I know ill suffer tremendously. Just imagine the effects on my vision quest. Soothing sound matching perfectly the color pallet of the cover album art. I want to keep exploring dreams and chart does that have already been explored and materialised.
I enjoy some Stevie every moment of the day. What a musician! Great album, but a little too soft and not my favorite Stevie album.
Cool album
<3
I feel like the funk lives on from this album.
Though it starts a little slow for me, the album shows a pretty surprising diversity of soul, funk and a caribbean cha cha vibe of Don't You Worry. All really easy to enjoy, and Higher Ground is a funktastic amazing party of a song.
4/5
7.5/10
Its Stevie Wonder ofcourse its good [2]
Fantastic very 70's cover art, love it. The opening few songs, surprisingly, do not catch me at all. Golden Lady is pretty and Higher Ground is spectacular, and the album stays strong from there especially Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing. The beginning put me off and my first listen was 3 stars but a second listen brought that up to 4. Normally Stevie Wonder doesn't have to grow on me but there we are.
I didn't think I would like this from the first song but I couldn't stop listening to the rest.
Stevie Wonder bringing some soul to our dark world.
Not exactly to my taste, but the hits are great.
I wonder if Stevie ever dreams of having rough anal sex with me. Boy, I hope so. That'd be just swell.
With this effort Wonder is a bit more contemplative and has several larger story tracks and sounds where a deeper message can be found. By maintaining his backing tracks of conventional love and soul tracks Wonder is able to make a unique experience that shows his abilities at things other than making cute ear worms.
First time listening to an album by Stevie Wonder on purpose. I enjoyed the funky bits more as they were livelier but overall really good album Saved tracks: Living For The City, All In Love Is Fair, Higher Ground
It’s a stevie wonder album
I learn something new almost every day - I really didn't know that "Higher Ground" was recorded by Stevie Wonder (in fact I didn't even know what is the proper name of this song). Innervisions is as very funky album, which, from what I read, is known for being a golden standard of R&B. In that regard I am only partially keen on this type of genre. I love the funkier and full of groove songs like "Higher Ground", or "Living for the City", but the slower ballads, or love songs aren't my kind of jam. One thing for sure, Wonder's voice is absolutely amazing, regardless of the tempo or type of the songs. The only issue is that slower tracks don't have that magic aura in it for me. I think this album falls somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, but out of respect to Stevie and everything he has done, I will give it a four stars. It's a really good record to listen to once in a while, to slow down and enjoy the moment for a bit.
4. Very good album, saved Life in the City. Funky, fun, just slow at parts for my tastes
4.25
Classic 70s Stevie Wonder. Funk, soul, guile, songs, politics and that voice. All great. Solid 4.5
Enjoyed a lot of songs would listen again
incredible vibes
This is the Stevie Wonder album I've been waiting for. I thought 'Songs in the Key of Life' was a work of genius but outstayed it's welcome, and 'Talking Book' was great but brought down by overly sentimental and sickly sweet lyrics. This doesn't have those flaws. It's concise, catchy, extremely groovy and funky with interesting lyrics providing insightful social commentary. It just lacks that one big banger to be a 5 star album. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Too High Date listened: 03/01/23
Unlike a lot of the repeat offenders in this list, I’m never mad when more Stevie pops up. Is this album sufficiently different from any of his other ones? Thus necessitating its inclusion on this list? No. Does it still slap balls? Yes.
favorite tracks - living for the city, higher ground, all in love is fair, dont you worry about a thing, least favorite tracks - n/a not only is wonder a legendary vocalist, his talent as a multi-instrumentalist is on full display here.
notes - soul funk album by stevie wonder - his SIXTEENTH ALBUM - stevie wonder played the majority of all instruments on here AND sang - not to mention writing everything - what an insanely impressive feat - the whole thing feels very connected even with some genre curveballs thrown in - love how different his voice behaves in different situations - loud and quiet etc etc - really really enjoyed MOST of the songs on here - opener too high is great fav - golden lady - love the groove least fav - Jesus children of America - bit over the top for me 4.5/5
Fun album. 4 only because there were no surprises, but it was easily a 5 for enjoyment.
Dope! Nice Ballads and Funky Funk!
I had never purposely listened to Stevie Wonder before. This was really good!
I'm thankful for this list for making me finally listen to all these classic Stevie Wonder albums, this is definitely one of the best (new to me) albums I've heard in awhile. 4.5/5
Smooth Stevie sounds. #34 on the RS Top 500, top. Lots of synth and big band elements. Can’t believe this was SW’s SIXTEENTH album. Dude was cranking’ ‘em out! Best songs: Living for the City & Higher Ground. 5 stars on this one.
I count 5 classics on this. Stevie has music running through his veins. A real groovy 70s vibe too on the other tracks. I could listen to this all day. Perfect.
Funky smoothe soul
I love Stevie Wonder, and feel a special affinity for him as a native Detroiter. This album is great and showcases a more mature Stevie Wonder, but I have to admit that I like the funkier, less mature Stevie Wonder a bit better. I'm not as much a fan of the slower, romantic ballads (e.g. Visions, Golden Lady, All in Love is Fair). There are still some great, funky classics here like Living for the City and Higher Ground. Whenever I travel to NYC for work the first thing I always say when I get out of my Lyft at the hotel is, "New York City, just like I pictured it. Sky scrapers and everything!" Great album, 4 stars.
This is a great album by one of music's true legends, featuring some really funky grooves.
Yeah, good but didn't blow me away.
MITÄ????? R&B JOKA EI OLE PASKAA??? MUSTA MUSIIKKI.... MUSTIEN MUSIIKKI KAKKOSVERSIO... voiko... VOIKO OLLA HYVÄÄ??? Living for the city.. siinä on sitä jotain.. en kerro vielä... All in love.. hehe.. se biisi.. tsihh!! hihi neljä tähtee tsihhh hehe et ehkä ymmärrä tshihihhhih!
pretty good, i just don't like soul that much, especially old. otherwise - i see how it affected music
Прослушано! Прекрасный альбом, обязательно переслушать.
steve!
Love this album. What a classic, can't go wrong
Nothing will top Songs In the Key Of Life, but Innervisions is a wonderful album.
Stevie the hit machine. Unfortunately even though he's written multiple hits per album there is just a lot of filler too. 4 stars.
Not as goods Key of Life but still funky and thought provoking
After having Fulfillingness’ First Finale a few months ago and loving it, I had high hopes for this. I wouldn’t say I was disappointed because it is still great music, but not as initially catchy or impactful. 8/10
felt quite short but very cool and pretty i liked it 😗
Some skippable songs here IMHO, but the great songs are GREAT. Super lush production, good stuff.
Wow, never heard this before and it's awesome!
God, this is awesome. The vocals, the keyboard, piano, guitar...so damn funky. It would be pretty hard NOT to like this.
****
I think Stevie Wonder is probably one of those musicians where I think I only know a handful of songs by him, but when I actually look into it I actually know loads. My favourite of his (Sir Duke) is unfortunately not on this album, but there are still some that I know to be fantastic. Songs I already knew: Living For The City, Higher Ground, Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing Favourite after listening: Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing, Living For The City Overall: 7/10 Stevie was 23 when this was released, and it was his sixteenth album. Can you wrap your head around that? Musicians were just built different back then. When I looked at the track list and recognised some of the songs I hoped that this would be a great listen. However, aside from the ones I already knew, everything else fell a little flatter. That is not to say they were bad by any means, but goodness just compares that way with greatness. Overall, a very good album but I’ll likely only return to the songs I already knew anyway.
Stevie Wonder is wondrous. Some of the songs were more exciting than others, but I enjoyed the vibe of this album
Nice
I was super not digging this one as it kicked off. Sometimes Stevie comes across so soft that it's off-putting. But, somewhere around "Higher Ground" he stopped playing around and started laying it down. Ended up really enjoying "Innervisions" far more than expected.
Ovo je baš neki optimističan album, pun neke dobre energije. Jutro je započelo sa rezanjem kadrova iz svatova, crnim čajem i ovim albumom dok sunce probija lagano kroz maglicu i kroz moj prozor, jako lijep osjećaj.
Not what I was expecting and very up lifting listen.
Groovy
Some was so much better than I was expected - I always found Stevie Wonder a little cringey. Very talented, but just didn't vibe with it. There was some of that on this album, but the majority was just great.
It’s good. Warm and good to play in the kitchen while you cook
Lagano i ljubavno
Lovely chilled album
I do love Stevie Wonder’s early seventies synthesizer work! There are some marvelous moments on this album. It's funky and has a few important messages. It's a perfect time capsule of 1973 and mostly a great time.
Stevie ”Bangermaker” Wonder does it again
Great start to this journey! I’ll probably listen to it again today. It was amazing to hear a full-length funk album from the 70s - especially one of Stevie Wonder’s! I can definitely see that it influenced the sound of artists like Michael Jackson, Prince, and Frank Ocean. - Karimah
i'm giving this 4/5 on the strength of "don't worry bout a thing" alone, but the whole album was good
Quite a good album. I listened through it twice and both times were a bop. 3.75/5
Wow the instrumentals are mesmerizing and trippy while bringing the funk as well. Production is top notch too. Good shit!
After listening to a lot of Stevie, I’ve decided that I prefer his funky stuff over him being a balladeer. His slow stuff just doesn’t do a lot for me. Good thing this is mostly upbeat tracks, though. A-
Stevie Wonder could do no wrong for a good period of time. Higher Ground is an absolute banger of a song.
Plenty of inversions in sound, ‘Living for the City’ an absolute cracker
7/10. Some boring tunes, but Living For the City and He's Misstra Know It All are jams
An album that gets better as you listen to it. Lots of great piano, guitar and bass throughout. Higher ground is definitely the high point with some earlier songs missing the mark
29th July 2022 Listened on our last day in Berrias! Went to a brocante in the morning in Saint Ambroix then came home and chilled before flying home. Funky, clean production and serious serious rhythm. Loved it.
I started out thinking this wasn't the Stevie Wonder I know and then Living for the City came on. I think it is my favourite Wonder number. Higher Ground is also legendary. A truly wonderful listen.
This is definitely the start of something special in Stevie's career - you can sense the creativity brimming over, and the pure musical proficiency he brings - wow.
Overall enjoyed this album. A few of the songs are snoozers for me and not my thing because they are on the slow side but when it picks up it is great music. Enjoyed Golden Lady, Higher Ground, and a few of the other classics here. I can listen to this cleaning, working, hanging out, etc.
7/7/2022 - ALBUM #161 Today's Album: "Innervisions" by Stevie Wonder - This was a pretty fantastic introduction to Stevie Wonder from a generator perspective because it really feels like this record is Stevie transitioning into some of the songwriting and experimental techniques that would define his career. It feels much more like an intentional statement as an entire album than something like Signed, Sealed, Delivered. Although I had heard many of his hits and a fair amount of his most acclaimed record, Songs In The Key Of Life, I hadn’t really ever heard an entire project from him top to bottom, so this being such a cohesive work made it a treat to say the least. The opener, Too High is a really great start for this project, with solid funk grooves that contrast lyrics alluding to the tragedy of someone losing their life to overdose after getting “too high” too many times. The track Visions slows things down after this for a contemplative look at what Stevie invisions for the future look like and how they clash with the harsh reality of injustices today. This theme transfers over to the track Living For The City, where a man moves into the city with barely enough and ends up getting incarcerated by racist police for a crime he didn’t even know he was committing. The voice clips of the policemen and jailer putting this man away hit so hard on a first listen and really make you feel the inequality going on. This theme of Stevie putting these injustices and “innervisions” to song continues throughout the track list and I particularly like the closing track He’s Misstra Know-It-All because it tells the listener exactly who is to blame for all of this injustice: The fast talking business man that thinks he knows everything. It’s almost poetic the way Stevie describes these pieces of shit people that exist in mass in our world and cause so much suffering for others without any regard for it. Now in terms of the actual music on the record, I think there is quite a large array of different moods and styles that Stevie is weaving together here quite well. I like the track Golden Lady for its amazing synth/piano work and its expressive chorus. Higher Ground is a great track as well with a bubbly funk guitar, some interesting cymbal work, and an uplifting message. All In Love Is Fair is one of the shining ballads on the album and it does a good job of capturing the emotion felt in a tough romantic situation. It’s also one of the most passionate vocal performances from Stevie on this album and boy does he blow it out of the park There are moments where I felt that the instrumental pallet felt a bit flatter than what I would typically expect on a Stevie Wonder project, especially when compared to a lush project like SITKOL, but I think the songwriting on this album really makes up for where it lacks sonically. Overall, this is an album jam packed with flavor, personality, soul, and a healthy amount of experimentation. It may not be what I initially expected to get out of a Stevie Wonder album, but the more I listened to it, the more I embraced the thematic songwriting choices he went for. Give this one a listen if you can handle soulful funk grooves and punchy ballads. Highlights: Too High, Visions, Living for the City, Golden Lady, Higher Ground, All in Love is Fair, Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing, He’s Misstra Know-It-All Score: 8/10 A particularly introspective and experimental album from the great Stevie Wonder
Innervisions was a wildly successful album for Wonder, regaled with widespread critical acclaim and and an Album of the Year award from the Grammy's. Listening, it's easy to understand why: Wonder is a master of soul and composition. He weaves beautiful songs of life and love and the complex landscape of America. Moreover, he's a fantastic multi-instrumentalist, which helps bring his vision to full fruition on his own terms. I only wish the production allowed Wonder's songs to have a bit more punch to them, as many come across as flat, which doesn't do the songs justice.
Just some great tunes. Man, I love Stevie Wonder. Best track: Higher Ground
Solid album, filled with funk & soul.
Solid Stevie
Un petit rayon de soleil
It's Stevie Wonder. Always good stuff. Higher Ground is prob my fav song on here.
8/10
Some classics in here but I think my favorite was Living for the City. Still relevant today.
Other than his hits and "Songs in the Key of Life" I have no experience with Stevie Wonder. So, I recognize a couple songs on this record but I'm hearing the album tracks for the first time. The guitar and electric piano interplay on "Visions" was unanticipated and really enjoyable. Of course, "Living for the City" is a great song. Something I don't talk about enough in these review is album art. I really like the cover art for this record.
Stevie’s imperial period. He could do it all, and he made it groove!
Stevie Wonder is just one of those musicians for me ... don't own a single album, know a pile of his music and it's almost like it has been just there always...so listening to some of these tracks, especially something like Living in the City and not sure why but hearing how relevant and strong that track is just shocked me. And Higher Ground is a classic.
Another perfectly produced album by Stevie! The songs are not as impactful as other releases, but the sound is really the selling point.
This is a great album. Social commentary, themed, imaginative, beautifully produced, suffused with craft. Hadn't listened all the way through before and was really happy I did.
Admittedly, I'm not Stevie's biggest fan. I mean I love his music and hearing his big singles is always fun, but on whole albums I tend to find his brand of smooth soul a little too... smooth. Or gentle, let's put it this way. That's why I prefer the tracks that has a little more edge, like Living for the City. But having said that, it's obviously a classic and I can only admire his work even if it's not the first thing I'll want to hear when I want some soul.
Smooth vibe. Such a great soulman - classic album.
I've always enjoyed the soulful playing and creativity of Stevie Wonder, especially in songs like Golden Lady or Visions, on which the guitar is absolutely beautiful and well rendered. Groovy synth tones found on this record are also very nice.
Cool
Vraiment très bon, beaucoup plus apprécié que l'autre que j'ai pogné de Stevie. Aucun moment faible vraiment. Plus un 4.5 qu'un 4
I'm glad to hear this as it expands my funk and R&B knowledge a bit more. As my first listen to Stevie Wonder, he does a great mix of mentioned genres along wonderful sax jazz and piano ballads. It's also very political with it's social issues in the first half, and I appreciate that. I'm not a fan of the cover art, which dates this release personally, but the music itself is anything but. It sounds amazing and is relevant with artists like Silk Sonic taking the torch for this sound.
very good, enjoyed the sound!
Talking Book came up recently so let's see how Stevie's sound has progressed in the 3 weeks / 9 months since then... Ooh it's good news! There's nothing as iconic as Superstition but the schmaltz has pretty much gone, replaced by experimental funk. Example: a track called 'Golden Lady' seemed like a prime candidate for schmaltziness, but turned out to be an absolute banger. I love the infinite key changes. The lyrics in the chorus to Higher Ground are much easier to understand than the RHCP version, too. Good stuff. 3.5 / 4.
The funky songs on this album are among his best. One is Living for the City but the best example is Higher Ground which is also the name of my favourite radio show.
I think the keyboard/synth riffs he lays down are iconic, influential and ahead of their time in 1973. I’m still amazed he plays most of the instruments. Like the other Stevie albums we’ve received, you have the hits and the supporting tracks. The hits on this LP are more political (a good thing by me) and the supporting tracks are more to my liking. The production isn’t as syrupy as his later efforts.
Funky. What a great guy.
This is a really good album from start to finish. 4/5
A fine album with 2 absolutely superb songs; Superstition and I Believe When I fall in Love. The rest of the album ain't half bad neither. My 2nd favorite Stevie Wonder album. 4.5 🌟
This is my second Stevie Wonder album and it further confirms that he's a national treasure and can do no wrong. Pretty crazy that I haven't even gotten songs in the key of life yet. Also Higher Ground is a banger
Ridiculously talented stuff.
Great album, always uplifting and smile-inducing
One is Stevie's least crap albums. I love Stevie, but a lot of the album tracks don't stand out.
I listened to it blindfolded.
Vibes
In which Mr. Wonder plays the organ. Innervisions is ONE of this iconic sounds from a period where Stevie Wonder constantly reinvents his sound'. Crossing over Soul, Jazz, Gospel, Spiritual, and good ole' Rock-N-Roll, Innervisions is a home run.
4.5/5. I have listened to this before, and on this listen I found this album more enjoyable than the first. It is a very solid album, as most of Wonder's albums are. The funk and soul go so well together, and it makes this a very enjoyable album.
One of my all time favourite albums and possibly my favourite by Stevie.
Never listened to a Stevie album before but I truly enjoyed it more than I thought. Great listen and good variety of tunes
can hear Stevie Wonders' influence on artists like Thundercat or Anderson Paak. Funky w/ a side of Jazz. Higher Ground track is a classic that has a bop to it that I love. Don't Worry About a Thing track is boomer city. Nice album just not my cup of tea.
Was lovely listen. Thought I wouldnt dig it that much but boy was i wrong. I enjoyed every track !
Wow we needed this after the previous album, some lighthearted fun from the big SW. I really enjoyed this, as I always do. The kind of funk and fun we all need. Don't you worry about a thing was a highlight,
Funky Stevie Wonder is just the absolute best. He covers so much depth and harshness about the world while still managing to get you toes tapping. I don't like this album as much as Songs In the Key of Life, but it is still one of his best works from his most fruitful period 4/5
It was a revelation when it came out. Living For the City a and Higher Ground are top shelf, but the rest doesn't reach that standard.
OK, no denying this is a phenomenal album and Stevie Wonder is really a musical genius. The heavy use of synthesizers, which was totally innovative. But this album is also noted as a massive influence in the direction of R&B and soul music going forward. And if I'm honest, I'd much rather listen to R&B or soul from the 50s and 60s than the 70s and 80s. The synthesizer-heavy R&B of the 80s is shit. So... great album with a terrible legacy? Shit... just listened to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" and realized that the terrible damage this album may have done to R&B ushered in some classics of the 80s and deserves some credit.
i mean, it's a classic but i can only give 4 as a couple of mediocre tracks (visions, jesus children).
Great album by Mr Wonder
Anytime we get a Stevie Wonder album I know I'm in for a treat. I've heard this title before, but not the album. As expected, really great album, it makes sense why he dominated the Grammys for as long as he did. Just fantastic grooves all over this. I wouldn't put it up there with Songs in the Key of Life but it's still a great ride. Favorite tracks: Higher Ground, Living for the City, Too High, All in Love is Fair, Don't You Worry Bout a Thing. Album art: That's another thing about Stevie Wonder, great album arts. This one is really nice, love the landscape and the color palate. The poor guy's blind and yet has some of the best covers to look at. 4.5/5
The record is just good. I like Talking Book more overall but I think the highs on this album are better.
The fact that Stevie performed six of these songs himself is insane. I've seen commercials with "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" in it and would've expected that would've ruined it for me, but I still enjoyed it, especially with the added latin flair throughout the song. Strong funk, soul, gospel record. Favorite tracks: "Living for the City", "Jesus Children of America"
Muy buen disco
Stevie Wonder is always worth a listen! Stand out song is obviously Higher Ground, but the whole album is solid
this was pleasantly surprising. the sound is so unlike any other stuff i'v heard from the 70's, much less by stevie wonder, but i really really liked this!! yaayy
Great album. Thoroughly enjoyed. "Living for the City" was wonderful on headphones. And who doesn't love the funky sound of "Higher Ground".
Damn fine album.
good length. great songs. living for the city and higher ground are obvs the best