Reviews (page 9 of 14)
Notes
I'm in between a three and a four. It's not my kind of music but I can appreciate it for what it is.
Love me some Stevie. This is a great one!
Fun! Just not as good as Songs in the Key of Life. But Stevie is great.
Yes, Stevie Wonder! Great album! 4
Starts a little slow with Too High (I get it you're hallucinating) but gets better fast with Visions, Living for the City, Golden Lady and Higher Ground. I like the Red Hot Chili Peppers version of Higher Ground but Stevie Wonder kills it. I'm not loving the back half of the album, the big hits from this album are awesome but the rest is mostly average. It all kind of plays like a softer What's Going On, speaking of which, I like the hits less generally speaking, but the rest of the songs on the album are much, much better. In a Verzuz, I think What's Going On wins based on the hits, but I'd be much more likely to put Innervisions on to listen through. No joke as soon as the album finished, what song came on Spotify? What's Going On.
A good introduction to more than just the singles Stevie. A solid album with a lot of diversity and good, funky music. Enjoyable.
Stevie Wonder lyrics can be a little too cheesy at times, but this is such an eclectic mix of styles and subject matter that draws you in enough to overlook any small issues there. Just a great album.
Nice find, sometimes a bit too "loungey"
I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Love Stevie Wonder and the all the funk was fun. Bonus that the lyrics had so much meaning. I don’t however see myself replaying the album. It’s really more of a one and done for me. I guess I find his more commercial stuff something I’d rather listen to on a daily basis.
Just wonderful.
I'm not saying I'm right, but I did prefer Songs in the Key of Life and Talking Book. This is a solid album and the funk is incredible. If this got me on a better day when I could've listened more clearly I wouldn't be surprised if I could've found more but it's a great album.
First time all the way through. Pretty freakin great!
Higher Ground
damn, this album slapped so hard. I'll be honest, wasn't sure what to expect but hot damn, this was fire. shout out to 'Higher Ground'. the first time I ever heard that song was in the Power Rangers movie with the RHCP cover and i will forever love this song. living in the city, all in love is fair, and don't you worry bout a thing are all bangers. this album is just silky smooth and super fun to listen to. I dig it. give me more Stevie
I always thought Stevie Wonder was overrated, but he actually has a really soulful, fun sound. Really an enjoyable record. Best Songs: Living For The City, Higher Ground, Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing Worst Songs: He's Misstra Know-It-All
Easily my favorite Stevie Wonder album. “Living for the City” is an absolute masterpiece, and I’d consider it his magnum opus. Wonder followed many other musicians at the time who were transitioning from Motown-style love songs to socially and politically conscious protest music. Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and others got there sooner than Stevie, but Stevie ranks up there with the best of them. He critiques systemic racism, drug abuse prevalent in black communities due to lack of resources, and also just rips on Richard Nixon which is an awesome diss track. There’s also more standard love songs and songs with more upbeat messages like “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing”, “Golden Lady”, and “Higher Ground” which together seem to convey a message that there’s a lot going wrong, but we have to cherish the things going right and work hard to correct the things going wrong. Granted, we haven’t made much progress as of 2024 correcting the societal ills of 1973, certainly not as much progress as someone from 1973 would have hoped for, but there’s still millions and even billions of people fighting the good fight. This album is also a masterpiece of production. What could have been a series of disjointed messages is linked by Wonder’s absolutely brilliant mind. He played almost every instrument and layered everything on top of each other for a coherent sound that ties the whole album together regardless of the tonal shifts. He isn’t given enough credit for some of the production techniques that he helped develop, like the extensive use of overdubbing which was later used by Bruce Springsteen, or the blending of non-studio and studio sounds that became prevalent in rap music. It’s scary but awe-inspiring to me that Stevie nearly died in a car crash (…he was the passenger) right after this album’s release and then released another brilliant album a year later.
This sounds great. The music is catchy and funky, with something tender in between.
Stevie is always welcome
Loved the Rhodes keyboard. Stand out tracks: - Living in the city - Jesus children of America - Higher Ground
4 stars
Stevie!
I liked this
Well, it's Stevie. He's quite awesome.
Stevie is an absolute legend, & even an album supposedly devoid of "hits" like this one is miles above some of the crap on this collection. And a full third of the album is Stevie doing every instrument & track (as well as much of the production) *by himself* (for the kiddies who don't already know: Stevie Wonder is also BLIND). Higher Ground is a fun listen for people who heard RHCP's cover first. And "Livin' in the City" is a harsh reminder that we still haven't fixed America's racial inequality problems over 50 years later. So like... let's get on that, people. -_-
Good stuff
I love Stevie Wonder but this isn't my favorite album. That being said, everyone knows Higher Ground & Living for the City, but my favorite track here is He's Misstra Know-It-All. Still a great album, just not the first (or the second, or even the third) that I would turn to if I was in the mood for some Stevie.
Almost everything Stevie has to offer can be found here with Higher Ground being the star of the show and Don’t You Worry and Living right up there. Funky tunes with social comment/observation that doesn’t feel preachy.
nice album! i haven't listened to a lot of stevie wonder before but i've liked everything i've heard. this album's sound really encapsulates the 70s for me. great vocals, guitar, and synth. favorite tracks- Golden Lady and Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing (a classic)
I've always appreciated Stevie but never took to a whole album as a symbol of what he was during the 70's. This might be it. Polished and slicker than the other Soul/R&B that I'm drawn to of that era. I'm taking by the mix of jazz influence, pop and social commentary he brings to this album. Mullings: is Higher Ground a perfect representation of the time or ahead of its time. Requires more listings.
A lot of gems here. Great trajectory: I enjoyed it more and more as it went on.
im not the biggest soul fan and i dont like stevie as much as i do gaye and some other big soul artists but this is better than songs in the key of life and living for the city is great so it gets a 7/10.
YES. This is the vibe I needed this week! Jazzy, a laid-back kind of self-aware, and simply exuding cool. Some lyrics sound a bit dated (ex. Living for the City, which is also kind of overlong) highlights: Visions, Jesus Children of America, All In Love is Fair (this is my favorite), He’s Misstra not-highlights: Not the biggest fan of spoken-word intros. Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing is great in everything but the intro… 4/5
Black man swagger funk. Vibes are unreal easy 4/5
Very very good Stevie is the man
what a groove ! so many good bass lines. 4 stars
Great album. Nuff said.
Good album. Higher ground is probably weakest track
Bangers, with some sleepy ones throughout
The transitions on this album are sick. Great album to listen to walking around the city.
He makes it sound so easy.
Great songs, some are a little heavy to me.
He’s Misstra Know-It-All low key bangs.
Key of Life is better
Another masterpiece by Stevie. Incredible songs, and if it flowed slightly better this would get a 5
Yeah 😎
Damn this is pretty great! Stevie's got one absolute hell of a voice on the go here, and his ability to hit notes in so many ranges, and how he changes his tone & singing style to suit the music, very few can pull it off like he does here. Impressive!
I like that Stevie regularly works a more serious theme into his music. I feel like he was really trying to make racial injustice palatable to a white audience. Groovy tunes as always
Chilled, cool, great. Would I listen again? Definitely!
Good, not excellent, but so close to excellent. I heard some gritty 70's funk in the album mixed with the regular Stevie Wonder pop vibes. I would have liked it better to lean into one or the other; it left me a little wanting by the end.
Started off very strong. There is a bit in the middle that's mostly talking that takes you out of it. It gets back into the good stuff pretty quickly, but that jarring middle keeps me from giving full marks.
Tracks 3 & 5 alone earn this album 4 stars from me! But 6, 8, & 9 are cool too.
Pretty solid album
First time hearing, enjoyed
Mér hefur alltaf fundist mjög gaman að hlusta á Stevie Wonder en aldrei hlustað á heila plötu með honum (þetta er svolítið gegnumgangandi með þekktari tónlistarmenn hjá mér virðist vera). Þarna voru kannski ekki neinir rosalegir slagarar en þetta var samt þannig plata að ég mun setja hana á fóninn af og til. Ég sé fyrir mér að hlusta á hana við matarborðið eða í bakgrunni í stofunni. Fínasta áhlustun.
Great soulful funk.
Stevie wonder slaps
Too High - conflicted. might be one of the worst songs to be high & listening to. if you don’t listen to the lyrics, it’s a vibe. but if you do, and you’re any amount of paranoid it’s kind of the worst. I just listened to Mr. Hands by Herbie Hancock right before this because i actually really liked listening to Headhunters and this has a similar groove but Stevie is making my nervous. maybe i just have my own shit to work through! Visions - take me away, Stevie Living for the City - super nice. my vibe was a little ruined bc a random guy asked if he could turn me into meditative art. but that isn’t stevie’s fault i can’t hold that against him. okay well now he’s getting arrested now. Golden Lady - beautiful transition from the last song. beautiful in general Higher Ground - i know this song! good Jesus Children of America - uhhh i don’t remember but that means it can’t have been terrible All in Love if Fair - honestly not one of my favorites. idk why Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing - he speaks very fluent spanish 🥴 He’s Misstra Know-It-All - not one of my favs either good album tho. 4/5. probably would be someone else’s 5/5 but it’s not entirely my shit, yk?
Years since I heard this. The album is pretty varied in styles and themes with all the Stevie trademarks. Sounds a little dated on some track, early synthesizer stuff seems prevalent of this.
2 great songs, a couple of good songs and the rest were ok.
livin for the citay...
genius
This is very fun indeed, a lot of carefree energy interspliced with a lot of outta nowhere heavy subjects that just stick with you.
Didn’t realize I liked Stevie Wonder until this. Very catchy and can see why it’s influential while still remaining pretty unique.
This was really great, no complaints.
Good production. higher ground is a great song.
No where near as good as songs in the key of life. At times it seems a bit over dramatic. It could do with a bit more of the funkier elements we would later see from stevie Don't Worry About a Thing is a highlight. And Hes Misstra Know it All Is superb.
Another Stevie classic.
SO. FUCKING. PEAK.
Yeah yeah yeah, mid 70's Stevie Wonder is great.
Favorite Tracks: Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing Higher Ground Too High
Another solid album from Stevie. I think I like this one better than Songs in the Key of Life, personally.
Some classic Stevie Wonder. Some very interesting Stevie.
Something of a transitional album for soul giant Stevie Wonder, bridging from his early pop work into more complex songwriting, both musically and thematically. This album shines bright with the typical soul elements such as drums and bass, but also plays successfully with synths and electric pianos. Some tracks are a little experimental in their melodies, but the lows definitely don't detract from the highs. Stand out tracks include "Visions", "Living for the City", "Higher Ground", and "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing".
Great album from Stevie Wonder and even more impressive to see that he played 90% of the instruments on the album. Introduced me to the concept of prog-soul. I'd heard of prog-rock before, but not prog-soul.
Great tunes, good lyrics.
First listen Saved 6/9 Best track: Higher Ground
Fantastic album, thoroughly listenable from start to finish, fantastic social commentary whilst being listenable with some solid average love songs
Nu al een stuk beter dit was lekker hoor. Higher ground echt een banger.
Prima hoor. Begin was erg sterk, daarna blende alles een beetje samen.
Erg leuk album, higher ground is natuurlijk even een momentje zen genietnen.
fucking banger Injecteer Higher Ground recht mn aderen in ik ben echt een dibo
love last 2 tracks, so nice
Standouts: Living For The City, Golden Lady, Higher Ground, Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing. Whimsical otherwise
Can’t go wrong with Stevie Wonder
Enjoyable album, Stevie has a smooth voice and his choice of instruments pairs nicely, songs are soothing and relaxing jazz vibes. Enjoyable album so far. Very diverse album, the almost tango like song in don’t worry about a thing as well as pop flairs in this album such as higher ground. After finishing I’d say this album has a little bit for everyone and I’d give it a 7.5/10
- ahhhh I love myself some Stevie Wonder - Ich finde der Mann ist ein Paradebeispiel für eine sackstarke Diskografie. Besonders zwischen '71 und '85 hat der Kollege Alben rausgehauen… unfassbar. Auf jedem Album konsequent mind. zwei große Hits. - Wie man als Einzelkünstler ein oder gleich mehrere Musikgenres so sehr prägen und auch verändern / neues Leben einhauchen kann, finde ich wahnsinnig beeindruckend - Meines Wissens nach, höre ich hier grad keine Remastered Version von Innervisions und HOLY FUCK klingt dieses Album 50 Jahre später fantastisch!!! - Herrlich arrangierte Song, in Stevies Stimme Power und Gefühl zugleich, der legendäre Wha-Wha Sound seiner Orgel - Mit „Higher Ground“, „Don’t You Worry Bout A Thing“ (und ggf. „Living For The City“) bestätigt sich meine mindestens-2-Hits-Theorie - Insgesamt der perfekte Start in einen wunderbar entspannten Morgen! Rating: 4,25-4,5
- Das war cool. WIeder mal ein Album, bei dem ich überrascht war, wie viele Songs, Samples oder Melodien man doch kennt. - Higher Ground natürlich absoluter Bangera - Stevie Wonder einfach eine geile Stimme und als Komponist ein Genie. Jedes Stück ist irgendwie total markant und charakteristisch. Alles fühlt sich super rund und "perfekt" an - Die Beats grooven wie sau - Auch beim nochmal durchskippen bestätigt sich der Eindruck. Einfach eine geile Platte 4,25/5
Too High fand ich als Einstieg erstmal gar nicht so gut, wobei das Album für mich danach dann stark angezogen hat. Wirklich stimmig und entspannt (gerade wieder mal für den Start in den Arbeitstag). Hatte Stevie Wonder nie so auf dem Schirm, aber werde ich nochmal hören.
Good album.
Fed futuristisk lyd, vanvittig stemme. Nogen gigantiske bangers herpå, men også et par numre der bare ikke lige er min stil (som holder den under 5 stjerner)
amazing production and vocals 4/5
Dang, what a brilliant album.
Clssic stevie, political, a little preachy, solid musicality
Not heard the whole album before. Enjoyed it. Great voice.
Loved it
It's definitely a strong album, but a couple songs didn't have that spark for me. I would still listen to it again for sure, though.
Spot on funk. Exactly what you might expect from Stevie Wonder.
Some of the best Soul I've heard
Better than Talking Book IMO. Wonder’s rhythm shines much better in this album and is just overall a better experience, despite some of the songs feeling lesser quality.
Misstra Play-It-All
stevie wonder: log defeater, synth pioneer and Nixon disser a wonder indeed
Good shit
Great album. Every time I listen to the early Stevie songs I wonder what it would sound like if it was recorded today!!!
Stevie is great! Sounds even better in headphones
Classic 70s LP from Stevland Morris Wonder.
I haven never really given Stevie Wonder a chance. I think it's because I had a different idea of what kind of musician he was. I think maybe I just thought he was a bit of a mainstream pop artist that wrote love songs. The opening track was a bit of an eye opener. I didn't think he'd have a song about being too high haha. The synths sound awesome and funky. I'm a sucker for synth. The political messaging in Living For The City was powerful as were the female vocals. Higher Ground is amazing. Jesus Children of America is such a great soul/funk song.
I already got this one a few weeks ago. So here is my review: 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.
one of the funkiest, coolest artists ever! 16 album in 1972 this dude has been around! This was great and you can hear its impact on may artists today. what a dude! Love = higher ground!
Stevie met encore une fois sa claque à tous les autres artistes du générateur. Dommage pour lui, Eddy Mitchell continue de roder et de grogner autour de sa propriété.
Stevie ne se prive pas poru venir ridiculiser les autres artistes du générateur, et on l'en remercie.
Everyone knows Stevie Wonder. But, I don’t think everyone knows all of these songs. I sure didn’t.
A classic Stevie Wonder album. It’s dated but in a historic kind of way, a good way. Not an album I’d put on but definitely entertaining.
4.1 - great album, tired not got much to say
Great album. The musicianship and mixing is so impeccable. Too High - wonderfully smooth, but has some edge to it. A bluesy undertone to the "Too High" refrain. Visions - this is a fine song, but I'm here for the funk and the grooves rather than the ballads. Living for the City - the main riff of this one doesn't really captivate me, but the way the track builds and the spoken word/foley interlude builds a really compelling song. Golden Lady is sultry. So earthy. Higher Ground - iconic. Stevie played all the instruments on this track. Jesus Children of America - another solid track, but not too much to say about this one. All In Love Is Fair - again, not such a big fan of the ballads. Don't You Worry Bout A Thing - this is not my favourite track either, Latin vibes. He's Misstra Know-It-All - a gentle closer. I have to imagine this album sounded refreshing in 1973, and it still sounds fantastic today. Fave Tracks: Golden Lady, Higher Ground 4/5
Some sounds I wouldn't have associated with SW so that's nice. Very good but didn't punch me in the face so misses out on a grade 5.
Funky but not always funky on every track. The different instruments used throughout the album really add a lot. And of course, Stevie’s voice is timeless. ‘Higher Ground’ and ‘Don’t You Worry Bout a Thing’ and absolute classics and by far the best songs on the album. Bass line on ‘Too High’ makes me want to have loud-ass noise cancelling headphones on while I smoke a blunt. ‘Golden Lady’ is a jam. Kinda reminds me of melodies that Chicago would have in their songs.
Lively, sometimes lost itself though
I especially like the song Visions
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
Standout Track- Too High
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.