Talking Book

This was ok. I didn’t really vibe with it.

I liked this better than his other album on here.

Stevie wonder is good but I can’t listen to him all day. Enjoyable album tho

The album opens strongly enough with Sunshine of my life and Maybe your baby, but the subsequent couple of tracks feel distinctly filler. At his worst Stevie can stray firmly into keyboard driven schmaltz and this album is not immune from that. Things pick up with You’ve got it bad girl, which sets you up nicely for the undeniable classic. Superstition is Stevie Wonder at his best. The funky brass filled joy of the backing will always make you feel joy. Big brother is an interesting track with its simple backing track and ernest lyrics. I’m not sure i know how i feel about it, as every time i feel i really like it the lyrics just jar a bit. Looking for another pure love feels like an attempt to writing another Sunshine of my life but fails to locate the spark that lifts that up. In the end it just feels a bit blah and repetitive I Believe closers the album in a strong note walking the fine line of those before, settling on the great songs. Unfortunately the album just feels too inconsistent for a great album.

Undoubtedly “Superstition” is the standout track on this album; when the horn section kicks in midway through the first verse, the effect almost feels visceral. Sadly, the rest of the album feels almost like filler in comparison. It starts promisingly, but after “Maybe Your Baby”, never really gets to the cohesive heights that will be found on an album like Innervsions or Songs in the Key of Life.

This album really suffers from having Superstition on it, because frankly what album wouldn't - that's as near a perfect track as it's possible to get. I would have absolutely loved Maybe Your Baby if it cut the number of repetitions of "maybe your baby" in the last 3rd of the track by about 50% (we get it!). You And I having the theremin-like synth on it seemed like an odd choice for a fairly schmaltzy ballad. It did set it apart from the various other schmaltzy ballads though. I like funky Stevie Wonder much better than ballad Stevie Wonder, but it's hard to deny the talent. I enjoyed this just fine, but a little less than I expected I think. 3/5

Soulful funk and funky soul with some r&b. Both deep dirty funk and smooth poppy funk, often at the same time and often makes the highlights. Clavy keyboard galore, which he showcases his talents on. Stevie Wonder is a masterful musician, singer, and songwriter. I can appreciate the craft more than I’m interested in listening to this album, outside of a few standout songs.

Not the album for me, not a single song that I’m really into either but I do respect it and for 1972 is pretty good

am freitag ;-( .. zwei songs die ich kannte, der rest in gewohnter wonder-manier - ich bin wohl in seine classic-period hineingeboren ;-)

Far too many love songs dripping with sweetness. The funkier songs like Superstition are great, but I don’t need to listen to You Are The Sunshine Of My Life ever again.

Listening to Stevie Wonder is always a good time, so I'm excited for this. And the album starts off the right way! The opener is sweet and warm, as any love song should be. Maybe Your Baby changes the mood a bit and brings out a funkier side. However, it does overstay its welcome a bit. You And I makes me want to be at a festival, high out of my mid, with a lighter in my hand going from side to side. It's a beautiful heartfelt ballad. Tuesday Heartbreak is fine, but nothing too exciting. You've Got It Bad Girl gets better the longer it goes, so I feel like I'll like it more with further listens. Superstition is incredibly funky and incredibly fun. That bass line is the highlight, but everything else is up to par too. Big Brother is a political song, a theme that is common in Wonder's discography. Talking of being secluded and ignored by politicians until election time, Wonder gives voice to the small man who the system oppresses. Blame It On The Sun is another slower, ballad-type song. It's about being confused with your feelings and sudden lack of love, and so blaming external, natural things. Eventually, the singer realizes that the fault is his. It's nice. The track after that kind of just comes and goes without leaving much. The closer is another ballad, and while I like the ending, I don't quite love the beginning and middle. This was another good album by Mr. Stevie Wonder. While there were some moments that bordered on dull, I was very pleased with some tracks here! And I believe some others could benefit from repeated listens. For now, it's good. Bye

Classic Stevie Wonder sound, album with Superstition on it. Maybe Your Baby has a similar funk sound. Interspersed with slower ballady songs, like You and I Best track (other than Superstition) - Maybe Your Baby

6/10

Beyond the spectacular Superstition, the songs here never really rise above what is best described as ‘a pretty good’ Stevie Wonder album. The material here is quite repetitive. Things start off nicely with the lovely Sunshine of my Life, and that kind of sets the theme moving all throughout the album. So there’s not a lot of interesting song writing going on. But it’s easy listening, and I’m more than happy to let Stevie do his thing. ✨

Never realized that 90s boybands simply copied Stevie's homework this whole time. (Also I picked this one to listen to because I needed something chill after Offspring and SOAD - it was a good choice)

I like this one but I'm not sure I love it. It's fine and probably sacrilegious but just not my jam. 3 stars Freaking love Superstition of course, but this a rating for the whole album, song 5 stars

There is superstition…..

Superstition est la pièce de résistance de cet album, qui se déplie autour comme des pétales plus veloutées.

Less off a snooze than I thought going into it. It's not for me, but the songwriting seems interesting enough. Too many sappy love songs. 3/5

Too many songs that aren't Superstition

Not something I’m gonna listen to all the time but I could definitely appreciate it. Also I’m 99% sure Stevie Wonder isn’t actually blind. Highlights “Superstition” “Tuesday Heartbreak”

The faster funky songs are phenomenal. The slower songs are pretty boring. Unfortunately there's way too many of the slow songs

Sunshine is a wonderful sentiment and a nice song. Superstition is fantastic. Stevie lets it rip, and it makes my ears happy. The rest of the album, however, is pretty meh. One more good track and this would get a 4, but alas, even with the 6/5 Superstition, a 3 is all it is.

it was pretty good

This album has some real highs and some real lows. I enjoyed the soulful vocals, but several songs (Maybe Your Baby, You've Got It Bad Girl, Lookin' For Another Pure Love) dragged on way too long. Superstition is iconic and legitimately the only Stevie Wonder song I knew coming into this album, but I was pleasantly surprised by several other tracks on the album. Favorite Tracks: Superstition, Tuesday Heartbreak

Most of the tracks on Talking Book are uninteresting in subject matter (typical crooning love songs), but I found "Blame it on the sun" to be a really great song. The melancholy tone combined with a bit of a different perspective on love made it stand out from the rest of the album. I enjoyed most of the instrumental grooves on Talking Book, but an otherwise great album suffered overall from its lack of lyrical interest. "Superstition" is of course a highlight as well, as it showcases Stevie Wonder's more aggressive vocals and a different--more interesting--subject.

3.2 I don't fully get Stevie. If you take out Superstition, it's a pretty bland album. The only bit of excitement, something different is Maybe my Baby with the intriguing coda. However, when you include Superstition, an absolutely phenomenal track, it both pulls the album up with it's brilliance but also let's it down by highlighting how lacklustre the majority of the other tracks are. I fear I sound like a record label saying "I like Superstitious, do more of that" but my god Stevie. Please.

Stevie Wonder is not hiding his message(s). Undoubtedly skilful and passionate execution. The mid tempo soul ballads (You and I, Lookin’ for Another Pure Love, …) leave me somewhat underwhelmed - partly because of their “on the nose” lyrics. Album sounds vibrant, but has too less edges for my taste; esp. those aforementioned ballads. Maybe Your Baby and Superstition have a killer, driving backbeat. While there are superb melodies and harmonies elsewhere (keys/synth on You’ve Got it Bad Girl or the vocals on Blame it on the Sun and I Believe), the record would have benefitted from some more “gut punching” uptempo sections making it a more varied, dynamic collection of songs. Sadly, the amazing final section of the album (prog-soul outro of I Believe) ends abruptly and the style isn’t spelled out over these 10 tracks very often.

Decent but not loving it - includes Superstition of course

It's a nice sounding album, but that is it. Superstition is a banger tho

S'écoute bien même si on s'ennuie souvent. Mentions spéciales aux bangers Maybe your baby et Superstition

I liked Maybe your Baby, that's about it. Nothing else stood out and im an idiot for thinking so I'm well aware. Not bad, didn't dislike anything. 6/10

Compared to Innervisions this lacks flavour. Lovely soul to this and Superstition is naturally the standout, but felt a bit beige from Stevie

Some good songs but it leans into ballad territory a bit too much. A little bit too sugary in places for me.

Many Stevie Wonder hits

not bad

Considerably less potent than Innervisions, but then again that's a very high bar. Still would rather listen to a middling Stevie Wonder album than most other music ever produced though (probably).

3/5 Ihan jees. Hyvää mussiikkia, ei vaan ehkä niin oma juttu.

Look I Love Stevie Wonder, but for some reason this album just didn't hook me like I thought it would.

funky town, 7/10

Pretty solid funky jams. Superstition is a classic and You and I is a great one I’ve never heard before. 7/10

c: you are the sunshine of my life h: superstition

3.5 - good album just leaned to heavily into the sappy love songs

Two world hits that you can't ignore, for the rest hmmm

Much better than Bowie's "Heroes"

Stevie is good. I like Stevie, but not all the damn time.

a mix of funk & ballads (and some funky ballads), Stevie never disappoints. "Superstition" has one of the best arrangements of all-time.

Far too saccharine for my tastes, but everyone agrees that Superstition is an absolute bop

This album came out in 1972 (and so did I!) and I can appreciate it for what it is, but not quite my cup of tea. Many of the songs are a bit on the schlocky side (sorry, Stevie). But no denying this dude is a force of nature.

I want to be able to say otherwise, but can’t lie. Besides Superstition and maybe one or two other songs, this album just isn’t really for me. I can’t find the right word, but it just gives a bit of corny campfire sing-a-long to me.

Decent. We enjoyed.

A marvel of multitracking, this album is more admirable than awesome. It must take an amazing amount of forethought to be able construct a completed song with yourself on nearly every instrument. Wonder also pushes the boundaries of pop and R&B music by using (what were at the time) cutting-edge synthesizers in place of conventional instruments, charting a course that would be followed by successors such as Prince and The Gap Band. "Superstition" stomps, obviously. The tight songwriting of "You Are the Sunshine" keeps it from being too lightweight. "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever" is a minor classic. "Tuesday Heartbreak" is solid but not stellar. "Big Brother" gets a big lift from its interesting arrangement. Some of these songs are loosely structured (e.g. "You Got It Bad Girl") or overly complex (e.g. "Blame It On The Sun") which blunts their impact. "Maybe Your Baby" is a long mostly two-chord jam that sounds like it was more fun to make than to listen to. "You and I (We Can Conquer the World)" honestly would have been better as a straight piano ballad without the sci-fi synthesizer embellishments.

Pretty cool. Beginning of a strange trend where I listen to an album I've never heard 90% of, but randomly in the middle a song that I've heard a million times starts playing. It's jarring and takes me out of the experience. Other than that I love a lot of the melodies, but a few songs find a motif and just stay on it for a very long time with little change. It sounds nice, but I'm add and need change more frequently. Also song #3 i think it is was recorded with very different acoustics. It feels more like a bonus track, but its just in the early parts of the album. Pretty ballad, but still odd. I like the songs on this project but it doesn't sound very cohesive to me, which my preferred albums have more of.

Thought I would enjoy this more than I did. Not as many hits and felt a little forced at some points. Still- not a bad a albun

The hits are great, you and I is a pretty solid ballad, some of the other songs get a little bit too repetitive for me. I’ll come back to the major songs often on, probably not the album is a hole. Maybe it’s because it’s an older album, Does not quite grab me as much as the others. But still worth a listen.

After Innervisions, I was expecting a similar quality album, I was wrong. The album isn't bad, but the quality just isn't there on most of the songs. There are a lot of simple, filler, songs on here. Stevie's vocals are still great on every track, but it's not enough for me to enjoy the songs if the music and melodies are simple, repetitive and unimaginative. Superstition stands out massively. You would think that the rest of the album is made in a similar style at least, they don't all have to be hits, but no. The rest of the album is just simple, filler, love songs. If they included one or two of these then it would be fine in my opinion, to take a break with a simple, yet emotional song, but not the whole album. I kept catching myself expecting something to happen in the empty parts of songs, a guitar/piano riff, bass/drum fill, anything, and they would fit in great, but that is just not what the album is about. Again, not a bad album, but I was expecting more, everything I loved on Innervisions, the great musicianship, a wide range of instruments, tasteful and complex melodies, interesting rhythm sections and great production which fits everything in, just isn't found here.

I love his voice, I love his funk, but was a little disappointed with the other songs… is that ok to say? Favorite song was maybe your baby, hadn’t heard that one and it was fantastic.

Superstition is such a banger, felt out of place on this album

Pretty good. The seemingly filler tracks were boring and repetitive. However there were some solid ones.

This was a pretty good album and the well-known songs get stuck in your head easily. The other songs aren't bad either, but overall, this isn't my style of music.

It's fine, but it's no Innervisions. Other than "Superstition" none of the songs do much for me. They're not bad, but I listened to this twice and that's the only one that's sticking with me.

Not my favourite of his classic run. It's all a bit slow and the songs aren't as good as Fullfillingness or Music of my Mind. Obviously, Superstition more than makes up for it.

estuvo bueno pero no se me hizo lo mejor del mundo superstition sigue siendo la más destacable

Kæft der er noget beskidt funk her! Der er også nogen ballader som ikke gør så meget for mig, så det er lidt ujævnt, men det gode er VIRKELIG godt.

This album was shorter and easier to listen to than "Songs In the Key Of Life", but I also find the ballads a bit boring. Superstition must be Stevies best song ever! What an absolute banger!

Ahh good ol Stevie! This has my favorite Stevie song in Superstition! And it was a good album pretty similar but not terrible!

Fantastic album that's just really not my speed. Superstition is a classic that feels slightly out of place on the album. Couple other tracks I'm enjoying, You Got It Bad Girl and Lookin For Another Pure Love, but overall, just not my speed. Some songs just feel a tad long.

LEGAL

It’s a good album. I wish I had spent more time paying closer attention to it but what I heard was really good. I’ll have to go back to it again and listen closer.

Moments of brilliance

you and i is a great love song. superstition still rocks.

Jazzy, funky, upbeat. Pretty fun listen.

Apart from obvious big hits, it's not too interesting. Shame.

you are the sunshine of life- 7 maybe your baby- the bass is crazy. 6 you and i- 6 tuesday heartbreak- 7 youve got it bad girl- 5 superstition- 7 big brother- 5 blame it on the sun- 5 lookin for another pure love- 5 i believe- 5

The funk tracks singularly lift the rest of the filler out of the muck. Rating: 3.5

Superstition is one of my all time favourite songs, hence the extra star. The rest of the LP doesn’t really do it for me.

On kyllä hyvä, asennetta vaikka on smooth, ei siis ole letkeä vaikka vois olla.

Olisipa levyllä enemmän funkkia (rokkaaminen tuo artistin pehmeään soundiin juuri sopivaa säröä), mutta en valita kaikista balladeistakaan. Esimerkiksi avausbiisin juusto alkoi tuntua kermalta toisella kuuntelukerralla. Listan guilty pelasure -palkinto kuuluu Stevielle.

Stevie wonder man, not as good as inner visions for me by quit a bit

It had 'Superstition' on it.

There’s no doubt that Stevie Wonder has done some magical and amazing things for music. “Superstition” is a classic. Sadly the rest of the album was not as magical. I was very disappointed, I thought it would be a great listen. 3 I’m afraid.

I enjoyed the two popular songs and the other ones were nice but kind of boring. High 3.

def a few good songs, indifferent to most of it tho. High 3

Smooth R'n'B album with a lot of famous tracks. A classic.

I love Superstition and I Believe, but the rest sounds like easy listening lounge music, which is not my thing.

This was a lot of fun and quite different than I expected. 3.5/5

The Stevie Wonder songs I'm most familiar with are so mainstream compared with the weird variety that you get on a full album of his (based on the two that have come up on this list so far). The more experimental stuff isn't really up my alley to be honest, but I respect the range this guy has. Superstition is one of the greatest songs ever written in my opinion. If you can hear that bass line (which I always assumed was played on a bass guitar but I just found out was actually improvised by Stevie on a clavinet) without wanting to move some part of your body you're dead inside. When the sax and trumpets come in it's so sick. Tempted to rate this a 4 just for that track, but the rest of it was kind of meh to me

2.8 not for fucking me man

at the risk of echoing the prevailing sentiment: superstition is an all time banger and everything else here is absolutely fine

The sort of basic music you'd expect to hear playing in a hotel lobby. There's nothing wrong with that, it's inoffensive and hard to dislike, but I can't help but feel like this album would make for such a boring concert. Superstition is pretty awesome though.

twas fineeee 3/5

There's a bit of 'oomph' I'm missing from the other Stevie Wonder album on this list. It has its charms, and Superstition is an amazingly funky and groovy track. But other than that, it does tend to blend together.

Stevie is insanely productive but on this record, the really fun and hitting hits are to sparsely present. Worse is that the in-between songs are really sacharine lovesongs with little that makes them stand out. Put Superstition somewhere on a playlist with songs in the key of life for the best experience.

Ohne Superstition wären es zwei Sterne

Listenable.

Обыкновенные негритянские песнопения

Favourite songs: Superstition, Maybe Your Baby, I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever), Big Brother, Tuesday Heartbreak Least favourite songs: You And I 3/5

This album didn't do much for me. It's Stevie Wonder, so it's pretty good overall, but, to me, the only standout songs are "Superstition" (which would certainly make a list of 1001 SONGS you must hear) and "I Believe" The second half of the album felt stronger than the first and probably pushed Talking Book into 3-star territory for me. It's not bad by any means, but just not memorable aside from one of the greatest songs of all time.

Some bangers like Superstition, mixed some treacly lyrics and syrupy vocals.

3/5, Bella vibe. You got it bad girl la migliore, seguita da big brother

Interesting harmonic (and harmonies!) stuff from the start, super strong turnarounds. Lots of soul, but I do wish the clean production was a bit grittier/warmer because it can get pretty heavy here and there. Rhythm section (all Stevie?) is superb. Wish there was more cohesion and a more consistent feeling to the album because it meanders a bit much for me. Favourite tracks: Maybe Your Baby, You've Got It Bad Girl, Superstition (why not lel), Blame it on the Sun

It's fine, but it's not a great album overall. Superstition is super, but lots of fluff

Listening to this on a windy staircase out loud, it is such lay low vibe however has so much oompf. A lovers album for sure.

Groovy

Good music, but not for me. Vocal-based music is just not that fun for me. I enjoyed the funky parts with more complex instrumentals a lot more than the relaxing soul ones, but unfortunately, they're not the majority. There's no denying that Stevie Wonder is a great vocalist, but I mainly enjoy music for the instruments, and there's nothing special about them on most tracks here. 7/10

I like and certainly enjoy Stevie wonder , he has some great classics specially in songs in key of life. Over the course of an album , I found it underwhelming . Superstition and sunshine of my life are great , Tuesday heartbreak and blame is on the sun are intriguing in their own ways but it’s missing that wow factor for me. I imagine watching Stevie live must be one of the most memorable performances

Some bangers

Pretty good.

Great artist. Great music. Long career.

A lot of tunes sit on the line between toetapping vibe and sickly cloying. Leaning a bit too sweet for me.

Cool keyboard. Kind of slow.

Although this does nothing for me, I can understand why other people would like this. I could also hear sounds that I feel like have been replicated by other artists later on.

A couple of hits and I now know where MC 900 FT Jesus got his samples for Adventures in Failure.

I like some of these but others just drag on soooo much. I love Superstition (of course!) and I Believe is also lovely. However, so many songs on here are extremely sappy, repetitive and plodding. I hate You and I. A really mixed record! 3

A bit of a mixed bag, this one. The high energy, funky tracks like Maybe Your Baby and Superstition (obvs!) are peerless. The slow, sentimental (You are the Sunshine..) just don't do it for me.

Pretty funky. Thumbs up.

Overall solid and enjoyable album with a few great tracks. However, nothing super special to be honest, still better than average for sure.

It was more stylistically diverse than Tim expected, but too consistently jazzy for me.

A really pleasant album with smooth songs that feels perfect to just lay back and relax to. I'm not that familiar with Stevie Wonders songs so this was a nice album to listen through to get to know his music better.

My score is 3/5 Has a couple great songs. Constant left and right panning of the keyboard on a lot of songs kind of bothered me at times. Superstition is probably in my top 25 songs of all time, so tough to give this album a 3, but overall it was just ok, with like 3 really good songs. Top songs: Superstition ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Big brother ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ I believe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Good stuff from Stevie 👍

I think my problem with this album is mostly that I want more things like "Superstition", and less jazzy love ballads. My biggest issue with Stevie from an albums perspective, which is very similar to my chief complaint about Prince, is that his default songwriting mode is the ballad. Not to seem like I'm anti-ballad, but if that's more than half your songs, I think it ruins the impact of those songs and ruins the album. Still there's some great stuff here, even if I don't love it all. 3.5 stars.

***An ok album

Classic but best songs are the singles.

Not Songs in the Key of Life good but still a worthy listen. 3.5 stars

Very hit and miss. Superstition is the best Stevie Wonder song of all time, and other songs with similar funk (Maybe Your Baby) were also great. But there was a lot of cheese (You And I) and weak sauce (You Are The Sunshine)

Fun ride. Should give Stevie wonder more looks

I love Stevie! This has a few all time classics, a few songs I should listen to more, and a few I could do without.

Lots of funk and interesting sounds going on throughout the album. Felt very different but enjoyable exploration. Superstition is a classic

Didn't dislike it but also didn't love it.

these songs don't really take me places, but goddamn those basslines

Too slow for me over all. Some good tunes.

A bit of Stevie Wonder is always good.

I may have misheard, but I suspect someone’s baby maybe done made other plans. I feel a bit bad, but Stevie Wonder just doesn’t do much for me. Superstition is, by any metric, an absolute cracker and I Believe (etc etc) is wonderful, but the rest of this just falls on the wrong side of schmalzy for me. Sorry.

First listen. Quite good.

The songs are very good and catchy. The music calms down. I like it. The transitions between the songs are a little random and confusing sometimes. My favourite song of this album was "You're the sunshine of my life".

I am very pleased that Stevie Wonder exists. I think his musical sound is pretty good and interesting and contrasts well with the typical music I might listen to. I am pleased that lots of people like this type of music. For me though: I think the main problem I have with this album in particular is that all the songs (with the exception of one or two) are entirely forgettable. They sort of meander around a bit with some nice sounds and nice backing vocals, with some interesting musical interludes. And then the next song starts. I don't really feel anything, the songs just sort of happen. Best songs: Superstition I Believe

I can’t deny Stevie Wonder is a legend but this album just didn’t hit as much as I thought it would. Still good though!

That's not my taste in music. But ok.

Overall this album is just ok for me. Not my favorite by Stevie, but still not bad.

Decent album, but not my thing. Still, it's Stevie Wonder. 3/5

Not much to say on this one. Pretty good, a couple hits, sounded as expected. Nothing blew me away, good songwriting.

Solid with a couple of major hits.

Enjoyed it, chill.

Liked this less than anticipated 6/10

Some nice highlights but a bit of filler and drift into easy listening

Some of the ballads are absolutely beautiful but they're surrounded by mediocre, boring songs.

Not my style

Superstition is amazing. Maybe Your Baby, great. Rest of the album? Not so much. 'Innervisions' is a much stronger album than this.

Some great songs, some less great

Decent. Mixed bag though. No time for more thoughts, sorry!

I found this album a bit of a mish mash. Superstition is an amazing tune but I found many of the songs a bit slow and cheesy.

Not really my style, 6/10.

Another one of Stevie Wonder's "classic period" albums. Only heard the singles from this one, though, so let's jump in! There seems to be a majority of softer soul ballads here, with a mix of synthesizer-laden funk tracks that many would know Wonder for. The latter is why I enjoy funk from this era, I mean "Superstition" is Wonder's most iconic song for a reason. Wonder's vocals plus the sounds from the Clavinet and the Moog are simply divine. The rest I guess were a bit too sappy for me. Wonder obviously has a good voice, but I just think the album as a whole was too much on the tender soul side.

stevie wonder yktv not his best album obviosuly

Too short but good

It's aight

This didn't quite get me there. 3

I enjoyed the album overall, really good playing and singing.

Bit disappointed by this. Some great tunes, mixed in with some real cheese.

All over the place and very much of its time. But it’s a good start. I prefer Post from this period.

crazy how much better than the rest of the record "Superstition" is - the rest isn't bad to listen to, but sounds very milquetoast

A third Stevie Wonder album in the list! Crazy. Started pretty weak, but after Superstition it was pretty solid.

Yeah Stevie Wonder is great - superstitious is a banger.

decent, a bit boring. Superstition obviously amazing.

very nice

Didn’t grab me like a should have

It's like...the third best Stevie Wonder album

Not my vibe exactly but can definitely see the beauty. 70s feel for sure

My expectations were likely too high for this. The famous singles are still great (Superstition, You Are the Sunshine of My Life), but the non-singles aren't all that great.

Maybe I didn't have enough time to process this one yesterday. It was all good, but didn't hit me the way that Stevie Wonder usually does

I preferred "Innervisions" because it had more standout songs. With the exception of "Superstition" this album didn't really capture me.

Superstition is the high point, but that's not to say there's any particular low point on this album. It's a little too middle of the road for my liking, but I'm going to give it 3 stars as I didn't hate it.

Maybe Your Baby is the dirtiest funk imaginable, while everyone loves Superstition, but there is a lot of schmaltz.

Ohne Superstition wären es zwei Sterne

Obviously know Stevie. I am aware of this album, never heard this. This is soulful.

soulful

I enjoyed it. Superstition is obviously the standout, but there were parts where it got a bit boring for me.

Ordentliches Album von Stevie mit zwei Klassikern “You are the Sunshine of my heart” und “Superstition”. Nett zu hören aber auf dem Album ist eine gehörige Portion Langeweile.

Stevie Wonder is one of the most musically talented people to ever exist. Bigger fan of Innervisions

Smooth and easy to listen to, if a bit sweet in places. Was expecting more of the album to sound like Superstition but it just kind of comes out of nowhere with a very different feeling to the rest.

Mostly enjoyed this. Sometimes his music can be a little too slow for me, but his more upbeat songs are great. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again

t.o.n.t.o., pronto

Bueno

Weird production which brought down the score

A nice easy listening album with a couple of great hits on it. Do I think it's a top 100 album of all time? No. But it's still solid and deserves it's praise. 6/10 (3/5)

Some hits, some misses

Couple of great tracks, otherwise not much for me

This is nice but it's so many love ballads

Not my fave of his

I realized I knew what he looked like, but not actually didnt know his voice well at all. So this was an exciting album to go through. I'm also realizing I am so used to short pop song these days. A 4 and half minute song seems SUPER long to my attention span haha. Track 1 - You are the Sunshine of My Life - The opening track is everyone's favorite cheesy wedding reception song. Track 2 - But then Maybe Your Baby came on, and I really enjoyed the funkiness. The chorus on that is so good - the song is surprisingly long though. Track 3 -You and I - Meh. Long. Track 4 - Tuesday Heartbreak - I liked the end where he let his voice get funky and raspy. I wanted more of that! Track 5 - You've got it bad girl - Not into this one. The weird chatter in the background is distracting. Track 6 - Superstition - I didnt realize this was Stevie Wonder! Fun, funky song. I could listen to a whole album in this style. Track 7 - Big Brother - This is a really interesting protest song. A very different vibe than some of the love songs that came before. That last verse, wow! Track 8 - Blame It On the Sun - I like the self doubt and reflection here. Track 9 - Lookin´for another pure love - way too slow for me Track 10 - I Believe - Meh.

Stevie explores a different sonic pallet on this project. It does produce gems like Superstitious but as a whole, loses some of Stevie's unique style and funkiness. There's a lot of Marvin Gaye influence on this which I'm sure many people love but isn't really for me. It's still a Stevie Wonder project and it sounds great.

There are some total bangers on this album and a few boring first dance wedding songs. The funk songs (“Maybe your baby”, “superstition”, etc) are incredible. The instrumental work and the vocals on those style tracks are killer, especially the synth/electric keys. The love songs leave me a bit bored to death though. The big hit of “sunshine” is fun enough to keep it going but the ballads just drag on for me. The singing is great technically, regardless. One song that seemed real out of place was “Big Brother”. Great message in the lyrics but it sounds like a Simon and Garfunkel tune. Really bizarre inclusion but it shows that Stevie has quite the range. Gimme a whole album of Stevie Wonder funk songs, instant 5. The rest I can do without.

Album Cover: Stevey Wonder reading the ground. There's a good mix of funk, love, and pop songs. Zero down tempo kill songs though. I gawfawed at the backing vocals during You've Got It Bad Girl. The only miss is the anti government song. Not for me.

Never really gave Stevie Wonder a chance. I know who he is but I couldn't tell you a single song of his. Oh Superstition is one of his! I've heard that one for sure. I gave this an honest listen. It was alright. Didn't hate it didn't love it. 3 stars.

Solid album. Superstition, despite being the most popular song on the album, struck me as sounding so different from the rest of the songs. That song has a lot more funk going on than the rest and it’s just an interesting choice. All in all, solid album that I would give another listen to.

I liked it. I was stoked when Superstition came on. I liked it as a whole, but don’t think it was good enough to be 4 stars.

Fine! Nothing particularly special. 3.0

Superstition is a stone cold classic The rest is fine

It’s a wonderful piece of work but you can hear he’s still finding his voice. It’s his development for songs in the key in life. Superstition is amazing though! He’s in his element with funky soul vibes

-has a lot of structural similarities to Songs In The Key Of Life. I def like SITKOL better but this is really good too, the quirky synthesizers are a neat addition. Superstition is a fucking amazing song -Favorites are Maybe Your Baby, Tuesday Heartbreak, and Superstition

It's ok. I am not very into this album, though, I wouldn't want to listen to it over and over.

It was okay

Stevie's so soulful, but I never remember his songs.

Raw young Stevie was cool. 7/10. Favorite song: Tuesday Heartbreak

Pretty jazzy, some jam band-y long instrumentals on songs. I prefer the catchier shorter songs. Some of the production/electronic instruments sound dated.

3,5

I like it, but it will not be one of my favourites.

This is an album made up of some very good songs, but overall it's having a bit of an identity crisis. It can't quite figure out if it wants to be fun & funky, or slow & romantic. So it tries to be both and the result feels disjointed. The funky songs are the better of the two options. Standout songs include "Big Brother", which is surprisingly modern-sounding, and of course "Superstition", which is probably the best song on the album.

A bit meandering in parts but still very good, some classics here of course 3.5*

stevie.

There is the Stevie Wonder I like and the Stevie Wonder I do not enjoy as much. You are the Sunshine of my Life, I Just Called to Say I Love You, etc are songs I don't enjoy as much. This album is more of the good Stevie than the bad but there is definitely bad here. You are the Sunshine of My Life, Maybe Your Baby (too damn repetitive at the end), The good is Superstition, You've Got it Bad Girl and I Believe. I have discovered through this project that I like Stevie Wonder and that some of his albums are not as good as others may think they are (at least to me). This is not a bad album by any stretch but it's not up to Innervisions or Songs in the Key of Life.

Like the previous Stevie Wonder one, I enjoyed this as background music.

It’s good. But I think there are too many of the sugary sweet songs on here - I need more of the real funky shit

This is the only Stevie Wonder release I ever purchased. (cassette!) I lent it to a "friend" and never got it back. Good album and an enjoyable listen.

Not my favourite style, but still some bangers on this album. 3/5

You Are The Sunshine Of My Life. Pero es un rollo el disco.

The moog/synth of "Superstition" just may be the coolest, funkiest thing ever put to tape. The most iconic song from a legendary artist. It's Funky Stevie at his all-time best. Would have liked more of THAT Stevie on this album, but "Maybe Your Baby" is the only other funky offering here and, for me, was the greatest discovery on otherwise ballad-filled album. I can listen to Funky Stevie all day long. But the rest of this album is Ballad Stevie, which (while pleasant and enjoyable) starts to wear thin after a while.

dubs

Some good songs on this album but also some sappy soft stuff. Best songs are Superstition and I Believe to close the record.

Love Stevie but not a super consistent album overall.

Very funky. Probably never going to listen to it again.

Stevie Wonder's delivery can't be denied, but some of the songs were still bland to me nonetheless. Superstition is obviously amazing, and there were several strong ballads, but others didn't light me on fire. The Bill Wurtz-esque style was odd to hear from the time before it became a parody!

Got a bit bored

Very lovely album. 3/5

It was just alright. Nothing special.

Just nice background music, nothing special.

Two all time great songs but the rest didn’t come close to rising to that level.

This was a little underwhelming for me but overall still a good album. Not Stevie at his best for me, but still a good album compared to others.

Soul, 1972 -> 3

Initially thought this might be a 4, couple of all time classic songs. But the rest didn't do much for me.

Some schmaltzy-pap along with the glorious "I Believe" and the absolute FILTH of Superstition. Almost gets 5 for Superstition alone.

It's always good to hear Stevie Wonder.

Fantastic album. Not all of it was my cup of tea, but the great care in creating each song was noticed.

Superstition and the opener You Are The Sunshine of My Life are classics. Wonder is an amazing talent 7.0/10

Oh it was fine. Very nice. Stevie always is.

Your compatibility with swt2k is Very Low. You both listen to Porter Robinson, Aphex Twin and Radiohead.

Bit too smooth - but some excellent songs

there are fewer than one hundred 'ultra bangers' in existence, and there's one on this album.

You Are The Sunshine Of My Life Maybe Your Baby Superstition Blame It On The Sun

This one would be a 5 if it was just Maybe, Tuesday, and Superstition. And maybe Blame it on the sun. The bossanova elevator stuff just ends up feeling like filler. Also this is my third or fourth Stevie album on the list and I find myself rating based less on the greater 1001 list and more against an artists other albums, for those who have many on the list, like Bowie, Beatles, etc. I still like Stevie's FFF best, and I gave that a 4, so by default this is a 3.5

a gentle album, with the fabulous Superstition the stand-out song

I actually have a hard time to rate this album, as it went by extremely fast - which I do not know if it is a good thing or bad thing. Obviously there are some highlight songs, but the others seemed to breeze by.

I feel like a lot of the albums on this list have been paid homage to or parodied so much in the subsequent years that it becomes extremely difficult to evaluate them without all that has come since

Still not my vibe.

This felt dangerously close to elevator music at times but was fine overall.

I like Superstition

He’s obviously good, and Superstition is obviously an all time great song. But I just can’t get into him.

Discovered some songs I had never heard from him, it was a nice listen.

I appreciate it for what it is and I do dig synth.

It contains one of the best singles ever, so that elevates it. But in general this type of music is not my thing.

If you're in the mood for sickly sweet love, it's the album for you... And your partner, but if you're looking for the stereotypical Wonder vibe, this ain't it. You'll only get it from Superstition on this album, which is actually good enough to carry the whole album... Just not that far. Songs in the Key of Life is what you are really looking for.

Not great, not terrible.

superstition great reset okay

I remember this album and its still pretty good.

To me, in light of the things that occurred in Stevie's career before 1972, and the fact that he would go on to release two completely generation-defining records in the years that followed, Talking Book feels like a necessary but failed experiment. Some parts work great, and you can hear those parts brought to the forefront on Innervisions and SITKOL.

Solid Standout songs: Maybe your baby Lookin for another pure love Tuesday Heartbreak

It is said this is where Stevie Wonder broke free and proved he's more than just another Motown puppet. "Superstition" still rocks, "Maybe Your Baby" is groovy but drags, and the rest oscillates between great soul funk and filler. Lyrics are sugary but hey, it's soul! Wonder's middle finger to anyone who doubted his genius, but his masterpieces came later.

Fun album, glad we got another Stevie Wonder. Not sure if this is a hot take but many of these songs got very repetitive as the song went on. Some spent minutes repeating the same line over and over. Wasn’t a fan of that. Superstition is a keeper though.

The hits are what I need to hear. Otherwise I feel like skipping. 'You've Got It Bad, Girl' was a nice discovery. Next!

Not bad overall. Superstition is one of my personal all time favorite Stevie songs (and Higher Ground). Rest is the album is fine - you can feel/hear where Stevie is headed. Funky times ahead in ‘73 via innervisions

Standard Stevie Wonder

Very good writing and production

Prettt good

Superstition!

Let's start with a 1-10 : 6 Then overall how id describe it: is it groovy? At times.. is it good? Sure. I just don't think this one is for me.

Every time I read a Stevie Wonder write-up I think I am going to love the album. I never do. He is an incredibly gifted musician and somehow both timeless and ahead of his time. But i just don’t fall for his sweet soul and sexless funk.

Meh

Great album

Pretty decent. Most of the songs fall a bit flat or are too unstructured and pedestrian for my tastes. Even the best track, Superstition leans too heavily on its groove.

pretty good

Recognizable hits mixed with obscurities. Not my favorite SW album

First of all, II beliieve that Stevie Wonder has a place on any sort of 1001 album before you die list. It is good to know who Stevie Wonder is and the culture and history around his coming to fame. With that said, he has that soft voice and easy style that is shared by many a fine musician. The jazzy insrumentals are also highly professional and seen in many spaces. I personally find a female voice accompanying a jazz background to be more fulfilling than a male, but this is not a criticism of thiis music in any way. The issue may come down to one of two choices: Do you buy into the life story/ hype of Stevie Wonder as a legend, or do you listen to this album and rate it in an open and honest way? I choose the latter.

Didn't fully listen but it's pretty good! Can't beat a little Stevie Wonder. Favorite song was Lookin' For Another Pure Love. Did not add to my Spotify library.

One decent song, the rest are so so

A few decent tracks on there, 3.5*

It’s Stevie very mellow. Has one big hit and then some decent songs

wildly creative and superstition is a banger but it’s just too corny

Honestly, there are a couple of good songs, but I thought this was a bit lackluster.

This didn't grab me as much as Fulfillingness' First Finale, though Superstition is fantastic - if more of the album were like this, it would be an easy 5. "I Believe" is another highlight for me.

Repetitive. Catchy. Has the hits.

- funky n groovy - Stevie is so smooth - vibe switch in the second half - very enjoyable

Good variety of songs. Album is carried by superstition but quite a few downers.

If the album was full of songs like Superstitious, it would be a 5* album. But it's not. There are probably 3 or 4 songs on here that I really like a lot. But the rest I really don't like, and some of them I don't like a lot, too. So I guess that all averages out to an average album.

If the album kept the same energy as superstition it be a 5, I knock it down for pace

I generally appreciate Stevie Wonder, especially his vocals and his harmonica-play. "Superstition" stands out and I like "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Big Brother" and "Believe" but this whole album don´t clicks for me.

Pretty funky and groovy, I guess. Superstition is the stand out track, but overall I don't know if this genre/style is my cup of tea so outside of one or two songs there's no point in repeated listens.

Not a huge fan of this one. Outside of Superstition (which, if just that song had been the entire album, instant 5, no comments), there's some interesting stuff happening with the keyboard, but it's also a bit repetitive and fails to feel like there's anything that makes this stand apart from other commercially available music. Where's the stuff that makes Stevie Wonder stand out? Cus it ain't this album.

Rentoa funkkia tai soulia. Superstition klassikko tällä levyllä. You've Got It Bad Girlissä mielenkiintoinen sointukuvio. Parhaat: You've Got It Bad Girl, Superstition, I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)

Importante e influyente disco de Wonder. Elegancia académica y sofisticada. Ojos que no ven, corazón que siente.

Excellent songs with a fair bit of filler.

Some great songs but it felt like there were quite a few ‘fillers’ too. All a bit too similar in tone and pace.

Several memorable top-10 hits.

Love the funky clavinet tracks, hate the schmaltzy piano ones. His voice is so weird: he has such control and range and subtlety with it, but he loves these unresolved jazzy minor11th or whatever melodies that mean he always sounds off key. Music theory heads love to figure out all the little modulations and chord voicings and stuff he does, and that's neat and everything, but fails to ask the basic question of it slaps, and too often, this does not. Especially when you have Superstition just sitting there demonstrating how hard he can rock its very annoying wading through all this over-thought wishy washy stuff. That said, there's some really fun synth noodling thrown in there.

Most songs on this album don't do it for me, but then there's superstition which adds at least a star to the rating

Has some great songs but as far as Stevie goes not the best. High 3

Some lovely songs on here

Eh, it's OK I guess. Nothing is actually bad, but not my style.

A funky dream

Yeah it's pretty good but its not Songs in the key of life