Reviews (page 13 of 14)
I don't know about this. Stevie is a legend, but I just don't really like this style of music. The hits are fun, but the rest just isn't for me.
I think I'm not cool enough to like Stevie Wonder.
Stevie Wonderille 5. Levyn kappaleille yleisesti 2 poislukien Superstition, mikä on ainakin 4,5. Tästä täysin epäpainotettu keskiarvo 3.
Stevie is a smooth operator and a super talent. A good solid album but only a few great songs for me. 3*
Good singles, fairly bland rest.
Singles are good, rest was okay. More listens needed.
Classic Stevie Wonder. Funky, but mellow.
Miellyttävää musaa, mutta vähän turhan imelää. Hittibiisi suoerstition on hitti. Yllärinä oli kantaaottava Big Brother!
Without the historical context, when listening to this in isolation.....it's difficult not to just form the simple conclusion that it sounds nice. sort of 3* levels of inoffensiveness
Buena voz de uno de los precursores de la música soul. Canciones tranquilas y que han envejecido bien. No suenan a muy antiguas. Se destila igualmente cierto optimismo.
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life. Pero es un rollo el disco.
Retro
Good one. the first ever full album by Stevie I've ever heard, hope there are others on the list
Es todo un master de la guitarra y tiene un estilo único, pero me pareció plano e interminable. 3.5
I know he’s a genius but I wasn’t in a Stevie wonder kinda mood
Funky. Liked the 2nd track a lot.
Stevie Wonder two days in a row, weird. I don't like this album as much as Songs in the Key of Life, but Superstition is one of my favorite songs of his.
Ya intenté salir y volver a entrar al grupo y nada. Sigo siendo 1001must y deberán vivir con ello. El disco está chido y ya. No venimos aquí a ser tapadera de nadie. No es cierto, sí me gusta, es un walking book.
This was incredible. Seems like the album Stevie always wanted to make. Last track is amazing.
Lovely, relaxing and thoughtful Vibes. 3/4 of the album are quite average by today's standards though and not quite the level of epic I'd expect.
Classic Stevie Wonder!
Ei ihan minun genreni, mutta kyllähän Stevien ääni toimii. Varsinkin hitaammat biisit oli erittäin tunnelmallisia. Revittelybiisejä ei ihan samalla tavalla jaksanut.
This was good but not great. Superstition is obviously a banger but there was nothing else amazing.
Recognize Superstition. First half of the album was doo-doo, the later half is better. But will never listen to this again, probably.
Nice record. I don't vibe that hard with it, but you can't deny it has some awesome songs
Great album by stevie and fitting title.
So much of this album sounds like a Casio keyboard demo that it's hard to give it any stars. The only thing saving this from a one-star review is "Superstition" which is good enough to garner almost two stars on its own. It's truly a standout track. Literally. It stands out because it doesn't match the rest of the album at all. There are a few other tracks that aren't too bad but nothing approaches the mountain of a track that is "Superstition".
Fun listen
"You are the sunshine of my life"
Not my favorite Stevie Wonder album. While it still has the Stevie Wonder sound, there was something missing. Superstition is a certified banger but the rest of the album didn't really chart with me.
Doesn't sound as dated as a lot of music from the era.
I didn’t find this particularly enjoyable. Might be blasphemous.
couple good but lots of boring
I listened to this a few weeks ago when I started my own solo project before joining the Cornwall scheme. I'll repeat my earlier review - Not much to recommend aside from Superstition.
Ok. Very 70s and dated.
Not his best wor
Not much to recommend aside from Superstition.
I preferred Songs in the Key of Life. This has Superstitious, other than that the rest is too sappy for my liking.
Not for me. Only good song is Superstition.. maybe baby is ok until it starts getting extremely annoying..
Heard Superstition before obviously, massive banger. It seems Stevie's albums are a hit or miss for me. Innervisions and Songs In The Key Of Life blew my socks off. On the other hand Fulfillingness' First Finale and Talking Book didn't make me go crazy. Had a good time listening to Talking Book but it was missing something more funky for me. Still, can't be mad at Stevie. None of his albums are bad really 2/5
debole, non prende
"Superstition" is a great song, but the rest isn't my taste.
Superstition is good...
favs: maybe your baby superstition lookin’ for another pure love i believe (when i fall in love it will be forever) rating 2/5
Obviously talented to the max but the style just isn't mine. Most of the tracks lack energy that I need to replay them ever again. Favourite tracks: Maybe Your Baby, Tuesday Heartbreak, Superstition 2.5/5
holy long
Cancion 1: Suave , hermosos sonidos de tambores . Cancion 2: Eleva la energia de forma increíble. Las voces femeninas tienen mas potencia que en la anterior. Un cambio o deformación del género anterior muy buena. Riff glorioso. Cancion 3: Lento y triste, no me gusta. Cancion 4: Bailable, parece musica disco. Disfrutable . Cancion 5: Hiper romantico , ni fu ni fa. Canción 6: Inicio sublime, pegadiza, es como que esta a punto de llegar a algo todo el tiempo. La guitarra es una gloria. Canción 7: Sigue la vibra de la cancion anterior muy bien . Canción 8: No me gustó el principio, muy balada todo. O un gospel muy lento. Cancion 9: Interesante sonido. Buen estribillo. Canción 10: Buen inicio. Melodias interesantes. Linda pero no mucho. Muy buenas voces y armonicos.
Another good Stevie album.
For me, this isn't a great album - it has a load of really dull, dreary or maudlin songs, buoyed up by a couple of great singles. Superstition really stands out here.
fun
1. Titel ist Weltklasse, Rest Durchschnitt und nicht meins
honestly, i didnt love it. some classic songs but didnt move me
#134/1001 🇺🇸 Another album that i can't find the love for. Bar the outstanding Superstition, I find this pretty dull. Musically it's slick but on the whole not that exciting. Innervisions - Stevie's next album is far more enjoyable. Best Track: Superstition.
It's good, just not for me.
I really enjoyed the other Stevie Wonder album I've had so far in Innervisions, but for whatever reason I found this one much harder to stomach. Whether that's because I'm just not in the right mood for it at the moment, or whether the songs are just drawling and overdramatic in comparison, I'm not really in any rush to decipher where the truth lies.
I should probably like this more than I do
Not too bad
Did not like.
was surprised how unbearably syrupy sweet this album was with Superstition being the odd one out there. don't get me wrong, the songs are great, stevie wonder is talented and his vocals are smooth and always pleasant to hear.. but after i got to experience Innervisions and SITKOL beforehand, listening to this was quite underwhelming and even a bit boring
The singles are worth listening to but the rest was just vanilla .
I like superstition by bloody hell the rest of it is boring.
2/5
besides that elusive banger, superstition, this feels like (admittedly, good) elevator music
Maybe most disappointing part of this thing is learning that I just don’t like Stevie Wonder
177/1001 First listen. No thanks. Superstition was cool though. 4/10
2 bangers and a bunch of fillers
lowk did not have high hopes but quite enjoyed this maybe like 5/10 27/3/26
For such a well regarded album, I was expecting more.
This is a tough one, it felt like this 43 minutes lasted a lifetime. Not bad at all but just kept going and going.
couple of really good songs on there.
I guess I'm just not a Stevie Wonder fan. He's very talented and I like some of his hits, but overall it's just not for me.
Not the worst but not for me. 2*
Not my favourite, a bit overstimulating on the ear but some good sections of funk
Slightly underwhelming for me. Too repetitive, some of the tracks just don't connect at all.
Love Stevie. This album was boring though.
Overall, very groovy and makes you want to jive shuffle around, but pretty repetitive lyrics as a theme throughout the album. 2.5/5 Noteworthy songs: "You Are The Sunshine of My Life" - reminds me of motherhood and falling in love "You And I"- slow jam with a powerful emotional build-up at the end. Vibe is heartbreaking "Superstition"- a classic "Big Brother"- very different vibe but love it
Didn't really stick out to me. 2/5
- I don't feel like this aged well... I really don't like the tone of the synths - pinched, wet, honky or reedy. Like they're filtered to an inch of their lives. - I don't think the melodies are memorable (other than the two hits) - it's very adult contemporary... most of the songs were slow and one-note. - Also not into the lyrics/subject matter - pretty unremarkable love songs from a guy who has 9 kids with 5 women - may that kind of love never find me. Makes the lyrics of I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) kind of hard to take seriously (lol) - it has a nice enough melody, though. - His voice is mostly smooth, but also sometimes thin and strained, and he definitely can't hit those low notes in Sunshine Of Your Life. - Special mention to Maybe Your Baby for being annoying af - it was the same line over and over with almost no variation for minutes at a time. Other honourable mentions for songs I disliked: Lookin' For Another Pure Love song, Tuesday Heartbreak, and You've Got It Bad Girl.
Like I’ve said before when getting a SW album i cannot deny he’s one of the best in this genre and this album like others on the list is a classic. But I’ve never liked Soul, R&B, Tamla or whatever it’s classed as. Excellent for some but not for me. 2/5 8/2/26
Not really my cup of tea. Was okay.
So I’ve never really payed much attention to Stevie Wonder, but this album was dull, and fell flat. It got zero emotion out of me. It was basically music what was just playing in the background with no true meaning or purpose.
Not a cohesive album. A collection of singles. I liked some but loathed others
"Superstition" is great, but the rest of this is either sappy easy listening or meandering, forgettable funk/soul. Blasphemy, I know, but for me there was a vast difference in quality between Stevie's best tracks and the rest of his work.
I normally love some Stevie but this was too "soft" for me. They all pretty much sounded alike. Not for me.
Remember back in the 80’s you would hear a couple of songs by an artist on the radio that you really liked so you went out and bought the record or cassette? But then you listened to it and you were really disappointed with the rest of the album? Yeah, that’s exactly how I felt with this album. The two well known hits are great, but yeeesh, the rest was not for me. It hurts my heart to give Stevie Wonder a 2, but I have to. As good as it is, Superstition just couldn’t save it.
I like the guy's voice, and the musical accompaniments are really great, but I don't connect with any song, it doesn't make me feel anything
Superstition is absolutely class obvs but the rest feels a bit padded in places
Groovy but not really for me.
Superstition is a banger but the rest was a bit meh
I stand by this…a couple of good songs but the album as a whole was meh
boring
I just couldn't enjoy this. I'm sure it was very ground-breaking and influential at the time, but it's not my thing. Superstition is an amazing song but most of the others are too cloyingly sentimental. Musically, there are lots of weird modulations that feel disjointed to me.
Not for me. Felt repetitive and like I had listened to the whole album within the first 2-3 songs.
Not my vibe. Didn’t tell me anything.
I recognize that he's very talented but I am very bored and don't like most of his artistic choices. Superstition is cool.
saved 2/10
..
i imagine the songs felt a lot like the fabric stevie wore in the album cover art. velvety, soft, but rich in color and patterns.
I don't hear any "timelessness" in this album. Everything sounds of its time for its time: Replaceable songs and melodies that are fresh when they're new, and stale when the next album of the style comes along. The mixing sounds outdated: inelegant reverbs, harsh frequencies, and uncohesive sound palette. Even if the intention is to mix a "raw" album, there are many loose ends in the mix that could've been fixed without losing the raw edge. Overall, Wonder's musical touch can be found here and there, but with the bad mix (on headphones) and replaceable songs it's tough to enjoy the few moments that are actually interesting. Superstition is the outlier. It sounds different in every way: composed different, performed different, mixed different. It's clearly attached to the album rather than conceived with it. If the album came from the musical lineage of Superstition, this album could've been a classic. As it stands, Superstition only stands to highlight what this album isn't.
Try again next time😭
Not really my thing as of now. Probably wouldn’t listen again. This comment might humiliate me later.
Not particularly my cup of tea, but you can't hate this kind of upbeat music from the blindest motherfucking music genius
It was fine. Just not my cup of tea
Superstition was good.
Not my thing
Not my favourite not a big funk man
Superstition is a great song, but the rest of the album does not do it for me
Superstition is great. The rest is a little repetitive and just ok.
Есть известные песни, но в переработках других исполнителей они интереснее.
Man, when I saw Superstition on this album I had high hopes the rest of it would be as funky. What a disappointment. Between the dry mix and cumbersome arrangements this album hits like a sack of wet mud. Rough.
3/10 songs are great, but the rest really drag down the album. I'd rate 1.5 stars if I could. Most of this album is just so dull.
Stevie has a few bangers (Superstitious, I Believe, Higher Ground), but so much of his output, and this album, is R&B. And given the choice between listening to 43:27 of R&B intermixed with some rare bangers or the melodious sounds of a Pinto full of Proud Boys being run through an industrial metal shredder, I would choose the shredder every single time. So...yeah...this album was groundbreaking and a best seller, and I nonetheless will never listen to it again.
Funk just ain’t my thing man
Two great soul numbers but the rest is easy listening crap.
Not great
çok ortalama geldi ya
Man, I really expected better of this. It doesn't stand comparison to modern equivalents at all. It's overly sentimental trash.
Another OK album, I couldn’t really get into it properly and found myself a bit bored at times. Superstition alone pulls it into 3. 3.0/5.0 Best Song: Superstition
jeg er ikke så pjattet med ham. 2
Lil too much funk for me. But, still Stevie
Rating: 2.0 Just not for me.
was hoping for more given the amazing singles on here but alas
Another classic, but not my style
Aujourd'hui, on coche une case monumentale du projet "1001 Albums" : "Talking Book" de Stevie Wonder, sorti en 1972. Le genre de disque intouchable, le classique des classiques, l'album que tout le monde est censé vénérer. Eh bien, "tout le monde" sauf moi, visiblement. Je vais être direct : j'ai jamais accroché à Stevie Wonder. C'est peut-être à cause de cette vibe perpétuellement positive, ce côté "tout va bien, la vie est belle", je sais pas, ça m'angoisse. Et "Talking Book", que je viens de m'infliger, ne fait que confirmer cette allergie profonde. Le verdict tombe, sec : 2 sur 5 Pourquoi deux points, me direz-vous, si je déteste tant ? Parce que je ne suis pas non plus un connard fini (enfin, pas totalement) et qu'il faut rendre à César ce qui lui appartient. Point 1 : "Superstition". OK, là, on ne déconne plus. C'est un putain de chef-d'œuvre. Ce riff de clavinet Hohner, c'est de la magie noire. C'est l'essence même du funk, un truc tellement physique, tellement imparable, que même moi, avec mon amour pour les drones de Sunn O))), je me surprends à hocher la tête. C'est une chanson parfaite, point barre. Elle a sa place au Panthéon, et elle justifie à elle seule l'écoute. Point 2 : "You Are the Sunshine of My Life". Bon... C'est l'exact opposé. C'est la mélasse, la guimauve, le diabète auditif de niveau 5. C'est sirupeux au possible, MAIS c'est d'une efficacité redoutable. C'est la chanson d'amour ultime tellement bien foutue dans sa niaiserie qu'elle en devient presque admirable. C'est le genre de truc qui passe à tous les mariages, et bizarrement, ça marche à chaque fois. C'est un tube planétaire, et ce n'est pas pour rien. Voilà. Mes deux points sont distribués. Parce que le reste... Le reste de l'album, mon Dieu, mais qu'est-ce que c'est chiant. Je suis désolé, je sais que je marche sur une mine, mais je me suis emmerdé comme rarement. C'est le problème quand on enlève les deux singles monstrueux : il reste quoi ? Il reste une collection de ballades soul-pop ultra-léchées, de mid-tempos confortables et de productions tellement propres que ça en devient stérile. On me parle de l'innovation, des synthétiseurs ARP et Moog que Stevie commençait à maîtriser. Super, mais il en fait quoi ? Des nappes doucereuses, des petits sons de flûte électronique gentils. On est à des années-lumière de la froideur d'un Kraftwerk ou de la folie d'un Sun Ra. Ici, le synthé sert à faire... joli. Où est le nerf ? Où est la tension ? "Maybe Your Baby", "Tuesday Heartbreak", "You and I"... J'ai écouté, j'ai attendu, j'ai attendu une fêlure, un dérapage, un moment de folie, un truc qui grince. Rien, absolument rien, c'est de la musique en pantoufles, c'est du velours côtelé auditif. Tout est impeccable, la voix est magnifique (personne ne le nie), les arrangements sont sophistiqués, les musiciens sont au top. Mais c'est mortellement poli, c'est de la soul de salon, parfaitement exécutée, mais totalement dépourvue de cette urgence viscérale qui fait pour moi les grands disques. C'est un album qui parle (Talking Book, haha), mais il ne crie jamais. Il ne pleure jamais vraiment (même dans les ballades, ça reste pudique). Bref, "Talking Book", c'est deux monuments de la pop/soul posés sur un tapis persan très cher, très bien tissé, mais incroyablement ennuyeux. J'ai payé mon dû en écoutant les deux tubes, le reste repartira prendre la poussière. Case cochée, mais sans plaisir.
To many slow love songs 😁
Some good and interesting songs but the slow ones are brutal.
Maybe your baby might be my least favorite song ever but superstition might bring it up to a 3.5
“Superstitious” is outstanding, but other than that, there just isn’t much here for me to engage with. I know Stevie is exceptionally talented and important, but this just didn’t connect with me. No relisten.
Inoffensive background music but no single track stood out or was particular notable to me
Kind of boring TBH. Solidly fine. 2/5 stars.
Hittet holder. Resten er mere meh.
I have already forgotten this. Sorry, just not my thing.
Eh
Didn’t like this, I don’t enjoy Stevie Wonders music. It all sounds the same to me.
Not the worst thing I've heard but I wouldn't listen to it again. I don't get the hype tho.
Favorite tracks: Superstition, Big Brother Most of this album felt like it was moving through molasses (why was Maybe Your Baby SO LONG). Lots of electric piano and soft vocals which really just served to remind me that 70's R&B isn't for me. However, I would be remiss to not mention that the few funk songs are absolute bops!
Other than a couple of stand out (albeit overplayed) tracks, this album sounded kind of generic to me.
Aburrida
Superstitious er klink. Resten får jeg ikke til.
appreciate the music but it's just so slow, the 2 most famous songs are better IMO but it's just not for me at all.
With superstition on the track listing I was hoping this would be a cool funk led album, but no, the rest was dull schmaltzy filler. He's clearly a good songwriter and good singer but is let down by poor decision making, needs to improve that side of his game. A Stevie Wonder greatest hits is probably decent but the albums aren't worth it.
Generally far too soppy for me.... Come on Stevie lad. I do like the more funky ones though. Superstitious is an absolute banger 2.5 but mainly for superstitious.
I feel like I already wrote about feeling bad for not liking Stevie Wonder’s music. I’m sorry!!! I did like the last song on here, mostly.
Superstition is natuurlijk een lekker nummer, de andere nummers van het album vond ik te langzaam en niet echt mijn ding. You are the sunshine of my life vond ik ook nog wel aardig
Ok a little controversial but I find this album a little flat, I know everyone raves about it and I do like stevie but apart from the first two tracks and superstition it's just all a bit uninspiring.
meh, hard listen because of the jesus tones
I don't really like this genre
I don't like R&B. The album is great, but I'm giving a rating on personal enjoyment, so regretably, this gets a 2.
Not really a big fan of anything aside from Superstition.
Superstition and I Believe are great songs but they just can't save this album. There rest of the tracks are just so boring.
Typ allt bara flöt förbi utan att jag märkte det, den enda riktigt bra var Superstition
Solid, but didn't massively move me.
Superstition and You are the sunshine of my life are classics. The rest is trash.
Meh? There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, but it just feels indulgent and overlong. Superstition is a classic yes, but to me Stevie Wonder is a “greatest hits” kind of guy.
Besides the 2 most popular song on the album, I didn't really love it. Felt like a lot sorta sounded the same-ish, nothing else really stood out. But I do love You Are The Sunshine of my Life and of course, Superstition
Fairly pleasant, with a couple of stans out tracks. But I do feel that stevie wonder is very overrated.
For my taste, there wasn't enough funny with this album. Higher Ground saves it some, but overall this album left me wanting.
Didn't like it as much as the other two albums I've had of his. Actually started with a nice one, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life was nice and chill. Then the rest of the album was just kinda ok. A lot of repetition and songs that outlived their welcome. Superstition and Big Brother were also fairly nice, but the rest of the songs were mediocre. Best song: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
I mean, it's fine and obviously good music. I just think he's boring outside of performances. I loved seeing him live last year but not someone I'd listen to studio recordings of honestly.
Niin sanotusti "mixed bag". Osa kappaleista jopa sietämättömiä. Silti myös hyviä hetkiä, sellainen 2.5/5
Clearly a great album, just not my favourite genre
There is one really big hit, and other than that, not much else on this disappointing album. Favorite Track: "Superstition".
not for me tbh
I grew with a dislike of Stevie in elementary school because of songs like You Are the Sunshine of my Loathing and My Cherie Amor. As I got older, I found my love for Stevie, and realized I just didn’t like this album of Stevie’s. Decades later: no change. Superstition is a stellar classic and drives this entire album. Maybe You Baby is an interesting song that builds but never quite finds completion, like a freshman year make out session. Big Brother is a tolerable listen though you can move the cursor anywhere in the song and it doesn’t change the sound. I Believe, for me, is the only slow song that resonates, I think partially because it pulls in some gospel roots and Stevie takes us to his Love Church. For me, this album comes down to one great song and a stack full of either background or passable tracks. Sorry Stevie. I still love you. 😘
Pretty forgettable. I could see this being good if you are in the mood, but if the mood mismatches it is kind of blah. Superstition is and forever will be a classic.
That was a really great song to start with "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" was awesome and catchy but the rest of the album was a bit boring like it was pretty good but I found it a bit repetitive on some songs like "You've Got It Bad Girl" so kinda disappointed not my favorite album from him.
Not really into it... Wait, Superstition is on this! Big Brother is alright... & now back to not caring about this. Although it has a slow start, I Believe does end things with a solid jam at least.
good stuff, but no perse my taste
Didn't love this as much as I hoped it would. Grooved much more to the upbeat songs than the ballads
This starts off bad for me, there's an overdose of funk for the first few songs. But then it flips into kinda naff lounge music? 'Superstition' is obviously a classic, although again, too funky? There's only so much funk I can take. Overall not one I'll listen to again.
I'm sure this album deserves better than a 2 objectively speaking, but this just didn't do much for me personally. I respect the vocal talent here, but this is not my jam. 2.3
Gear: Moondrop Variations Artwork: 🌍🏜️🪴 Production (Reissue): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎼👌🎤😎📝🙄 Rating: 😬😬(😬)/5
A pleasant set of tunes. 'Superstition' a classic (which I tire of). 'You Are The Sunshine Of My Life' another classic (though ruined by 'Rhodes abuse'). 'Maybe Your Baby' drags on 3 minutes too long, 'You and I' is sweet and 'Blame It On The Sun' is a gem. The production is horrible. Has the boy Wonder just discovered stereo? He keeps oscilating the Rhodes piano between left and right channels like a kid. It's the equivalent of a strobe on the ear'oles and is unlistenable on headphones. 'You Got It Bad Girl', 'Lookin For A Pure Love' and unfortunately 'You Are The Sunshine' are all ruined by this fiddling. And then he goes and plays the mouth organ on Big Brother. An affront. I used to quite like Stevie Worder. Until he wrote two of the worst songs in the history of popular music, 'Happy Birthday' and 'I Just Called To Say I Love You', banal dross, the latter which could have been written by a 2 year old, and the only song that actually makes me angry when it comes on the radio. Did he suddenly lose his talent in 1980 or did he just become lazy ? But I'm reviewing this album. 4 stars for the toons. But loses a star for pissing around with the channels and use of the mouth organ. And another because I can never forgive him for IJCTSILY.
Really slow and repetitive
Not for me. Superstition however is one of the best songs of all time.
Too weak, although with a couple of great songs.
Opening to closing these songs are delightful but I don’t find the album particularly invigorating.
A one track album in that you should listen to superstition and then skip the rest. Repetitive lyrics, slow pace and scatting. Pass
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life and Superstition slaps as always. I feel like I've got to listen again to really fall in love with the rest of the album though.
Vocally impressive, album was boring af tho. Dropped it on the 3rd to last song. Not really a fan of souls music, was hoping for something that packs a little more of a punch instrumentally, given how much of a talented musician Stevie Wonder is. But this is one of his earlier albums so I can’t say that with too much chest right now. Overall ts was a solid 4/10. If I was a dark chocolate gilf in the 70s then I probably would’ve rated this higher.
Take away superstition and this is a one star. Very disappointing album, whole thing sounds very flat.
Too many slow, wet songs. Not enough of the funkier, faster paced songs.
I had this album on vinyl in college and remember listening to it inconsistently; I remember wanting to like it more than I did, since it's a classic. I'm excited to revisit it. "You are the Sunshine of My Life" - I want to like this song, but I find it hard to listen to ("easy listening" is not for me). I know it's a classic, but man...it feels pretty cheesy. The second song redeems it ("Maybe Your Baby")--a good slow funky groove that I can sink my teeth into. "You And I" is--to me--cheesier than the first track. I appreciate the change in dynamics and tempos between the three tracks, but I can't really deal with the slow/easy listening vibe of this song. "Tuesday Heartbreak" also feels cheesy to me--the horns are very easy-listening that distracts me (like some late-night TV talk show; not into this horn sound.) "You've Got it Bad Girl" also feels cheesy and slow; the higher-pitched synth lines (flute-adjacent?) are also distracting to me. "Superstition" is what we're all waiting for, right? The funky bass line, the horns that aren't weirdly cheesy... "Big Brother" I suppose is a protest song? It feels a bit milquetoast and cheesy. I am divided on the harmonica use. "Blame it on the Sun" is also painfully cheesy, like a torchlight (I think that's the phrase) song? It feels like something a middle aged man would sing self-indulgently at karaoke (I'd kind of like to see that). The ending with the woman singing "your heart blames it on you this time" is especially cheesy. "Looking for Another Pure Love" is another slow/easy listening jam. It makes me feel like I'm in a dental waiting room in the 1970s. "I Believe (When I fall in Love it will be forever)" opens like a song I'd expect to hear in a musical (and I don't really like musicals); also cheesy--and then moves into gospel and funk (so I kind of like the end). This album has two songs I really like, and the rest feels like cheesy filler. "You are the Sunshine of My Life" - I want to like this song, but I find it hard to listen to ("easy listening" is not for me). I know it's a classic, but man...it feels pretty cheesy. The second song redeems it ("Maybe Your Baby")--a good slow funky groove that I can sink my teeth into. "You And I" is--to me--cheesier than the first track. I appreciate the change in dynamics and tempos between the three tracks, but I can't really deal with the slow/easy listening vibe of this song. "Tuesday Heartbreak" also feels cheesy to me--the horns are very easy-listening that distracts me (like some late-night TV talk show; not into this horn sound.) "You've Got it Bad Girl" also feels cheesy and slow; the higher-pitched synth lines (flute-adjacent?) are also distracting to me. "Superstition" is what we're all waiting for, right? The funky bass line, the horns that aren't weirdly cheesy... "Big Brother" I suppose is a protest song? It feels a bit milquetoast and cheesy. I am divided on the harmonica use. "Blame it on the Sun" is also painfully cheesy, like a torchlight (I think that's the phrase) song? It feels like something a middle aged man would sing self-indulgently at karaoke (I'd kind of like to see that). The ending with the woman singing "your heart blames it on you this time" is especially cheesy. "Looking for Another Pure Love" is another slow/easy listening jam. It makes me feel like I'm in a dental waiting room in the 1970s. "I Believe (When I fall in Love it will be forever)" opens like a song I'd expect to hear in a musical (and I don't really like musicals); also cheesy--and then moves into gospel and funk (so I kind of like the end). This album has two songs I really like, and the rest feels like cheesy filler.
Stevie is clearly a legend but I did not enjoy this album on the whole.
Pretty alright. Having heard Songs in the Key of Life and Innervisions before I felt disappointed with this album. Not terrible by any stretch, of course superstition is incredible, but a lot of the deep cuts were quite underwhelming on first listen. Maybe Your Baby stuck out in particular as going on too long and getting annoying around the 4 minute mark. Way overstayed it's welcome. 2.5 stars
Artiste connu, mais c'est la première fois que j'écoute un album entier. Les morceaux funk sont plutôt bien, bon groove. Sauf : Maybe Your Baby : je n'aime pas du tout le son de synthé basse, et le morceau est trop long et trop répétitif (---). Superstition est très connu, et très réussi (+++). Les ballades/morceaux lents sont moins intéressants (You and I, ...). Donc avis mitigé, je ne l'écouterais pas de nouveau. =>2/5
Note to Stevie if he comes on here to read these reviews. Give me an album full of tracks of the quality and funk of Superstition and you can have 5 stars.
not as good as the previous album with Stevie. 2 or 3...
The abridged moving day review: 1. Shit. Pop pap. 2. Funky as HELL. So sick. This is one of the better songs I’ve heard in a long time. 3. Total garbage. Why is it so long. I get it. It was sweet for a half a refrain. 4. More soulful. Better. Toe tapping. 5. Catterwalling. I kind of like the insane off key synth, but as a theme for a comedy show or ambient work or something. 6. The hit. It’s still great. I’d much rather hear him on upbeat songs. 7. This was nothing 8. Another ballad. This blows 9. Holy shit the song changed??? This is bad. Out of ideas. This is a lacklustre jam song with a tired band. 10. And to close off an album chock full of terrible ballads is, indeed, a terrible ballad. Cool outro. An album with one fantastic song that otherwise bored/irritated me. He’s almost too clean as a vocalist. It’s off putting. Cool production but overall, a snoozer.
Cool, but not for me.
there's nothing particularly bothersome here, but not very much of it was exciting either
as a lifelong ballad hater, you are the sunshine of my life makes time move immeasurably slowly. superstition a win, the rest not particularly my thing
How can am album with Superstition on it fail? Well. There is also You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, which is equally corny and sweet. The rest I'd never heard of before and I kinda wish I could still say that.
"I Believe..." is such a strong way to end this otherwise collection of cloyingly sweet, saccharine love songs that just don't live up to the soul and groove I've grown expect from Stevie. "Superstition" obviously a classic, but other than those two, this is forgettable.
#318. Superstition is good, but the rest of it not so much 2/5: meh
Hmmm, vähä plääh.
Very seriously... Why are there three Stevie Wonder albums on this list? Or are there even more? It's the third I got, anyway. This is probably the one of those three that actually belongs. But as others have already observed... There are some kick-ass numbers on this album, and then you have the sickly-sweet stuff that drags proceedings down a lot. Because there is just so much of it.
Superstition and Big Brother get 2 stars or D from me but the rest leave it at that.
Boring and not engaging, the only bright spot was Superstition
Not my type, but lots of cool sounds.
Superstition is a 5 the rest of the album was 1’s and 2’s.
Suena bien pero no emociona
Maybe I'm a grumpy asshole, or maybe I'm having a bad week, but jfc I cannot with this slow ass cheesy lovey dovey shit. Yea Stevie Wonder is a great artist, but the most perfectly crafted pile of crap is still a pile of crap.
Just not a Stevie guy.
Other than Superstition, I thought this was a little mid sadly. I’ve always found You Are the Sunshine of My Life to be too saccharine, and the other songs didn’t leave much impression on me.
I thought I was going to love this. I did not. Superstition is a tune that is so good that it has become a bit irritating. The rest is all a bit lovey dovey and light. Maybe I just caught it on a bad day.
I started listening to it, got to 4 tracks or so, but it’s really not my kind of music, gave it up. :(
Not a massive fan of Steve's warbling style and all too wet for my tastes.
We hated some of the songs. Some were good. Don't ever need to hear this album again.
You Are the Sunshine of My Life Superstition Blame It On the Sun Repetitive at parts. Kinda average. A little boring
Nice vibes
Superstition is one of the most iconic songs, but the rest of the record was forgettable in my opinion. Stevie Wonder is at his best with his catchy, soul numbers. I think this album would be a perfect listen for a sleepy, slow weekend morning –– but otherwise not very engaging. Favourite tracks: Superstition, Maybe Your Baby.
So I’ve never really payed much attention to Stevie Wonder, but this album was dull, and fell flat. It got zero emotion out of me. It was basically music what was just playing in the background with no true meaning or purpose.
Some incredible tracks, but all my enthusiasm for the album got killed with the opener. How can this man write such great tracks an also pump out that overly sweet nonsense?
Ranges from funky, groovy to jazzy, obnoxious. Superstition is of course a classic though.
Funky but kinda boring outside of Superstition
I like Stevie fine but this album is just all right
Вот вроде все хорошо здесь, но как-то не цепляет. Слишком гладко, складно
Ну, это альбом Стиви Вандера. После первого прослушивания ничего добавить даже не хочется. Он мог выпустить его и первым, и пятнадцатым, и пятидесятым. Особенно ничего нового не цепануло.
Frankly, there was nothing that stood out for me.
Definitely know Stevie Wonder’s singles but not much beyond that. The first song is so bad, has 1972 cheese stink all over it, thankfully the funk comes in after and is much more fun. These lyrics…are very hokey. Like You and I is so saccharine, it really feels like it could have been a Sonny and Cher joint. Really it’s an album with two sides, on one is the embarrassingly sweet lyrics paired with undeniably incredible synth and instrumental work. There’s a reason Superstition is the song everyone knows off of this, because it isn’t a love song. There are a couple other highlights, I actually really like Blame it on the Sun, which is also not a love song. I think that’s the key. I know I like later Stevie more so I’m looking forward to these. He’s only 22 on this album! 2/5
Meh
5/10 Some great tracks. Sadly, the rest of it gave me diabetes. Highlights: Superstition Maybe your baby
I am not a Stevie Wonder guy. This would have been a 1 star if it weren't for Superstision and You are the sunshine of my life.
I didn't like it! This album gave me a headache! Except for Superstition, that one slaps. 10/10
Wasn't a huge fan of this unfortunately.
Pretty good for the kind of music it is, but I don't really gel with a lot of the more sickly ballad adjacent stuff. Other genres do that sort of emotion much better for me. Some good funk/soul on here, like Superstition. Might have to listen to more of the back-catalogue if it's like that.
Just totally fine. Nothing I'll choose to listen to again, but something that was pleasant while it was on
Superstition, which was huge when it dropped (ha-ha) in 1972, carries the album. It’s still good, the rest of the album, meh. (1.9*s)
A few good songs.
It was just ok. Other than superstition the rest was average
Some good ones
Liked the first song but not really anything else
The bangers are bangers (albeit there are few) and the non-bangers are....well, they're not bangers. Generally, the song writing was there. I think the production value for a lot of them, however, left something to be desired.
It was okay. "Superstition" is fun and well known, some of the simpler songs like "You and I" are good, but the rest are a little too... casual and flashy to be interesting for me.
Not really my style. At times the lyrics seemed saccharine and the melodies seemed meandering.
Love Stevie Wonder, but this isn't a patch on Songs in the Key of Life or Innervisions. Far too many songs that could be described as filler. Sure, there's some moments of genius, but out of 10 tracks, 3 are essential and the rest are largely forgettable.
I really thought I would enjoy this one more... maybe my head is not in the right place to enjoy love songs right now, sorry Stevie. Musicality on point, just not my vibe
Not my thing really
I really don't like Stevie Wonder :)
Yeah, man, I just don't like SW.
Another Stevie Wonder album that is filled with a few known songs I like and the rest is just boring. Meh.
no mitä tässä nyt sanoisi kuumepäisenä hörhöäisenä, kidutuskuuntelua. mahdotonta nauttia, ja tähän mennessä kuulemistani wonder albumeista selvästi huonoin ei biiseissä paitsi poppi hiteissä ä huoh hurjaaa ainesta, jatkuvaa toistoa paijataan jollekkin epäkiinnostavalle melodialle . olen kylmä. superstition
Not bad just not great. A few really good songs but mostly kind of boring melodies with generic lyrics.
Some of the songs I really vibed with, but most of Stevie Wonder's output remains horrendously boring fodder.
Some classic songs on here. Some good B sides. Not my kind of music though, but I can understand why some like it.
2/5 Eh
Almost every song is one idea repeated ad nauseum. Sure, that’s a fine thing in jazz when variations are layered through the performance but here it’s simple repetition with vocal gymnastics as the center of attention. It’s tiresome. Lyrically it’s moribund. “Superstition” is of course a hoot, and other tracks occasionally pop with funk, but nonsense like “You’ve Got It Bad Girl” and “Maybe Your Baby” are juvenile.
Well, this is awkward. I mean, Stevie Wonder! Superstition! This is gonna be great, right? No, it was not great. In fact, besides for Superstition, it was not very good. It was clunky, disjointed, and very overproduced with 70s technology. There was so much background noise in the first track that it was actually distracting. It gives me no pleasure to give this a poor score, and Superstition is an all-time great song, but as an album? This ain't it.
I didn't really like most of the songs on this album but Superstition is an absolute jam.
Superstition is a banger, but the rest can be skipped.
Honestly, this all just blended together, with the only song standing out being Superstition. If the whole album had songs as dynamic, intricate, creative, and funky as Superstition, I’d be apt to re-listen. As it stands, it’s a pass. Marks for quality production and musicianship.
The songs are either mediocre or bad. Maybe your baby and big brother are atrocious 2/5
Eclectisch en vooruitstrevend voor zijn tijd, maar niet voor mij
Ok
Well, it has Superstition… that’s about it. I’ve been through a Stevie Wonder stage and eventually realised he isn’t as good as people say he is. Even his hits are ordinary. By the way - worst concert I’ve ever been to. Meh!
Eh, not my thing. Only two songs were really good, Superstition and I Believe, but even I Believe had a super weird breakdown at the end. Too much hi-hat overall.
Ehh. Not much there. All kinda sounded the same
It's fine music, just not my thing.
Superstitious is a banger. The rest of the album is classic 70s restaurant music - won't offend anyone, but you won't remember it either
It didn't really grab my attention at all to be honest. It was fine but nothing was really memorable to me even superstitious didn't grab me the way it usually was. Not sure if I was too distracted or it's just not my style. 2/5
Only 1 song that I really liked. Superstition. All the others were fine but not noteworthy.
Again just only really liked Superstition :/
2/5 not my jam.
Day 4 of 1001 Albums You Need to Hear Before You Die: Talking Book - Stevie Wonder Honestly I wasn't feeling it. Some great songs but just wasn't my overall vibe. Feels very relaxing but just a little repetitive and sweet. It's a bit commercial for me, rather than feeling like it comes straight from his soul. Favourite Songs - Tuesday Heartbreak, Superstition
ok
Kinda slow. Some interesting songs, more made me want to skip
Everything came together for the great “Superstition,” but the rest of the album sounded like a jumbled mess to me. So much going on musically, but the instruments weren’t working together in my mind. For instance, “Maybe Your Baby” drove me nuts for the fact the drums were not driving it along and there were so many instruments soloing at the same time. It could have been so much better! The rest didn’t drive me nuts because I didn’t hear the great potential; it was simply an unpleasant experience.
Not for me
This album was ok but a bit slow for me.
Meglio di quel che ricordassi
Very jazzy, cleansed my soul. Wasn't a huge fan though.
One song album, that one song is a 10/10 banger. The rest of the album didn’t do it for me
Even know Stevie Wonder is an icon and has some great songs under his belt, the album didn't really do it for me.
Starts off good but then gets eh
Superstition is a jam, the rest isn't good. That's it, that's the review.
Superstition is a five-star track, but apart from that and the fine final track it's mid-tempo pop-funk or syrupy ballads. Thin pickings.
As with the other 2 Stevie Wonder albums: the ballads are dreadful and the funky upbeat stuff is phenomenal. I will say the last track, a ballad, started to grow on me by the end. 2.5/5
God dayummmm that was pretty underwhelming. Big Stevie W ya reckon... Other than the obvious I felt it was pretty boring. 2.5 rounded down. Fave track - Superstition
Mid. I forgot I was listening to it.
I trudged through this purely out of respect for Stevie Wonder... Was it all misplaced?
Superstition is amazing but can't carry the rest of the album which all a bit meh. 2.5/5
The first song is good. The last song is good. Superstition is very good. The rest of the album is dead boring.
I know a lot of people enjoy his music, but it’s just not for me
Quite how the classic that is Superstition can be on the same album as You are the Sunshine of my Life is beyond me. There is a reason why only one track is well known - I literally couldn’t finish half of the songs on the album. Disappointing.
superstition
At first I was super excited for this, but after the first song, it fell off the rails for me.
While Wonder is an extremely talented vocalist & musician, I couldn’t help but find this album to be very boring. The two songs I recognized have been ruined by years in retail. This one wasn’t for me.
Talking Book is basically Superstition and not a lot of good around it. He has better work and it's painfully clear. 2.
Really disappointing, this. Superstition is a classic, most of the rest is very basic saccharine stuff, not particularly interesting lyrics over the top of mostly lift music. Stevie is much more interesting when he gets the proper slap bass going, a bit of sass and rhythm, rather than crooning. 2/5.
Schmaltz. Also, Superstition.
This is more like the stevie wonder i had in my mind. Technical proficiency wasted on shite balads.
This is a melodic and almost artificially smooth soul/funk album. It feels like they tried to constrain Stevie Wonder and the only time he could get out was for 'Superstition' and 'Big Brother'. The overuse of keyboards and synths is definitely not my thing though.
Jesus, I already had his 16th and 17th studio albums and now I'm getting his 15th? Someone working on 1001 had a real hard on for Stevie Wonder. Yeah yeah, he was a big deal and forever changed soul music but come on. Most of these songs put me to sleep. "Superstition" is a super hit for a reason. "Big Brother" was pretty good. But they don't make up for the rest of the album.
Fade outs. :/ Good songs but won't be coming back to this album
Eh, well, it was overall an ok record. It's very chill but really not my vibe at all. The best were the two singles that were released. I get that he's basically a musical genius but I just didn't enjoy it. Best: Superstition Worst: You've Got It Bad Girl
Het is op zich prima vertoeven in Stevie's gezelschap, maar uiteindelijk ben je er ook snel wel weer klaar mee.
Superstition is een geweldig nummer, maar de rest viel me enorm tegen. Wat een zoete slappe hap.
Ik had iets pittigers, swingenders verwacht van Stevie.
Never liked Stevie Wonder, and I can’t really explain why. I feel almost guilty admitting that, but it’s true.