Talking Book

I liked this a lot, was more fun than I expected

We really experience a range of emotions - in the first three songs alone we go from bliss to anger to sadness and longing. I was traveling yesterday and had the privilege of listening to this whole thing 3 or 4 times. I don't love all the songs but the ones that I do totally make up for it and then some. Plus the backstory of his breakup adds layers to the meaning of the songs and the order that they're in. "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" "Superstition" "Blame it on the Sun" and "I Believe" are all jaw droppingly incredible songs and earn top marks.

I would love to live in the world that Stevie Wonder conjures through his music. This may not be the first album from his classic era with his newfound artistic freedom, but I think it's where he really found his footing and became more comfortable as a songwriter and in the recording studio. These songs are much stronger than the material on "Music of My Mind." Stevie is one of the most authentic musical geniuses of the 20th Century and this is where he really starts to blossom. It's beautiful to behold.

8/10 great album

Amazing that I'd never listened to this all the way through. Difficult to believe its over 50 years old, sounds fresh even today.

So good. Will every 5 star album provoke this short of a review from me?

Pretty sure Stevie Wonder is incapable of producing anything less than a 5 star album

I love Stevie Wonder and have several of his albums (including this one) on vinyl. Although I don’t have the same love for this as I do Songs in the Key of Life, this is among his masterpieces.

Some records come up in this project that you can rate right away and this is one of them. Stevie Wonder is a genius.

This was so nice to listen to. Stevie has a way with the instruments that just tickles my ears and brain

I love this album so much, it is definitely a 10/10 all the way through. In addition to the obvious class "Superstition", "Maybe Your Baby" also made it to the top of the list of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs. What a genius.

Some if the best Stevie Wonder.

Album maravilhoso. Bem datado em termos de timbres, mas com músicas fabulosas e icônicas. Stevie é rei!

Never heard Maybe Your Baby, it was cool and funky. Blame it on the Sun made me cry. Several other great songs on here as well.

This is a pretty great record. The instrumentation and production are incredible. The sound of the Moog bass and Hohner Clavinet in particular are a standout. It also has two all time great songs on it with "Superstition" and "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)". Standout Tracks: You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Maybe Your Baby, Tuesday Heartbreak, Superstition, Big Brother, I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)

Great

Still amazing

Very superstitious, Writing's on the wall, Very superstitious, Ladders bout' to fall, Thirteen month old baby, Broke the lookin' glass Seven years of bad luck, The good things in your past When you believe in things That you don't understand, Then you suffer, Superstition aint the way Stevie Wonder is a musical genius! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0_vTUnokNU 5/5

One of my all time favorite albums. It’s perfect

like the boojk

What an eclectic album. There are gorgeous songs like “You Are the Sunshine of My Life" and “You and I.” But there’s also some fantastic funk and the album switches back and forth. I love the hook on “Maybe Your Baby.” The song has this great dirty funk style that I absolutely love. “Tuesday Heartbreak” is wonderful. And “You’ve Got It Bad Girl” is a great song too. I love that warbly synth that sits low in the mix. And of course “Superstition”! Easily the Stevie Wonder song I've heard the most. Never gets old and always gets people dancing. This is one of those albums you could discuss track-by-track. Every song has its own personality and character, and lot of ground is covered in terms of genre. And man, “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever” is a great closer. It’s almost like Stevie Wonder combined every other song on the album and made it this one epic finale!

This is a beautiful album, with beautiful songs, with beautiful lyrics and beautiful chords. I love the entire thing. Stevie Wonder did not miss. Incredibly original and wildly enjoyable. 5/5

Main regret is not having time to listen to this more than once. Even with one listen though, I think this can get at least to 4.5. How can you start putting out some of your best work on album number 15?

The beginning of Stevie Wonder’s incredible 70s run. Does both funk and slow jams with stunning ease.

Talking Book is one of the best soul albums ever made. It has no weak songs and the variation in songs is fantastic. It leads from ballads to up-tempo funky stuff.

Top album

Beautiful album, but it's like Superstitious came from another planet. I learned of a few other songs I haven't heard before.

10/10 Stevie can’t go wrong! He has the Mitas Touch with his music!

Classic record that doesn’t overstay it’s welcome, the length is just perfect! Stevie is an amazing musician, and can write incredibly beautiful songs. But the funkiness is something else here, great stuff! 9 out of 10

This guy is awesome 5/5

no one person should be as talented as stevie wonder.

Highly skilled artist Everything you could ask for in an album Creative funk and rhythm All the songs were bangers No bad songs which is hard to do Superstition was the best song Every chord struck me in the soul Everyone needs to listen to this album

nicenicenice

Excellent!

This is one hell of an album with an amazing variety of quality songs...classic songs. Beuatiful love song / ballads like You Are the Sunshine of My Life and I Believe to open and close the album with just classic pop songs. In between it does funk as well as anyone could; Maybe Your Baby. It rocks with as much attitude and strut as any Stones or Who song; Superstition. It does sweet soul; Tuesday Heartbreak, Folk / pop; Big Brother and it does all these genres with style and originality. It's a nearly perfact album. 5 stars

A masterpiece. What a joy.

Sublime.

Love little Stevie

Not the best Stevie album imo, but still one of the best albums of all time.

beautiful

Stevie has 4 perfect albums and this is one of them

The mans a genius.

Part of the Peak-Stevie years, and not even my favourite of the lot!

This is the second Stevie album I’ve been generated, and I still haven’t had the one with my favourite song - King Duke. However, Superstition is here which we can all agree is an absolute banger, so let’s listen! Songs I already knew: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, Superstition Favourites: Superstition, Maybe Your Baby I love albums that are good rump-shakers, and we certainly have one here. There is plenty of clav used throughout this album - an instrument that it frankly criminally underused it modern music. The vocals are perfect and the music makes me want to dance without fail. A very easy album to listen to, and definitely one to recommend.

Fantastici arrangiamenti, peccato per i testi un po' sacrificati (bluesettoni smelensoni su amore e altre storielle), speravo un po' più politici (unico Big Brother). Pezzi notevoli: You and I, Superstition (classicone), I Believe (bellissima progressione e che finale degno) P.S.: notevole il fatto che spesso sia tutto suonato da Stevie

Absolute classic

I have this album for my vinyl player. I like the blues and the vibe to it.

That second track rips. Makes sense that Prince covered it.

Easily one of the greatest albums of all time

мммммммммммм

Listened more as background music but liked every song I heard/paid attention to. Definitely a great album that is worth a re-listen

In the first of his tetralogy, Stevie establishes his synth-based progressive soul sound with strong funk, jazz, and gospel influences. The production is crisp and mixed well, hugely necessary for how many channels are present in every song. Stevie is often buried underneath his accompaniment, but I could still hear him well, and the emphasis should be on his instrumentation. These songs are like nothing else from the era, resembling pop structures to some degree but diverging from the formula into something unpredictable. Sure, "You are the Sunshine" is the pop hit but has a few pleasant synth characteristics that make it unique if you pay attention to it. "Maybe Your Baby" however shows Stevie's creative genius; its extensive length and jazz atonality keeps you guessing where the song is heading despite its surface repetitiveness. With "You and I", we are again stumbled upon what is seemingly just another ballad, but its chamber vocals are subdued by spacey synths, resembling a beautiful, heartfelt harpsichord. We move into catchy dance funk with "Tuesday Heartbreak" full of lush instrumentation that fills up the room. You hear gospel angelic vocals, a Sly-influenced funky guitar, a sax, and synths burying Stevie's wacky shouts and scats. "You've Got It Bad Girl" sounds a decade ahead of its time, with 80s-like (and flute-sounding) retro synths and deep vocals forming a smooth, dark, and sexy tone. It's busy and powerful but controlled. This is one of my favorites... the audience is constantly in motion to see where the sound goes, and has like 5 different things to pay attention to. Next we have one of his most famous songs, the funk masterpiece "Superstition." It's triumphant and catchy with some awesome solos and screeches by Stevie establishing his position as one of the leaders of 70s funk. The remaining songs are much smoother and jazzier but still remarkable in their own ways, slowly leading to satisfying close. Nice transition from "Superstition" to the tropical and relaxing "Big Brother." "Blame It on the Sun" is another ballad, but is equally lush and interesting as other songs, filled with emotionally powerful instrumentation and gospel back vocals. We got another immediate and smooth transition to "Lookin for Another Pure Love", a mellow and dreamy jazz song with mysterious guitar and vocals that could put you in a trance. Again, another great transition as we end the album with the melancholic pop song "I Believe." It's a relaxing and optimistic way of closing the album.

Stevie is not short for Steven. It's short for Stevland. In 1971, Stevie Wonder turned 21. This occasion saw the expiration of his original contract with Motown. Having initially signed to Motown's Tamla label aged 11, Stevie Wonder was put on a five-year rolling contract with his royalties held in trust until he turned 21. During this period, Berry Gordy supervised the musical direction of Stevie Wonder's career (in fairness, Berry Gordy is hardly a bad choice for steering the musical ship). But following his 21st birthday, Stevie Wonder renegotiated a new contract with Motown, granting him significantly more royalties and much more artistic control. We now call this the start of Stevie Wonder's golden period (not that the previous era wasn't precious). Talking Book, the second album of this exalted age (and the 15th album the then-22-year-old had released), has Stevie moving further away from that Motown sound of his teenage years to a synthy, funky, more idiosyncratic style. That said, the soulfulness is still there; plenty of love jams on this slab. And that shall serve as a segue into discussing one of the main sticking points of Stevie: his occasional cheesiness. For such a revered artist with such a revered back catalogue, Stevie has seemed plagued by sharp dips into outright edam. Every Living for the City comes coupled with an I Just Called to Say I Love You. Partly this is contextual: Stevie Wonder's smoochy numbers remind one of tipsy, 40-something parents dancing cheek-to-cheek at wedding night dos, their teenage offspring sulking shamefacedly at the edges of the hall. Is it Stevie's fault that his songs prove so popular at such instances? Or that such instances ripple back through the past, contaminating Stevie's earlier love songs? Well, it's not as if Stevie Wonder's an idiot. We just reach the common-sense criticism that when Stevie Wonder explores his sentimental side, it sometimes becomes mildly embarrassing. But there's another aspect to this cheesiness such common sense downplays: Stevie's Steely-Danness. When Stevie Wonder began venturing beyond the purview of soul, he stumbled upon jazz and the Rhodes piano. That pairing was also discovered by Steely Dan, which strikes me as a far more fromagey association than Stevie Wonder appearing with Blue. Steely Dan are like that Sardinian cheese with the maggots inside that's technically illegal but still, for reasons beyond sense, has a thriving black market. Putting aside Steely Dan's interminable jazz noodling bollocks, you should always get ready to flee when a band sells itself on the clarity of its production. It's a sign that they've forgotten rock 'n' roll. So, with those lactates described, where does Talking Book stand? Delightfully, it transcends these, and Talking Book still shows Stevie Wonder at his apex. Talking Book's few slips into mawkishness and Steely Danness do not prevent Stevie Wonder from reaching top speed. Superstition remains blistering, a song where just the first ten seconds are enough to make your day. Big Brother manages a remarkable feat for politicised songs: it still sounds fresh and resonant today (a trait shared by several of Stevie Wonder's 70s political numbers). But what truly raises Talking Book to the pantheon is Stevie Wonder's humanism. Worldly yet optimistic, Talking Book expresses a basic faith in the potential of life and the potential for love and happiness. Perhaps that's the defining characteristic of Stevie Wonder's golden period: the joy of simply being alive. The Will in Will Smith isn't short for William. It's short for Willard. Yet in the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Geoffrey always referred to Will as "Master William". So his character in the Fresh Prince was named after him, yet also had a different name. Bit odd, that. NoRadio, signing off.

Stevie absolutely kills it on this album. He is a master of arranging and use of synthesis and layering with voice and other instrumentation. “Superstition” is an amazing track and undeniably one of the best tracks ever recorded, but it sits amongst many on this album to say a lot about.

Great album from one of the greatest. Hard to argue with much about this, its pleasant, consistent, no skips, and possibly euphoric with time. It will take some time for me to settle into this album to really get to know it, but after two listens I’ll take the book’s word, and I plan on coming back over and over.

9/10

9/10. Good shit

:) 9/10

Second Stevie Wonder in, like, two days. And I do not object even slightly. This one is objectively a better album than Fulfillingness' First Finale, with Wonder doing so much that was technically cutting edge, and yet still sounding amazing. And, of course, this album has Superstition on it. One of the best tracks ever recorded.

The beauty of Stevie Wonder’s work in this period is among the best. Serious classics and hidden gems is what this album consists of. The man did not make filler or throw away tracks in the trilogy (this album to Fulfillingness’)

Было круто послушать этот альбом Стиви Вандера, тк Superstition я уже слушал, в целом настроение альбома мне понравилось, и слушать его легко, в какой-то степени этот альбом трендсеттер многих других альбомов из абсолютно разных жанров, но в плане lyrics альбом довольно самоповторяющийся. 8/10

funky and wonderful!

100!

Stevie Wonder exudes love and light. He makes me feel good.

“You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” was a childhood staple in my sister’s 45 record collection that I listened to a lot. It formed the foundation for my lifetime love of the music of Stevie Wonder. I’m sure I’ve listened to the album several times, but it is a real pleasure to spend some time with this today.

Stevie Wonder... Dos megahits. Vinilo.

Part of Stevie Wonder's classic years. Obviously, legendary "Superstition" is the centerpiece here, but the rest of the album is excellent as well, with other stellar groovy cuts such as "Maybe Your Baby". And please, oh please, don't get fooled by the apparent sugar first displayed in the many ballads of this record. Cheesiness is a problem Wonder often had in his less successful records, but not in here. A second or third listen of those ballads will probably reveal how richly textured and smartly written the music is in most of them (see "Blame It On The Sun" or "I Believe". Besides, Wonder even explored a darker vein for those slower cuts from time to time, as "Big Brother" proves it. The chords on that one are sleazy and ominous, and the lyrica topical as hell. "I live in the ghetto / You just come visit 'round election time". This might be a somewhat naive way to address those topical issues, admittedly. Yet, just like any sort of emotion Stevie Wonder deals with, that doesn't make the feeling and intention any less relevant... Number of albums left to review: 737 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 130 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 65 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 69

Funky and creative - another fine collection of grooves that make you consider life at the same time

This generator has shown me that I actually really enjoy Stevie Wonder's music. I don't know what else to say about this album other than that it's good. My favourite songs were probably Maybe Your Baby, Blame it on the Sun, and Superstition. Lot's of good stuff on here.

Fricken Jeff Beck all over that solo in Lookin for Another Pure Love, gotdamn. Do it Jeff. Never has an instrument been played with more feel than that clav on superstition. He does love what ever it is that makes you sound like your in the opening sequence of an 80s family sitcom. Whatever he's doing with the timing on Blame it On the Sun makes me feel all types of things. Just realised I've been listening to it on shuffle, only the second time I've done it in almost 600 albums, not an ideal one to do it on though. This man IS music.

Stevie, c’est Stevie.

Super chillig, bisschen romantische vibes, ganz ruhig

"It's a stupid stupersition"

No complaints, even though a few songs were known more to me as MOR AM Radio fodder

I 🫶stevie wonder. I believe (when I fall in love it will be forever) is my fav stevie song and a top 10 song of all time. Love love love

104/112

I think a hair below what I expected, but still phenomenal in almost every way.

Stevie wonder is the freaking man, change my mind.

2 excellent number ! Nice to dance on!

yes duh, talking book kicks off maybe the greatest four-album run ever

Stevie’s 70’s output is unimpeachable.

the devil wrote superstition and gave it to stevland

Love Stevie. Not my fav album of his but still a classic

A great album by one of the best songwriters in American history

Overall pretty great album, really creative and beautiful melodies throughout. You and I and Superstition were the highlights of this album.

He's so beautiful, he makes my heart burst!

Top rate Stevie wonder Album. Last track is a hidden gem.

Legend

Not Stevies best. But still Stevie. Front to Backer

Perfect! Even if hated the rest of the album I would still give this 5 stars for the last track

Damn Stevie. Only 22 years old and this is his 15th album? What a talent. You are the Sunshine of My Life is a great softy - never feels sappy after all this time. Ditto for You and I (love it's soaring feel at the end). Maybe Your Baby is a great funky song - hidden treasure on this album. But it shows the two sides of this album - he goes back and forth from soft and beautiful to upbeat and funky with ease. I can't believe how much sound there is on the funky songs that is pretty much just Stevie. A master in a class all his own. Do I even need to say anything about Superstition? What a beauty. If you don't adore that song you are not human. I Believe When I Fall in Love... doesn't get as much fanfare as some other Stevie Wonder tunes but it is superb and nicely bookends side two (strangely, because my dad is a Garfunkel fan I know his version more). Blame it on the Sun is an even lesser known track that should not go unnoticed (beautiful). Love this album.

In the 1970s Stevie Wonder could do no wrong. He started getting widely recognized after his previous album Music of My Mind (released just seven months prior to this). This is his 16th album, and he was only 22 when it was released. Almost everything on here is played by him. To call him a genius would be an understatement. The opening track “You are the Sunshine of My Life” is a classic and great choice to open the album. It sets the vibe for what’s to come with its smooth production. “Maybe Your Baby” has a strong groove played on the Moog. The track creates a beautiful wall of sound with the use of synth and layered vocals and features Ray Parker Jr (Who else are you gonna call?) on electric guitar. The rest of side one is great but I’m skipping ahead to Superstition before this becomes a book. God Damn, what a song, and the entire track is just him on everything except for the horns! I always wondered what he came up with first for this song. Was it the opening drum part, or the clavinet melody? Whatever it is, he puts it all together to make a timeless classic. The rest of the tracks on this side flows nicely into each other and the album ends with another classic, “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever).” A perfect album from Stevie.

It's crazy that this is his 15th (!) album, but he's only at the start of his "classic period" albums. Well, that period is aptly named. I only previously heard Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life and loved them both. This one is right up there with them. What a great album and what an amazing talent - even more amazing when you consider that except for some guitars and some backing vocals everything on the album is him. My favorite track is I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever). I first heard it on the High Fidelity soundtrack and later included it on my wedding celebration playlist. Such a beautiful song (and all him - I had no idea there were no other musicians on that track). I love how it builds until the song is just soaring, and then ends with a great funk jam (does it count as a jam when it's only one person? Maybe it does if it's Stevie Wonder). Superstition is a solid gold classic - the quintessential funky Clavinet track. If you don't at least bop your head when you hear it, you may be dead. You Are the Sunshine of My Life is a classic. Easy listening, sure, but beautiful. All the other tracks are good to great. Maybe Your Baby brings da funk. You and I is schmaltzy but still good (nice use of synths - You've Got it Bad Girl is another good synth track). I also enjoyed Tuesday Heartbreak, Big Brother, Blame It on the Sun, and Lookin' for Another Pure Love (nice guitars, courtesy of Jeff Beck). It's just a great album, and clearly a 5.

The randomizer seems to be telling me to listen to more Stevie Wonder as this is my third Stevie album. That is a good thing. "Talking Book" is the 15th studio album for Stevie Wonder and along with the previous album " Music of My Mind" starts his so-called Wonder classic period. He was given more freedom from Motown and Barry Gordy and this period transitioned him from youthful prodigy to an independent and expert artist. The politics of the time and recent work by Isaac Hayes, Sly Stone and Marvin Gaye were also influences. Speaking of other musicians, this album has appearances by Jeff Beck, Ray Parker Jr., David Sanborn and Buzz Feiten. One of the highlights of the Stevie Wonder albums I have listened to is the mixture of ballads, softer-jazzy songs, pop songs and funk. This album has all that. Another highlight is his use of the T.O.N.T.O synthesizer which was able to create the sound of multiple instruments. The flow of the album seems to be from a happy relationship to looking for another love as he was or was soon to be divorced. But, there are some more political and non-relationship-based songs in the middle. This album has three of my more favorite Stevie songs. The album starts with the happy love song "You are the Sunshine of My Life." Great backing vocals and congos. Stevie wrote with Jeff Beck "Superstition" while Stevie was playing keyboards and Jeff Beck drums. Just about as bad-ass a funky groove ever.....ever. Stevie's use of the Clarinet Model C. Trumpet and tenor sax come in. Describing popular superstitions and their negative effect. And the album ends on a positive relationship note with "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever). Just a tremendous and uplifting song with a fantastic chorus. Jeff Beck and Buzz Feiten are on guitars and Stevie's kicking it on the drums. I give up trying to pick among this album, "Innervisions" and "Songs In The Key Of Life" as to his best. They're all worth listening to and owning. I believe I have one more Stevie Wonder album in "Fulfillingness' First Finale" in this album challenge. I'm pretty sure I'll like that quite a bit to (I have listen to it but it's been awhile).

Just a beautiful album

1972 was the year that Stevie Wonder flexed his artistic muscles and began to produce his music, his way. While sometimes left behind in the classic run of releases that started with Innervisions, Talking Book is a stone cold classic. Great tunes, great arrangements and Jeff Beck.

No skips on this album a perfect 5/5. Stevie’s work on the keys are magical.

Bestest.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: You are the sunshine of my life, Tuesday heartbreak, Superstition, I believe

You are the sunshine of my life

Oh look, another 70’s album I love that I now have to listen to again with a critical, unbiased ear. Take your 5 stars Stevie

You Are The Sunshine já começa tão gostosa. Superstition um clássico. Várias músicas para revisitar

This was my favourite Stevie album, until I got into Inner Visions. Wonderful

Very nice

The good songs are so good (You are the Sunshine of my Life, Maybe Your Baby, I Believe) that I feel like the songs I don't like as well (You've Got It Bad Girl, Lookin' For Another Pure Love) are my fault, not because the songs aren't good. I saw another review that referred to Superstition as overplayed, an idea that startled me. I've always considered Superstition to be a pinnacle of musical achievement, like Bach's Little Fugue in G Minor. Evergreen and always welcome in my stream.

It's almost effortless- so smooth. He really is one of the greatest. Just listening to Stevie makes the world a slightly less bad place. Of course there's the big hits but with repeated plays other songs come out of the woodwork. 'Lookin' for another pure love' is a case in point. There's an intricate balance going on all through this album- the singing, rhythm and the beat with the instruments all together. It's not that immediately apparent in my view.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting to be a huge fan of this based on the overplayed "Superstition" and "You Are The Sunshine of my Life," but it really is an incredible album, flowing between moods and genres with ease. It sounds great and his voice is terrific.

+You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Maybe Your Baby, Tuesday Heartbreak, Superstition, I Believe -You and I But who knew the "I Just Called (to say I Love You" guy could also bring the funk and bring it hard? Maybe Your Baby goes hard with some seriously filthy-funky bass that you just can't help to bob your head to, and a few "ee-hees" years before Michael made it his trademark; this track clocks in at just under 7 minutes and is a party the whole way through. Tracks like You've Got It Bad Girl and Blame It On The Sun provide some welcome breathing room giving us some buttery-smooth, soulful R&B, frosted with Stevie's crooning. Big Brother takes a folksy turn and pulls it off fantastically, you'd almost think it was Paul Simon. The show concludes as strong as it starts with I Believe, which is a journey of itself asking us the question "Doncha wanna fall in love?"...I already have, Stevie! The only track I didn't fully enjoy was You and I, and it's really just a showcase of Stevie's prowess on the keys (which is top-notch here), but the song itself I could take or leave.

I can't be unbiased about this. Stevie's my favorite. I remember holding this vinyl as a kid. The 70s synths feel like spending a sunny day on another planet to me. Favorite tracks are Superstition, Blame It On The Sun, and I Believe.

The Man could no wrong in the Sixties. Sensational stuff.

Just excellent.

Soul masterpiece. Wonder was really peerless at this phase.

Jamiroquai's wet dream

This album is chock-full of standouts. "Superstition", "Big Brother","Maybe Your Baby", "You've Got it Bad Girl" and "I Belive" easily push this album into 5 star territory for me.

Love this classic

Fantastic album

Je suis un grand fan des albums de Stevie Wonder du début des années 70. Voyons celui-ci de plus près. 1. "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" incarne bien l'évolution de mon appréciation de Stevie Wonder. Alors que je n'aimais que les pièces funky et délaissais les balades qui m'apparaissaient plus sirupeuses, j'ai fini par tout embrasser dans un grand geste d'amour. Chanson délicieuse. 2. " Maybe Your Baby". Dès la première mesure, on accroche au mordant funky. Pendant les dernières mesures, on se demande quand ça va finir. Me paraît le maillon faible du disque à cause de sa structure en mode infini. 3. "Tuesday Heartbreak". On a envie de bouger notre corps doucement et d'aimer tout le monde. La magie de Stevie Wonder opère. 4. "You've Got It Bad Girl". Explorations dans tous les sens, tout en maintenant un cadre pop. La mélodie est accrocheuse malgré ses anomalies, les textures sonores vont dans plusieurs directions. Selon notre humeur, on pourrait juger que c'est trop sur ce dernier plan ou adorer le voyage. 5. "Superstition". Rien à ajouter sur ce formidable morceau dont les arrangements sont parfaitement équilibrés, l'interprétation vocale d'une justesse ahurissante. Cette chanson me fait toujours réagir avec la même ferveur. 6. "Big Brother". Malgré la progression harmonique toute simple, Wonder, réussit à surprendre avec des arrangements qui ouvrent une nouvelle porte par rapport à ce qu'on avait entendu plus tôt sur l'album :accents folks (est-ce un fingerpicking? eh non, c'est le magicien aux claviers). L'harmonica nous rappelle que Stevie en est un maître. Le message social est davantage mis de l'avant : Stevie n'est pas que musique, il est aussi conscience. 7. "Blame It On The Sun". Le Stevie sirupeux nous met au défi ici. Il suffit de plonger dans l'amour et la volupté pour apprécier. On se prend à regretter que l'amoureuse soit trop loin pour lui dire à quel point on l'aime. 8. "Lookin' For Another Pure Love" et 9. "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)". Le génie mélodique de Stevie Wonder nous prend d'un autre angle avec ces chansons. La guitare de Jeff Beck apporte une belle fraîcheur. Le tout, méditatif voire planant, ne peut qu'évoquer un lit défait, des corps nus... L'outro de "I Believe" montre qu'on peut utiliser la répétition à bon escient dans la finale d'une chanson, ce que "Maybe Your Baby" avait raté. Pas le meilleur de Stevie Wonder de cette époque, cependant cette écoute attentive n'a réussi qu'à me le faire encore plus apprécier, malgré ses quelques excès.

Good shit 5

Oddly the poorest track imo is You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, but the rest of the album is just indubitably excellent. Superstition. What a track. What an album. What a man

Fantastic album. All the funk. All the musicianship you love about Stevie Wonder. And Superstitious remains one of the best songs, ever.

This album is amazing. It has so much range in melody, instrumentation, and topics/lyrics. It shows instrumental and production virtuosity on every track, and it holds together as an album for an end-to-end listen. If you can't appreciate it, I'd question your appreciation for music in general. Nothing like it to pick you up on a rough day, too.

Album increíble. Gran armonía y modernidad para los 70

Espetáculo.

Well that was amazing.

a golden soulful funky classic

Another essential funky soul/pop LP from Stevie's classic period. Probably my 3rd favourite after Songs in the key of life (5*) and Innervisions (5*).

Kannte nur Superstition. Großartiges Album, eine Wohltat.

The master

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

On the list of best closing song to an album ever.

STEVIE! I'll never understand how someone like Stevie Wonder can be overlooked, but here we are. Unfortunately it seems like the world won't show it's outpouring of appreciation for Stevie until he dies. He had an imperial period that ranks up there with the all-time greats and was as prolific as Prince. And that doesn't even take into consideration that, oh yeah, the dude is BLIND. Many point to "Superstition" being the signature, iconic track on this album and they're not wrong. But let's not sleep on the joy that is the opening track on this album. "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" is full of joy and elation that captures exactly how happy it is to be madly in love with someone. The song itself is a party, where Stevie captures the happiness he's found in the world all in two-minutes and 45 seconds. We shouldn't wait until we lose Stevie Wonder to thank him for the joy he's given us.

Another incredible album by Stevie Wonder - probably my second favourite of his. Includes classics You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, You And I and Superstition.

Exquisite. Just utterly, utterly sublime.

Well... It's Stevie Wonder.

Superstitious makes this a 5 star album by itself

Magnificent. 'Maybe your baby' is pretty much the first part of Prince's career in 6:50...

Didn't listen fully

J'adore Stevie Wonder et cette album est merveilleux. Ça s'écoute très bien et superstition est une de mes préféré. 4.90

Stevie Wonder... Dos megahits.

Always love some Stevie! One of his best. Some favorites from the album included Maybe Your Baby, You've Got It Bad Girl, and Blame It On The Sun.

Classic brilliant

Precioso. R&B impregnado de funk con el sonido característico del Hohner Clavinet de Wonder. Tiene temazos.

Discazo total!! 4 temazos para la historia, y el resto muy buenos de acompañamiento.

Own it, love it. Listened to Innervisions instead, because I don't own it (yet). Both are 5. Stevie is God.

Now that it was established that Stevie Wonder could do what he pleased musically, he got to work on crafting a oeuvre that would rival anyone else's from past, then-present and distant future. Talking Book, a pun of sorts, made the distance between Stevie and whomever came closest that much clear. The innovations and ingenuity made abundant here are more than enough to keep the listener in awe of what it was that Stevie was doing at the time. The fact that we would only see and hear him reach higher afterwards is what makes this even more incredible.

Still a really good album but not his very best. I like Stevie best when he's funky (Superstition/Maybe your Baby), but don't get as much from some of the sappier syrupy stuff (Sunshine of my Life/You and I). 7/10

8/10

Can't go wrong with Stevie Wonder on a Monday morning

Stevie Wonder could not be more aptly named. This run of albums from Music Of My Mind (my personal favorite) through Songs In The Key Of Life is incredible. Talking Book isn’t the best of the five and it’s hard not to compare them, but it possesses a few of his best songs. Innervisions and SITKOL are more solid albums, but who else can claim a run of 5 albums this good? Dylan? Beatles? Stones? Bowie? Tough company and Stevie played most, if not all, the instruments on these records. Amazing. 3.7 ^

I'd give it a 4.5/5 if I could. This album was a banger! Fav Tracks: You Are The Sunshine of My Life, Tuesday Heartbreak, Superstitious, Big Brother, Blame it on the Sun

Great album. Stevie Wonder weaves between funky songs and slower groovy songs here, making for a smooth and pleasant listen. Timeless, Stevie Wonder is truly a generational talent that always provides at least a solid listen.

It's hard to not enjoy this album. Stevie's sweet vocals never fail to put me in a good mood, and the groovy instruments do great work. This is simple, fine, and high quality music from one of the greatest musicians of all time, with a couple of timeless hits to boot.

Solid album. Not really my vibe but I can appreciate good music even if If it's not my style.

A good album with some classic tunes. Not my favorite Stevie album but still solid.

Gut, aber kein 5-Sterne Album wie Songs in the Key of Life

Some songs are nice

My second Stevie Wonder record just this week; Songs in the Key of Life on Monday, this on Friday, so I guess the generator is almost forcing me to compare them. Anyway, Key of Life is brilliant, but I think I'd rather put this on again. It doesn't achieve overall perfection, a few songs such as Big Brother are skips here, but it's overall tighter, and has more of a sound of discovery and experimentation compared to Key of Life where Stevie is operating at maximum velocity and confidence the whole way through.

One of Stevies best albums, full of soul this and he started to explore more expanded arrangements here away from the 60s sound.

This is obviously a very good album. I actually own the CD, although I have not listened to it that much over the years. Some of the tracks are really good. I particularly enjoy: "Maybe Your Baby" (though not a fan of the last section), "Tuesday Heartbreak", "Big Brother", "Looking for Another Pure Love" (very nice guitar), "I Believe..." (though this is another song with an end section I don't really love), or "Superstition" (a classic, and clearly my favourite track in the album)... And, by the way, I did not forget "You Are the Sunshine...". It's just that I don't particularly like thar song. Overall, a perfectly solid 4 star album.

thing this does better than SITKOL: the funky tracks. Stevie Wonder excels at super nasty grooves here. thing this does worse than SITKOL: the ballads. Stevie would get much better at balancing the syrup with time. Stevie Wonder is generally pretty damn great and this album is no different, even if it doesn’t best Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. deserves to be one of the 1001? i think it’s notable enough but if you were to leave it off i wouldn’t mind too much

A very good album, but is nothing close to the masterpiece that is Songs in the Key of Life

Embarrassingly my only real listening to Stevie Wonder growing up was limited to Ebony and Ivory and I Just Called To Say I Love You. Haha. It’s only through this process I have come to appreciate what a genius ‘younger’ Stevie was. Great album very much enjoyed it.

The undeniable master of funk

There are some great tracks and a couple of genuine classics on this record (but also a little bit of padding).

Stevie Wonder is a fantastic artist. Delighted to get the opportunity to listen to this album. Some great numbers here. I'm going to just hold back from a full score as I think there are even better Stevie Wonder albums.

As with all Stevie Wonder albums, the production here is absolutely immaculate. Where this album falters just slightly is its consistency. All tracks are relatively solid but when such amazing tracks like You Are The Sunshine Of My Life and Superstition are bookended with weaker ones, it can feel slightly disappointing.

Stevie Wonder is a genius. This album features three of his best pieces. The rest of the songs are less spectacular but still fantastic. I want to listen again. A 4.

Maybe Your Baby & You've Got It Bad Girl are probably my favourite tracks from the album. (First time listening) Lookin' For Another Pure Love has a chill funky guitar solo, I really like.

I've already listened to this album 😭 But... my take is that this is one of the fundamental albums that helped build the modern R&B scene... so yea.

So happy to be reminded of Stevie Wonder’s joyous energy! This started off as 5 stars for me, but I honestly couldn’t get over how repetitive and long “Maybe Your Baby” felt (I was driving) and how it just felt sort of ruined the vibe from the earlier songs. “Superstition” will remain one of the greatest songs of all time. Aside from my one issue above, I wouldn’t mind hearing any of these tracks. Stevie Wonder is pure happiness in a human.

This is my second SW album and I'm enjoying it.

A couple more classic songs but I didn’t enjoy the long ballads so much inbetween. Innervisions is much better!

Very good

gran disco. michael jackson te descubri

7/10 - Enjoyable listen the whole way through. Not a super standout album but definitely feels like a grower. A nice depart from his classics with plenty of his soul and instrumentals in there, just lacking a pull that keeps you coming back unlike some of his other albums.

Some good tracks to be found here.

Repeated listens reveal the depth and beauty of expression. No skips. I Believe is one of the best songs ever written imo.

Good fun. Passed by so quickly.

This is the first Stevie Wonder album I ever bought, and it's so influential on so much music that came after.

Shimmering delight. Stevie at the height of his powers. Maybe we don’t need “You’ve Got it Bad Girl”, or “Lookin’ For Another Pure Love”. But then “Maybe Your Baby” and “Tuesday Heartbreak” straighten things up. Listen, I haven’t even mentioned the stone locks on this album and we all know them. It’s kaleidoscopic Stevie, the wondrous and the, uh, meandering. Those fat organ chords, the deep drums, and the snap of the horns… nothing moves your ass like some good Stevie. And there’s so much good Stevie here.

Maybe Your Baby drags on just a tiny bit too long or else I'd absolutely love that song. All others are solid, occasional forgettable one

after my first listen through this album i would've rated it four stars, but hearing it again right afterwards instantly reminded me why i needed to bump it up. this album immediately started off so strong with 'you are the sunshine of my life'. the minute this song came on i instantly knew i was gonna love this book. this song feels like getting high without the consequences. it's just pure good vibes. i wasn't the biggest fan of 'maybe your baby', it kind of took me out, but followed right after by 'you and i' was like a reminder of how great this album is. these two songs were real game changers for me. the only reason i won't rate this album its full five stars is just the small handful of songs i wasn't a huge fan of. that being said, there really wasn't a single 'bad' song on this album, and it really just introduced me to a whole new world of music. favorite tracks: you are the sunshine of my life, you and i honorable mentions: blame it on the sun, i believe (when i fall in love it will be forever)

Muy rico. Superstition forever. Nota: 3.7

Talking Book is not the spellbinding statement that Songs In The Key Of Life is, but then again, little is. Besides, we're still talking gold era Stevie Wonder, so it isn't exactly gonna be a bad album. I'll get it out of the way, my biggest problem here is that I think the last 3 songs are observably weaker than the rest of the album from a writing perspective. Although, I could see my opinion on this changing in the future; after all they still have the performances and the joy that makes the rest of this album. And Wonder is still singing his ass off on these cuts. But, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, through Big Brother is a pretty immaculate run. I'd even go so far as to say that Maybe Your Baby and Superstition are pretty much perfect, and some of the best funk songs ever written. Outside of these, Talking Book has some other funk cuts, and rich, spirited soul songs. And everything is presented in such a consistently progressive, almost psych-influenced way that it manages to come together as a statement. This isn't my favorite Wonder album, but it is a wonderful example of what makes his music special.

Amazing vocals, super interesting songwriting, but some of the slower tracks bog it down just a little. Favourites: You and I, Superstition, Blame It on the Sun, I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)

ehhhmazing

4.5 / 5 Best Song: Superstitious Worst Song: Tuesday Heartbreak Weirdest Song: N/a Honorable Mention: Big Brother Honorable Mention: Maybe Your Baby Almost perfect, great from start to finish and some pleasant surprises having not heard most of Stevie Wonder beyond the usual hits. Had to give 2 honorable mentions since I couldn't make up my mind.

#21 A few classic Stevie Wonder tracks appear on this album, and the rest of the songs are decent to pretty good. A little sappy/ overly sweet at times, but overall a good listen.

I never really need to hear "Sunshine" again, and need to hear "Superstition" every time it comes around. The rest is a master class in vibe and texture, even when it isn't exactly catchy.

What a joy its been to discover his back catalog beyond the singles.

Dinlediğimde bana konfor verdi. İnanılmaz vokkalleride üzerindeki biberi idi. Bayıldım

Stevie Wonder is certainly a master of his craft. The use of synthesizers on this album is inspired. "Superstition" is, of course, one of the greatest songs ever written. The album isn't as even as some of his later records, but damn, is it good.

Superstition is such a great tune. I never sat down to listen to this album. Some hits but also a lot of lesser known great songs.

Songs In The Key Of Life, предложенный ранее, понравился больше. Но и этот вполне достойный. Именно за этим я и вписался в этот челлендж. Скачал всю дискографию Уандера. Буду слушать избранные альбомы под соответствующее настроение.

I think most people would agree this isn't Stevie's best. And I think it's because of the weak lyrical content at times and more forgettable ballad type songs. And yet I'm tempted to give 5 stars because there's still so much good music here. Some really good songs, plenty of fun instrumental moments and neat arrangements.

1001 albums to hear before you talk to a book 112# Thanks for giving me the first album of Stevie wonder on the list cyber gods. I wanna listen in order. This guy is a genius of songwriting. First album i listen from him front to back. Pretty much what i was expecting, coming from someone who had high expectations lol. My guy did all instrumentations and singing for some songs and that is an impressive feat to produce all of it. The year is 1972 too. Amazin

Some really good songs on this album.

Really strong album, some absolute bangers and amazing piano work.

The roots of modern R&B are crazy on this one. It’s got the fingerprints of all the shit we listen to today. I’ve owned this album forever, yet I never fully realized how influential it really is. The idea that this is from 1972 is insane. “Maybe your baby” literally is something I would stumble upon in today’s hits. It’s crazy. I think if this was a little bit of a tighter album it’d be an easy 5 for me.

It feels like every musician in the 70s was looking at Stevie Wonder.

Okay so Talking Book is an amazing album that was really really great to listen to. It’s R&B/Soul and honestly for like my first time listening to the genre I am really impressed. I may find it a little hard to pick a top three but I think I’ll go Maybe Your Baby, Superstition and finally Blame it On the Sun.

muy corte hawaiano la primera canción, igual re esta para una escena de amor en alguna peli. La segunda m parecio re cool, la re pondría en un bar literal m hace dar ganas de tomar un buen whisky. La tercera ya es mas animada y m re gustan los efectos, es como q m hace feliz y m hace acordar un poco a la primavera o al vídeo de happy. El chabon la rompe de una manera, si todas sus canciones serian mas como tuesday heartbreak lo amaría, encima el tono ronco q hace 🫢. en You've got it bad girl no m encanto la flauta(? q le pusieron siento q no va tanto con los otros instrumentos q usa. Superstition m re gusto pero ns en q ocasion la pondria, capaz es un poco clásica para mi, pq re iria en una peli pero para yo escucharla mientras hago algo no la veo. Big brother es reee de gaucho o bueno tipo country, no m gusta ese género pero admito q en producción esta re bien. Blame it on the sun es medio de gaucho triste, no m gusto particularmente pero en producción m re gusto el piano y las voces de fondo, m hubiera gustado q tenga un ritmo menos gaucho y religioso. Lookin for another pure love es re tranqui tipo serenata, es tipo romantico y la canta con una dulzura q dios mio, cada vez m sorprende mas la voz de este tipo. I belive m re gusto, re de película todo el album en general pero no es tan mi estilo

Sonically so beautiful. Shocked that this is so far into his career - I always underestimate how early he started

It's impossible to find fault with any of Stevie Wonder's classic albums. There's such a level of accomplished musicianship impeccably paired with his soulful vocal delivery and lyrics that can still touch you over half a century after they were first released. A musician like him rarely comes along and we're lucky to have an album like this one. And come on, how could anyone dislike the album that has "Superstition" on it?

Listening session: may 21st, while crocheting and cooking dinner Listened to before: listened to a few songs before Thoughts: I’m a big Stevie Wonder fan so of course I like this album, but it’s definitely not my favourite of his Favourite tracks: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, You And I & Superstition

Decent enough - enjoyed, just scrapes a 4

I mean it’s Stevie Wonder, but this isn’t my favorite of his albums

I enjoyed this album.

Another great stevie wonder album

Third Stevie Wonder album and third time I’m giving 4 stars. Consistently great

First track, classic. Middle track, funky banger. Last track, classic. Everything else… it’s fine.

achei divo mana 3.9

Good Stevie Wonder album. It’s not an entirely consistent album, but there are some classics on here, and it’s overall a really fun listen.

C'mon album generator, I just had 2 Creedence Cleerwater Revival albums in the span of 2 weeks, and now I have another Stevie Wonder one too. Please can I have more variety.

Tof! Af en toe wel een beetje achtergrondmuziek, erg goede achtergrondmuziek

Wat een ranzig lekkere nummertjes staan hier tussen. Superstition is uiteraard een topper, maar ik ging vooral heel lekker op het nummer wat erna komt, Big Brother. Schitterende melodietjes. Op andere liedjes soms wat tuned out wel.

Groovy, sick days with girls and Abby. Ate cheeseburgers and mowed

Favorite Track: Superstition

Obviously "Superstition" is the star of this album, but it contains a few other songs that I really enjoyed. "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" is a great smooth opener and "Tuesday Heartbreak" has a great baseline. A few songs had some good funky parts I associate with Stevie Wonder based on his bigger hits. Most of the album was forgettable on the whole in my opinion. The first time I listed through I was tuning out near the end of the album, but "I Belive (When I Fall in Love it Will Be Forever)" brought my attention right back. I'd never heard it before and it hit me like a truck. I don't know why, but when it got to the Chorus I had to sit down just to listen, process emotions, and think. I've never had a song do that to me before. It's pretty awesome that a song can affect me like that 50+ years after it was released.

last song⚠️ wedding song

4/5

Such a great album. There are a few classics that got tons of radio play, but other songs here could be additional hit singles. Tuesday Heartbreak has a killer bass and wah wah guitar effect and horn. Funky and sweet. But there are three songs that don't hold up, in my opinion. They're not bad, just schmaltzy. :) 4 stars.

Bom pra ouvir fazendo outras coisas. Vibe jazz de lobby. Muito bom

Nunca tinha parado para ouvir um álbum dele. Bom.

What’s not to like?

Loved this, superstition is certified classic but the whole album grooves along, was an enjoyable listen but I want more time with it

Big Brother is a banger. And every other song has a killer bassline

If “Your Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “Superstition” won’t get you to four stars, what will? (Still, some parts of this album are surprisingly leaden.)

I’ve never been a big fan of You Are the Sunshine of my Life, but once we get over that speed bump, this record picks up. Stevie was pretty incredible. Parts of this feel like if 2001 A Space Odyssey was redone with a more R&B/funk vibe. It’s a weird record, but I kinda like it. It’s definitely a product of the 70s, but it feels like Stevie and the production team wanted to do it right. Superstition is a daggum masterpiece. 7.9/10

this has restorative effects on my brain

First time listening to a Stevie Wonder album. Loved this

Yet another seminal release in a career full of them. Stevie had incredible way of making incredibly soulful and catchy tunes especially at this point in his career. Another great batch of songs the feel so smooth and easy on the ears. Every instrument comes together perfectly to craft a sound space that really bring you into his world. Also some incredible guitar work when it comes though as well.

Hmmm. Let's be honest, when at his best, Stevie is pretty untouchable. Superstition is undoubtedly one of the greatest songs ever written, You got it bad is a fantastic number, and Sunshine of my Life is beautiful, combining that little whole tone riff and a ballad that stays just the right side of mawkish. That said, the rest of the album doesnt quite hold up, and I rolled my eyes a couple of times at Big Brother. As an album, a decent 4.

pretty good album, listened through fully a couple of times. Honestly its been a week or 2 so i cant put anything specific.

Of all Stevie Wonder’s classic period albums I would say this is his third best. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of Innervisions of Songs in the Key of Life, but it’s still a brilliant collection of songs. ‘Superstition’ is deservedly the best known song on here, but the album contains plenty of other gems like ‘Tuesday Heartbreak’ and ‘I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will be Forever)’ Even as someone who’s usually less of a fan of ballads (of which there are quite a few on this album) I enjoy them when Stevie Wonder does them!

The big hits (‘You Are the Sunshine of My Life’, ‘Superstition’ and ‘I Believe…’) are deservedly the best-known tracks here, but my other highlight is ‘Maybe Your Baby’, a fantastic extended funk jam with a great guitar part courtesy of Mr Ghostbusters. Common to lots of Stevie’s albums, however, though they're by no means bad, I'm nowhere near as keen on the ballads, and along with ‘You’ve Got It Bad Girl’ they were my least-favourite tracks. The funky numbers were considerably stronger. The big hits are great, but the album is just good enough overall for a low 4 stars.

Genial! Hermoso el primer tema

You've got it bad girl drags but the rest of the songs rip.

A wonderful album heralding the arrival of spring. A little whimsical? Overproduced with sound effects? The core songs are pure Stevie funky. Nothing like it. Takes a 2nd to Songs in the key of life.

Superstition is a phenomenal song and has that funky sound that Stevie Wonder does so well. Most of the other songs on this album aren't quite on the same level in my opinion, though there are some lovely, soulful ballads. I especially like Blame It On The Sun. Looking forward to more Stevie Wonder on this list - especially Songs In The Key Of Life!

Classic Stevie. This album's songs come in 2 settings: funky or silky. I like the funky ones the most. I read bass stuff all the time and remember a good quote. Someone said the best bass player of the 70's was Stevie Wonder's left hand. His funky bass sounds exactly like Thundercat's *signature sound.

Love the energy. Upbeat from the start. Looks like I've actually already listened to "Tuesday Heartbreak" from this one.

Stevie Wonder Talking Book - 4/5 - Rhythmically hypnotic with a great infusion of soul and funk especially with Superstition standing among one of his greatest works, Innovative album no matter how you look at it considering that this was released in 1972 - Especially as this era helped birth synthesizers into the mainstream which is still widely applied to modern pop songs, A great selection of tracks that Stevie Wonder does a perfect job at producing - The Talking Book showcases Wonder’s genius from songwriting down to the most minute composition with each performance from the vocals and instruments, This project serves as an example of a great artist being given full artistic control paired with creative freedom, The political commentary in Stevie Wonder’s lyrics is very timely and I would say still relevant Verdict: 80-81/100. I can’t deny that this is a great album and among Stevie Wonder’s greatest works though I felt that the scale often from romantic ballads to funk inspired-soul or vice versa is hard to follow, personally making it hard to stay invested. Regardless though this classic-era of Stevie Wonder still remains iconic and definitely a piece not to be overlooked. Favourite Songs: You Are The Sunshine of My Life Maybe Your Baby You’ve Got It Bad Girl Superstition Lookin For Another Pure Love I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)

Favorite Track: Superstition

Stevie. He's always good.

Pas mal de synthe, assez funk, 15eme album de stevie wonder. Pas mal de trompettes, peut faire penser a motown dans l’enregistrement studio. A gagné un grammy. Parfois bien US et folk. Assez heterogene et du coup super interessant de l’entendre sur des sonorités bien différentes.

4.25 Timeless

good enough

Superstition and Blame it on the Sun are great. I Believe too. I love funky Stevie. I love political Stevie. I can't stand lovesong Stevie and there's just a bit too much of him on here for a 5.

It kind of surprises me that this is my first full Stevie Wonder album, I started Songs in the Key of Life a long time ago, but then I saw it was like 2 hours long and I put on another album instead (it was The Black Parade). But this was a really interesting album, there was a ton of really cool stuff in here. I definitely think the album excels when it's doing a more upbeat thing, the more chill ballady songs didn't really work as well for me. But regardless, this was a really fun listen, I will definitely be revisiting it in the future. Favorites: Maybe Your Baby, Superstition, I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)

Not the absolute best Stevie Wonder, but pretty close. These instrumentals are like an ear massage. With Stevie's wonderful vocals on top, the result is near flawless. Sadly, Talking Book is a victim of its creator's brilliance and, as a result, it slightly pales in comparison to his later work. Favourite track: Superstition

Bien Stevie algún buen temazo

8/10

Stevie Wonder is kinda a weird one for me. His music is my genre on paper, but it never really grew on me. It's fine, but it's kind of overly positive and sweet. Although, arrangements are crazy good and some tracks on this record are real masterpieces.

Goat

Stevie Wonder is so funky and talented. I didn't previously know the track I believe, but it's so good. And of course, Superstition is an icon of a song.

Not as diverse and adventurous as some of his other work, but that's only because he's amazing, so this album is still good and full of shining moments too

Superstitions it's simply perfect

Duh

Really good Stevie that had a blend of styles. Fave songs: Superstition, You and I, end of I Believe

Didn't know this one. Listening to the first song right now and love it already!

If this is the first album of Stevie's classic period then he was on a hell of a run, excited when other entries following this come up

very good

Sonically pleasing and complex arrangements for seemingly simple songs.

Keyboards and synths You are the sunshine of my life Superstition I believe

Talking Book is seen by a lot of people as the start of a legendary run by Stevie Wonder and his very lush Soul discography. Personally i think it starts a bit earlier with 1971's Where I'm Coming From, but I will come back to that project at some point to talk about it at a later time. Talking Book shows this elevated version of Stevie Wonder that has been slowly blooming for years as those early childhood projects slowly built up his musical ability and confidence to a level I don't think anyone ever saw coming. I don't think this is a super strong album all things considered but man is there a lot of greatness to unpack in the same breathe. Superstition is the classic track from this project but I also think You Are the Sunshine of My Life, You and I, and Blame It on the Sun are also standouts on this wonderfully smooth album. The compositions are stunning as always and Stevie feels so at home here on this project as he lets it all go out in such a freeing fashion. This album most certainly paved the way for something like Songs In The Key of Life, but I just don't personally see it as a close project to the level that is at. Talking Book is still a project well worth your time and I could not recommend it enough to anyone looking to getting into Soul as a genre or Stevie Wonder's discography.

seguro que era ciego?

Some absolute classics on this album. Would be a 5 but I think there are a few too many average.

Catchy pop soul with some great funky moments not as keen on the ballads.

Album with Superstition on it. Easy listening and good funk sounds

Super funky pero atmosférico a la vez. Perfecto background music.

i want more soul and funk, decent here but really great for a first album so young

Always a classic. Good music for sure.

i enjoyed it!

I'm still somewhat of a Stevie agnostic in terms of personal enjoyment, and there are a handful of moments on this record that are a bit smooth for my liking, but there's quite a bit on here that I really love. "Maybe Your Baby" and "Superstition" are obviously the big funky highlights (the latter has never grown old for me); "You and I" is one of my favorite ballads of his; "Big Brother" has one of my favorite arrangements on the record; "I Believe" is fantastic and an excellent album closer. This is a damn high 3.5 that could potentially rise in my estimations one day. 3.5/5

If this was more funky and less sappy it could easily be a 5.

Stevie Wonder turned 22 the year this album was released. And it was his fifteenth album. Just let that sink in for a moment! I love the sound of the Fender Rhodes keyboard on the opening track, Lookin for Another Pure Love and elsewhere... also the clavinet like in Superstition, and some Moog synths in You and I. They're such distinctively 70s sounds, but I love them. Whereas the Joni Mitchell album the other day was lacking in melody and structure... this album is like the antithesis -- burgeoning with memorable hooks, Wonder a masterful tunesmith. Though there are a few rather saccharine moments, listening to this was a pleasure.

This grew on me after encountering it a few years ago. While being a master of soul, Stevie expands his sound so much here and adds a heavy dose of funk and flare to the sweetness he was known for as a teen musician. 72 was the year he fully came into his own, with two projects where he demonstrated what he was truly capable of. I have a soft spot for artists who do it all, not only the vocals but nearly all the instrumentation themselves, as he does here. It’s fully his artistic vision and a great early release, certainly not the last we’ll be hearing from him here. 2 listens Favorite Tracks: Superstition, Maybe Your Baby

Expectation: -> An American icon, though not someone I seek out. After listening: -> This is timeless and definitely worthy of a listen in 2026. Some all-time ear worms. Recall as a kid spontaneously humming some of these chorus sections. Track ranking: (skipped d/t time constraint)

I did not see this one coming. I kind of assumed I wasn't going to like this but it was funky and fun, definitely enjoyed listening to it. Went through it a couple of times.

heard it/own it. culminates with I Believe when i fall in love. good funk grooves.

I love 70s Stevie Wonder way more than 80s Stevie Wonder, which is how I first knew him. This is an album I could listen to again.

Me gustó, tiene continuidad, suena bien. Te rasca el cerebro. Si bien tiene el sonido 80s se siente en una forma atemporal. 1. You are the Sunshine of my life 2. Maybe your baby 2. Superstition

Some great songs. The rest was just plain enjoyable

Nice, classy and cheerful

loveit

8/10

Relisten I always forget that Superstition is on this album for some reason. It strikes me as an Innervisions song for some reason. Anyway it's fantastic like Stevie Wonder always is. Not quite Songs in the Key of Life or Innervisions but damn close. Favorite Tracks: Superstition, Maybe Your Baby, I Believe Least favorite: You've Got It Bad Girl 4/5

Sometimes a bit syrupy (lyrically), but funky AF, and how many albums make you want to buy a clavinet?

It's just so smooth. Soothed my headache.

Bueno, siempre quise incursionar más en el r&b y soul, es un género que me gusta mucho y este album fue la excusa perfecta. No conozco mucho del artista, así que este album fue mi primera impresión sobre el y su discografia. El patrón que más note mientras lo escuchaba fue que algunas canciones se me quedaron en el mismo lugar, canciones en las cuales yo sentí que podrían haber sido mucho más, tenían un instrumental increíble y letras muy cargadas de mensajes súper potentes pero se hicieron a veces un tanto lineales. Sin embargo hubo canciones que me gustaron mucho, las cuales tenían más dinámica, un sonido más jazzy y un instrumental más marcado. Sin dudas con lo que más conecte en este álbum, lo cual me sorprendió fue con las baladas. Con un instrumental íntimo y con ese hilo de cotidianidad que la letra irradiaba, te atravessaba y te hacía concretar con la letra y la emoción que evocaba. Super especiales y con una narrativa clara y sensible. Mis favoritas son -You and I 9.3/10 -Tuesday Heartbreak 9/10 -Superstition 8.8/10 Mis menos favoritas fueron: -Big brother 7/10 Tengo que hablar de esta canción por qué musicalmente no me gustó mucho pero tengo que destacar el significado. Cómo fan del libro 1984 me pareció muy buena la letra y el mensaje detrás.Valoro mucho las canciones que contienen mensajes sociales y políticos, desearía haber conectado más musicalmente con la canción. -I believe 7/10 -Maybe tour baby 7.5/10 En fin, fue un gran álbum, con ideas increíbles y un sonido espectacular pero que muchas veces sentí que podría haber explotado más. Tiene muchas joyitas dentro que todos deberían escuchar.

Stevie's gotta try really hard to get lower than a 4

Beautiful! favorite songs are Tuesday Heartbreak and Big Brother here. Listened full way through and would do again.

Superstitious

Lookin for another pure love

Really solid. Funky. Not quite my favourite Stevie though

So much fun. Didn't know I needed to hear Superstitious this morning, but I'm glad I did. Even without that song, the rest on here are so groovy that it's hard not to have a good time. It's infectious Favorite Songs: You Are the Sunshine of My Life, You've Got It Bad Girl, Superstitious

Really good musically, but the album compilation feels jarring in a few places. Dont think theres a single song that I wouldn't put on by itself. Album peeters out a little bit but also it has Superstition near the end which is a nice little boost probably goes hard as a record in the background I don't like the part where he says "I'm a little boy..." in Maybe Your Baby, I think that was too far I think I'd give this a 5/5 if the ordering of songs was a little different to make it flow different

Ain’t no way that fucker is blind

Everything pales in the shadow of Songs in the Key of Life, but he couldn't complete that masterpiece without first making Talking Book.