Reviews (page 7 of 14)
Another pretty solid outing from Stevie with the absolute classic that is Superstition. What can you say he was bang on for at least 3 albums, this being one of them!
Not quite my thing but will probably grow on me. It did by the end
Superstition alone makes me want to give this a 4*, but I will say the other songs (while also good) aren't really anything amazing in comparison. Production is top tier though regardless.
Superstition is great
Musically very intricate and amazing. Not his best but still amazing
Man I love Stevie Wonder. Most of the songs are instantly catchy and so funky. However, I just wish some songs would be a bit faster: I'm a bigger fan of uptempo Stevie than ballad Stevie. Favourite tracks: Maybe Your Baby, Superstition, I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
3.8 - Expected more to be honest. I think superstitious is just such a heavy hitter that I forgot about the rest of the album
Talvez o mais fraco dos meus discos prediletos dele, talvez pq o disco foi muito feito pra ter hits de radio. De qualquer forma, Stevie Wonder do sintetizador é o melhor Stevie Wonder
Can never go wrong with a little Stevie in your life.
Superstition is fantastic. The rest was decent.
Released in 1972, Talking Book marked a pivotal moment in Stevie Wonder's career and in the broader landscape of American music and culture. As one of the first albums where Wonder gained full artistic control, it showcased his innovative fusion of soul, funk, and electronic sounds—particularly through his use of the synthesizer—which helped reshape the sound of R&B and laid groundwork for future genres. Socially and historically, the album reflected a new era of Black artistic autonomy and expression during a post-Civil Rights America, highlighting themes of love, self-reflection, and resilience. Hits like “Superstition” and “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” not only topped charts but also crossed racial boundaries, uniting diverse audiences and solidifying Wonder's influence as both a musical and cultural icon. (Source: ChatGPT)
Tsilli klassikko
ok i fw this. i like "maybe your baby" a lot it sounds so devious and funky in the best way. i also really like "tuesday heartbreak." I love the way each song sounds different and the music he uses is very unique. his voice is also soooooo nice. "looking for another pure love" stuck out to me its honestly just beautiful. I'm looking for another pure love too stevie. i keep coming back after most songs to document how they stood out to me. I wasn't expecting to appreciate this album as much as I do but its quite nice with a great variety of different sounding songs that cohesivley go together to show stevies true talent. Beautiful.
Talking Book! Favorite tracks: Maybe Your Baby, Tuesday Heartbreak, Superstition, Big Brother. The rest are okay, some are skips for me, but really the album has a great energy about it and it's hard to deny its rightful spot on the list. Very strong album.
First 20 seconds were different, but when the lyrics began I automatically dug the song - added to my liked songs!
Amazing voice Vibes - relaxing, contemplating Fav song - You've Got It Bad Girl 4/5
Random thoughts: * I do not like Stevie Wonder ballads. "You and I" was a drag after both "Sunshine" and "Maybe Your Baby". * I'm down with anything that has even the slightest funk or bit of uptempo. "I Believe" starts off and feels like it might be complete sap but that outro is great and has an uplifting and upbeat section to end the song. * I really got lost in the best way on "Maybe Your Baby". Just a groove that kind of enveloped me. * "Superstition" might be one of the funkiest songs of all time. So good on so many levels. * Stevie is a musical and vocal genius. Just drop the sappy ballads.
Just 22 years old, and already releasing his 15th studio album. What a dang legend. Most critics and listeners peg this record as the start of Stevie Wonder's peak songwriting period, and I can't really argue. The music is warm, well-arranged, catchy, and soulful. There are some points where the music seems to lose its way compositionally, leading to lengthy outros that decay slightly in quality the longer they go on. Maybe Your Baby and You've Got It Bad Girl are the two suspect tracks on this record, and others appear on Wonder's later records – even his magnum opuses, Innervisions and Songs In The Key Of Life. But in these cases, the lead and backing vocals are strong enough that you can almost ignore the track runtime. (Almost.) I never knew Superstition transitioned into another track! And I kind of like it better this way. The foreboding, snaking, playful trumpet lines just beg for you to stay tuned for the next track (which, unfortunately, is the much less engaging Big Brother – but my point still stands). Superstition is such a fantastic song that it's made its way into several of my "top-tier track" playlists. It's very nearly a perfect Wonder song, I think, along with Sir Duke and I Wish from the aforementioned SITKOL album. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life is another highlight. It's the perfect kind of mellow opener that intrigues rather than excites, but it has an equally strong effect as starting with a bang. The keyboards are just lovely in this song. Same goes for the funky guitar-like keys in Maybe Your Baby and the emotional acoustic piano in I Believe. 4/5 Key tracks: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, Superstition, I Believe
Wonderful- Stevie Wonder at his very best.
Big fan of Stevie, the run of Superstition into the next two ballads was incredible. Sometimes I wish he’d just let the band ride out the groove a little more, though.
Very much enjoyed this album. Not feeling a strong variety but excellent execution on a few concepts. I particulary liked Maybe Your Baby, since I hadn't heard it before, it was like hearing Superstition again for the first time.
4.25/5 liked the funky vibes of this album.
I thoroughly enjoyed my listen. It was perfectly chill and exciting, I loved how full of love this album felt. I really liked getting to hear his little deep vocal/raspy thing he did on some songs -- I am not super familiar with Stevie and I'm wondering if this was a staple of his! I would listen again, no doubt.
When The Truths Of Love Are Planted Firm, They Won't Be Hard To Find 1001 Albums Generator 5 (04/09/2025) Talking Book is the fifteenth (!) album by world renowned singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Stevie Wonder, and the second of his five consecutive "classic" albums. You don't need me to introduce Stevie Wonder. If you know only one thing about him, it's his smash hit Superstition, the first song on side B of this LP, with its quick tempo, catchy-as-hell chorus, and ferociously funky horn stabs. If you know two things about him, it's that he has been blind from a very young age (even the title of this album is another term for an audiobook, a method by which the blind could read), If you are lucky enough to know a third thing about him, it is the fact that this blindness is a condition that does not prohibit Wonder's ability to beautifully describe things that we see and experience every day. Talking Book is an album that I had heard once before, but didn't remember much about. I have always been more of a Songs In The Key Of Life guy. While my favorites on that album are more soul than funk, my favorites here are largely the funkier tunes. Songs like Maybe Your Baby, Tuesday Heartbreak, and smash hit Superstition represent three distinct flavors of funk, but all of them will get you moving in different ways. Maybe Your Baby is like a sleeper agent activation if the agent being activated was the transfiguration of my face into a stank face. I'm sitting at my cubicle stankin' it up right now, looking absolutely insane if anyone walks in, but I don't care. Meanwhile, Superstition is quick and energetic, with some really interesting syncopated rhythms, especially in the interplay between the multiple synths and the horns, that will get you dancing in no time. Don't get me wrong, there is some fantastic soul music here too. Opener You Are The Sunshine Of My Life features sweet lyrics and a fascinating chord progression in the verse. I love the way he modulates halfway through from Cmaj to Amaj before smoothly transitioning back to C for the chorus. Masterfully written. The Moog-led You've Got It Bad Girl is the closest this album gets to the jazz fusion sounds that Stevie would play with in later albums. The way the lyrics switch from "You've got it bad, girl" to "You'll have it good, girl" in the outro is so simple, but so clever. The closing I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) - great title by the way - builds up at just the right speed, starting very chill with just Stevie's voice and his synth before building into the gospel-inspired repeated chorus and finally ending on some funky shit. The only songs that I don't love are the slow, plodding You And I and the overly smooth Lookin' For Another Pure Love. The former is a boring ballad that excels at going nowhere slowly, and the latter, while featuring interesting guitar work from the late, great Jeff Beck, contains the least memorable Stevie Wonder chorus I've ever heard (side note: "Do it, Jeff" is the original "21, can you do something for me" and I will not accept any disagreement on this point). It's not Wonder's best work, but it's a damn fine album. Nearly every song has something that will catch your ears and move your body. Fantastic 4.5/5, which I want to give a 5 so badly, but I happen to know that another Stevie Wonder album will capture that title later :) Favs: Maybe Your Baby Superstition I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) Least Fav: You And I
This is an actual classic album. Stevie Wonder in his imperial period. It is hard to over-praise this record.
This is really good. I love a lot of the songs, but some are annoying (looking at you Maybe Your Baby). Not quite good enough for the 5-star, but great nonetheless.
And Stevie knows that nobody's gonna bring me down 'Cause me and Stevie, see, we're gonna be sailing on the funky funky sound 4/5
Yeah I mean what is there to say about fucking talking book. Feel like Songs in the Key of Life is his real masterpiece, at times the pacing on this thing ia admittedly a bit clunky to me. But idk Im just not really the biggest "Stevie Wonder ballads" person lol so bias...
I love stevie this may not be his best album but it has some fantastic hits
This will be my third Stevie Wonder album to review, after Innervisions and Fulfillingness’ First Finale. I was a bit underwhelmed by both of those albums, and gave each of them three stars. I can name a lot of Stevie Wonder songs that I really like, but so far, none of his albums have really landed with me. I'm hoping Talking Book will be the one that finally breaks through to me! This is easily the best Stevie Wonder album I’ve encountered so far. Let’s start with the good. “Superstition” should be in running for best song of the seventies. Everything about “Superstition” is perfection. Stevie’s vocals perfectly match the tone of the lyrics, the drums in the introduction are iconic, the main guitar riff oozes the funkiest beat I’ve ever heard in my life, and the horns add a perfect level of extra funkiness. I love the way the song just gets better and better as it goes along. “Superstition” segues perfectly into “Big Brother,” one of the best pieces of social and political commentary that I’ve heard from Stevie Wonder. On the heels of a second Donald Trump term, this song feels even more relevant, especially as a criticism of the Democratic Party. The rest of the second side of the album is great, as each song beautifully connects into the next. As much as I loved the second side of the album, I wasn’t a big fan of the first side. Musically, the first side is great, with plenty of funk-inspired synthesizers and great vocals from Stevie Wonder. But the songwriting on the love songs feels overly saccharine and cheesy to me. Even though the second side of the album has some love songs, I felt like the songwriting on something like “Blame It on the Sun” was much stronger. Still, this is a really good album, and it makes me excited for when I’ll finally get to review Songs in the Key of Life.
Nice album, nice music, but did not get hooked on it
Damn, the voice on Stevie. Smooth, heavy; like pouring syrup on soul. There’s a lot of space on this record - nothing’s rushed. It’s not wall-to-wall gold, but when it hits, it hits. A few songs grab you fast, but some kind of sneak past if you're not tuned in. Still, it's got that warm ‘70s production that makes it all feel intentional. Not the most consistent ride, but when it lands, it’s soulful as hell. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Superstition - I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
Seems to always be good. Will I listen to again: 70%
Oh, the Stevie goodness. Forgot how much I like this one.
It was very superstitious...kidding! Great album you could hear a young and lovestruck Stevie pretty well on there.
STEPHANE MERVEILLE oh fonky chonky Superstition all time banger 4, sick album
Despite some songs having very cheesy lyrics, the music would still be interesting (4)
Good infusion of different genres while integrating a story throughout each song to create the "Talking Book". I would lean more towards a 3.75 overall.
Some great songs on this album
Can’t go wrong with some Stevie
This was really great. Glad I listened to it. A couple songs I'll defintely be playing again. Not sure if I'd do the whole things from start to finish to often however.
Stevie and I have had a bit of a complicated relationship over the years. Whenever I listen to his stuff I'm absolutely blown away by the musicianship and the level of craft on display. The compositions, the arrangements, the playing, the singing, the chops of everyone involved are obviously 10/10 all around. And yet, I always find that, even on his peak-era albums, there are always at least a couple of songs that just don't really grab me. But the highlights here (most obviously Superstition, I Believe, and Sunshine, but to a slightly lesser degree also Maybe Your Baby) are so beyond reproach that I cannot possibly rate this any lower than a very strong 3.5
Listening to Songs in the Key of Life before this album was both a blessing and a curse, because while it meant I understood his style before listening and had a decent idea of what to expect. On the other hand, I was pretty sure my expectations would be disappointed. However, this is not what happened. While these songs are certainly not in the key of life, this was a fantastic album that would be the highlight of any other artist’s career. Favorite Track: Superstition
Seen as the start of Stevie's artistic renaissance.
Superstition has to be one of the greatest songs ever.
Great funky album. The melodies and chord progressions here are wild, they just go places. Not much else to say other than it's awesome. Key tracks: You Are the Sunshine of My Life Superstition Blame It on the Sun I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)
A very very high 4. Stevie Wonder probably has the smoothest sounding voice I’ve ever heard
Very nice album, I’ve never really cared much for these sorts of genres but this has helped shift my perception of this style
Very solid, very soothing.
It was going to be a 4.5 out of 5 but Frank Sinatra just had to make his own rendition of the very first track. 4/5
Stevie knows how to play the harmonica, and in a tastefull way. Superstition, Maybe Your Baby(at least the first half, the second drags a bit), You are the Sunshine of My Life and I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever) are my highlights. Stevie had a great emancipation album, but its not a perfect one
Talking Book by Stevie Wonder. while it’s undeniably a brilliant record, I’ve got to say it’s hard not to compare it to the sheer genius of Songs in the Key of Life. In my perspective, Talking Book stands tall on its own with plenty of highs, but when you put it alongside its successor, it feels like Stevie Wonder just got even better, almost overshadowing this earlier work. There’s a real magic to Talking Book that shows off Stevie’s incredible talent. The production is slick, with a warmth that wraps around each track. Songs like “Superstition” and “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” still hold their own, boasting infectious grooves, tight rhythms, and a blend of funk and soul that feels timeless. The instrumental work is superb. those clavinet riffs, crisp drum beats, and vibrant horns all come together to create an irresistibly funky, yet soulful soundscape. Stevie’s vocals are top notch, full of passion and nuance that instantly draw you in. His delivery is smooth yet powerful, with a playful touch that adds personality to every line. There’s a youthful exuberance to his performance that really shines through, making you appreciate the raw energy and talent that were evident even in this earlier stage of his career. That said, while Talking Book is fantastic, it doesn’t quite reach the near-mythical status of Songs in the Key of Life. As much as I love the album, some of the tracks can feel a bit repetitive or safe compared to the bold, expansive statements made on Songs in the Key of Life. It’s like Stevie was still finding his feet in some areas, and though the record is brilliant, it lacks the adventurous, genre-spanning quality that would later define his work. Another minor gripe is that the cohesion isn’t as tight as it could be. There are moments where the vibe shifts a little too abruptly, which can take you out of the groove. It’s a solid album, no doubt, but when you listen to it back-to-back with Songs in the Key of Life, you can’t help but think that the latter just takes everything to a whole new level of brilliance. Talking Book is a cracking record filled with infectious energy, superb musicianship, and Stevie Wonder’s unmistakable charm. It’s an album that still makes you move and groove, with enough timeless hits to keep it in the pantheon of great soul and funk records. However, its legacy is a bit complicated by the fact that Songs in the Key of Life is so unbelievably good that it tends to overshadow much of Stevie’s earlier work. For me, while Talking Book certainly deserves respect and love for its innovation and quality, it feels like a stepping stone that paved the way for the colossal achievements of his later career. All things considered, it earns a solid 4.1/5 stars. a brilliant record in its own right, even if it can’t quite hold a candle to the sheer genius of what came after.
VERY GOOD I ENJOY!!!
8/10 Hard to beat Songs in the Key of Life and Innervisions but this album alone is pretty fucking good. Do you guys think he’s blind or nah
4* 87%
Stevie is always a good listen
Good shit, very chill
Personal Thoughts Right now I think it's time England split from America, and rejoined the EU. Why would we be allies to a country who is friends with dictator Putin, has thrown the Ukraine under the bus, has taken away their own people's rights. Trump is a bully, a greedy rich white man who cares nothing for his people or any one else's. America you have made a grave mistake and unfortunately everyone has to pay for it. The album, I have never been a Stevie wonder fan and this has not changed. I get why people are but it just doesn't float my boat
Bang
7/10 - Stevie Wonder does not disappoint. Superstition is obviously a great song but I also really liked I believe. Overall great music.
Few really great songs, good amount of filler. Seems like that’s kinda how most Stevie albums are - really good, not quite great
Really enjoyed this.
Really good with a few classic songs.
ik denk dat je de hemel in mag het moment dat je superstition op een album zet
Stevie😍
Super funky. Superstition alone is worth 4 stars, makes you want to start strutting around. Love it.
Wonderful
Amazing album! Stevie wonder is that guy
Fun and jazzy
Not my normal music taste, but absolutely an amazing album.
pretty good
A heap of brilliant stuff here, bogged slightly down overall by just a few more forgettable tracks. Even then, just a sunny, very enjoyable, and often poignant experience. Favorite tracks: You Are The Sunshine of My Life, You've Got It Bad Girl, Superstition, Blame It On The Sun, I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
Love this album.
The great Stevie Wonder with TWO major hits on this album. I enjoyed rocking out to "Superstition", but the other tracks were not nearly up to par with it and "You are the Sunshine.". Still solid album, fun songs, great memories - just get rid of those super repetitive tracks where the girls just repeat what you say over and over.
Love that bass sound
Niceeee. I love the synth and grooviness. Stevie never misses.
Mixed bag - some great, some a bit schmaltzy. 3.8 ☆
Another good Stevie Wonder album. Don’t remember much, but the vibe was good.
Not my style of music, can still appreciate the musical talent though
This is the first album to give me what I wanted to get out of this experience: I knew the big hitters off this album, but had never listened to a Stevie Wonder album. Listening to this record was a real treat; a real mix of soulful ballads and the sort of funky upbeat numbers I know him for. The bass lines on this album in particular were outstanding, and made me want to sit down and learn to play them all. It did sag slightly in the middle with the two songs that bookended the incredible Superstition, but otherwise this was a great listen and one I’ll likely return to.
I had no idea Stewie Wonder sounded like this. pretty smooth
You can hear so many modern day musical influences in his impeccable music.
Ahhhh this is such a breath of fresh air. I think that can be said for all the Stevie wonder classics during this time period. Even the downtrodden songs on here are still somehow so joyous. Everything is sung with a pure heart. I do think Songs In The Key Of Life kinda sets the bar even impossibly higher and somehow this album doesn’t quite live up to that same bar. But this is still such a pleasant, refreshing, affirming listen. My highlights are the obvious ones, “Superstition” reminds me of watching I-Robot as a kid. And the opener “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” is an elite-tier love song. Soft 4/5 stars
The banger to ballad ratio is maybe better on a couple of his other 70s albums, but still a classic.
One of the benefits of this exercise is that I’m reminded of great artists like Wonder. And this is a very good album by a legend. The 2 hits alone make this a good album. And what was going to come after was a Wonder.
好纯的funk
Soul is not necessarily my thing but Stevie Wonder is a good artist for those who want to give it a try
Great album
LOVED Maybe Your Baby
A good combination of familiar singles and deep cuts.
This is the kind of album you put on in the late afternoon in the Springtime, when it's still bright out, everyone is outside, but before you have to start making dinner. Funky, groovy, easy listening. Not a song on here will bring down the vibes. Low key stand out "I Believe."
Soulful soul music by soulful man with alot of soul.
Can’t go wrong with a bit of Stevie. Not as consistently good as the other album I know by him (Innervisions) but the funkier songs (maybe your baby, superstition) are insanely good.
First stevie wonder album. I liked it a lot. Favs: Superstition, I believe, maybe your baby
REALLY FIRE!!!! I listened to it twice. I loved looking for another pure love. It was great dane music with a nice flare of jazz and soul.
4+
Enjoyed it
Beautiful
3.5
The strength of this album truly lies if four absolutely phenomenal songs "You Are Sunshine of My Life", "Maybe Your Baby", "Superstition", and "I Believe". Those three keep this in the 4½ star realm. The rest for the most part are great tracks, but don't really jump off the turntable like the four I mentioned. (9.1)
My least favourite of his "classic run". Low 4 stars
4.5
Good bunch of classic-era Stevie. Some gold standard gems like Superstition and Sunshine Of My Life, other smooth gems like You Got It Bad Girl and You & I and gunky funk gems like the proto Prince Maybe Your Baby. Not wall to wall greatness because of a couple of snoozier lightweight cuts towards the end and the gunky funk of Maybe Your Baby is a bit too gunky and gaping but overall pretty nice and mellow.
i really do wish i could love Stevie Wonder -- i really do like a lot of the songs he makes, but for some reason the songs that aren't huge hits that i grew up with just don't have the same hold on me as much as they do everyone else on Earth. i don't think this is through any fault of Stevie, this is a me problem. other people hear his music and hear some of the best stuff ever put to tape. i hear stuff like "You and I" and "Blame It on the Sun", and i think "wow that's a very nice sounding song" and just can't get any more from it. i had this same problem with Songs in the Key of Life too, but this album is at least a little shorter and as such it wears me down much less. it's good, but it's just good to me, not an inch above that waterline. i feel... a bit more enthusiastic about "Superstition" and "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)", but that just means to your average human being, listening to these songs is like entering some sort of nirvana-like state during their runtime. genuinely, who do i convene with in order to fix myself? God? the Devil? Stevie himself?
Solid album. Not as stunning as Innervisions or Songs in the Key of Life but definitely up there. Superstition is one of his best of course and the rest are all great.
Not his best but his weakest is still superlative
Eargasm to the max!
Superstition is one of the best songs of all time, I enjoy the faster paced songs more on this album. Outside of my normal wheelhouse, but an enjoyable listen.
Good album (read that like Adam driver saying good soup)
Not my favorite of the Stevie Wonder albums we’ve had, but still really great
Didn’t realize that Superstition was on this album going into it! Thought that all of the bangers were on Songs in the Key of Life. This album was really good though, great cheerful songs
FINALLY. I have waited for 452 days to get a Stevie Wonder album. I've had to listen to some hot garbage to get here. But now, I can finally say that I've listened to a Stevie Wonder album. How do I feel about his 15th studio album Talking Book? It's pretty good! Stevie Wonder is a man with some insane musical talent. The sheer fact that he's playing most of the instruments on this album despite literally being unable to see anything is just immensely respectable. He's a damn good singer-songwriter too. These are some pretty good songs right here. There's a decent balance between slower, more ballad-like songs and the funkier songs. Although, I do kind of wish we got more of the funky stuff as those were probably my favorite songs on the album. That's not to say that songs like the opener "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" are bad. They're pretty good too. But when you also have a song like "Superstition," you kind of want more of that. I've always loved "Superstition." It's easily the best song on this album. Overall, Talking Book is a strong showing for Mr. Wonder, and was a sign of good things to come, as other classic albums like Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life would follow in the years after Talking Book's release. Those albums could get 5s, but I think Talking Book lands at a solid 4/5.
Stevie Wonder (Motown) ne m'est pas très familier, mais je me réjouis de découvrir son univers. On est clairement sur de la soul avec souvent de choeurs ou des voix féminines qui accompagnent Stevie Wonder. Il y a également une multitude d'effets et "d'expérimentations" sonores qui enrichissent les morceaux (Maybe your baby, ou le synthé sur la ballade You and I). Je trouve vraiment le nombre d'effets électroniques désarçonnant. J'attendais quelque chose de plus classique et épuré, mais cela a le mérite d'être original, même si une impression d'improvisation ou de freestyle est parfois renvoyée (ce qui n'est pas négatif). Certaines chansons sont très (trop?) riches par leurs arrangements, alors que d'autres bénéficient de cette opulence comme Superstition et ses cuivres. Je préfère la seconde partie de l'album, plus équilibrée, avec l'excellente ballade Blame it on the sun. Le dernier titre I Believe est également très réussi avec son refrain entêtant et son outro interminable. Je n'ai pas de valeur de comparaison, étant peu familier de ce style, mais on ressent toute la créativité de Stevie Wonder, très à l'aise, dans ses ballades ou dans ses morceaux plus joyeux.
Gets a minimum of a 4 just for being the album that gave us Superstition. What a banger. 4/5 Highlights: Superstition
Few great tunes but was expecting a bit more oomph and it didn't arrive, still excellent at times and it's stevie wonder so stretched to 4/5 when probably 3/5
I'm now over 900 albums deep into this process and the large majority of the albums are ok at best. It's not until you get to guys like Stevie that you realize there are levels to this music making business and in their own tier. Incredible vocals, funky, groovy, and contains some of his biggest hits in "Sunshine" and "Superstition". 8/10.
aaah reden buch. you are the sunshine of my life isch son ewige son aha jo norml gits de song aber wemmer sich vor auge führt dass de stevie de afoch gecookt het isch sch craaazy. jo aber echt maybe your baby done made some other plans. rieeese song de moog bass isch sooo geil. aber er spielt so koomisch schlagzüg? ich bin bi vieeelne stevie songs überzügt dases chönted besser töne. you and i isch sooo schöön. stevie mengmol fast besser wenner afoch öangsam, akkörd, singe. tuesday heartbreak isch seeehr geil. groovt uhuuere. you've got it bad girl findi nöd sooo hammer, scho en meega ohrewurm aber au nöd ein vo sine beste songs. superstition isch halt legendär und hani scho vieel z viel ghört. a big brother magi mi afoch mol nöd erinnere aber isch seeehr geil, ha ger wenn de steveland nöd schlagzüg spielt unds trotzdem groovt. seeehr geil. blame it on the sun cuute. bgvs suuuuper. lookin for another love isch afoch de jeff beck. insane. uuultra geils solo. song au seeehr schön. i believe isch au meega schöönn. ich ha so chli e hassliebi mit stevie wonder albe well er amel nöd weiss wenn en song ufhöre unds mengmol afoch nöd so guet töned wie de song isch. aber d songs sind insaaaane guet und uf talking book au meistens seeehr guet gspielt.
STEVLAND HARDAWAY sunshine of my life megaa cute mega maybe your day richtig geile ahfang, nachane verlürts sich chli für mich ja schluss chli nervig wnl you've got it bad girl wieder sehr cool, au wenn die hüfig GUUURLLL chli ahstrengend sind hans gfühl kenn einiges passiv? superstition isch fuckin superstition big brother au chli nervig leider blame it on the sun RIESE song DO IT GEOFF I believe when I fall in love...isch relativ simpel aber iwie mega impactful. uhuereschön jo ganz klar es 4i es paar lieder hets gha woni so naja gfunde han aber suscht würkli seehr guet
what a smooth little record. perfect for a monday morning shift, as comforting & warm as cupping a freshly brewed cup of matcha tea. p sweet!
Great album, with some quality bangers.
Classically good album. He lives up to his last name.
So good. Might be a 5...
You are the sunshine & Superstition - 2 Absolute heavy hitters 3.5/5
his name is stevland? what kinda name is stevland. this stevland wonder album is good, just as i expected it to be
This is a great album. The only reason this isn't a 5 is he forgets about his funky side, and gets lost then a more generic sound that all blends together.
More peak Stevie. B+
You Are The Sunshine, 5/5, brought a smile right away. He has a lovely voice. Talented musician. Superstition, wonderful guitar work. I Believe, nicely isolated voice. Overall 4/5
"Superstition" is the greatest wedding band jam of all time.
Superstition and You Are The Sunshine Of My Life get a 4 star alone. Such perfect songs. Some of the other songs did not hit as well, for me.
Nice sound, classic Stevie with some nice synth vocals in some songs. Absolute banger with Superstition
Great album good production a very chill album
Never heard the album before. Good album, with a few great songs.
Ну Чудо и правда. Лучшая песня - Superstition.
What a great album. I love the two popular tracks (You Are The Sunshine Of My Life and Superstition) and a couple of others: You And I, Blame It On The Sun.
The singles do a lot of the heavy lifting here, but the rest of the tracks are still solid.
Outside of this exercise, I don't think there's a world where I would have listened to 4 Stevie Wonder albums back to back. Given the oddity of this album-centric approach in a world of streaming precisely what you want to hear when you want to hear it, I think there's a parallel universe where maybe I heard Talking Book *before* Innervisions, Songs in the Key of Life, and Fulfillingness - and think of it as a 5 star album. Acknowledging this was the first of Stevie's 'classic period,' it makes sense it's not as strong in relation to those other works. But it's kind of like ranking Simone Biles on a bad day - there's still a lot of genius here. The deep cut 'Maybe Baby' should seriously be in as regular rotation as his other hits, Tuesday Heartbreak is great, 'Big Brother' feels super relevant in this day & age, and there are of course the familiar hits. The schmaltzy ballads are almost never as appealing as the funkier grooves, but still a seriously solid listen (even if it pales in comparison to those other works.)
It’s very good, but Superstition far outpaces the rest of the pack.
This had that dreamy 80’s ballad sound. Multiple known bangers on this one and definitely a strong performance throughout. Perhaps my favorite from him so far!
Colorful instrumental flourishes hardly detract from the accessible, catchy song structures that serve to frame Stevie's expressive vocals. Overall, a very catchy, engaging album that is perfect for Sunday morning brunch. 8.8/10
Smooth, enjoyable, classic. Proper application of the new toolset of instruments coming available.
Stevie Wonder's hits overshadow the deep cuts SO MUCH that people like me, unfamiliar with the albums themselves, never got to enjoy the more subtle lesser known stuff. What an amazing songwriter Stevie Wonder is. Every cut on Talking Book is excellent. I don't have the good taste to embrace his soulful ballad side, but the quality is there. "Big Brother" is an AMAZING song, all of the funk stuff on here is awesome. There's even a little "country" (?) tunewhich was great! More guitar than I remember... a really satisfying listen with lots of variety, and of course, Superstition is on here. You can't go wrong!
How can EVERY song be so catchy I don't understand. Idk I'm really rocking with this one. A couple songs are a little bit annoying, but damn is this good. Fav Songs: You Are the Sunshine of My Life, You and I, Superstition, Big Brother, I Believe
Thoughts before listening: Another of Stevie's classic albums. Songs In the Key of Life of one of my favorite discoveries since starting this, so I'm sure I'll enjoy this as well. Its hard to hate on Stevie Wonder, especially with his 70s albums where he was at the peak of his powers. Review: "Superstition" is an all time great song which is the highlight of this album. The rest of the album is good, but it does not rise to the heights of Innvervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. "Maybe Your Baby" is probably my favorite of the rest of the album with a cool funk groove and some killer guitar work. This is a 4-star album.
Bought this record last year in London with Tim. Really great album. Did get a bit of the same towards the end so 4 stars.
A little too schmaltzy at times, but then there's Superstition.
Yeah very enjoyable. That signature sound of Stevie Wonder is very infectious.
Not my favourite SW album but still proving that he was such a genius in the musical world inspiring many artists for years to come. Sunshine of my life despite after all these years and all the airplays has never taking the edge off a beautiful song. Superstition always a dance floor filler.
Incredible album of the great Stevie Wonder. There are a few cheesy songs on there, that prevent this from going to a full 5*, but his album Innervisions in my opinion is perfection. What an amazing artist.
The upbeat songs are good and Superstition is amazing, but the rest of the album doesn't really do it for me. A 4 because Superstition is just that good.
Superstition, and then a bunch of other songs
4.25
What a weird guy but damn can he write a good song.
Some really great funky songs, really liked his singing voice, however most of the instrumentals sounded very similar and the lyrics were also similar. Overall around 7/10
7/10
No Stevie Wonder at all for 313 albums, and now there's two of his in the last 8. I'll be a bit more brief this time, I wrote a lot about Songs In The Key Of Life recently. I feel like I keep getting an artists "best" album right before their other stuff, which can make the other stuff feel a hair disappointing. Talking Book is really strong overall, but doesn't quite live up to Songs In The Key Of Life. I think about half of this album is really good, and about half feels average filler-type songs. Even though this one is much shorter, a couple times I felt my interest drifting on songs there were a bit slow and repetitive. The good thing is when it's good it's really good, so my attention was always pulled back quickly. It starts really strong with the first three songs all being great, then there's a bit of a lull, then he gets you with "Superstition" to open the back side of the album. It's one of those songs that's so wildly famous, but it deserves all the hype. The rest of the album is a bit of a mixed bag, a few solid songs and a few that didn't do as much for me. I think Talking Book is really strong on the whole, and it definitely showcases Wonder's songwriting ability (particularly in the sappy love song world) and voice. The arrangements are funky and generally interesting too. The misses on this album are generally slower songs, and they do give me a bit of a meh vibe, but there's definitely plenty of good on here. I'm only two Stevie Wonder albums in, and he had a weird career since it starting so young, but this feels like around the time where he was starting to hit his stride a bit, with to absolute best on the horizon. Favorite song: Superstition Other: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, Maybe Your Baby, You And I, Blame It On The Sun, I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) 11/13/24
Love it！Prefect in the evening
Funky fun vibes.
Superstition is a 6⭐️ song. It, along with a couple others, almost carries the album to a 5. I’m rounding down though, because there’s a couple that are a bit too adult-contemporary for me.
Soulful production with tranquil vocals from Stevie layered on top. A lot to like here.
Refreshing, love Stevie's voice and the funky instrumentals. Wish more of it was like superstition. 4* Highlights: superstition (that bass line!!), i believe
Pretty much the apex predator of 70s singer-songwriter funk-tinted soul. Rooted in its time and also somehow completely transcendent.
First things first - Superstition is an amazing song, and it might be top 3 songs in a vast repertoire of Stevie. The rest of the album is slightly on the weaker side, the atmosphere is toned down, it lacks that wow factor from Innervisions. It's still a very solid record and I can't really believe I was ignoring Stevie's music for so long.
Day296 - the story of superstition being written for jeff beck and taken back by stevie’s management because they knew it would be a hit is crazy and they were right without superstition on this album it wouldn’t be as well viewed
Like many others, I give this a 4 due to Superstition.
i mean it's literally stevie wonder, he is delightful, knew a handful of tracks from this already and found a couple new ones i love! (bumped off a star just based on pure instincts on first listen through, there were a few songs that didn't hook me in as much in comparison to others)
I liked it!! Some big songs on here
One of at least 5 Stevie Wonder albums that are superb
nice album, never really listened to stevie before and a nice introduction to soul. without the weak spots and repeating lyrics in the album this would be a 5 for me
holy fuck this is incredible. The beats, vocals are insane. An ultimate vibe of mellowness. The use of the keyboard and synthesizer is insane.
It's hardly bad when it has two absolute classic songs on it but it's not my favourite Stevie album.
one of my favorites of Stevie's
classic
Soul, good feels
Stevie was never that popular in my country. You'd knew of him, some major hits but a deeper look into his catalogue was rare. I was really surprised the first time I listened to his actual records, rather than the radio friendly hits, how - behind the facade of poppy melodies and beautiful voice - there was so much complexity in rhythm, chord progressions and entire compositions. This one is no different and I really enjoyed it although I must say some parts felt being made complex for the sake of it and that was a bit annoying. 4/5
Too bad I listened to this Tuesday Heartbreak on a Monday… guess I’ll just Blame It On the Sun.
stevie wonder is a man of magic
Zeer relaxed natuurlijk
Felt like this album was all over the place, like a bunch of sketches thrown together with not a great deal of overarching narrative. Great music, but not enough consistency.
Fine album
Classic!
Great, but not Songs in the Key!
Enjoyable album
Excellent. 4.5
Incredible musician at top of his game
This was a relaxing listen for a Friday afternoon. The three heavy hitters on this one make it a stone cold classic. When “I Believe” came on to close it out, my mind immediately pictured the ending scene and credit roll from “High Fidelity”. Nice nostalgia bomb there and prompted me to revisit that film over the weekend. It holds up…
The three hits remain solid standouts. And the rest of it was also a really good chill and groovy listen. The use of Moog/synth layerings to create orchestral fills and groove ambience is pretty revolutionary for the time in 1972, and just another level of how talented Stevie is. The fact that he played most instruments on this, was a major hand in the production…and all at the age of 22 is pretty amazing and equally hard to comprehend.
Probably the best album from Steven. Also him at his Steviest, meaning 50% and 50% sappy. Though I prefer the former over the latter, he can definitely hit both gears successfully. The mix is enough to keep this at a solid four.
Listening to Maybe Your Baby I was like “good god that bass slaps!” Did a lil research and apparently Stevie played the bass part himself and used the TONTO synthesizer. TONTO, which stands for "The Original New Timbral Orchestra," was a massive, room-filling synthesizer system that included elements from Moog synthesizers. Never realized how innovative Stevie was in the production of his records. Bravo.
I like this album a lot. Total vibes. But also some real talk wrapped in a funky package. Superstition slaps, obvi, but many other noteworthy tracks. 4/5
4/5
I mean, come on. This might be Stevie’s best. It certainly helps that “Superstition” is here. I consider that to be one of the best songs ever recorded. This is Stevie at his finest. The soul, the funk, the grooves, and the gospel all converge for an album by a seasoned artist who knows how to channel all his best energies and in which directions to create a masterpiece. Did I love every song? No. But even the slower ones (which are usually snoozers for me with Stevie) were undeniably wonderful. There’s just something about his music. The reassuring quality in his voice, the sincerity of the lyrics, and the soul of it all really makes you feel warm and cozy. I could never dislike a Stevie album. I don’t think that’s possible. And this one is fantastic. Four stars. Standout Tracks: You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Tuesday Heartbreak, Superstition, Big Brother, Blame it on the Sun
Actual question: how the fuck does Stevie play the drums? I mean, I guess these drums DO sound like they’re being played by a blind man, and I mean that literally, because they’re very percussive and feel like he’s mostly washing and maybe even physically holding onto the hi-hat and tapping toms and whatnot. But still, how does he SEE what he’s doing?! Like, piano, guitar, harmonica, those all require you to physically touch the instrument. But with drums, you’re only touching the sticks, so you can’t physically decipher what you’re playing based on touch alone, right? I know that there’s different definitions of the word “blind” and obviously rhythm isn’t visual, duh, but how does he see what he’s hitting?! It’s just so odd that he’s able to play the drums, and play them so goddamn well!! Anyway, Talking Book is pretty great. Definitely a Growing Pains™️ album, and my least favorite imperial era album, but it has a lot fewer blemishes than I remember and still slaps.
In parts the funkiest and least funky album of all time. Oh Stevie! Why do you do this?
one of the few albums from his legendary 70s run! He saw the vision and executed perfectly and its not even a top 3 stevie album personally! (4.0/5.0)
Funky as hell and amazing that SW recorded so much of the album himself.
I feel like Stevie Wonder are the CEO of songs I’ve heard before but don’t know the name of or know anything about really. (Superstition and most of the songs from Key of Life are the exceptions) I’m glad to change that, because there is a reason I have heard them, and it is because they are gems. It is not a genre I’m too familiar with but I can tell it has inspired and influenced a lot of the modern pop and rap music I love and adore today. Favorite track(s): Tuesday Heartbreak, Superstition
very easy listening, enjoyable from start to finish
Bastante bien. Un par de canciones que no conocía y me gustaron bastante.
All of his stuff is great. I don’t like this one as much as the ones that come after this, but still good on its own Rating: 3.9
Perfect Sunday morning
A very smooth album, almost "easy listening" to my ears. All of the songs flow together nicely and it keeps a consistent feeling throughout. I like the use of synths and the guitar especially, I'm always a sucker for that raw "plucky" sound of an acoustic used in that way. I'd only heard "Superstition" before so it's interesting to hear it in conversation with the rest of the album, which generally flows in a less funky direction. A fun album and a nice chance to hear more of Stevie's music. Favorite song: "Superstition".
+4
I'm glad I listened beyond the first track. "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" is a slow-paced synth/keyboard ballad that left me wishing for the almost-unbearable funk levels of "Superstition". Thankfully, clever ballads like "Blame it on the Sun" and the aforementioned "Superstition" make this a must-listen. I'm not sure if it will become one of my most-played albums but when Stevie snaps into the grid he's unbeatable.
Stevie’s voice is just unquestionably one one the top five male vocalists of all time. His runs/scats are so next level that it’s insane. That on top of inventive and unique piano/keyboard arrangements that he really is one of my favorite artists that we’ve had in this list. You and I literally brought a tear to my eye with how beautiful it was (or it could’ve been just how bad state played, who’s to say). Really wanted to give it a five but there was just one to many stinkers on here.
Only knew two songs coming into this album but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Good variation and obviously some incredible vocal talent from Stevie. There were some moments that reminded me of a Yeah Yeah Yeahs album with the repeated lyrics, but it didn't effect the experience too much.
14 albums before you release your biggest hit! Superstitious almost feels out of place with how big it is, but the rest of the album is great too. It just grabs your attention every time you here it. Even if you are grooving along to the rest of the album.
I agree with the other reviewers. Stevie is amazing, but this isn't his best album ever. Still lovely and pleasant to listen to though!
A landmark album from Stevie Wonder, where he proves himself as an independent artist and someone to be taken seriously. Previously, he'd been considered a child prodigy, acting mainly according to the directions of his management and record label. Really, it's his second album displaying his new artistic freedom and explorations of layered electronics. But 'Talking Book' is huge step forward from 'Music of My Mind'. You only need to listen to 'Superstition' to understand that he's becoming a whole new kind of artist here. I hadn't listened to this album before, but it's really impressive. For me, it's not quite as good as the follow up, 'Innervisions', but still a great album marking the 'classic era' of an incredible performer.
Classic stuff from his golden period.
What a voice, and what a talented composer. This music is anything but tired and cyclical. Stevie winds in and out of funk and sole music so effortlessly and brings a specific flair that has yet to be replicated. The composition is exquisite and the record soars when the funk is strongest, whereas the album trails toward gospel at the end and while this isn’t terrible it’s just less mesmerizing. All in all an excellent tracking of his creativity.
No private session needed for Stevie. Great album a couple of songs I love, when my son's birth was approaching I created a play list for the occasions and the hazy weeks afterward. Of course "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" was on it.
very cheesy sometimes, but the good tracks are GOOD 3.5 rounding up
Stevie wonder has such an amazing voice. I’ve never heard this whole album was really fantastic.
Great album. 4
Me agrado
When I think of Stevie Wonder, Superstitious is the song I think of immediately. This is a song that still all these years later people instantly hear and groove too fondly. His lyrics in this album are clear and honest. What impresses me most is that his voice has so much depth, clear and smooth to jazzy throat rasp, it scratches all the right parts of your brain. His immense talent as a blind artist makes him a legend, which does not surprise me this album is on this list.
Absolutely enjoyed this album!
Too ballady for my taste. But Superstition!
There's a reason that this album is so highly rated. Stevie kills it. 1972. His voice sounds so classic while also sounding new and unique at the same time. Hearing this album for the first time was eye-opening and is definitely my favorite from him. My favorite song is "I Believe" because it is used in the movie "High Fidelity" with John Cusack which is also a favorite of mine.
Stevie Wonder just has a vibe about him that works. Whereas the lyrics would sound cheesy coming from another artist, it just comes together with him.
4☆/5 08.18.2024
can’t go wrong with mr wonder
I truly cannot believe this was made in 1972 when he was 21-22 years old, and it was his 15th(!!!) album lmao. Just unreal. "You are the Sunshine of my Life" is an all-timer, what can you even say. "Maybe Your Baby" is FUNKY goodness gracious. Sorta snoozed during the first half of "You and I" but the back half brought it home, such nice chords and lyrics. All the piano and sax fills on "Tuesday Heartbreak" are just delightful. Not really a fan of "You've Got it Bad Girl" - the recorder kinda took me out of it, sounded too much like the Twitter meme vids. "Superstition" riff is iconic, just so much energy packed into this song. "Big Brother" god damn, such a based song. "Blame it on the Sun" is so simple but so substantive - he has a knack for telling simple yet profound stories. I liked the intro callback in "Lookin for Another Pure Love" to the opening track, but that's... about where it ended - major second-to-last-song energy here (good guitars tho). "I Believe" is so good and so sweet, really makes you melt - GREAT album ender.
I absolutely loved this album and now inspired to explore more of Stevie Wonder’s discography. Before, being much of the “greatest hits” rather than exploring albums. I adored the stark contrast between the opening and second tracks - sunshines to jealousy and fear. I appreciated the emotional journey he took me on with each song evoking strong feelings. This was one that I will return to.
Frábært stöff.
Favorite Tracks: Superstition You Are The Sunshine Of My Life Big Brother
Really enjoyed the early days of Stevie, more mellow than the 80s version
Great musicianship, absolutely brilliant Superstition. Compared to his other bests a bit corny with all the love, at times sugar on sugar.
Great album!
Superstition. Enough said. 4/5
I've never been a big Stevie Wonder fan, but his peak period in the 70's deserves a listen. There are several songs on Talking Book that are amongst his most popular works and accessible to the mainstream with appearances on the charts. There's no doubt, Superstition is one of his classic hits and You Are The Sunshine Of My Life has a place on my guilty pleasures list. The album closes with, I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) that gets extra marks for it's appearance on the soundtrack for High Fidelity, that surely got my attention. Personally,, not 5 stars, but one of his better records
4 out of 5. First Stevie Wonder album I listened to from start to finish and it left a good first impression. I can see why people rated this one so highly online, good rhythm and melody that I can tell influenced a lot that came afterwards. Favorite song: You and I (Blame it on the Sun comes in a very close second) Least favorite song: Lookin' For Another Pure Love (hard pressed to pick this, no songs were bad)
Crazy that this is his fifteenth album!
Phenomenal stuff, superstition is one of the greatest songs of all time
I have definitely heard the instrumental progression on You've Got It Bad Girl sampled somewhere, but cannot place it... really frustrating. Superstition is just a fantastic song. Made for strutting to. This was a pleasant listen start to finish. No lows to speak of and the highs were soaring. Really enjoyable listen. Low 4 / 5 for me.
Another good morning run album, but for different reasons than Aerosmith. Smooth tracks with few real standouts (Superstition is obviously a hit), but also never any low points at all.
Smooth piano and singing all throughout. Stevie plays so many different instruments on this whole album. This is the first whole album I have listened to from Stevie Wonder, I didn't realize how great his voice was. Fun fact, I saw Stevie Wonder in concert at the F1 race in Austin TX back in 2017. I was sitting in the grandstands about 1 mile away so I couldn't really tell what was going on. It was a very random person to have there but it was pretty awesome.
This was a beautiful album. His voice is so velvety smooth. Some songs dragged on for me but were still quality. Superstition is one of the greatest songs of all time. High 4.
Obviously, some really excellent music on here! I think that Stevie Wonder was building on the sound of Sly & the Family Stone’s “There’s a Riot Going On” but with a much sunnier vibe. I’m only giving it four stars because, for me, some of the ballads don’t hold my attention as well.
8/10 Funk. yes. 7-2-2024
Stevie is an absolute joy to listen to always, he makes his own stuff, with his own manners, with makes him and his music have so much personnality. This here has some absolute classics but just doesn't always go above and beyond like his later albums will do
This has to be my favorite Stevie Wonder album... I haven't heard them all, but there are just so many amazing songs, and the whole vibe is smooth and calming the whole way through. And "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)" is just a top tier song.
Some classic stevie wonder here superstition is obviously incredible and blame it on the sun was a surprise hit for me. There are some great songs here but also some songs that don't stand out really, which slows it down to a 4 for me. Consistently good, not consistently all time great
This website heard me talking shit on my last review. Hit me with this. Thank you, website. You answered my request. Banger album. Superstition is a massive hit, but "Maybe Your Baby" and "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)" are for me. I definitely prefer the more funky stuff off this album as opposed to the softer ballads, but yeah. This album is it.
An absolutely stellar album - there are a couple of weaker songs that keep it from being a 10/10 but so many hits - an amazing showcase of musicianship. It's hard to believe he almost gave away Superstition - I know it's played to death but that song is flawless. I hope to get more Stevie Wonder albums on here but will listen to the rest of his discography no matter what.
It's Stevie Wonder at his best. Classic.
insanely deep and rich compositions. i like it, not as much as songs in the key of life, but i dont like most things as much as songs in the key of life. stevie is lowk the goat, his music is truly beautiful, something that can be appreciated by pretty much everyone
Stevie Wonder always makes good albums. This album is very cozy and I enjoyed it a lot. Superstition is my favorite song on the album. I consider this a high 4/5
Great album barring a couple errant notes from chimes or something, which drew away from the performance.
Beautiful music.
Good stuff
this isn’t my favorite Stevie Wonder album, or even close to his best but it’s a testament to how skilled and talented he is that this album is still so high quality. it seems like people forget how talented Stevie Wonder really is until they actually hear something he took part in. i know this album has a couple hits on it but the deep cuts are even better. “Blame it on The Sun” and “Big Brother” are two standouts examples of how great this album is. I don’t really know if there’s a bad Stevie Wonder album at all and he deserves his flowers as one of the best artists in his genre and even of all time.
I really enjoyed listening to that. It's one of my girlfriend's favorite artists so it's definitely going to stay in the collection for playing up with the cottage.
Nice album by a great musician
Me gusto pero no es muy mi estilo, tengo que aceptar que es muy buen album
This whole time, I thought that tasty bass line in Superstion was played on an actual bass guitar.... Today I learned it is actually played on a hohnee clavinet, a Moog bass synthesizer. It doesn't ruin it for me.. It actually impresses me still because it is Stevie Wonder who wrote and played it and not a bandmate. Stevie Wonder has a great voice. Maybe one of the best. His songs are all tasty. There were a few songs on that record that stood out. Of course Superstition. But for me in particular Big Brother. It had a nice acoustic guitar sound with complimentary bass lines and a harmonica. Simple but well crafted.
I hear a lot of critical pushback about the "sappy love songs" on this album but to quote Paul McCartney "Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs... And what's wrong with that?" These are some of the greatest ones ever put to wax, show some gratitude or make peace with whomever broke you.
Really solid album. The start of Stevie's legendary 70s output. Although, I feel this album is just a bit weaker than the rest of his on the list. Has some monster bangers, but also a couple of "okay" songs, and one that isn't that good
Quality record - like the ballads and the funk
Stevie Wonder’s Talking Book is serene. It’s way calmer then its more famous successor Songs In The Key of Life, but thats okay. You get some fire tracks because of that, like Superstition. I can’t lie, this tracklist bored out towards the last two songs, but for the majority of it, I was reeled in. Stevie’s voice is just too calming and mystifying. A great album.
Smooth and soulful
This is the 3rd Stevie Wonder album I've gotten from this site, and I am getting SO TIRED of.... having to come up w/ new & interesting ways to talk about how awesome Stevie Wonder is. XD I mean, to start off with, this is his 15th album. At age 22. His first album was recorded at age 12, which makes 15 albums in 10 years. How many people have managed that at ANY age? I'd only heard the first tracks on each side of the LP, but every track is great. Superstition is an absolute banger, timeless, & I still find it hard to believe that's not a guitar (it's a clavinet)- the actual guitar solo by Jeff Beck (in \"Lookin' for Another Pure Love\") is another nice touch. But anyway, yeah- Stevie rules.
Solid album. A few songs I enjoyed but overall its not my preferred genre.
I mean, it's Stevie Wonder. What's not to love? And Superstition is one of the best songs of all time.
Bardzo przyjemne. Nie spodziewałem się, że pan Stevie Wonder tworzy taką dobrą muzykę. Dużo utworów o miłości. You are the sunshine of my life i Superstition to dwa najlepsze utwory. 4/5
Thankfully someone has read my review on an earlier Stevie Wonder album (Songs in the Key of Life) and has prevented the mistake of stretching the lenght of songs far past breaking point as on that album. Glad to be of service. By not making the same mistake again this is actually a pretty decent album.
I enjoy Stevie Wonder and absolutely love ‘Superstition’. This was a nice listen, forgot how diverse the sounds were in his music. Certainly a lot of deeper interest within the music. 4.25/5
Listened Before? N This is great! I'm largely unfamiliar with most Stevie Wonder works, and this was a good introduction. I like the variety, and his voice and composition are both awesome on this record. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Superstition
I like Stevie Wonder, despite rarely listening to his music. This album has the trade mark Stevie Wonder feel to it. After listening to it three times, I do feel that the highlights are the two big hits from the album ('You Are The Sunshine Of My Life' and 'Superstition'), but the other tracks are all good, there isn't really a bad track. I took note of the melody of 'Big Brother', which seemed ambitious, but Stevie still managed to make it groovy. The melodies along with the chord progressions in these songs show how versatile he is as an artist and songwriter. FAVORITE TRACKS: - You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Maybe Your Baby - Superstition 4/5
He was a wonderful musician!
Pure class from top to bottom. Even the minor cuts offer major (if sometimes subtle) rewards (see "Maybe Your Baby," "You Got It Bad"). "Superstition" has a hook for the ages, a high-water mark in that most hookiest of decades, the '70s. "Big Brother" is mellowly groovy and quite intricate. From the opening "Sunshine of My Life" to the closing "I Believe (When I Fall In Love)," the whole thing feels warm and bright and sweet (if occasionally shading into sentimentality) and even life-affirming. There's no doubt Stevie Wonder's gifts have made the world a better place.
Solid album!
I like the album, but I’m in a bit of a lull with the list. Stevie Wonder is a fantastic musician and I’ll always be in all of his abilities. Admittedly though, that keyboard tone started to get a bit old to me. Still, really good.
Loved this
I need to smoke that shit that made Stevie wonder. Great, great album. This one comes to us amid Apple Music's publication of their "100 Best Albums" list. Lots of great albums on there, including many from our 1001 list over here. They have Innervisions from Stevie (another excellent one), but no Songs in the Key of Life. I'd call this one a third excellent entry from Stevie, third place behind Innervisions (Songs will always be top dog). Not dramatically different than his other albums, at least to me, but when you do what you this well, who could possibly mind? "Superstition" is such a classic. He really is one of the greats, man. Favorite tracks: Superstition, You are the Sunshine, Big Brother, You and I, Lookin' for Another Pure Love, I Believe. Album art: Classic for sure, love this one. Cool outfit, cool pose, chilling in the wild somewhere. The framing and text really makes this one pop. 4.5/5
4/5. Love Superstitious. Banger of an album.
Not my thing, but too good for that to matter.
More black man swagger by Stevie Wonder. 4/5
funky and beautiful. idk what yer problem is kyle.
Stevie Wonder writes some great songs, and I know this is the start of he best period of work, but this album has songs that hit that point and is not fully a part of his peak.
Some fantastic songs on here, straight up classics! I was also pleasantly surprised by the variety between tracks, I had obviously heard the hits and for whatever reason I expected the rest of the album to be similar, I was excited to hear so many varied styles on one album.
I like Stevie Wonder and I like this album. The “singles” in this album are certainly the most memorable with Superstition being a top song regardless of genre for me! But overall the rest of the songs don’t stand out too much but are fine as.
Of the “big three” Stevie Wonder albums, this is my least favorite. But it’s still Stevie at his peak, and Superstition may be his greatest ever song.
This album was very mixed for me. I didn't really like the first half of the album that much. The slower songs were cheesy and saccharine. The faster songs had a cool, funky vibe, but veered too much into experimental jam-band territory for me. The clavinet is a fascinating instrument, and so linked to Stevie Wonder. But there are songs on the album where it sounds more like a weird mash-up of a theremin and a cheesy synth. And the ad-libbing of the background singers got kind of annoying after a while. However, starting with Superstition, the album gets a lot better. The second half was very strong. If the album was just the last five songs I would rate it much higher. Highlights: Superstition, Big Brother I'll give it a 4, but it's really a 3.5
The album that carries "Superstition" has aged so well. While the aforementioned reigns supreme as one of the more recognizable songs in Stevie Wonder's career from late night classic radio, to his performance on Soul Train, this album carries the brilliant energy of that song. The album is groovy, full of rich melody, and probably one this reviewer's favorite love songs in "You and I". The younger generations might recognize that from Michael Bubles cover, a very good one, but Stevie Wonder's performance of it carried a different weight. Great album, great musician/artist, perhaps even becoming a lost or forgotten art in 2024.
Yayy
# Playlist track - Superstition # Notes - This is the album that has "Superstition" so I was really impressed that it was not the most popular track. I didn't know "Your Are The Sunshine Of My Life" but it IS pretty good too! - Super enjoyable album. - Some nice tricks are overdone, like the chorus on "Maybe Your Baby", so -1 star for that.
After getting a string of somewhat forgettable albums, it seems like the music gods have smiled and delivered yet another great--and classic--album with "Talking Book". I've never been a big Stevie Wonder listener, so I can't speak to whether there are other, better albums by him for this collection, but this certainly seems like a strong contender (and the Wikipedia article seems to confirm this). I'm also really impressed to find out that he not only composed everything but also played most of the instruments for the album (with some great guests on some of the songs). It's kind of shocking to read that this was Stevie Wonder's *15th* studio album, yet it's also considered just the beginning of his "classic" period (which seems to coincide with the 1970s). Popular, prolific and a nice guy--quite a feat!
Uneven album but I love the musical range and when he's on, he's on fire! Enjoyed this more than I expected to.
Very good although not every track hits the mark for me so not quite 5*. Maybe that's just a consequence of how good Superstition is vs. every other track, but it's still a solid album
You Are the Sunshine of My Life Superstition I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)
Like maybe your baby. Groovy
What a great album!
Some absolute bangers. Liked even my less favourite songs more with every listen. A really solid fun album.
Liked it. I Believe is one of my all time favs!!
¡Qué música más suave que esta! Una joya del soul. Super fácil de escuchar, placentero y sensual, que nos recuerda que la música no tiene que ser estruendosa para ser buena.
Brilliant album with Stevie avoiding being cheesy by being incredibly gifted as a singer You’ve got it bad girl, superstition , blame it on the sun - 15th album! Defines being a 4 compared to previous two albums as I would probably listen to this in full again whereas I wouldn’t for the last two that are 3/5- Stevie is a 4/5
I love Stevie Wonder when he's turned the funk on, but some of the slower soul ballad type songs I can take or leave. Still very good overall.
Solid 4, enjoyed the funk. Was tempted to give this a five but it was just a bit samey in the middle at points. If we could do 4.5 stars, it would be deserving.
do I like soul music??