Talking Book

A very sweet and chill listen. Feels a bit disjointed with the contrast of funk + pessimist (Superstition, Maybe Your Baby) with his ballad style optimism (your are the sunshine, you and I, etc.) Definitely enjoying exploring more of Stevie's discography w my limited knowledge of just top hits! 3.5 rounded up Maybe Your Baby - so fun and funky, seemed like precursor to superstition Superstition - a known banger, kinda comes as a surprise given the overall theme of loving + hopeful I Believe - loved this as ending to the album

Veh gut

I don't think its his best album but i did still really enjoy it

This album starts out with some genuinely terrible songs but the back half is fantastic. Superstition is maybe one of the top 10 best songs ever recorded.

Superstition is fun, and a couple good ones. End of the album is very slow.

Mediocre Start, Really like secon half Solid 4/5

Excellent. Synth work is especially good.

Great Love songs, and an artist exploring his musicality. Definitely an influential album that you can hear in today’s music.

Stevie Wonder is pretty damn talented and this album has 5 written all over it, but I think I've personally grown to have fatigue on the bigger songs on here. It's great but... personal enjoyment is only a 4.

Recognized first track instantly, surprised by how great 2nd track was which I'd never heard. Excited for the rest. 3rd track OK. 4th track meh. Hmm 5th is repetitive and also meh? Eek. Superstition great of course. Big brother is pretty good. Blame it on the sun made me think of blame it on the rain. I believe intro is epic!

I liked it

Many classics here

Stevie Wonder is a generational musical talent and Talking Book is clear evidence of that. I just wish that he would do way more funky upbeat stuff.

Talking Book is the album that most reminds me of watching Stevie Wonder live. There’s no denying the greatness, especially on the focused an funky stuff, but at times it’s also a bit meandering; live it would be the long, god fearing speaking passages - on this album it’s the jam-like soul sessions that at times never seem to end. That being said, Talking Book is a truly innovative album and one of the peaks of Wonder’s career - even when he seems to have lost track.

Muito bom! Músicas clássicas e termina de um ótimo jeito

Ve r y fun music. Never really listened to him before

Great voice and great songs. One of my favorite singers and solo artists. Ez 4.5.

contains the classic "Superstition" track.

I loved the bass in track 2, Maybe Your Baby. I also really enjoyed the funkiness of Tuesday Heartbreak and You've Got it Bad Girl (I also liked the lyrics of the latter) I liked the harmony and lyrics of Blame it on the Sun. However, my favorite track was Big Brother, I loved the harmonica parts and it just made me so happy!! Not my style of choice, but you can't go too wrong with Stevie Wonder, a lot of the songs reminded me of my dad.

Stevie is a musical genius, but his batting average isn't what you might expect. There's some real self indulgent wobbles on here. But then... Superstition is one of the greatest songs of all times, just casually tucked 6 tracks into the album.

Synth work is incredible

Interesting and quiet music

Some classic tunes like Superstition, I believe when i fall in love, and You are the sunshine of my life mixed with some slightly experimantal jazzy pop.

Awesome funky stuff.

78 / 100 As my introduction to the music of Stevie Wonder, this was pretty great and even sometime beautiful. However, although I recognise it as a fantastic album on a technical level, I feel I don’t really have any sort of emotional connection to it personally. Honestly it probably just hasn’t quite clicked for me yet, but I don’t imagine myself revisiting this too often for that reason. But I still admire this project and it’s sounds. I just hope that after continuous listens I can truly fall in love with it.

1. You are the sunshine of my life-vajbi, wavey kafić traka - 6.5/10 2. Maybe Your Baby - groovy, funky, goofy bas, vokali hard afff -7.5/10 3. You and I - smirujuća klavir i sintovi balada, najs ljubavna traka svidja mi se, sintovi se prelepo stapaju u okolinu - 7.5/10 4. Tuesday Heartbreak - gotivna pesma, najs back i choir vokali al prosle su bolje - 6/10 5. You've got it bad girl - wavy af, chill i jako umirujuća i prijatna pesma - 8/10 6. Superstition - apparently najpoznatija pesma sa albuma, al ne svidja mi se. Ove gitare imaju fuzzy ton i ne svidja mi se. Wavy trake sa goofy basovima su bile bolje. - 5.5/10 7. Big Brother - najs afro bubnjevi. Gitarice su najs. Dudududu- hard -6.5/10 8. Blame it on the sun - mnogo lepa balada i tekst je lep. Lowkey podseca na Black star od Radiohead - 8.5/10 9. Lookin for another pure love - tuzna ljubavna pesma, hor i gitar solo su najs. -6.5/10 10. I Believe - mnogo lep refren i tekst i vajb, najbolja traka sa albuma vrv, svidja mi se !! - 9/10

4.5

"You are the sunshine of my life" and "superstitious" were the biggest hits off this album. The lyrics in "big brother" are still somewhat relevant as well. Great album overall, definitely classic Stevie Wonder

Such a well-rounded and enjoyable album. It kept my interest and had great vibes. I was surprised by how old it is. It's stood the test of time so far!

One of the most innovative and unique pop songwriters of all time 💪

Enjoyable: Wonder has an amazing voice with this album being comforting and just nice to the ears. There may not be any stand out songs other than the obvious hits but as an album I felt the flow was just lovely and each song merged into one in such a nice way. Would I listen again? probably not but it was still very good.

Second half is far better than the first.

"You've Got it Bad Girl", "Superstition" "You Are the Sunshine of my Life" classics…Love this album but hard not to compare to Innervisions which will be released a year later.

The world would be a different place without “Superstition.”

The start of an incredible 4-year run.

Dang idk this is probably more like a 3.5. Rounding up because the production is pristine and Stevie sounds great, but there are a lot of snoozers on this. Never would have guessed this album was so boring

FINALLY this algorithm starts bringing the Funk! I enjoy this record as a juxtaposition to Who’s Next as far as early applications of synths in popular music is concerned. While The Who used them as centerpieces to build a song around, Stevie uses them on this album to build ambiance and layers deep in the mix around more typical piano and organ parts. Great record, really impressed me from the perspective of someone who is really only familiar with Stevie’s big hits. His voice is just so smooth and effective, it’s very easy to listen to. I’m not the biggest fan of the slow jams (I recognize it as great songwriting, but with the exception of maybe Blame It On The Sun I gravitate towards the more upbeat side of his sound). Regardless, excellent record, very fun listen, certainly something I’m glad to have finally had the exposure to and an album I’ll be revisiting tracks from in the future.

Really solid album. Will listen again many times.

Grand

An album that I'd like to have in the background in a romantic restaurant Very chill and nice :)

I like this style a lot. It is mostly love songs which is not always my thing but I'll give it a good rating.

Chilled out, easy listen

I loved this album. It was such a mellow listen. Some of my favorite songs are You’re the Sunshine of My Life, Superstition, Blame It On the Sun, and I Believe. You’re the Sunshine of My Life reminds me of my baby and I.

Klep: Great album start to finish. Slower and more ballady than a typical Stevie album. Has a few funky tunes though. Top 3 songs off the album are Superstition, Big Brother, and I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever).

Superstition and I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) are definitely the stand outs to me... And the strength of those two justifies the rating imo.

Not a bad album! The high points are really great, the lower points are just a bit average

I'm like a 3.5 on this one but I usually round up so here you go. Not my favorite Stevie Wonder album by any stretch but I enjoyed it.

He can be soft. He can be cool.

Au royaume des aveugles

continue comme ca je pense

Let's state the obvious first. Superstition is an all time banger. Just a great song. The rest of the album is solid in its own right. Maybe too many ballads for my taste and not enough guitar with the exception of Jeff Beck on a couple of tracks. Still, I can't complain too much.

Great album, some 5/5 tracks here. Only song I knew was Superstition, which I love. Don't know why I never got into Stevie before.. Some songs are a little meh, but the great funky ones make up for it

Wonderful. That kind of young feeling I like this kind of punk

Fantastic, not my favorite Stevie wonder album but still a great listen

Bob era un bravo autista di autobus. Bob non sapeva di essere nudo alle 15 di venerdì. Bob mangiava del pollo con le mani.

Really lovely chord sequences, great baselines, fantastic singing. Can really hear the influence to Michael Jackson. A few weird pacing desicions is all that stops this from getting a five.

Not the best Stevie Wonder out there, but any Stevie is good.

Incredible album. The production is outstanding. Fav tracks: Maybe Your Baby You’ve Got It Bad Girl Superstition (OF COURSE) Lookin For Another Pure Love

buena

Some amazing moments on this record. Some bits were so seventies stereo. Other bits were a bit watered down and lengthy. I enjoyed Stevie exploring his lower vocal register throughout, it isn't something you would hear in his best of albums, but it is pretty cool.

That Stevie really did do some amazing stuff in the early to mid 70s. Incredibly this was already his FIFTEENTH album. A few less impressive tracks but overall great.

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Superstition (6) 2 - Blame It On the Sun (8) 3 - I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever (10))

Does what he came to do! Some of it is a little slower than what I really love out of Stevie Wonder, but I think I have to give it a 4 because he sure is doing it.

De wereld zou er toch een stuk minder leuk uitzien zonder Stevie Wonder. Die aanstekelijke combi van funk en blijheid pik je er altijd en overal meteen tussenuit, en dat is op deze plaat niet anders. Niet alle nummers beklijven evenveel, maar de hits swingen de pan uit. Eigenlijk zou je van alle platen in deze top-1001 toch minstens dit niveau verwachten.

Hamrende godt, klassisk Stevie, vilde kompositioner, groovy

Very close to being a five star here, I think there's just too many times on the album where songs go too long and it dampens the intial impact the song has. Otherwise, very amazing, I love the shift from ballad to funk bsck to ballad throughout the album, and Wonder's voice is as soothing as ever.

Só conhecia o hit Superstition, mas o disco agradável fortemente por ser conciso e manter o clima envolvente de um jazz funkeado.

This is another album that gives me these tiny memories of hearing the LP as a kid. My parents loved this album and "Songs in the Key of Life" and likely dubbed both onto cassette tapes. These tapes would be in rotation on every road trip. For some reason "You got it bad girl" and "I Believe (when I fall in love)" have strong memories and "Superstition" is just a banger so I love hearing this one again.

Great Stevie Wonder album, has the classic wah-ed bass, keys, and some great hip hop-esque drumming. The diversity of the music means that aside from the never-ending Maybe Your Baby, the album is really not repetitious. A really solid listen.

Classic Stevie Wonder. It's his definitive sound, hard to complain. Didn't grab me too hard as an album though.

Crazy notes in the first song. I think he goes into a whole tone scale on the electric keyboard and that is COOL as heck for a poppy sound. Very engaging and interesting for a music nerd. The album's got a lot. I won't say "everything", but it's got a lot. His incredibly smooth and effortless vocal parts, the funky auto-panned guitars and synths, the moments for the music theoryheads... man. So solid. "Superstition" is one of the best funky songs ever. Stevie Wonder is a treasure and this is probably tied for my favorite song of his (next to "Sir Duke"). For me this album is a 4/5. It's great but I wish it had a few more huge hits on it. There might not be a bad song on the record, but it's too packed with good but not amazing songs to be a 5 for me.

great funk and soul album and my first S. Wonder album... It's really good and deserves an 8/10 (4/5)

My favorite from Stevie so far. This album has everything. It's got political commentary. It's got grooves. It's got whoopee makin music. Highly recommend

How could someone not love Stevie Wonder? I'm a bigger fan of his funkier, up-tempo stuff versus his slower tunes. This album has a good mix. 4 stars.

Classic album, not many radio hits on it tho apart from superstition.

great!

Some world class moments on this. Superstition, Blame it on the Sun and I Believe are some of my favourite funk and soul records going. There's enough musical meat on them to chew for days: simply sonically delicious. The rest is all very nice and good but doesn't have the same depth. A highly respectable four.

Oh it’s tranquil oh it’s sexy oh it’s stevie. Truely soulful 4/5

Sweet music. You are the Sunshine of my Life.

A ridiculously detailed construction. Seamless.

I mean, obviously "Superstition" is the most popular track on this album but I think "I Believe" is really pretty, just kind of repetitive. "Maybe Your Baby" also suffers from repetitiveness but that song would be really good if only it were half the run time.

hier is hij weer en hij doet het weer

Toch altijd genieten die man

So many wondrous little hooks and grooves (“Tuesday Heartbreak”) and big huge ones, too (“Superstition”). It’s all here -- sublime pop and moving balladry (which is occasionally too sweet/sentimental for one's tastes), top-class funk and R&B, with some pretty direct and strong social commentary (which mostly lands). It's like an encyclopedia or music, with a balance of beauty and craft, wisdom and joy. The genius is in the mix of sweetness and scalding.

Just a really fun album. 4/5. Favorite track: Superstition

Not quite “all killer” but there’s certainly no filler. mixing is wonderful, songwriting is gorgeous and at points Stevie’s voice is heavenly. of the killer, superstition is the worst and that speaks to the absolute quality of this album. best tracks: you are the sunshine of my life, blame it on the sun, you and I

Quite enjoyed this one. 4/5

Un album precioso de lo mejor de stevie wonder

Sweet

This was the first Stevie Wonder LP I ever owned. I love this music. It keeps me grooving, even the slower ballads. Caught between 4 and 5. Making it a four only because not ever song touches me with the same enthusiasm.

I love the texture of this album.

Damn, what a talented dude Stevie Wonder is. And with that, I don't always love his songwriting. He tends to fall in love with a part and doesn't seem to want to let it go. That happened a few times on this album. And I also prefer his uptempo songs more than the soft, slow numbers. But it's ridiculous to criticize songwriting on an album that has "Sunshine of My Life," which is objectively a beautiful song, sweet sentiment, and a very inviting way to open an album. And then, of course, there's "Superstition," which is undoubtedly one of the great riffs of all time, made better by the song as a whole, which is at the top of the heap. The horn arrangements elevate it to another level. So yeah, it's been beaten to a pulp over the decades, but it's one of the great songs in popular music. Not a perfect album, but first-class stuff.

Stevie always brings the good times, the funk, the emotions, the soul. You get a whole lot of mileage out of his records. This one isn’t his greatest in my opinion, but it’s pretty goddamn good.

Is it possible to dislike this album? Classic after classic, songs to dance to, love songs, songs of social commentary... Stevie Wonder kills it here. 4.25/5, rounded down to 4/5.

A Stevie misfire is still a 4; a few brilliant tunes but a fair amount of what strikes me as filler. I prefer his first "adult" album, Music of my Mind, and the few following. It does have Superstition, though. My favourite version is the one he did on Sesame Street.

Very good album, and a great mix of soul, pop and funk. 4/5

It's a great soul album!

This was a great groovy track list.

More downtempo than I thought it would be. Obviously knew the lead singles, but found myself really enjoying the varied instrumentation throughout. Absolutely bonkers that he released Innervisions less than a year after this. 4/5

Very good. Only bad thing about this album is, the 2nd song is too long. Favortie song: Big brother.

Alot of the songs sound the same

This is a very stylistically beautiful album that reflects incredibly heartfelt lyrics. Stevie Wonder is silky smooth as always, however for some reason or another my concentration was wavering throughout the album. The instrumental grooves were great, but there isn’t much progression throughout the songs, and they’re each fairly long which could possibly explain why. I would rate 3.5 if I could.

Un Stevie Wonder barricadé dans son studio alors que l'on entend une fois de plus Eddy Mitchell grogner à la porte. Ce dernier n'arrivera finalement pas à entrer pendant la session et n'apparaîtra fort heureusement pas sur le projet.

It's Stevie

Talking Book has two mega hits: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life (a beautiful love song full of praise and devotion) and Superstition (just the funkiest and sickest beat of all time, incredible, just a song where Stevie had to know he struck pure gold when they finished recording). Stevie has quite a voice on the song You & I. Tuesday Heartbreak was an excellent and funky jam.

Alright yes maybe my baby done made some other plans but you’re not helping going on and bastard on about it are you

For my taste - pretty average, nice sounding funk album. The best song is absolutely - superstition. Would I listen again? Yes 4/5

Lovely album.

I expected Soul, but i got funky grooves and sometimes a bit of rock. Nice surprise. Also the lyrics are nice and unexpected sometimes politically, like on big brother. Other songs are more about live, except maybe superstition, the only song i already knew. It s a nice surprise and a great discovery 😉.

One of my favourite Stevie albums

Second song is so good. Album is very decent.

The album before his run of 3 five-star albums. Still a classic though.

Very good album. There were a couple of well known favorites, but I enjoyed the whole thing.

Have this LP. It's really good.

4.3 + My only knock is with a couple of goopy middle tracks (“Tuesday’s Heartache”, “You’ve Got It Bad Girl”), otherwise this album is another stunner from Stevie’s most exceptional era.

good

I love the variety of styles Stevie explores here, and he does a great job with them all. Superstition is still far and away the highlight, though.

Stevie Wonder has a great style. Not all of these songs are great but enough are for me to like it.

I love Stevie Wonder but I always avoided this album because the album cover is so boring in comparison to his others. Also, I assumed “Superstition” was the heart and soul of it, and I’m glad to say I was wrong. About the Superstition thing, not the album cover.

I can see why people love it, grooves and great tunes.

Shit got me laying on my stomach swinging my feet- My first dip into Stevie Wonder and tbh I did expect to love it or at least find it nice, but nothing would've prepared me for what was to come - I slowly slowly started to be seducted by him like this man started to seduce meee. This album is gorgeous. The instrumentals and the vocals are so rich, the lyrics are so endearing, cute and so enjoyable, like they made me believe in true love for a hot second. This album is just so cute my only problem is that I have no one to dedicate it to😭. Im kidding obviously, my only issue with this album is that some do moments get a bit repetitive like the outro in maybe your baby, which I honestly did not enjoy; and maybe some songs could've been cut a bit shorter, so the lyrics and themes didn't get so repetitive as they do. But honestly, this album is just SO STUNNING it makes me not care about it being repetitive, like I will just close my ears at those moments and pretend they don't exist. Like I cannot in good faith shit on an album that has these lyrics: "But I'll blame it on the sun The sun that didn't shine I'll blame it on the wind and the trees I'll blame it on the time that never was enough I'll blame it on the tide and the sea But my heart blames it on me" ....Like I just wont. I refuse. You won't hear it from me. In conclusion, I'd say this is a great album with some repetitive moments and maybe one or two songs I didn't completely vibe with, but overall just an amazingly gorgeous record with some luscious instrumentation and vocals and extremely cute and beautiful lyrics. Nothing else to say except that that one song blame it on the sun... OOOOOF its over. That fxckng song might be top 50 songs oat for me, and on first listen too. SOOOOO GOOD. FAV TRACK: Blame it on the Sun LEAST FAV TRACK: Maybe your Baby HARD8/10 PS: I would've never guessed Stevie Wonder got that rizz dayummmm.

I also liked this but not as much as the previous one. 3.5/5

Stevie Wonder is another one of those artists that just makes me think of being bored listening to my dad’s music in the car as a kid. His voice is too smooth for me. Still, this is a great album. Obviously Supedstition is a classic but my fave is Blame It On The Sun.

I’ve been getting a lot of 70’s funk/soul in my first few albums, and this is no different. ‘Superstition’ is a great song, to the point from what I’ve seen, most negative reviews of this album still point out this song as being good. I also love ‘Maybe Your Baby’ - it has a uniquely heavy sound for a funk song. A lot of the rest of the record is really smooth, although it’s a bit sappy at times. I didn’t like ‘You’ve Got It Bad Girl’ for it sounding kind of controlling though, like telling someone they DO love you and THEY’RE in the wrong.

stevie wonder's talking book is positively beautiful. wonder bounces around a few genres: his signature soul, funk inspired by the seventies--there's even a folk-like song. it's a good mix! in multiple tracks, wonder's voice is full of emotion, resulting in tender songs. his piano definitely adds to these songs. he creates such smooth songs and all of a sudden i have tears in my eyes during multiple songs. an enjoyable listen, well deserving of its spot here. 4.5

I feel like Stevie is known most for his soul and piano numbers, but his unapologetic funkiness is what really shines on this album, especially in the tracks "Maybe Your Baby", "Tuesday Heartbreak", and of course, the iconic, timeless "Superstition". Maybe Your Baby was new to me, and wow, it was SO incredibly funky. Everything about it drips with funk. I couldn't get enough. And what can I say about Superstition that hasn't been said by everyone over the years? There's a reason this is a quintessential funk song. I didn't realize that Superstition segued so perfectly into Big Brother, though; discovering things like that is a cool tidbit that I enjoy about this project! While I enjoyed the funk aspect the most, there is nothing to complain about the rest of the album, as it is balanced with smooth, pleasant soul music. Stevie makes EVERYTHING a pleasure to listen to on this album!

One of the true geniuses of twentieth century music. I adore Stevie Wonder's music.

Aside from Wonder's fantastic soul and funk songwriting, he's always had a fantastic ear for tones. The various synths, moogs, rhodes', and guitars all bring varying and wonderful textures to each song. Also appreciate the talents of Jeff Beck here, rest his soul. Another great album from Stevie Wonder. He had one of the best albums runs, it seems. '

Hard to go wrong with Stevie, especially when he's playing the clavinet, which might just be the funkiest instrument ever created. "Superstition" is probably my favorite song by Stevie, but some of this album's a touch soft-spoken for my taste. That only dings it down to a four, though. This is good stuff.

Classic Stevie

Made for some great background music this morning. Not overly memorable, but there's some really great stuff in there.

Stevie wonder does it again and makes a banger album that feels way ahead of its time with songs like you and I while also defining the 70s with superstition. There’s virtually no misses on this album but I’m not sure if I like it quite as much as songs in the key of life. Still a high 4 though

Have not much clue of this man going in. Like the album cover, cautious optimism. oof. Superstition is a track. And holy stuck the landing, the last track is epic. Yeah I mean this is very close to a 5. But if I gave it a 5, it would probably be due to external factors. Probably more like a 4.3 for my taste.

Its good but its Stevie Wonder so ofcourse its good.

Stevie is the master. What else is there to say?

Хороший то ли соул то ли что, вайб очень теплый. Много чего можно почерпнуть. Ту же перкуссию

Superstitious is one of my favorite songs.

Totally thematically coherent, Talking Book is almost wispy at points, but the songs hang together. There's less to hook me at first listen than Wonder in later mode. For the most part, the synthesizer textures have aged perfectly.

PREFS : You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Maybe Your Baby, Tuesday Heartbreak, You've Got It Bad Girl, Superstition, Big Brother, Blame it on the Sun, I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) MOINS PREF: You and I

Ya boy's got this one on vinyl already. Superstition and You Are The Sunshine of my Life are the standouts but Blame It On The Sun is lowkey better. Stevie is such a unique artist bringing funk, soul, songwriting and great vocal talent together.

Glad that I got this a few days after getting Jamiroquai, which are described as Stevie Wonder riff-offs. I enjoyed them though, and that being said, I expected a lot from the OG dance funk star himself. And my expectations are met. This is amazing. I love the keyboards and Stevie's personality. Unfortunately, this album still has a considerable share of fillers. But I can definitely say that this is much better than Jamiroquai's appropriated stuff.

Stevie Wonder brings an indefinable depth to his music. One of the great talents of the 70s

Ok

good album! not my total thing but it ends on such a high note. 8/10.

The first true masterpiece in the incredible Stevie's spree, that started from... Signed, Sealed & Delivered? Where I'm Coming From? Music of My Mind? I vote for Where I'm Coming From that shifted its focus on additional themes other than love. It has some lesser songs but never really goes lower that really pleasant. Things would get even better, but that doesn't really lessen Talking Book's value. And it has at least two bona fide masterpieces in its track list.

sweet album

I really needed some Stevie today :) 4.5 stars, a stellar album that gets just a bit overshadowed by the perfection that follows in "Innervisions" and "Songs In The Key of Life"

He’s always a joy

Stevie!

Favorite Song: Tuesday Heartbreak Familiar Songs: Superstitious Notes: Love the funky 70's synth, and the vocals are just so clean throughout. Very fun album.

Another banger from Stevie, what were you expecting?

Wonder marries some of his more radio-friendly pop songs with his smooth R&B tones in this light and easy listening effort. While this doesn't reach some of his higher marks of his career, as an album-listening experience, the way tracks flow is a delight. Also from a production standpoint, the way the tones, organ, and funk grooves bounce around the speakers and creates a truly exciting an auditory experience.

Enjoyable

Not my favorite Stevie but good

7.5/10 F.t.: Superstition

I'd listened to this album a few times, but mostly forgot the songs except Superstition. It's just another fucking amazing song it makes everything else on the list sound like crap. The other songs are fine, but pretty forgettable, but god damn is Superstition an amazing song.

Wonderful album. Soothing.

Not my favourite Stevie, but damn good

I'm not the greatest soulful ballads fan, but there are enough funky tracks on this album to push it up to a 4.

1st November 2022 Listened while working from home. Went to Jess and Jake’s and came back to watch Catherine called birdy and Liverpool Napoli. Sweet and gentle soul with a funky superstition centre, classic Stevie wonder.

this album was great!

Almost 5 star

Yum yum tasty. Not huge on the opening single but overall some very nice smooth chill fun R&B. Superstition rips hard. A-

so many classics

Some songwriting excellence, and clear mastery of performance as well. A few too many ballads just dampen the energy for me; if even one of them was a bit more upbeat this would probably be 5 stars.

Not my favorite Stevie Wonder album, but it’s up there.

Stevie Wonder is amazing. Everything he does is pretty great. I’ve heard this album a few times before and it stands out with a unique and fresh funk that only Stevie does. You are The Sunshine of my Life and Superstition are pop classics but the album is filled with other songs that make this album stand out. “You and I” is probably one of his finest and I really like “I Believe” which I got to know from when Art Garfunkle sang it on one of his albums. Other standouts: You’ve Got it Bad Girl, Blame it on the Sun. 4/5

First listen the album was okay. Second time listening I really loved it. Maybe I was expecting more funk the first time, like the albums I heard from him before. THis voice is great and the songs are very well produced. Favourite songs: - Superstition - Blame it on the sun - I believe (when I fall in love with you it will be forever)

Got superstition

Stevie is awesome. One of my favorite things to watch is people karaoke to Stevie - they never really how difficult it truly is to sing his stuff. He makes it sounds so easy, but it's really on a whole other level. That said, I'm not sure this is his best album. Still, some real bangers on here.

Coincidentally this is the second Stevie Wonder album in a row that has been given to me by the generator. I thought this was an amazing album for sure, but I must say that I certainly preferred Songs in the Key of Life to this one, although Superstition was still an absolute classic. Favourite: Superstition

Chilled and Awesome

Another first timer for me. It’s just incredible isn’t it?

Stevie Wonder is good.

Amazing. 4/5 Standouts: You are the Sunshine of my Life, You and I, You Got it Bad Girl, Superstition, i Believe.

Some classics here. Other songs go on too long.

Good listen never heard most of them

Este disco tiene tremendas canciones. Además, es uno de los primeros discos que vi en mi casa. No sé si fue un regalo que recibieron mis padres o si ellos realmente lo compraron sabiendo de qué se trataba. Bueno, como sea, es un disco esencial.

Beautiful album

Hitspäckat album. Bra grejer.

Loved this album. Some of the stronger songs were 'Maybe Your Baby', 'You and I', and of course 'Superstition'. My favorite song, however, was 'Blame It On The Sun'. I really enjoyed this one and it was a great start to my list, I will definitely listen to it again.

A great album, one of Stevie Wonder's best. Chock full of classics - You Are the Sunshine of My Life, You and I, You've Got It Bad Girl, Superstition, I Believe.

Actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Good stuff.

Pretty strong album by Stevie. I have listened to the first song way too much, but it's still a damn good song. "Maybe Your Baby" just seemed like a riff that went nowhere. I was expecting a bridge or a chorus, but it was just the one thing over and over, even with... Ray Parker Jr.?!. Loved "Tuesday Heartbreak," very funky sort of a precursor to "Superstition". I've played the song "Superstition" and it is a bear. Although I think "Sir Duke" is probably harder, I think I probably like "Superstition" more. The songs have a real good range, too. Going from a funk feel to a real R&B vibe. The one song I liked, but feels weird was "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)". The song came out in '72, which is when he divorced his FIRST wife. So will it be forever? I don't know for him, since he got married two more times. The synths all throughout this album really make it stand out. It's hard to believe it was done in 72, it gives it a bit of a futuristic sound. Really cool stuff. All in all, I really enjoyed this album.

Excellent stuff, Stevie is goated 👍

3.5 stars "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" "Superstition" standouts

Great

Good easy listening.

I just really don't like "you are the sunshine of my life", it's just so unbelievably cheesy to me, and so I'd never really given this album a chance. I still don't like it, but "maybe your baby" and, of course, "superstition" are certified bangers and the rest of the album is pretty good as well. Will listen again, will just skip the first track.

Absolutely loved Maybe Your Baby. I also liked Blame It on the Sun and I Believe (When I Fall in Love It will be Forever.) And of course, Superstition is an awesome song.

Very good album with a couple of classic songs. I think it shows his range as a songwriter but I think overall he has better albums. I’d like the half star option to give it 3.5.

Gets a 4 for superstition alone. The rest of the songs were not strong enough to pull this up to a 5 for me. We’ll be hearing more from Stevie Wonder.

Classic album from one of the best artists in history. Most ballads in general don’t speak to me, but the soul heard in these songs are unparalleled

Unexpectedly funky. Don’t know why that surprised me.

What a voice - it’s a great album - silky smooth and soulful at most times and maddeningly funky with Superstition at the helm… I can’t fault the album except for the fact it’s too smooth for me. I’m more of a crunch peanut butter kind of person.

Stevie Wonder is always a good time

Once again this is another album that I happened to listen to in the previous group and I have to tell you I walked away thinking the same thing, I have to listen to more Stevie Wonder! Talking Book is a funky, soulful album that had me bopping along as I walked the pup. This album deserves its spot on this list!

Another great album from Stevie

soul music

Stevie is just so good

it's taken me almost 30 years to get around to listening to this. I'm a fool....should have listened sooner - great album, and thats after 1 x listen!

This is a solid album that expresses sentiments of love and social awareness all mixed in musical package that is very carefully constructed and produced. Stevie Wonder’s emotional range is vast and his vocals are practically perfect. The biggest drawback are some of the lyrics which are a bit too on the nose and verge into the saccharine.

There are about 6 out of 10 great songs on here and two of those are top 5 Stevie songs overall. Worth the listen.

4.2 - solid album. “I Believe” is a great album closer and “Superstition” is one of the best songs of all time.

crazy soulful good all the way through 4.5

“Talking Book” is Stevie Wonder’s fifteenth album. He was 22. That alone, considering the quality of the material here, is a remarkable achievement. This album is acknowledged as the start of Wonder’s golden period, after he’d stopped just having to churn out albums at the behest of his record label. Breaking free and flexing his songwriting muscles a little more, he was really only just getting started with “Talking Book.” It had no right to be as good as it is. I hadn’t heard it before bar the two biggest hits (“You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” and “Superstition” have been unavoidable for fifty years), so it was an interesting listen. Very much an album of two halves: the gritty, clavinet driven funk ala “Superstition” (see “Maybe Your Baby”, “Tuesday Heartbreak”), and the softer, dare I say schmaltzier ballads ala “…Sunshine of my Life” (see “You and I”, “You’ve Got It Bad Girl”). At times it gets a little too syrupy: if “Sunshine” feels a bit slight, then “You’ve Got It Bad Girl” and “Lookin For Another Pure Love” leave even less of an impression on first listen. Their corniness seems, in part, due to the instrumentation. The electric piano and some of the synth leads used have become synonymous with soft 70s fluff. Wonder’s vocals, however, are enough to keep them buoyant, and he displays great range between the more mellow numbers and the harder-edged rock. The weaker songs aside, there were some great surprises in “Talking Book”. “Big Brother” is a laidback treat fusing Orwellian nightmare with racial and social commentary, still managing to sound melodic and carefree with some classic, tasteful Wonder harmonica lead. Then “I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)” is almost transcendent as a closing track: multi-layered vocal crescendo, dynamic performances, a simple and heartfelt chorus. “Talking Book” is half really great and half pretty good. It might not be Wonder’s best and it might be a little uneven. But the hits really hit, and any album with a career-defining banger like “Superstition” on it can’t score below four stars. Them’s the rules.

I really like the way this album kicks off with You Are The Sunshing Of My Life, it just really sets the scene. The album plods along a little but but You've Got It Bad Girl has a nice feel and then Superstition kicks in followed by the very cool Big Brother and the last track just leaves me feeling hope.

Loved it so much! Not my favorite from Stevie but definitely a good one. The closing track is amazing, especially the last 1:30.

Great 70's album, love ballads, political commentary and some huge funk bangers. Everyone know "you are the sunshine" and "superstition" but give a good listen to "big brother" and "maybe your baby".

Soul, funk

this was not bad! 4/5

A very funky album, with some brilliant tracks. Wonder's punchy clavichord keeps this disc moving and grooving as it ambles between dancey numbers to more crooning ones

Classic Stevie album, lovely mix of tracks and some big hits.

This was good, definitely one of the better albums by him that I’ve listened to.

lovely stuff stevie baby

Great album!

Unexpectedly lovely

You are the sunshine of my life: Unreal. 5/5 Maybe your baby: Just runs a bit long. 3.5/5. You and I: 3.5/5 Tuesday heartbreak: Funky! 4/5 You've got it bad girl: Yes. 4.5/5 Superstition: 5/5. Of course.

Ain’t no superstition

Leads up to Innervisions. 4.5.

Another great album highlighted by “You are the Sunshine of My Life” and “Superstition,” but features many of Wonder’s strong, but softer songs.

Somewhere there’s a dictionary with a definition of sublime. And next to it is “I believe …”. I assumed this wasn’t a great album. And it is mixed. But that track and Superstition lift it to another level. I’ll need to revisit it

Really liked two thirds of this a lot. Steve Wonder is a fantastic singer/songwriter plus a talented musician. Wouldn't have guessed he did drumming throughout this and the bass was actually from a moog. Favourites are You And I, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life and Big Brother.

Enjoyable! Loved the groove of it - grew up with some of this music so it was fun to re-listen.

Gorgeous album that I expected to like but turned out I enjoyed more than I thought I would. Gorgeous arrangements that are at first glance simple and accessible but on closer inspection have some real complexity thar I never thought they did specifificalky the first song...You are the Sunshine and the closer; I Believe. Some superb drumming / percussion Golightly my favourite moments. 4.5 🌟

You are the sunshine of my life was a great way to start this album. Swoon!

Great Stevie album.

Funkowy tydzien, ale jednak inaczej, bo pierwszy raz na liscie Stevie Wonder, czyli postac ikona, ktorej muzycznie jednak nie kojarze za bardzo, talking book jest to 15 album w jego dyskografii z roku 72, w tamtym czasie mial 22 lata i juz 15 albumow za pasem, wiec juz nie dziwne dlaczego jest okreslany on geniuszem, nie tylko przez fakt bycia niewidomym muzykiem, ale czego dowiedzialem sie po tym albumie, multiinstrumentalista, kompozytorem, lirykiem, prawdziwy czlowiek orkiestra, niby pietnasty album, ale podobno dopiero drugi w klasycznym okresie Wonderowym, wiec dobry material na start, co rzuca sie na uszy, to fakt, ze wiekszosc trakow jest stworzona w calosci przez Wondera, kawalki z piecioma instrumentami, to standard tego albumu, wiec jest mocne lejerowanie dzwiekow, sporo synthowego brzmienia ktore nadaje soulowym lirycznie kawalkom funkowego brzmienia, a co za tym idzie przenosi je blizej mainstreamu, jak jeden z hajlajtow plyty maybe your baby, czy superstision, ktore mnie najbardziej kupily swoim brzmieniem, obok nich na plejke dodam jeszcze otwierajacy you are the sunshine of my life, 4 z 10 kawalkow byly wspolpisane, dwa z ex zona Syreeta Wright, a dwa kolejne z Yvonne Wright, zbieznosc nazwisk przypadkowa, plyta tak dobra, ze nawet pan prezydent hamerykanski mial z niej kawalek do slubu, chodzi o obamow i songa you and i, motywem przewodnim plyty bedzie milosc i jej odcienie, wiec jest w czym wybierac, ale nie zabraklo miejsa na ambitniejsze tematy spoleczne, jak na superstitions czy big brother, ktory ma w swoje sporo folkowego brzmienia przez, to ze glownym instrumentalem jest hamronijka, dodatkowo liryka oparta na orwelowskiej tworczosci, 43 minuty sluchowiska roznorodnego gatunkowo i stylistycznie, ktore zacheca do zapoznania sie z reszta klasycznej tworczosci Wondera

Enjoyed very much

Bought this album while on a record shopping trip with Elaine pre Rhonda Rona. I love this Stevie. He’s still singing and harmonizing without overwhelming tracks with his vocal power. It’s so beautiful and melodic. Puts me in such a spiritual mood.

So I'm never a fan of SW's slowest songs... they just don't hit me the way they're supposed to (looking at you, You and I/Blame It on the Sun (side side note: I think it's due to production as much as songwriting)). But anything above a ballad tempo is perfection. Of course we love the mega hits off of this, but I also loved the funk of Maybe Your Baby and the country/folk/blues feel of tracks like Big Brother. Not the highest peaks of SW, but a solid album.

Not into the ballady ballads. But the upbeat funky ones are the best.

Great album, so many hits on it. I feel like the hits really hit, but there were a few misses on it (some of the super funky stuff wasn't really my taste), so that's why it's not a 5 for me.

Overall enjoyable but some songs really dragged on into jam territory. Superstition is a masterpiece.

A really good funk/soul album with more mellow tracks than expected. Stevie Wonder has the vocals to carry the more subdued tracks, and the funkier tracks sport wonderfully jazzy instrumentation. BEST TRACKS: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, Maybe Your Baby, Tuesday Heartbreak, Superstition, Blame It On The Sun WORST TRACKS: N/A

Classic Stevie Wonder, though I would like a little more funk. The constant laid back nature gets just a little bit boring throughout the entire album. That being said, this does have "Superstition" on it, which almost completely makes up for that. Favorite Tracks: "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Maybe Your Baby", "You And I", "Tuesday Heartbreak", "You've Got It Bad Girl", "Superstition", "Big Brother", "Blame It On The Sun" 4.5/10

Truly a beautiful album, composed by one of the biggest talents in music, beautiful lyrics with music that is as groovy as it was when it came out, and touching with Wonder showing his emotional side that touches you deeply. Fav Tracks: You are the Sunshine of my Life, You and I, I Believe

On first listen this didn't grip me at all - was leaning towards 3 stars. A day later and a second listen and I liked it a lot more. Maybe I was in a mood? The slower more saccharine tunes I could do without, but overall a worthy listen. Fave track - I mean, c'mon, "Superstition" absolutely slaps! "Big Brother" was also great...

Ich glaube ihm alles; jedes Wort seines „Talking Book“. 4.3

Giving 4 stars for talent, but a lot of this is too sappy for me.

Will definitely be a record I revisit.

Superstition is one of the best songs and you are the sunshine of my life is a classic but the rest of the album fell flat

Возможно соул, это моё

This had done petty good songs.

Groovy and bittersweet, love it. Favorites: You Are The Sunshine Of MY Life, You And I, Superstition

Classic 70s era funky sound. I get some Michael Jackson vibes, so Stevie may have been his influence. Classics Superstition and You are the Sunshine of my Life, but there are several other pleasing songs as well

Not what I expected. Very funky and cool. For some reason I thought it would be 80s pop music.

It took me a song or so to get into it, but I enjoyed it.

Superstition saved it, didn't like it otherwise

Gets a little same-y as it goes along, but you can't deny Stevie's musicianship and ingenuity. The synth work on this is wonderful.

Just as remembered.

More interesting instrumentally than earlier Stevie Wonder, and the sons are, of course, great.

Funky, soulfull album. Superstition is een top nummer. Album over de hele lijn wel oké

Included superstition. Skipped a couple of tracks that were weird but overall I liked it.

Bangerzzzzz

Groovy, soulful and musical. Stevie brings the whole package

Great but not his best.

Prachtig stevie wonder album, zijn stem is altijd goed.

Smooth and funky. "I Believe" doesn't get enough airtime.

Good but not mind blowing

This is a musician! Guy can play. He can sing. He has a complete mastery from his appearance on the scene for what it is to be Stevie Wonder. While I know many other Stevie songs that I like more than some that are on this album, you can't deny his talent and ability to put together an album. The soul and funk is on full display in songs like Maybe Your Baby and Superstition, but also beautiful love songs that are catchy and understated are here like You and I and Sunshine of my Life.

Really solid album with good ups and downs throughout but holding some solid funk.

This was an enjoyable jam.

Sounds like something that could have came out in the 90s at least. Production is unique for the 1970s.

I really liked it overall it was a really good album however a lot of the songs started to become really repetitive and unnecessarily long which is why it’s not getting the highest rating however I did love the album

Stevie Wonder rapidly approaching peak status here - the heavy use and layering of synthesizers and played in large part only by Stevie himself give it a looseness that crosses between soul, funk, and rock. Virtually everyone on earth knows who Stevie Wonder is and is at least passably familiar with at least a few tracks so there's not much intro to the artist needed here - "Superstition" is one of the all-time classic songs and is the clear gateway-drug for this record. "Tuesday Heartbreak" makes me think of summer vacation driving with the top down. "I Believe" is a great album closer - end credits vibe on this one - just a simple and perfectly catchy chorus. Although it does suffer from what a number of the other songs have... ...if there's a knock - and there is - I do find a fair few of these songs to ... just not quite be *there* yet. As if they could have spent 3 more months in the writing room before release - "Maybe Your Baby" sounds fantastic and starts well with a great groove but it stagnates and is just far too long. Many of the others are slow and hard to latch onto - slow in and of itself connotes neither negative nor positive but slow and at times meandering gets dangerously close to boring. So the classic Stevie sound has been established here and rating aside...this is an excellent listen - nearly keeper status. But to me this is just his launching pad for Hall of Fame status which would come literally months later with Innervisions. 7/10 4 stars.

This has to be one of my favorite stevie wonder albums.

I'm a sucker for old Stevie Wonder albums. Talking Book is like a key to an era that I wasn't able to experience but would've loved it. This album just makes me smile. The key characteristic of this album is the Wah guitar, on and it's just a really cool sound like a 'brown-chicken-brown-cow' without the porn. It's a wonder this sound didn't dominate more albums back in the day. I think if it had, it'd be one of those minor annoyances like saxophones are. Anyway, the album... You are the Sunshine of My life opens the album and it's one of those perfect sappy guilty pleasure songs that I just can't get enough of (and makes me want to drink orange juice). The keyboard and congas on this are just lovely. Superstition is the break out hit, but there are some really good ones that are overlooked. Big Brother has got some understated grit with political undertones. Evidently SW played all the instruments on the recording. The song 'I Believe' is a great outro striking a hopeful reflective note that leads me back to the beginning of the album and hoping for an excellent follow up ... 'Songs in the Key of Life', I'm talking to you...

smooth af

Admittedly, I’ve never listened to a Stevie Wonder album, I’ve only ever listened to an album of his hits which is easy to do because Stevie is incredible. I’m glad this was my first full Stevie Wonder album I enjoyed it much like the rest of his work. This album really gives me all kinds of vibes and feelings, perfect for a stroll around the block, dancing here in my house, or singing out loud Top tracks: you are the sunshine of my life, superstition, you and I, believe (when i fall in love it will be forever)

This album, along with his later Songs In The Key of Life, stands as a testament to the talent and vision of Stevie Wonder. After years under the watchful eye of Motown head Berry Gordy, Stevie began navigating his own way in Motown. And his way was a satisfying mix of classic R&B sounds updated with outstanding keyboard/synth playing, a dash of funk, and a couple of chill ballads. His subject matter dabbles in the political, while still appealing to the mainstream (and crossover) listeners of the day. The two hits, You Are the Sunshine of My Life, and Superstition, deserve all of their accolades, though they come from near-opposite ends of the Stevie spectrum. The dreamy keyboard intro and softly crooned opening lines of ...Sunshine might trick one into thinking it is no more than a sappy love song, but when the horns kick in, the drums snap, and Stevie lets loose with his voice, you know his message is deeply felt. Who wouldn't want this song sung to/about them? Superstition, on the other hand, hits hard, both musically and lyrically, but with the same signature passion. His clavinet playing pretty much defines the instrument, and again, the horns add a brassiness (yes, I KNOW!) that elevates the arrangement. Stevie's howling vocals project the pessimism that was growing among the civil rights issues of the day. The musicians are super-tight, with shining additions by guest David Sanborn on Tuesday Heartbreak, Jeff Beck on Lookin' for Another Pure Love, and Ray Parker, Jr. (of Ghostbusters fame!) ripping a great solo on Maybe Your Baby - a song that provides a rather direct-line influence to Stevie's R&B-flavored pop successor in the next decade, Prince. All in all, an enjoyable listen, with some VERY high points.

Great album. What a unique talent. Love the funk. Songs are impeccably well written.

His 15th studio album emanates a confidence and precision in his usual mix of soul, funk and jazz. You can tell from Wonder and the band are truly dialed in with years of experience. It's a delightful experience with one of the most iconic voices ever.

A great listen and some incredible standouts. Needless to say, Superstition is incredible

Good, but nothing insane

Groovy.

good soul album...familiar with several of the tunes.

I expected a lot of this album going into it, after all it is considered fairly legendary. I wasn’t disappointed necessarily, but it definitely didn’t live up to the hype. Overall, it was pretty average, save a couple songs like superstition. Because of that, regardless of it’s inability to live up to the hype, it was still a pretty good album. 3.5/5 so I’ll give it a 4.

Superstition a massive tune. Great tracks. Easily a 4

Album flows very well. All the themes are in the Stevie Wonder style - funky, about love. I didn't enjoy the slower ballad-like songs as much as bangers, such as Superstition, however in the context of the album, they worked very well.

Great groove, production and songwriting.

Brilliant.

Excellent.

Great album

Braille-iant

Fun! very chill

Might even like this more than songs in the key of life - definitely a little easier listen given its relative shortness. He really just knows how to make music - Superstition is phenomenal Saved: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, Superstition

Fantastic.

Amazing vocals, interesting song writing and nice grooves from start to finish. Will definitely be revisiting for another listen in the future.

After a string of rock albums, this was refreshing, and pure joy. Front to back not a dud on the record. Stevie writes these incredible chord progressions that are beautiful, complicated, but sound simple. I think he was playing around with some interesting electronics and synthesizers on this one. along with whatever that e-clavichord thing is on Superstition. Interesting textures. I looked up the musicians who performed on this and was surprised to see it's mostly Stevie. Stevie on drums, Stevie on keys, Stevie playing keyboard bass. Stevie singing backup for Stevie. The last song, and I think one of his best, was all Stevie on all instruments. Wonder what Stevie thinks when he hears Dylan play the harmonica like he's blowing on a grilled cheese sandwich? One last thought that might be only interesting to me - I was really struck by a blind man singing "I can't wait to see your face inside my door". A

When Stevie Wonder says, “...better wash your face and hands...” in Superstition, is he staying his belief that washing hands and face is superstitious and has no scientific value? There’s a lot of interesting stuff happening on this album, the reverb is all over the place in some songs, bouncing around my head, some great funky keyboard, some Mort Gorson Plantasia esque instrumentals and modulated voice experiments. Stevie Wonder’s singing and vocals don’t really resonate with me snd I found myself wondering if this was instrumental or if he produced it for another singer if I would’ve enjoyed it more. Some of the songs slap and are super funky, others have some great licks and hooks. “Looking for Another Love” and “I believe when I fall in love” are transcendent instrumentally buy the singing and lyrics are just meh. Though it didn’t resonate with me I really respect the effort, it would be a 5 if I liked his voice/lyrics more. But I’ll give it an A-.

What a beautiful day to listen to this album, relaxing, uplifting, throughly enjoyable.

Pari kovaa hittiä ja muuten taattua tavaraa. Kyllä tätä kuuntelee useamman kerran mielellään. Ei ehkä ihan vitonen, mutta neljä ja puoli.

Some great songs on here. Stevie was a lot funkier than I previously believed.

First of an indispensable array of albums. Not the best of the lot but a truly great r&b/soul effort, with some unforgettable tunes

nice

I didn't know how much I could like Steve Wonder songs... It a great album with a lot of innovations and very pleasable songs. Much better than his most famous tracks, this album is very good

4.4* muy muy bien

without a doubt, one of stevie wonder's albums. 8/10

Superstitious enough to give this delightfully funky bunch of tunes lucky number 7. 7/10