Reviews (page 9 of 14)
just my taste
Great album, with some quality bangers.
Classically good album. He lives up to his last name.
Another suite of bangers by Mr. Wonder.
So good. Might be a 5...
I may have misheard, but I suspect someone’s baby maybe done made other plans. I feel a bit bad, but Stevie Wonder just doesn’t do much for me. Superstition is, by any metric, an absolute cracker and I Believe (etc etc) is wonderful, but the rest of this just falls on the wrong side of schmalzy for me. Sorry.
You are the sunshine & Superstition - 2 Absolute heavy hitters 3.5/5
First listen. Quite good.
The songs are very good and catchy. The music calms down. I like it. The transitions between the songs are a little random and confusing sometimes. My favourite song of this album was "You're the sunshine of my life".
mr wonder always slaps
Amazing
his name is stevland? what kinda name is stevland. this stevland wonder album is good, just as i expected it to be
I am very pleased that Stevie Wonder exists. I think his musical sound is pretty good and interesting and contrasts well with the typical music I might listen to. I am pleased that lots of people like this type of music. For me though: I think the main problem I have with this album in particular is that all the songs (with the exception of one or two) are entirely forgettable. They sort of meander around a bit with some nice sounds and nice backing vocals, with some interesting musical interludes. And then the next song starts. I don't really feel anything, the songs just sort of happen. Best songs: Superstition I Believe
I can’t deny Stevie Wonder is a legend but this album just didn’t hit as much as I thought it would. Still good though!
Classic! Very vibey. Favorite track: Superstition other picks: you are the sunshine of my life, mabe your baby, you and i, i believe
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.
That's not my taste in music. But ok.
Just perfect.
Overall this album is just ok for me. Not my favorite by Stevie, but still not bad.
Decent album, but not my thing. Still, it's Stevie Wonder. 3/5
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
Not much to say on this one. Pretty good, a couple hits, sounded as expected. Nothing blew me away, good songwriting.
Solid with a couple of major hits.
Never heard the album before. Good album, with a few great songs.
Enjoyed it, chill.
Ну Чудо и правда. Лучшая песня - Superstition.
Liked this less than anticipated 6/10
Some nice highlights but a bit of filler and drift into easy listening
Take away superstition and this is a one star. Very disappointing album, whole thing sounds very flat.
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.
With this beautiful album Stevie Wonder takes us through the highs and lows of his love life as well as some stark political commentary on Richard Nixon’s America. A brilliant masterpiece. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-talking-book-by-stevie?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
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.
Some of the ballads are absolutely beautiful but they're surrounded by mediocre, boring songs.
Not my style
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!
unbelievably based
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
This is peak Stevie in my (talking) book.
Superstition is amazing. Maybe Your Baby, great. Rest of the album? Not so much. 'Innervisions' is a much stronger album than this.
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.
Such a beautiful talent! Amazing use of the plura of instruments available.. and love the iconic sound he produces with the clavinet.
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.
Some great songs, some less great
Decent. Mixed bag though. No time for more thoughts, sorry!
I found this album a bit of a mish mash. Superstition is an amazing tune but I found many of the songs a bit slow and cheesy.
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.
Stevie Wonder constituye uno de los pilares sobre los que se asienta la música actual. Podría decirse que otro de ellos es James Brown, e incluir en sus raíces a Ray Charles, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Chuck berry, Bob Didley, Little Richard o Muddy Waters. Ejemplar e inigualable en muchos aspectos, no solo por talento y capacidad compositiva, sino por actitud, relación y compromiso con la sociedad o innovación técnica. Sus discos, sobre todo los de los años 70, son ejemplares. Este mismo año publicaba el revolucionario Music of my mind. Talking Book con su portada, el retorno a las raíces africanas, desde la maravillosa You´re the sunshine of my life hasta la última nota de I believe es un disco de escucha obligada. Tremendo éxito de ventas y aclamado por la crítica. Constituye uno de los pináculos de la música. De Supertition sobran las palabras, más allá del enfado de Jeff Beck por no haber podido lanzarla como sencillo -hay que ser ingenuo para pensar que Motown iba dejar pasar este trallazo- que por cierto toca la batería en ese tema. Maybe you baby tiene en la guitarra a Ray Parker, Jr. (el de Ghostbusters, robada a Huey Lewis, que luego perdería el Grammy frente a I Just Called to Say 'I Love You´ del propio Stevie). "You and I (We Can Conquer the World)", "Blame It on the Sun", "Lookin' for Another Pure Love" son baladas de enorme calidad. Otros discos de 1972: Debuts de Steely Dan, Roxy Music, Paul Simon, Big Star, Neu¡, ¿Fela Kuti? y Lou Reed (además de su espléndido Transformer ) Discos expecionales como los de David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Todd Rundgren-Something/Anything?, Elton John-Honky Château, Nick Drake – Pink Moon, Yes – Close to the Edge, Miles Davis – On the Corner, Neil Young – Harvest, The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St, Curtis Mayfield – Super Fly, Raspberries- Fresh, Genesis – Foxtrot, Van Morrison - Saint Dominic's Preview, Deep Purple- Machine Head y Made in Japan, Joni MIttchell- For the roses, Tangerine Dream - Zeit, T Rex- The slider, Kevin Ayers- Whatevershebringswesing, la banda sonora The harder they come... una cosecha excelente.
My second Stevie album, and this man just delivers. Of course this one has some stone cold classics on it, but I found myself drawn to a lot of the unknown (to me) songs here. I played this twice through.
Part of the classic run of 70s Stevie albums that were just miles ahead. The three hits, You Are The Sunshine of My Life, Superstition, and I Believe all still slap, also love how they are spaced out at the start, middle, and end. There are some great gems in between, like the quiet storm Maybe Your Baby and the Jeff Beck feature on Lookin’ For Another Pure Love. Stevie was the GOAT.
Not really my style, 6/10.
Another one of Stevie Wonder's "classic period" albums. Only heard the singles from this one, though, so let's jump in! There seems to be a majority of softer soul ballads here, with a mix of synthesizer-laden funk tracks that many would know Wonder for. The latter is why I enjoy funk from this era, I mean "Superstition" is Wonder's most iconic song for a reason. Wonder's vocals plus the sounds from the Clavinet and the Moog are simply divine. The rest I guess were a bit too sappy for me. Wonder obviously has a good voice, but I just think the album as a whole was too much on the tender soul side.
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.
Not for me. 1/5
9/10 Gotta love a bit of Stevie. No one can match him Favourite Song=Tuesday Heartbreak Least Favourite Song=You've Got It Bad Girl
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
I tried and I can't. Maybe because it's a slow week at work and I need something more upbeat to listen to without repetitive lyrics.
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
stevie wonder yktv not his best album obviosuly
Wonderful album.
perfection
Espectacular Estivi
Too many slow, wet songs. Not enough of the funkier, faster paced songs.
Too short but good
he's a complete musical genius
I had this album on vinyl in college and remember listening to it inconsistently; I remember wanting to like it more than I did, since it's a classic. I'm excited to revisit it. "You are the Sunshine of My Life" - I want to like this song, but I find it hard to listen to ("easy listening" is not for me). I know it's a classic, but man...it feels pretty cheesy. The second song redeems it ("Maybe Your Baby")--a good slow funky groove that I can sink my teeth into. "You And I" is--to me--cheesier than the first track. I appreciate the change in dynamics and tempos between the three tracks, but I can't really deal with the slow/easy listening vibe of this song. "Tuesday Heartbreak" also feels cheesy to me--the horns are very easy-listening that distracts me (like some late-night TV talk show; not into this horn sound.) "You've Got it Bad Girl" also feels cheesy and slow; the higher-pitched synth lines (flute-adjacent?) are also distracting to me. "Superstition" is what we're all waiting for, right? The funky bass line, the horns that aren't weirdly cheesy... "Big Brother" I suppose is a protest song? It feels a bit milquetoast and cheesy. I am divided on the harmonica use. "Blame it on the Sun" is also painfully cheesy, like a torchlight (I think that's the phrase) song? It feels like something a middle aged man would sing self-indulgently at karaoke (I'd kind of like to see that). The ending with the woman singing "your heart blames it on you this time" is especially cheesy. "Looking for Another Pure Love" is another slow/easy listening jam. It makes me feel like I'm in a dental waiting room in the 1970s. "I Believe (When I fall in Love it will be forever)" opens like a song I'd expect to hear in a musical (and I don't really like musicals); also cheesy--and then moves into gospel and funk (so I kind of like the end). This album has two songs I really like, and the rest feels like cheesy filler. "You are the Sunshine of My Life" - I want to like this song, but I find it hard to listen to ("easy listening" is not for me). I know it's a classic, but man...it feels pretty cheesy. The second song redeems it ("Maybe Your Baby")--a good slow funky groove that I can sink my teeth into. "You And I" is--to me--cheesier than the first track. I appreciate the change in dynamics and tempos between the three tracks, but I can't really deal with the slow/easy listening vibe of this song. "Tuesday Heartbreak" also feels cheesy to me--the horns are very easy-listening that distracts me (like some late-night TV talk show; not into this horn sound.) "You've Got it Bad Girl" also feels cheesy and slow; the higher-pitched synth lines (flute-adjacent?) are also distracting to me. "Superstition" is what we're all waiting for, right? The funky bass line, the horns that aren't weirdly cheesy... "Big Brother" I suppose is a protest song? It feels a bit milquetoast and cheesy. I am divided on the harmonica use. "Blame it on the Sun" is also painfully cheesy, like a torchlight (I think that's the phrase) song? It feels like something a middle aged man would sing self-indulgently at karaoke (I'd kind of like to see that). The ending with the woman singing "your heart blames it on you this time" is especially cheesy. "Looking for Another Pure Love" is another slow/easy listening jam. It makes me feel like I'm in a dental waiting room in the 1970s. "I Believe (When I fall in Love it will be forever)" opens like a song I'd expect to hear in a musical (and I don't really like musicals); also cheesy--and then moves into gospel and funk (so I kind of like the end). This album has two songs I really like, and the rest feels like cheesy filler.
Love it！Prefect in the evening
Stevie is clearly a legend but I did not enjoy this album on the whole.
Honestly, I absolutely hate it. This os hell for me
WONDERing how I never heard this masterpiece until now
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.
It's aight
Soulful production with tranquil vocals from Stevie layered on top. A lot to like here.
Sophisticated yet accessible, great 4.6
This didn't quite get me there. 3
Ahh back on track... I hope. Another great album. Loving Stevie Wonder. Was always just a casual fan of his but this list is making a true fan.
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.
I enjoyed the album overall, really good playing and singing.
Bit disappointed by this. Some great tunes, mixed in with some real cheese.
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.
Not his best
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.
All over the place and very much of its time. But it’s a good start. I prefer Post from this period.
crazy how much better than the rest of the record "Superstition" is - the rest isn't bad to listen to, but sounds very milquetoast
Guess who just found a new favorite album!
Legendary. 5/5
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)
A third Stevie Wonder album in the list! Crazy. Started pretty weak, but after Superstition it was pretty solid.
I liked it!! Some big songs on here
Yeah Stevie Wonder is great - superstitious is a banger.
decent, a bit boring. Superstition obviously amazing.
Pretty alright. Having heard Songs in the Key of Life and Innervisions before I felt disappointed with this album. Not terrible by any stretch, of course superstition is incredible, but a lot of the deep cuts were quite underwhelming on first listen. Maybe Your Baby stuck out in particular as going on too long and getting annoying around the 4 minute mark. Way overstayed it's welcome. 2.5 stars
One of at least 5 Stevie Wonder albums that are superb
very nice
Didn’t grab me like a should have
It's like...the third best Stevie Wonder album
YES!
Even without Superstition this is an easy 5
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.
Classic Stevie. This is a different version of You Are The Sunshine of My Life than I'm used to though. A lot more guitar solos than usual, and I see now Jeff Beck is on it!
Not my vibe exactly but can definitely see the beauty. 70s feel for sure
one of my favorites of Stevie's
My expectations were likely too high for this. The famous singles are still great (Superstition, You Are the Sunshine of My Life), but the non-singles aren't all that great.
Lovely Stevie Wonder <3
Maybe I didn't have enough time to process this one yesterday. It was all good, but didn't hit me the way that Stevie Wonder usually does
I preferred "Innervisions" because it had more standout songs. With the exception of "Superstition" this album didn't really capture me.
Great album, Stevie Wonder was in a roll in the 70's with his music and this is my favourite. You are the sunshine of my life is beautiful but the highlight is Superstition it's so Funky and catchy you can't help but groove along.
Superstition is the high point, but that's not to say there's any particular low point on this album. It's a little too middle of the road for my liking, but I'm going to give it 3 stars as I didn't hate it.
Maybe Your Baby is the dirtiest funk imaginable, while everyone loves Superstition, but there is a lot of schmaltz.
Artiste connu, mais c'est la première fois que j'écoute un album entier. Les morceaux funk sont plutôt bien, bon groove. Sauf : Maybe Your Baby : je n'aime pas du tout le son de synthé basse, et le morceau est trop long et trop répétitif (---). Superstition est très connu, et très réussi (+++). Les ballades/morceaux lents sont moins intéressants (You and I, ...). Donc avis mitigé, je ne l'écouterais pas de nouveau. =>2/5
classic
Note to Stevie if he comes on here to read these reviews. Give me an album full of tracks of the quality and funk of Superstition and you can have 5 stars.
Ohne Superstition wären es zwei Sterne
No
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.
not as good as the previous album with Stevie. 2 or 3...
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
Brilliant album, start to finish. This was Stevie at his peak. "Superstition" carries the album by itself. Sure, there is some repetition on some tracks but, well, Stevie Wonder and "Superstition". Also, one of the most beautiful and heartfelt love ballads ever in the song "I Believe"
Classic!
Great, but not Songs in the Key!
Another Stevie Wonder masterpiece. The GOAT. *Heard before
Enjoyable album
Obviously know Stevie. I am aware of this album, never heard this. This is soulful.
The abridged moving day review: 1. Shit. Pop pap. 2. Funky as HELL. So sick. This is one of the better songs I’ve heard in a long time. 3. Total garbage. Why is it so long. I get it. It was sweet for a half a refrain. 4. More soulful. Better. Toe tapping. 5. Catterwalling. I kind of like the insane off key synth, but as a theme for a comedy show or ambient work or something. 6. The hit. It’s still great. I’d much rather hear him on upbeat songs. 7. This was nothing 8. Another ballad. This blows 9. Holy shit the song changed??? This is bad. Out of ideas. This is a lacklustre jam song with a tired band. 10. And to close off an album chock full of terrible ballads is, indeed, a terrible ballad. Cool outro. An album with one fantastic song that otherwise bored/irritated me. He’s almost too clean as a vocalist. It’s off putting. Cool production but overall, a snoozer.
I have this on cd
Excellent. 4.5
soulful
Incredible musician at top of his game
Timeless, soulful, expansive
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
I enjoyed it. Superstition is obviously the standout, but there were parts where it got a bit boring for me.
Ordentliches Album von Stevie mit zwei Klassikern “You are the Sunshine of my heart” und “Superstition”. Nett zu hören aber auf dem Album ist eine gehörige Portion Langeweile.
4/5
Awful
Stevie Wonder is one of the most musically talented people to ever exist. Bigger fan of Innervisions
Smooth and easy to listen to, if a bit sweet in places. Was expecting more of the album to sound like Superstition but it just kind of comes out of nowhere with a very different feeling to the rest.
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
Mostly enjoyed this. Sometimes his music can be a little too slow for me, but his more upbeat songs are great. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again
Cool, but not for me.
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.
One thing about me is Imma give a Stevie Wonder album a 5. And this one is my person favorite. Delightful and groovy from front to back.
In parts the funkiest and least funky album of all time. Oh Stevie! Why do you do this?
t.o.n.t.o., pronto
Bueno
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
Weird production which brought down the score
A nice easy listening album with a couple of great hits on it. Do I think it's a top 100 album of all time? No. But it's still solid and deserves it's praise. 6/10 (3/5)
Might be a perfect record
I haven't devoted enough time to Stevie Wonder, but this makes me want to.
Some hits, some misses
very easy listening, enjoyable from start to finish
Couple of great tracks, otherwise not much for me
"Superstition" is great, unfortunately canceled out by "Maybe Your Baby." High highs and low lows aside, I didn't love it.
there's nothing particularly bothersome here, but not very much of it was exciting either
I could listen to Stevie Wonder's voice all day! I love his songwriting, and his voice is always so powerful and smooth. He is truly a musical genius.
as a lifelong ballad hater, you are the sunshine of my life makes time move immeasurably slowly. superstition a win, the rest not particularly my thing
This is nice but it's so many love ballads
Bastante bien. Un par de canciones que no conocía y me gustaron bastante.
Fantastic album. I personally like it more than Songs in the Key of Life, but no shame to disagree with that (it's fantastic as well). Superstition could hold up the album on it's own, but the whole thing is fantastic. Love some Stevie.
Not my fave of his
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
I realized I knew what he looked like, but not actually didnt know his voice well at all. So this was an exciting album to go through. I'm also realizing I am so used to short pop song these days. A 4 and half minute song seems SUPER long to my attention span haha. Track 1 - You are the Sunshine of My Life - The opening track is everyone's favorite cheesy wedding reception song. Track 2 - But then Maybe Your Baby came on, and I really enjoyed the funkiness. The chorus on that is so good - the song is surprisingly long though. Track 3 -You and I - Meh. Long. Track 4 - Tuesday Heartbreak - I liked the end where he let his voice get funky and raspy. I wanted more of that! Track 5 - You've got it bad girl - Not into this one. The weird chatter in the background is distracting. Track 6 - Superstition - I didnt realize this was Stevie Wonder! Fun, funky song. I could listen to a whole album in this style. Track 7 - Big Brother - This is a really interesting protest song. A very different vibe than some of the love songs that came before. That last verse, wow! Track 8 - Blame It On the Sun - I like the self doubt and reflection here. Track 9 - Lookin´for another pure love - way too slow for me Track 10 - I Believe - Meh.
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 explores a different sonic pallet on this project. It does produce gems like Superstitious but as a whole, loses some of Stevie's unique style and funkiness. There's a lot of Marvin Gaye influence on this which I'm sure many people love but isn't really for me. It's still a Stevie Wonder project and it sounds great.
There are some total bangers on this album and a few boring first dance wedding songs. The funk songs (“Maybe your baby”, “superstition”, etc) are incredible. The instrumental work and the vocals on those style tracks are killer, especially the synth/electric keys. The love songs leave me a bit bored to death though. The big hit of “sunshine” is fun enough to keep it going but the ballads just drag on for me. The singing is great technically, regardless. One song that seemed real out of place was “Big Brother”. Great message in the lyrics but it sounds like a Simon and Garfunkel tune. Really bizarre inclusion but it shows that Stevie has quite the range. Gimme a whole album of Stevie Wonder funk songs, instant 5. The rest I can do without.
Album Cover: Stevey Wonder reading the ground. There's a good mix of funk, love, and pop songs. Zero down tempo kill songs though. I gawfawed at the backing vocals during You've Got It Bad Girl. The only miss is the anti government song. Not for me.
He's boring
Jazz, blues, R&B, rock… Stevie does it all better than anyone.
Never really gave Stevie Wonder a chance. I know who he is but I couldn't tell you a single song of his. Oh Superstition is one of his! I've heard that one for sure. I gave this an honest listen. It was alright. Didn't hate it didn't love it. 3 stars.
Solid album. Superstition, despite being the most popular song on the album, struck me as sounding so different from the rest of the songs. That song has a lot more funk going on than the rest and it’s just an interesting choice. All in all, solid album that I would give another listen to.
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.
I liked it. I was stoked when Superstition came on. I liked it as a whole, but don’t think it was good enough to be 4 stars.
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.
Absolute timeless rythmn and soul collection by the voice of a generation Stevie Wonder. Anything less than 5 stars is criminal, and I shouldn't have to explain why. I see some comments talk about how sleepy this album is, all I can say is Stevie is practicing massive restraint in just funking out. Thus allowing his music to be more accessible and withstand decades of changing tastes. Not many albums could say that.
Fine! Nothing particularly special. 3.0
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.
Superstition is a stone cold classic The rest is fine
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.
Straight fire. So many bangers.
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.
this mf not blind bruh
It’s a wonderful piece of work but you can hear he’s still finding his voice. It’s his development for songs in the key in life. Superstition is amazing though! He’s in his element with funky soul vibes
-has a lot of structural similarities to Songs In The Key Of Life. I def like SITKOL better but this is really good too, the quirky synthesizers are a neat addition. Superstition is a fucking amazing song -Favorites are Maybe Your Baby, Tuesday Heartbreak, and Superstition
Amazing album
very cheesy sometimes, but the good tracks are GOOD 3.5 rounding up
It's ok. I am not very into this album, though, I wouldn't want to listen to it over and over.
It was okay
Amazing amazing amazing!
Stevie wonder has such an amazing voice. I’ve never heard this whole album was really fantastic.
Stevie's so soulful, but I never remember his songs.
Raw young Stevie was cool. 7/10. Favorite song: Tuesday Heartbreak
How can am album with Superstition on it fail? Well. There is also You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, which is equally corny and sweet. The rest I'd never heard of before and I kinda wish I could still say that.
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.
Pretty jazzy, some jam band-y long instrumentals on songs. I prefer the catchier shorter songs. Some of the production/electronic instruments sound dated.
Absolutely enjoyed this album!
"I Believe..." is such a strong way to end this otherwise collection of cloyingly sweet, saccharine love songs that just don't live up to the soul and groove I've grown expect from Stevie. "Superstition" obviously a classic, but other than those two, this is forgettable.
Superstition is A+ Blame it on the Sun and Maybe your Baby are close seconds
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.
10 star iconic album
3,5
#318. Superstition is good, but the rest of it not so much 2/5: meh Song added to playlist: Superstition I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
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.
Hmmm, vähä plääh.
I like it, but it will not be one of my favourites.
4☆/5 08.18.2024
Stevie!! Always a joy. 5/5
This is an album made up of some very good songs, but overall it's having a bit of an identity crisis. It can't quite figure out if it wants to be fun & funky, or slow & romantic. So it tries to be both and the result feels disjointed. The funky songs are the better of the two options. Standout songs include "Big Brother", which is surprisingly modern-sounding, and of course "Superstition", which is probably the best song on the album.
Oh my!!! A beyond classic!!
Stevie rarely fails to impress, but the '72-'76 albums are on another level. This one starts incredibly strong and the songs flow beautifully to the end. Those deriding the non-Superstition tracks as self-indulgent or too fluffy are clearly not musically inclined; there's richness and depth in texture, instrumentation, chord structure, and harmony throughout. Easy 5 all day long.
An infectious exploration of sound and feeling that is deceptively complex.
He might be blind but he can sure write and see better than most musicians have ever seen. This guy is a top goat. Can write, sing, arrange and the chorus girls are insane the melodies are simply to die for. He made what seemed to be impossoble possible. He commercialized funk and fussioned it with Blues and RB arrangements and created a new genere for himself. Its the second album by Stevie that comes up and I cant decide now which one is better. This dude influence everyone and their mommas, maybe even some cats and dogs. I cant believe how talented Stevie is. National treasure for sure. This album is pure 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Fantastic
Amazeballs.
Not much to say. Rob Gordon picked "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)" to cap his story with and mixtape for Laura in High Fidelity, and it wasn't chosen for no reason. One of Stevie Wonder's greatest, which is rarified air.
Talking Book 5 star banger. Never noticed the sobbing sounds around 1.47 of You are the Sunshine of my Life when he sings ‘lonely’. Great opening track, love the laid back melody, rightfully a classic. Always loved Maybe Your Baby, the tension that the intro and verse build before the relatively subdued chorus is fantastic. I love the Theremin sounding synth on You and I, and the song itself is great, one of his best ballads I think. And I love the whole atmosphere of Tuesday Heartbreak. I don’t know what I’m talking about but it feels like he’s singing slightly behind the beat, giving it an lovely unhurried swing. Love You’ve Got it Bad Girl, not sure why it but it always sounded like California to me. Superstition. Can’t really say anything that’s not been said, but I’d recommend the One Song podcast in this song, the stems from the drums are amazing. Big Brother is another sunny sounding song to me even though it’s quite a bleak lyric, but I love the melody and harpsichord style synth. Blame it on the Sun is probably my least favourite song on the album, but it’s still a very good 70s Stevie ballad. Lookin For Another Pure Love on the other hand is great, one I didn’t appreciate when I first heard the album but now I love. And then I Believe, which is just an utterly joyous and fantastic love song, one of my absolute favourite Stevie songs. Obviously it can’t be anything but a 5, even if a couple of songs don’t quite reach the heights of the others as a whole album it’s one of the greatest ever. 📖📖📖📖📖 Playlist submission: I Believe (When I Fall In Love it Will Be Forever)
Very seriously... Why are there three Stevie Wonder albums on this list? Or are there even more? It's the third I got, anyway. This is probably the one of those three that actually belongs. But as others have already observed... There are some kick-ass numbers on this album, and then you have the sickly-sweet stuff that drags proceedings down a lot. Because there is just so much of it.
So good
A bit meandering in parts but still very good, some classics here of course 3.5*
can’t go wrong with mr wonder
The fastest 5 I will ever give! I love this album and have listened to it so many times! Every single track is solid plated gold. With the absolute peach on top being I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever).
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.
By this stage I’ve run out of superlatives to describe how wonderful Stevie Wonder’s music is having already glowingly reviewed the other three of his albums that are on the 1001 albums list. ‘Talking Book’ is no exception. It’s incredible, and amazing, and beautiful, and timeless. Just go listen to it, and then listen to it again, because you’ll want to, because it’s that good.
stevie.
Superstition and Big Brother get 2 stars or D from me but the rest leave it at that.
What a cohesive, well done album.
Favorite Tracks: Superstition You Are The Sunshine Of My Life Big Brother
Boring and not engaging, the only bright spot was Superstition
1972. Funk. Soul. Jazz. Rock. 9.5/10 Maybe Your Baby- Tuesday Heartbreak - Superstition - Big Brother You Are the Sunshine of My Life/You and I (We Can Conquer the World)/You've Got It Bad Girl/Blame It on the Sun//Lookin' for Another Pure Love/I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)
There is the Stevie Wonder I like and the Stevie Wonder I do not enjoy as much. You are the Sunshine of my Life, I Just Called to Say I Love You, etc are songs I don't enjoy as much. This album is more of the good Stevie than the bad but there is definitely bad here. You are the Sunshine of My Life, Maybe Your Baby (too damn repetitive at the end), The good is Superstition, You've Got it Bad Girl and I Believe. I have discovered through this project that I like Stevie Wonder and that some of his albums are not as good as others may think they are (at least to me). This is not a bad album by any stretch but it's not up to Innervisions or Songs in the Key of Life.
Like the previous Stevie Wonder one, I enjoyed this as background music.
Strong start to the week. "Superstition" is an incredible track and almost warrants a 5 for this album by itself.
This is a statement 3, and the statement is Stevie may be overrated. Hits are great, found 1 new one.
It’s good. But I think there are too many of the sugary sweet songs on here - I need more of the real funky shit
Wonderful
This is the only Stevie Wonder release I ever purchased. (cassette!) I lent it to a "friend" and never got it back. Good album and an enjoyable listen.
Un gran álbum, que desconocía en su mayoría hasta ahora. Mis favoritas Maybe Your Baby y Susperstition.
For me, Stevie Wonder is at his best when he’s funky. The ballads don’t really do a whole lot for me, even though I think they are well produced and usually are pretty gorgeous instrumentally. It’s the funk, though…that sweet, elastic funkiness with the synthetic bass and clavinet. It’s so good. Stevie Wonder is a musical genius. [wipes nose] (That’s a reference that like 4 people will get.)
Not my favourite style, but still some bangers on this album. 3/5
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life. Pero es un rollo el disco.
The moog/synth of "Superstition" just may be the coolest, funkiest thing ever put to tape. The most iconic song from a legendary artist. It's Funky Stevie at his all-time best. Would have liked more of THAT Stevie on this album, but "Maybe Your Baby" is the only other funky offering here and, for me, was the greatest discovery on otherwise ballad-filled album. I can listen to Funky Stevie all day long. But the rest of this album is Ballad Stevie, which (while pleasant and enjoyable) starts to wear thin after a while.
dubs
This is very nostalgic for me, my parents had this CD at the back of a cabinet, one day I dug it out, started listening, and then held onto it for a while. This album, along with songs in the key of life, is what hooked me onto Stevie Wonder
Really enjoyed the early days of Stevie, more mellow than the 80s version
My fave Stevie Wonder album, and it made my honorable mention list when I did my Top 10 albums for StoryWorth. Two monster hits, with You Are The Sunshine Of My Life different than the single version on the radio, without the horns. This is a much better version. The other tracks are all lovely love songs, with Stevie playing most of the instruments throughout. One noteworthy exception — Looking For Another Pure Love, with a stunning guitar solo by Jeff Beck. I get goosebumps every time I hear it, and love it when Stevie says, “Do It, Jeff”. A classic, from when I was a senior in high school.
I already listened to this album once, but didn't really remember it well, so I decided to listen to it again. I think it's an almost perfect album, with great lyrics and vocal deliveries. But then again, Stevie Wonder never misses.
Not my favorite Stevie Wonder album, but it is Stevie so it is still great. There is not a single person who dislikes superstition. 4.5
Great musicianship, absolutely brilliant Superstition. Compared to his other bests a bit corny with all the love, at times sugar on sugar.
Some good songs on this album but also some sappy soft stuff. Best songs are Superstition and I Believe to close the record.
Great
Great album!
Genius at work here. Stevie was a force of nature in the 70s
I really enjoyed this. Favorite tracks were Big Brother and Sunshine of my life
Love Stevie but not a super consistent album overall.
Not my type, but lots of cool sounds.
he kinda sound like steve lacy, he kinda look like him in the cover too, steve lacy stole stevie's whole flow. good album. 3.5
Very funky. Probably never going to listen to it again.