[Music] Is Stevie Wonder overated?

[Icy Gull]

There wasn't an album called Superstition. The single is on the album 'Talking Book'. That was one of half a dozen albums made between the early seventies and 1980 that stand alongside the work of any musical artist ever. 'Music of My Mind', 'Innervisions', 'Songs in the Key Of Life', 'Fulfillingness First Finale' and 'Hotter Than July' being the others.

However, even this run of classics was interrupted by the prog jazz mess that was 'Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants' and included some songs like 'Isn't She Lovely' that, for me exposed his occasional tendency towards the schlocky, which was given free reign into the eighties and nineties. However, I know that some on here love the honest sentimentalism of 'Isn't She Lovely'. I'm a bit too British to appreciate someone doing something so heartfelt and sincere without feeling a bit weird and uncomfortable. Perhaps its not you, its me Stevie.

I can easily put this aside, because, during this period, he pretty much invented a style of music that was all his own, playing a lot of the instruments himself and doing things with a Moog synth that had never been done before. Many of the songs are absoulte stone cold classics. He made some great pop songs before this period. (and I mean great - His recording of 'For Once In My Life' is possibly the mostjoyously life affirming three minutes ever committed to vinyl). He made some fairly decent ones afterwards, but for this decade he should be lauded up there with the absolute greats.

If you're unfamiliar and don't want to jump straight into the albums, just listen to the singles from this period: 'Living For The City', 'He's Mistra Know It All', 'You Are The Sunshine Of My Life', 'Happy Birthday', 'Sir Duke', 'Lately', 'I Wish', 'Higher Ground', 'You Haven't Done Nothin', 'Don't You Worry Bout A Thing', 'Master Blaster': Fantastic tunes, social comment, rock solid funk, touching ballads. The variety is equalled by the consistent excellence. I'd say that a lot of this gets forgotten because of his later output. For these reasons, for me he's hugely underrated.

You make good points and yes I should have remembered Superstition was on Talking Book, I had and loved that album

BUT Happy Birthday, You are the Sunshine Of My Life, nah just a precursor of the dross that was coming. Just IMO obviously

 

[chaileyjem]

He's underrated.

 

[herecomesaregular]

We all have ears and those ears have different tastes but to me this is the most ridiculous question EVER asked on NSC. That set of albums 1972 - 1976 beats nearly any other musician in history. With plenty of genius before and, yes, after aswell. indeed, you can pick out some shite (particular some schmaltz) all through his career and, yes, he declined from 80s onward but genius is fleeting not a permanent status, particularly in musical terms. See also Brian Wilson and Neil Young.

Sorry, imho, I cannot take any one seriously who says "Stevie Wonder is over rated".

A classic from 1985 (if your toe does not tap then your current status is officially: Dead)

 

[Stato]

Can’t argue with that but every time I have seen him on TV with people raving about him in the last 20 years I’ve turned him off after a few minutes. Unwatchable for me and 100% living on past glories whilst still being deified

I remember, years ago, hearing a radio interview with the writer Alan Bleasdale. He was talking about his love of Bob Dylan and, when highlighting how much he rated his recent output (Dylan was going through one of his creative spells at the time), he stressed that, after all he had written previously, he owed the public nothing and we were lucky to be getting anything from him now. As someone who generally believes that most music artists haven't got much more than, if they're lucky, a couple of albums in them, I've always remembered this comment and tried not to get cross with any artist because the stream has dried up a bit.

 

[Questions]

I can't see the attraction.

Nor can he

 

[herecomesaregular]

1982 with Macca, another classic imho (you have to accept this is the 1980s and the production style that goes with it).

 

[Stato]

You make good points and yes I should have remembered Superstition was on Talking Book, I had and loved that album

BUT Happy Birthday, You are the Sunshine Of My Life, nah just a precursor of the dross that was coming. Just IMO obviously

I'd accept that 'You Are The Sunshine Of My Life' leans heavily towards the sentimental, but 'Happy Birthday' was key in publcising and eventually winning the argument in favour of MLK Jr day. Who else has written a song that won his country a national holiday?

 

[zefarelly]

Can’t argue with that but every time I have seen him on TV with people raving about him in the last 20 years I’ve turned him off after a few minutes. Unwatchable for me and 100% living on past glories whilst still being deified

I'm sure if he played down the pub with a 4 piece band he'd blow your socks clean off, unfortunately business men run things now. not many 'big' bands escape that.

 

[METALMICKY]

But have you seen the cover of his latest album?

 

[GT49er]

No way would I try to deny that he is an excellent keyboards player and musician, but I can honestly say I've never enjoyed any of his recordings. Sorry. it's a 'flip to next track' button for me every time.
Well, 'Up Tight' - yeh, OK I'll give him that, but other than that ...................... no thank you.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Absolute legend. Lucky to have seen him at the Brighton Centre in ‘84 - he was amazing and covered most of his well known stuff. Songs in the Key of Life one of the top 100 albums of the last century.
I also recall that Leadbelly’s restaurant near the Theatre Royal used to play his music almost non stop in the mid seventies.

 

[Farehamseagull]

Calling Dr ....

Bad thread! Genuine musical genius/legend.

 

[Ooh it’s a corner]

However, even this run of classics was interrupted by the prog jazz mess that was 'Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants' and included some songs like 'Isn't She Lovely' .

Agree with most of your points Stato but it was on Songs in the Key of Life I think

Apologies- I can see now you didn’t mean it in the way I initially read it!

 

[Miximate]

Saw him in late 70s or very early 80s at the Brighton Centre. Outstanding concert and probably one of my all time favourites. On stage for 3hrs and the place was rocking ! Songs in the Key of Life a classic album.

 

[studio150]

His output from 1963 to about 1980 was astonishing.

1979s The Secret Life Of Plants was certainly astonishing but for the wrong reasons, and in my view was an outliner for his decline that followed, prior to that a superb run of albums

 

[Icy Gull]

His output from 1963 to about 1980 was astonishing.

From being 'Little' Stevie Wonder, singing 'Fingertips' at 12, to co-writing and recording 'Uptight' at the age of 15, co-writing 'Tears Of A Clown' at 16, and writing and/or recording 'I Was Made To Love Her', 'For Once In My Life', 'My Cherie Amour', 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours' - all while he was a teenager.

Into the 1970s, his albums 'Talking Book', 'Songs In The Key of Life', 'Innervisions' and 1980's 'Hotter Than July' all contain excellent tracks. 1973's 'Innervisions' IMO is a masterpiece, containing as it does 'Too High', 'Living For The City', 'Higher Ground', 'He's Misstra Know It All'. It's just not possible to over-rate this album.

So no, Stevie Wonder - pre 1980 - is not over-rated. Nothing like.

However, was his supremely high quality output from 'Fingertips' through to 'Hotter Than July' enough to receive an advance pardon for the hideous fork-scrape-across-plate atrocity that is 'I Just Called To Say.I Love You'? I'll let the aficionados decide.

Pre 1980, I won’t argue but feck me he has diluted “legendary” status since with just about everything I have heard, not that I go out of my way to listen.

Anyway each to their own, there are plenty of musicians I love that most don’t

I have zero Stevie Wonder albums in my current music collection, just a few tracks on Tamla Motown albums.

 

[stewart12]

Innervisions is a fantastic album

 

[WATFORD zero]

I have never met a musician beyond competent who hasn't thought that he is a complete musical genius and I could understand why, even though I didn't buy into it (I hate his 'loose' drumming style, for one).

Then I saw him live some years ago and it was a complete religious conversion (or as close as I've ever had )

F*** me, he was good

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

I can't see the attraction.

I could see that comment coming a mile off

 

[clapham_gull]

It's just not possible to over-rate this album.

Technically, you could give it 11 out of 10 though.