Stevie Wonder-- C or D?

It probably would've been better executed had it made just a few years later, but, at the same time, I like it a lot for its messiness. It's not unlike something that would've been on Rundgren's Something/Anything and it has that same breezy "We're just having fun in the studio writing songs. Are we even being recorded? Who cares - btw, somebody tell the engineer to order pizza," tone.

xpost I deserve that

love love love that whole album.

From Talking Book to Songs in the Key of Life Stevie was the man. I can't think of too many musicians that had a better run than he did from 1972 to 76. Even the weaker stuff, like Music of My Mind, would be a career highpoint for most. I don't see how anyone could say dud.

i always feel guilty that i don't like stevie wonder that much.

:\

u should. sorry. :(

i don't like stevie wonder i LOVE HIM

yeah i know i don't know what's wrong w/me.

i have like talking book and innervisions and songs in the key of life, too, so it's not like i haven't heard "the right albums"

i wouldn't sweat it too hard matt, you seem like a rockin dude otherwise

Could we have a Stevie Wonder albums poll? Please!

what's stopping you

A combination of tiredness right now and a feeling that people don't necessarily like polls as much as me, making me cautious about starting them. I'll do it tomorrow night if it's not shot down or appeared at someone else's hands (feel free, if the urge strikes you, anyone) by then. I'd be very interested to see how the big player albums stack up against each other.

loads of Stevie fans here and he's had a pretty weird career (who, oh who will rep for 80s Stevie?) I'm sure it'll go over well

i would love to vote in a stevie wonder poll, do it!

Would anyone want any of the compilations on the list, or would the wikipedia Live & Studio albums selection be OK?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Wonder_discography

I recommend stickin with studio LPs

I'd honestly break it into decades ... '60s, '70s, and then '80s on.

And include the Syreeta albums.

def break it into decades. including the syreeta albums will make the 70s much harder to choose from!

huh I've never heard any of those, how many are there?

she did two in the early 70s, stevie produced/wrote at least one of them, and they're both excellent.

Thanks to Eric H we now have: 1970s Stevie Wonder Album Poll

Stevie Wonder could release an album a month for the rest of his life, each of which consisted of only 70 solid minutes of him farting, and his status as Total Classic wouldn't be at all challenged in my book.

Come to think of it, it might actually be strengthened, given that scenario.

I want Farts In The Key Of Ass volumes right now.

Sounded good (although not amazing) on the Haiti telethon the other night

Sixty years old today!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_XgqLz-YbA

Happy birthday Stevie Wonder! One time a long time ago I listened to Signed, Sealed, Delivered on the Motown box set and it was just the right day for me to really understand how great it was & I proceeded to listen to it for four straight hours, every listen revealing new things about the groove & your rad vocal performance & it was one of the best times I've ever had listening to music! You rule forever and when people hate on you for I Just Called or whatever you tell em underrated aerosmith albums wonders how many songs these haters have written that people use to build bridges between themselves & the people they love! Also, your pioneering use of the recording studio as a creative space is fuckin rad, and your taste in microphones is peerless! Have a kickass birthday! your fan, underrated aerosmith albums I have loved

Fucking hilarious that somebody (the guy who started this thread) would think Stevie Wonder is overrated.

One of his more underrated singles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8vMmgeDiKU

Somebody e-mailed me this morning that he is doing a free show at the Verizon Center in Washington DC on May 26th as part of a tribute.

Promotion code is DCPS

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/150044A3B87C8CA1?artistid=1445022&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=52

Having sold the Washington Wizards and Verizon Center to Ted Leonsis last week, the Pollin family is ready to celebrate its lengthy connection to this area. Irene Pollin, the widow of the franchise patriarch, and her sons, Robert and Jim, will host a free, private concert featuring legendary musician Stevie Wonder on May 26.

The Pollins plan to honor employees of Washington Sports and Entertainment and those of several civic and public service organizations, such as the D.C. Fire Department and police department, public school teachers and hospital workers from George Washington Hospital and Sibley Hospital, where Abe Pollin was treated before his passing last November. They are fittingly dubbing the event, "Living for the city," for Wonder's classic hit single.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/2010/05/pollins-living-for-the-city-wi.html

What is the most embarrassingly sentimental Stevie Wonder song? He has a ton, but which one is the worst?

Inspired by hearing this today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ1-duv_zNk

You almost want to blame Stevie for inspiring that unique Michael Jackson-style of kitsch in pop that's so heavy-handed.

I saw Stevie Wonder for the first time on Sunday night, and man I was not prepared for how overwhelming it would be to see him perform right in front of me. Just, wow. I bawled like a baby. That music's been such a huge part of my life for so long, all woven around my family, as well as my friends...it hit me hard. In a good way! Like I dunno, being at some kind of weird outdoor church. Dancing in the middle of that huge crowd, tears streaming down my face. I had no idea it would be like that.

LA weekly has a great review + setlist: http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2012/08/stevie_wonder_outside_lands_august_12_2012.php

(I read another review in a local rag that said Stevie was 'meandering' and 'indulgent' ... u_u )

http://www.towleroad.com/2012/08/stevie-wonder-some-people-who-think-theyre-gay-are-confused.html

The actual quote isn't really very declarative. Chalking this one up to "from a different generation," but it's still disheartening, even though I've been well aware that Stevie's ideas about the nuts and bolts of relationships have always been pretty reactionary. Doesn't take much effort for me to picture him being bewildered by the dynamics of male-male or female-female relationships.

yeah this is the guy who wrote "Superwoman."

Hah, that's almost exactly what I posted on FB.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ZSIeSsmwI

man oh man

was just listening to the 70s-era live boot that opens with a 17 minute contusion this morning... wish stevie would put out some of his valt of unreleased 70s stuff at some point.

Supposedly there's a clause in his contract stating that his unreleased material is to be destroyed when he dies. But that might only be studio stuff (which, if there's unreleased 70s material, arrg).

yeah, i'd heard that, and it is a cold comfort!

They say that Stevie Wonder's unreleased songs are 10 zillion light years away.

You've got to I've got to they've got to
We've got to They've got to We've got to

Conversation Peace's "Cold Chill" is excellent!

Loved Treat Myself off that album too.

He's doing a short US tour where he's doing all of Songs in the Key of Life. I think you need a citi card for today's presale

Scoop!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUgngvsWLlE

Not completely blind =/= not blind. Lots of legally blind people have enough sight to watch sports (Stevie has courtside seats), use cameras and otherwise interact visually with the their surroundings.

Retinopathy of prematurity (Stevie's diagnosis, caused by exposure to high oxygen concentrations in an incubator after premature birth) produces a spectrum of visual deficits, many people affected are left with at least some sight.

The fact that Stevie wears sunglasses all the time is itself an indicator that he's not totally blind (or else the ambient light levels wouldn't affect him).

My Dad's blind but not completely so, he wears dark glasses even indoors. His friends who have no sight at all usually don't bother wearing glasses, there's no point.

Wouldn't be a surprise if Berry Gordy and co had decided to market Stevie as "blind" without bothering to explain the details.

Also, you'd be surprised what blind people can do. Ray Charles use to fly his plane, and he swore he could land* it too, though nobody would let him.

*he had a plan where he would bust the glass on the dials with his lighter and read them by touch

Even if stevie wasn't blind he'd still be the eighth wonder of the world.

what i wouldn't do for an LP of stevie's demos of sleeping alone, bring your sweet stuff home to me, his tracks for syreeta and minnie, etc...

"Do I Do" is so fantastical

YES

If there were another 20 minutes of it I would want to hear them all