Customer Reviews

Hotter Than July

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Stevie Wonder's dazzling versatility comes to the fore in this 1980 album. "Hotter Than July" runs the gamut from soulful reggae ("Master Blaster") to social criticism ("Cash In Your Face") and country funk ("I Ain't Gonna Stand for It"). The Martin Luther King tribute of "Happy Birthday" makes for a celebratory finish. Surprisingly underrated, "Hotter Than July" deserves a place alongside "Innervisions" (1973) and "Songs in the Key of Life" (1976).

This albums concluding track is the definitive Stevie Wonder
song of the 80's in the minds of many-"Happy Birthday" being the
synth-funk tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. that played a giant
part in making the human rights hero's birthday a national holiday.Horray for Wonder AND horray for delivering yet another
diverse and ear-catching album.From Stevie's sweaty,cornrowed
hair on the cover and burning piano on the back "Hotter Then July" revels in Stevie's wonderous 70's eclecticism from the
rocking lead-off "Did You Have To Say You Love Me",the smooth and
catchy dance-R&B of "All I Do" and the VERY sensual ballad
"Rocket Love"-great start but that's not the HALF of it.From the
counrty pop of "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It",the reggae-ish Bob
Marley tribute hit "Master Blaster" and the typical deeply funky
clavinet-dominated pieces "Do Like You" and the topical "Cash In
Your Face".Do ALL slow declines sound this good?AGHHHHH!!!Wrong-
Stevie Wonder NEVER declined-he just had a new beginning and here
it's a beginning well worth investigating!

After the brilliant,yet bewildered "Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants",Stevie rushed out(by his standards) with Hotter Than July,the true follow-up to Songs In The Key Of Life.The fact that it isn't up to the standards of the Talking Book or Innervisions is already a constant,but it brings a closure to a winning streak of albums that began with 1972's Music Of My Mind(or 71's Where I'm Coming From according to true Stevie fans).Every cut is a stand-out especially Master Blaster,All I Do,I Ain't Gonna Stand For It(a country tinged tune worthy of a Garth Brooks cover),and the much interpretated classic Lately.The final cut,the MLK-tribute Happy Birthday brings the album to a glorious open-ended finish as well as beautifully closes the book on this Wonder-ful chapter of his career.

Following up Songs in the Key of Life and the commercially puzzling Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants was a bit of an awkward task for Stevie Wonder,now entering his third decade of recording and of his life. Even though the dynamic cover art,featuring Stevie in his iconic dreadlocked image the album is a bit puzzling in terms of Stevie's forward progression. It's still as generally upbeat and melodically challanges as any of Stevie's classics but at the very time it would've been it's most useful Stevie largely turned his back on innovating melodic electronic soundscapes in his songs to creating what ammounts to a live instrumental oriented album with his working band Wonderlove. You'd think he'd have taken a cue from songs such a Yarborough & People's [[ASIN:B00008FY6N Don't Stop the Music]],itself expanding upon Stevie's original innovations on funk synthesizer. That is THE single only reason I deduct one star personally because it's one of Stevie's less musically innovative albums. Still it's very enjoyable with some interesting musical ideas along the way.

"Did I Hear You Say You Love Me","As If You Read My Mind","Do Like You" and "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" all fit into that live band uptempo horn soul/latin-funk groove. The latter even takes a disco beat married to a steel guitar like sound and Stevie lampooning a country western drawl, an appropriately witty idea for a song whose lyrics seems to subtly mock the anti disco "freeze out" emminating heavily from "rust belt",cowboy culture America at the time that was keeping music like this off pop radio. And yes that effect Wonder too. He does pull out some heavy funk on "Cash In Your Face",a song speaking of black families finding home loans still difficult to come by due to racial mistrust. On more optimistic notes "Master Blaster",Stevie's one released reggae number pays tribute to the then just depart departed Bob Marley. "Happy Birthday" is not only the one song here that does feature him innovating funk synthesizer again but also in this case in his quest to change the law to make Martin Luther King Jr's birthday a national holiday and it's a sprightly,ethereal sounding tribute.

"All I Do" is another dance oriented song in the early 80's disco/urban soul varient now known as "boogie". The song was originally written and recorded for and by Tammi Terrell in 1966 but here we hear his own version. The two strongest numbers here are the ballads "Rocket Love",a dreamy and cinematic arrangement melding strings and light electronics into a powerfully melody featuring some of the best sensual metaphores in song I've ever heard. "Lately" is similarly melodic though more a traditional piano ballad and one of Stevie's less heralded songs overall. So in the end it's Stevie's first album since the end of the 60's that qualifies as very good as opposed to a hands down timeless masterpiece. And since unlike before Stevie was fully responsible for all his music in this case he elected to wait a full half decade to release this albums formal follow up In Square Circle. So as powerful as many of this albums songs are it marked a slight drop off from the peak of his creative abilities. And also showcased that,just perhaps that his musical pioneering days were coming to an end.

This is one of the strongest CDs from Stevie Wonder. It does not get the love it should, but he hit the bullseye on almost every song on this one. Take a listen, and you will see!!! A must have for fans of classic soul.

my last fave Stevie record all the way thru though he's had moments since this release. he helped with Dr. king's holiday being passed and the song happy birthday was a song that replaced the traditional one. Stevie did it with so much soul. all i do with Michael jackson and the Ojays in the back ground still sounds great.i ain't gonna stand for it with Charlie Wilson from the gap band in country mode. again many styles and again Stevie pulls it off.lately is a solid slow-jam.as is the case with stevie so many great songs that didn't even hit.how many artist can claim that?

This probably is his last consistently great album, though future works such as "In Square Circle" and "Characters" certainly had their moments. Hotter Than July features not only the hits "Master Blaster" and "I Ain't Stand for it," but other classics that have since become Wonder staples such as "Rocket Love" and one of his greatest ballads, "Lately." Defenitely worth picking up if you're a Stevie Wonder fan.

This work is indeed Wonder's last 'great' work. There is not a weak link here.

This album is probably Stevie's last great complete album. It is classic--from the love songs to is ode to Martin Luther King, Jr. A "must have" for your Stevie collection.