Jungle Fever: Music From The Movie [Soundtrack]

Stevie Wonder | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 28, 1991)
• Original Release Date: May 28, 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Motown
• ASIN: B000001AK7
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,655 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #69 in Music > R&B > Classic R&B

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catch The Fever, February 14, 2001

By 

Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Jungle Fever: Music From The Movie (Audio CD)

It only seemed natural that two great artists like Spike Lee and Stevie Wonder would work together. The result is a tremendous album from Mr. Wonder that is the soundtrack to Mr. Lee's Jungle Fever movie. After the lackluster Characters from four years earlier, Mr. Wonder is reinvigorated and the music is top notch. "Fun Day" lives up to it's name as the song has a bouncy, airy, carefree feeling to it and it floats along like a nice summer day. "Queen Of Black" and "Each Other's Throat" are funky workouts that have some great keyboard action. "Jungle Fever" explores some world beats and "I Go Sailing" has a California rock, easy listening vibe. "Chemical Love" is a pulsating ballad and "Gotta Have You" is fiery song with one of Mr. Wonder's best vocals in years. Jungle Fever showed that Mr. Wonder was artists who could still be relevant.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh yeah! I Got Jungle Fever!, August 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Jungle Fever: Music From The Movie (Audio CD)

I thought that CHARACTERS released in 1987 sounded not too bad, but it failed to blow my away as HOTTER THAN JULY and IN SQUARE CIRCLE did. JUNGLE FEVER turns out as the mind blower I longed to see. Every song on this album contains something to listen for. You can't help but smile during the breezy album opening "Fun Day." Then Stevie turns funky and shows off his brilliance on the keyboard for "Queen in the Black" and "At Each Other's Throats." "Jungle Fever" has got some cool African beats. I think that the best song, though, has got to be "Gotta Have You." It's perfectly constructed, and my can he ad lib. The slower tracks are good, too especially the percolating "Chemical Love." Check this disc out. It's great.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Day !, January 27, 2005

By 

CoolTarik "Ramiz" (Rockaway, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jungle Fever: Music From The Movie (Audio CD)

Jungle Fever is Stevie's return to form after the boring "Characters"
First of all, his vocals, save one song is back in form, strong, vibrant, the Stevie we all know from the seventies. He doesnt do anything quite new, but great music it is.

Fun Day is well, fun! From the piano work, which feels jazzy, and the cool sounding intro, and drumming with Nathan's base kickin to underpin the song, its fresh, vibrant, and embodies the lyrics completely. Its what a Stevie Wonder song should be; lyric and insturmental working together to achieve emotion. Its a joy to wake up to that song

Queen in the Black has great lyrics. Just as vibrant and lively, it tells of Stevie worshipping the lady of his life a Queen in the Black. Dig the drumming and love the synth work in the background which fit perfectly.

These Three Words are a tender reminder of things that matter- family which makes sense to sing about, because they're supposed to be our rock. The electric piano is followed by guitar and the awesome synths that move us from our questioning to why we should say "I love you". His singing at the end is excellent, hitting highest registers, with the clever lyrics of "These There Words" Sound corny from anyone else, but from Stevie we can feel his love.

Each Other Throat feels like it would have worked on an album say Conversation Peace because of its socially conscious lyrics. Going for the sound of the early ninties, it filled with blaring base, keyboards and guitar.
"We are supposed to spread, love and not evil
But we've been acting more like heathens than people
Treating our fellow man, far worse than illegal
cause we keep at each others throats"
Awesome lyrics. Stevie attempt at rapping seems a bit arkward, because the lyrics doesnt balance out on each line, but the words are relevant and the singing carry them out perfectly.

If She Breaks Your Heart breaks the streak of excellent songs on the album- not that it isnt great, or Kimberley's singing isnt awesome, but it just isnt Stevie. It actually songs as if it should be written for her on her own album, which would be great. Other than that its great, wonderful exuberent, espically the insturmentals.

Gotta Have You is reminisenct of Micheal Jackson pop, and it will keep you interested for a while, its really bouncy. which would be cool if the lyrics were substanial- sure, hes gotta have you but thats all its basically saying. Above average.

Make Sure You're Sure
This is the kind of song that you romance to. Its got this candlelight dinner music playing in the background feel. Its jazzy feel reminds us that Stevie can do slow numbers like this- its probably his best slower songs. And the lyrics are just to die for, a subject approached from a vunerable couple who needs to be sure where they are. The violins are espically moving, and the singing is top notch strong.

Jungle Fever. Its got the Fun Day bounciness and strength, but the lyrics are kind of uninspired. Nevetheless, the music itself is good title foddler for the movie this album soundtrack is from. Good, but not essensital listening, despite its social inspired lyrics.

I Go Sailing has a great sound, and you gotta love that he uses the wind blowing to start off the song, which is really just genious. The lyrics while not very substanial work here; you are kind of just floating here, where the words dont even matter, thanks to Stevie lovely singing. Love the adlib at the end

Chemical Love is underrated, and at first it wont grab you like the other songs did, but its really great, with Stevie's synth voice, but the sound is just really funky. Its remininsent of "Bird of Beauty" in subject but I think the lyrics are less convulted here.

Lighting Up the Candles relies on imagery, to assume that seeing lighted up candles gives up memories we see loves past, and hoping the spark the future. Though again the lyrics are somewhat short, it has an urgency like "Please Dont Go" just not in a Ray Charles country sense. This is more R and B, espically with the way the verse is sung. Great way to end this album.

I wasn't looking at this if its an appropiate soundtrack for the movie Jungle Fever; rather is it a good Stevie Wonder album, since he wrote every song save one lyric and sung almost every song. Not all the songs are essential like Stevie's 70 albums, but throughly enjoyable from beginining to end.