The Secret Life Of Plants (1978 Documentary Film) [Soundtrack]

Stevie Wonder | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 11, 1992)
• Original Release Date: December 1979
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Motown
• ASIN: B000001AJG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #282,217 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Earth's Creation

2. The First Garden

3. Voyage to India

4. Same Old Story

5. Venus' Flytrap and the Bug

6. Ai No, Sono

7. Seasons

8. Power Flower

9. Send One Your Love [Instrumental]

10. Race Babbling

Disc: 2

1. Send One Your Love [Vocal Version]

2. Outside My Window

3. Outside My Window

4. Ecclesiastes

5. Ecclesiastes

6. Kesse Ye Lolo de Ye

7. Seed's a Star/Tree Medley

8. Black Orchid

9. The Secret Life of Plants

10. Tree

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Full title - Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants. 1993 reissue of 2 CD set originally released on Motown in 1979. 20 tracks in a standard double jewel case. Lyrics included in sleevenotes. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stevie Wonder's Best Record, January 22, 2006

By 

Douglas H. Watts (Augusta, ME United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants (Audio CD)

As bassist Jeff Berlin said, Stevie Wonder is one of the five or six most important and creative musicians of the 20th century. The Secret Life of Plants ices it. Weirdly, The Secret Life of Plants is one of Stevie Wonder's most hard-to-find records. I rate it as his best. One way to describe this record is Duke Ellington writing about trees, bugs and venus fly traps. As a synthesist (ie. synthesizer player), on these albums Stevie Wonder brings the instrument probably as far as it has ever gone as a human, expressive instrument. But always his voice, acoustic piano, drums and bass and found ambient sounds meld with electronic textures to create something nobody had ever done before and people have been copying ever since. Secret Life of Plants has some of his best singing as well, freed from trying to get a "hit." In my opinion, this sound cycle is one of the most important recordings of any genre made in the 20th century. Why all the gushing? My dad was a tree cutter and landscaper and taught me all the scientific names of every tree in Massachusetts by the time I was 15. So all of the stuff about trees here is true. They are oldest and longest living creatures on Earth and are what humans were born under. Stevie Wonder does a beautiful job with this theme and for me it resonates very deeply.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Journey through secret wonders of Stevie!, December 24, 2004

By 

Andrew Beyzman "brooklynlion" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Secret Life Of Plants (1978 Documentary Film) (Audio CD)

This album forever redefined my look on Stevie Wonder's music. I've always liked his R&B albums, but this one really illustrates his immense talent for instrumental composition and elegant, classic melodies. Although people may not agree, my favorite number is "Ecclesiastes" - its apparent simplicity and outstanding use of minor keys (not to mention the 12/8 meter and some virtuoso synthesizer playing) just seem to overwhelm. I've played this number to many people who love classical music (but not that familiar with Stevie Wonder) - most of them thought it was written by likes of Nino Rota or Michel Legrand. They refused to believe it was, in fact, by Stevie. Many of them asked me to borrow the album and were very impressed.
Every number offer surprises. Simply put, it is a great, great album!!

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Secret, January 29, 2001

By 

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

This review is from: The Secret Life Of Plants (1978 Documentary Film) (Audio CD)

After hitting his musical peak with the double album, Songs In The Key Of Life, every one wondered what Stevie Wonder would do next. Showing that he wasn't afraid to experiment, he released another double album, this time a soundtrack to the documentary film The Secret Life Of Plants. This album is different from just about anything in his catalog. The album is made up of mostly instrumentals, but the songs truly convey the feeling of the film. We are taken into the world of plants and the songs move between lush and serene to funky. "Send One Your Love" is the one song that doesn't really fit into the concept (obviously included to attract people to the album) but it an absolutely gorgeous song and one of his best ballads. To show that Mr. Wonder was a major force on the charts, the album that was from an obscure documentary, a second double album in a row and made up of basically instrumentals, still hit the top ten on the album charts.