Customer Reviews

Signed, Sealed And Delivered

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Man this album is good! I mean really, really good! When you open up the cd case, in the upper right hand corner of the cover it reads, "The Motown Sound", which basically means that you are in for a taste of the world's greatest rhythm section and some of the catchiest and most infectious harmonies ever captured on record (of which The Funk Brothers, led by bass virtuoso James Jamerson, were primarily responsible). But of course, that goes without saying if you're at all familiar with Motown. I basically assumed that all of Stevie's albums prior to re-negotiating his contract and gaining full creative control over his material pretty much had the same flaw that many Motown albums from that period had: several brilliant outstanding singles with some left over material used to fill the album out. That is NOT the case with this outstanding piece of work. Don't let that cheesy album cover turn you away, because this is a young Stevie Wonder in top form here, which means that this is likely one of the greatest albums that you'll ever hear. Not that there is no filler at all but even the "lesser" material here, and there is very little (two songs tops) , are still solid efforts. Stevie Wonder is probably the single greatest composer/songsmith in the history of popular music, not to mention one of the greatest vocalists. There may not be a whole lot here in terms of innovation, especially compared to his later work, but Stevie's sense of song here is so incredibly strong that he excels in every aspect of songcraft to the point that I have to simply sit back and marvel. Just listen to everything about "Sugar", especially Stevie's drumming...!!! Songs on this album range from the warm, melodic, and contemplative "Never had a Dream Come True" and "Heaven Help us All" to the hard rockin' "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm yours" and his outstanding cover of The Beatles' "We Can Work It Out". Most Beatles covers by other artist leave much to be desired to put it kindly, but Stevie not only matches The Beatles here, he and The Funk Brothers actually manage to out do their original. Other highlights include "Anything you want me to do" which once again makes me marvel and wonder how it is even humanly possible for someone to have such a strong basic sense of melody (the same can easily be said of the absolutely phenomenal "Something to Say"), and the near awe-inspiring "Joy". This album is not as groundbreaking or innovative as some of his work, but it's still extremely solid, and easily just as essential as some of his later work from the 70's. So, you're in for a real treat if you make it a part of your collection.

Signed, Sealed & Delivered is a great album from Stevie Wonder. The title track is among his most popular with its ringing guitars, blazing horns, southern fried sound and fiery vocals it is a r&b classic. Many of the songs point towards his movement into more social and political commentary. His cover of the Beatles' "We Can Work It Out" turns it from a song about a love relationship into a song about racial unity. "Never Had A Dream Come True" is another song about inequality. The album's most moving and emotional song is "Heaven Help Us". The song has a powerful orchestral movement and is a plea for change. The album showed a more mature artist and is a forerunner of the work he would explore later in the decade.

I just received a copy of this cd after having long since worn out the album, 8-track & cassette, ok, so i dated myself. This was the 1st album where you could start seeing the transition that was taking place in his career. Their are certain albums that you look back on and think, Wow! This was the one that changed everything and that's the way I feel about "Signed, Sealed & Delievered". Stevie had been one of the cornerstones for Motown, along with Smokey Robinson, Holland, Dozier, Holland, Marvin Gaye, etc. Motown was the "Hit" making record company whose influence reached far and wide and was one of the main reasons for the formation of and the pre-cursor to many of the bands and artists who would be a part of the "British Invasion" that was soon to come.

That being said, Stevie had always been held back from expressing his deepest knowledge of music by the "Hit" making formula of Berry Gordy & his writing staff. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I loved all the wonderful hits that were produced at that time and each was a part of the overall historical signifigance that made up "Hitsville USA". However, artists like Stevie & Marvin Gaye were not, at that time, allowed to produce the epic and historical albums they later would in the 1970's. Their creative flow was stifled by Gordy and there was a storm brewing between Motown and Wonder that was soon to come to a head. He was 20 and his contract with Motown was about to expire, he knew that the time had come to begin taking the steps necessary to become the Avatar he was soon to become.

In one of the true strokes of sheer genius, he allowed his contract to expire, took his own money and wrote, produced, recorded and marketed the first album which he had complete artistic control over "Where I Am Coming From". That album began to wet the appetite of Motown's biggest competitors who already knew Stevie was a master but had no idea that he possessed the incredible skills witnessed on that album. When Motown came to the bargining table Stevie had several chips in his pocket to throw on the table and with that, Gordy decided to give in and grant Stevie total artistic freedom and full control and rights over his music.

This album is a wonderful example of that transition period and of course was produced by the master himself. Great songs and a tight funky groove through and through and the title track "Signed, Sealed & Delivered" is worth the price of admission by itself! After this album, Stevie would enter into a period of unmatched musical & lyrical brilliance that would change not only how music was produced but performed. There have been few times in music history that one person changed how it's viewed and accepted, this was one of those rare occasions. This is a great starting point for anyone just beginning their journey into the "wonder" world of this musical legend as you get to hear the genesis of who he would eventually become.

Stevie Wonder's album, "Signed, Sealed & Delivered" remains one of his best even all these years later. These songs come straight from Stevie's heart and he never lets go of a superfluous note! There isn't a bad track on this album, and so I'm very impressed. There is a great classic Motown sound and some wonderful R&B thrown in for an awesome effect; and it works well here. The quality of the sound is great, too.

"Never Had a Dream Come True" starts off the CD very well; Stevie sings this wonderfully and the musical accompaniment makes good use of the percussion, string, keyboards and more. "We Can Work It Out" gets the royal treatment from Stevie Wonder and The Funk Brothers who perform this cover with panache--it all holds its own very well. People have pointed out that when Stevie and The Funk Brothers do "We Can Work It Out" it becomes a song about the need for racial harmony; and they are right! Moreover, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" is my favorite tune on the CD; that relentlessly joyful and triumphant beat fits in perfectly with Stevie and the back-up singers as they do this. "Heaven Help Us All" changes gears for a slower pace but the song has real meaning; and listen for other gems like "You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover" that has Stevie aces this seemingly effortlessly even though we know it wasn't all that easy--his genius always carries him through. "Sugar" is very well done; and "Don't Wonder Why" is a beautiful ballad I could never tire of hearing--it's very poignant, too. "Anything You Want Me to Do" continues the track set with a fine number; and "I Can't Let My Heaven Walk Away" is also quite moving. "Joy (Takes Over Me)" has a fine arrangement and Stevie delivers this faultlessly; as "I Gotta Have a Song" is simply beautiful. The album closes well with Stevie Wonder performing "Something to Say;" this leaves me wanting more! I usually push the "replay" button on my CD player to listen to this all over again!

Stevie Wonder has enriched our lives by sharing his genius with us; and we are all better off for it. I highly recommend this for his fans and even newcomers to Stevie's artistry.

The best beatles cover ever(we can work it out).A new style starts here.Stevie Wonder began to let us here whats inside of him.the piano intro from we can work it out morhs into Superstition & again into higher ground can you here it?

I really love this album. NEVER HAD A DREAM COME TRUE, HEAVEN HELP US ALL, SIGNED SEALED & DELIVERED, WE CAN WORK IT OUT and SUGAR are Soul/Pop masterpieces. This is a true gem, one of the last Motown albums that sounds like classic Motown. Truly wonderful, in spite of the album cover.

I like all of SW's albums from the late sixties and early seventies but think this one is the best. Highly recommended if you like SW's joyous, uplifting, three-minute pop songs of that period.

I am almost a Stevie Wonder completist,strictly on the basis I think most of his music is brilliant.But listening to this album even so 'Signed Sealed Delivered' is a transitional recording."Never Had A Dream Come True" starts of the album and it has the same musical sound as standard Funk Brothers-style Motown but more of Wonder's individual flair for melody comes through.The exact same thing happens on "I Gotta Have A Song" and "Sugar",which is a more uptempo song.Some of the songs here are pure varitations on the classic title song like the quircky "I Can't Let My Heaven Walk Away" but the two tracks that stand right out are "Heaven Help Us All",Wonder's first self written stab at political commentary with very heavy gospel overtones.This album could hardly be called a brilliant masterstroke because Stevie Wonder was still working the last remaining threads of his assembly line-type Motown style music out of his system and this happens on a significant number of cuts.But when he whips his funky clavinet out on the grooving version of "You Can't Judge A Book By It's Cover" the times for Wonder are a-changin'.

in late 1969,19 year old stevie wonder appeared on dick clark's american bandstand on which he performed his classic 'my cherie amour'and also on the program they played several album cuts from his "my cherie amour"album including the much under appreciated mellow 'angie girl'.during wonder's appearance on the show,he was interviewed by mr.clark.clark asked him what was the latest thing he was working on musically and stevie replied
by saying 'well i'm doing an arrangement on one of the beatles songs,but i'm not going 2 tell you what it is'....this song that wonder later unveil from the studio is his funkafied update of the beatles 'we can work it out'which would later appear on his next album "signed,sealed,&delivered" which was wonder's first album of the new decade of the 1970s where he was listed as a producer for the first time in his career.stevie was testing the waters of creative freedom."signed,sealed,&delivered" alongside that of "where i'm coming from"(1971)would be the last two albums that wonder would work with outside arrangers before he would ultimately gain full creative control of his music from the early seventies and onward.

now with that being said,his "signed,sealed,&delivered"album was a giant leap from him musically and his genius was growing in full bloom.'never had a dream come true'opens the album with a laid back groove and has a socially conscious message.'we can work it out'is wonder's remake of a classic beatles song that was written by john lennon and paul mccartney.wonder updates this song via clavinet funkafied and giving the song a new twist.the groove is so irresistible it sounds as though wonder wrote it himself.'signed,sealed,&delivered'the album's biggest hit was also co-written with l.garret,lula hardaway(stevie's mother),and his new wife at the time the beautiful syreeta wright.in fact,when the beautiful syreeta was being interviewed outside during a 1994 biography of wonder she mentioned that when stevie turned the song in 2 motown's a&r department when one producer walked in and heard the song by saying "that song ain't s---!"/syreeta mentioned that stevie had a look of expression on his face in that he was determined that the song would be a success and the song went on to become a million seller.

the spiritual 'heaven help us all'(which was written by ron miller)is so spiritually uplifting in that it brings you closer to god.the song also has healing content that is for people who are downtrotten in a world of loneliness,homelessness,racism,violence and is a passionate plea to god save all humanity and mother earth from the evils of destruction from mankind.'you can't judge a book by its cover','sugar','joy(takes over me)','i gotta have a song'and 'anything tou want me to do'are more funky upbeat songs from this album.'don't wonder why'is a slower paced moderate ballad-a song about a man who yearns for the attraction from a woman who ignores him and is hurt by the fact that no matter the nice things that he does for her it is not good enough for her. it is the album's longest track clocking in at nearly 5 minutes,while the majority of the album's other tracks are under three minutes long.

the brilliant 'i can't let my heaven walk away'is a song of regret about a man who misses his woman and wants to regain her love:'i don't know what i've done wrong,i look up and find my heaven gone'-this song also has very nice backing vocals from his background singers.'something to say'the album's final track has a similar groove to 'i've got you'which is also the final track from his 1969 album "my cherie amour"only this time on 'something to say'he confirms to his woman that no matter what people do who'll try to put them down by stating that their love won't grow-but it does'nt matter because they will always be together and that their love is eternal.stevie wonder's "signed,sealed,and delivered"album brings him a step closer to his greatness for his next album "where i'm coming from" which was the true start and blueprint of his musical explosion for the rest of the seventies....

Now that Stevie has been honored in the White House with the Gershwin award, time to look at his best album/cd of Motwon music ever.

Yes, his other, later discs are great, and great one man bands.

This is a record of a tight band, of the Funk Brothers lead by Stevie. Contemporaneous with "It's a Shame", this is beautiful, pure Motown as done by Wonder.

I've heard them all, repeatedly, since Fingertips. This is the best Wonder ever. Why?

Never Had A Dream Come True:Best scatting by Wonder
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Obama theme song
We Can Work It Out: Best Beatles Cover Ever
Heaven Help Us All: Ok, overdone We Are The World - but 20 years before We Are The World!
Judge A Book/Sugar: Both Motown, Funk Brothers workouts
Don't Wonder Why: Best self pity song ever
Anything You Want Me to Do/Heaven Walk Away: More Funk Brothers
Joy: Joy indeed
I Gotta Have A Song: Stevie's Real Theme song
Something To Say: Intro to later themes. Great base line, but that's not Jamerson.

If you want to enjoy Stevie's voice, playing, and production, in prime Motown.


En JOY!