Customer Reviews

Stevie Wonder - The Definitive Collection

5 star:		(84)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is another in the list of CD's in my collection that you wouldn't expect a metalhead to have. I mean, the guy who runs Black Sabbath's website - liking Stevie Wonder?!? To be honest, before I bought this, when I thought of Stevie Wonder, I thought of three things. First, he's blind. Second, Eddie Murphy used to parody him on Saturday Night Live. Third, his song "Superstition", which I loved. That was it.

In April 2007, my stepfather died, and due to that, I had to head over to Men's Wearhouse to buy a suit for the funeral. While I was in there, I was getting fitted, and a song came on. I thought it was Will Smith's "Wild Wild West" from the (bad) movie of the same name. However, as it went along, I realized "Hey, that's not Will Smith". Listened some more, and said "That sounds like Stevie Wonder". Turns out it was, it was his song "I Wish". I was quite amazed. Not only did Will lift the main "riff", there was a lot of the same song structure. I then realized I was quite deficient in Stevie Wonder music.

Then I listened to it. I was quite amazed at how much of Stevie Wonder's music I actually knew! As I listened to more of the music, I realized I knew just about all of this stuff, just not by name. To be honest, when I sat down to listen, I thought this would be one of these knee jerk purchases I make, which I later go "Why did I buy this?" Not this one, I enjoyed it a lot, especially the more I realized I knew. It's hard to quantify his music - some might say "funk", but that doesn't seem right. I just know it's good music. Worth picking up.

It needs to be stated at the outset that Stevie Wonder has more than just 21 hits. But this cd brings together the best hits from the 1960s through the 1980s. They are also remastered with the best possible sound. You get "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)," "Superstition," "Living for the City," "Higher Ground, the anti Nixon "You Haven't Done Nothing," "I Wish," "Do I Do," "My Cherie Amor," and many more on one disc. Completists will wish the cd had room for "Isn't She Lovely, Frontline, Ribbon in the Sky, and a few others, but no one can quibble with what IS contained on this disc. You can always download the ones that are missing.

Stevie Wonder was the most soulful and funky singer of the 1970s. Your pop/rock collection isn't complete without this cd.

Stevie Wonder has had many greatest hits packages released during his forty year career. This new collection is the first single disk set that takes into consideration his earliest work until his final days as a major chart force in the mid 1980's. Most fans of Mr. Wonder will already have all of these songs, but no one can ever complain about the quality of the music. Some of these twenty-one songs are among the best songs ever recorded including the epic "Living For The City", the jazzy "Sir Duke" and reggafied "Master Blaster" and the rocking "Superstition". While Mr. Wonder was at his ultimate peak in the 1970's, the 80's tracks are very strong including the overlooked classic "That Girl" and the gorgeous "Overjoyed". Stevie Wonder was dubbed the 12-year-old genius, but through the years, his age may have changed, but his genius hasn't.

I suppose it is my own fault if I disagree with the material selection...it is a highly subjective matter. Personally I think there is too much of the earliest stuff on it that was made before he hit his mature genius. However, it is inexcusable that the recording quality is so dreadful! There are remastered versions of this material available that sound wonderful, and much of this sounds like a transistor radio. Another rip-off by a record label on us. One wonders if the engineers who put this stuff together have any pride at all in their work. I see no evidence of it here!

It's kind of ironic because this album is my first Stevie Wonder CD I've bought. But now that I know what I was missing, I don't want it to happen to other people.
Let me list some of the BEST songs that this disc is missing
- Isn't She Lovely
- Golden Lady
- As
- Send One Your Love
- Ribbon In The Sky
- Visions
- Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing
- Send One Your Love
- Lately
etc.

I'm pretty sure there are people who think those missing songs can make up a better collection.

So don't even bother with this one and save money for these packages
- At The Close Of A Century (4 CD Box Set)
- Natural Wonder (2 CD Set LIVE)
- Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants (Tied with INNERVISIONS for Stevie's best album)

13 bucks was well worth for me to be introduced to the greatness of Stevie Wonder. So I don't regret anyway.

Have the people who re-mixed the songs on this album ever heard the original recordings? Fingertips,(I'm not even sure where this recording even came from) dosen't sound like the same 12 year old that I remember on the 45. Superstition? the percusion at the begining, WHERE IS IT??? Living For the City, (the begining to this song used to bring shivers, but this is disapointing, no soul here!!) This mix sucks!!! I bought this because I was thinking I would like to have a fresh version of all these wonderful songs (no pun intended), but what I got was inspiration to listen to my old albums and 45's where I can at least get the original "FEEL" for these great songs.

This is a great single disc collection spanning the career of Stevie Wonder. That being said, how does Motown define "definitive"? In regards to performers I think of definitive as substantial, significant, and representative of the performer's best work. I mention this in regards to two songs on this collection. First--"Hey Love"--a definitive Stevie wonder song? It is a good song and I like it, but it is certainly not definitive. My choice in place of "Hey Love" would be "If you really love me". Second--while I realize it is unavoidable that it was included on this CD since it was one of Stevie's biggest hits--the song "I Just Called to say I Love You" is one of the worst songs ever recorded--by anyone. That it was given life by Stevie is painful. Oh well, I can program my CD player to skip track 19 and no harm done. I am thankful that "Ebony and Ivory" is not included! My choice in place of "I Just called to say I Love You" would be the excellent "Ribbon in the Sky"--definately a definitive Stevie Wonder song! Except for these two minor points, I feel the compilers of this set have done an excellent job with the nearly impossible task of summarizing Stevie's career in a single disc. At over 79 minutes, all disc space is utilized. If you are a serious Stevie Wonder fan you most likely already own most of his CD's or the box set "At the close of a century" (to which I give my highest recommendation!) and may see no point in this single disc. I thought of this but ended up buying it to have in the car--great driving music! For the casual fan, this CD is of great quality and value and highly recommended!

This Definitive Collection is available in a double import CD form. It's a much better overall collection than the single domestic CD, however I agree with the reviewer who noted the sound quality could be better on the older tracks. Also, if you don't already own it, pick up Fullfillingness First Finale.

So, what can I say about a Stevie Greatest Hits CD? In some ways a lot but in many others, not much. Stevie, like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye and Prince, just has too much to offer to fit in one disk. This definately does include most of his hits but an artist like Stevie is so much more than just the hits. He's about taking chances and busting down doors and barriers. The album includes ballads like Overjoyed which is for sure one of his best and one of the best written in the last 2 decades but yet it doesn't (or can't because of space) include You and I, All Is Fair In Love or the great Lately. It includes social/political songs like Superstition, Higher Ground and Living for The City but can't include Evil, Big Brother, He's Mistra Know It All or the amazing Apartheid (It's Wrong). How about the best lost love song ever, Maybe Your Baby, from Talking Book? For the casual listener or for a beginner to Stevie this is a great disk. If you have to get a greatest hits type of Stevie's work, get this disk. If you can afford better, get At the Close Of A Century. Of course, if you are a real music fan interested in how we got to where we are today in music, and of course where we came from, buy his whole collection. It's an incredible journey well worth the money.

No definitive collection can cover
an entire span of this prolific
songwriter's career. I strongly
urge serious fans to check out
his recently released box set.
It covers from beginning of
his rise to the current day.

Check out:
Stevie Wonder's
"At Close of a Century"
is worth owning.

Listen to all the great
songs that inspired
3 generations!!!!