Customer Reviews

Talking Book

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Many would go straight for Innervisions or Songs in the Key of Life, but this is my favorite Stevie Wonder album. As a first, it established Stevie as a multi-instrumentalist, and started the long tradition of him being one of the few musicians on his records. He's basically alone on all of these songs - "Maybe Your Baby", "Big Brother" and "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)" are all just Stevie; on "Blame it on the Sun", he is accompanied by only backing vocalists. In fact, the lone high-profile guest is guitar hero Jeff Beck, who adds a stunning guitar solo on one of the record's very best songs, the soul ballad "Lookin' for Another Pure Love".
This is best remembered for containing the massive hit "Superstition", with an instantly recognizable clavinet riff and horn tradeoff in the coda, it's easily one of Stevie's best songs. "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" was another big hit, a love song with a hint of reggae music in it - hard one not to adore, if you ask me. Then again, I'm a sucker for a love song as good as that one. "Maybe Your Baby" is another top song, thanks to the funky, near-mantra coda and the synthesizer-guitar interplay. The last of the "ABSOLUTE POSITIVE BESTS" is the ballad "You And I". I find it that a lot of people underrate this song, but I love it. Stevie's keyboards particularly make it intriguing. There's not a single weak song on this album, really: "Tuesday Heartbreak" may be the weakest, but the alto sax solo bumps it up a bit.
Stevie has made so many amazing albums it's hard to tell where to start, but this is his best ever - if you're only to have one, this is probably the one to have.
By the way, did anybody read my old review of this one? Wasn't it the dumbest review in history? Seriously, it's just me naming songs I like... Oh well.