In Square Circle

Stevie Wonder

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: September 13, 1985
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Motown
• ASIN: B000001AJI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,706 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #30 in	Music > R&B > Classic R&B
  #49 in	Music > R&B > Motown
  #97 in	Music > R&B > Funk

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this album too much, maybe three much, September 4, 2003

By	Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

As a kid who became a big fan of Stevie Wonder after hearing That Girl in the late 70s, I had been telling my friends for years just how cool Stevie Wonder was. In 1985, Stevie made my argument for me with In Square Circle, certainly his best album of the last 20 years. The single Part-Time Lover was a huge, huge hit, and the song has such great beat and rhythm that it always sounds fresh and exciting. Go Home also saw success as a single, but it's probably my least favorite song on the album. Then there was Overjoyed; I'm not sure it ever got the attention it deserved as a single. Quite simply, it is one of the most beautiful songs of Stevie Wonder's incredible career. The rest of the album is a smorgasbord of musical delight. I Love You Too Much is a powerful, energetic love song, while Spiritual Walkers and Land of La La are hard-driving songs with infectious beats. If it's slow Stevie Wonder ballads that you want, look no farther than the tender Whereabouts and precious Never in Your Sun. Stranger on the Shore of Love represents the best of both sides of Stevie Wonder, and I think it could have been a huge hit had it been released as a single. The album closes with both a political and moral track called It's Wrong (Apartheid), a song protesting the system of apartheid that still existed in South Africa at the time this album was released.

In Square Circle was actually the very first CD I ever owned, and it still stands as a showcase of what CD technology could do. Overjoyed features the calming sounds of ocean waves in the background, giving the song a very distinctive sound; I Love You Too Much has a unique brush-like percussion beat driving it, and it comes through loud and clear on CD. Stevie was always ahead of his time, and he is one of the few performers who absolutely deserves the title of musical genius. In Square Circle helped introduce Stevie Wonder to a new generation of listeners, and it stands as one of the greatest albums of the late, great 1980s.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Circle, February 14, 2001

By	Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

In Square Circle is another classic Stevie Wonder album. The album features his usual themes; ballads, upbeat r&b and songs with a social bent. The socially conscious songs are all strong including "Land Of La-La", "Spiritual Walkers" and "It's Wrong (Apartheid)". "Part Time Lover" is a shimmering workout number that is as good as anything he's ever done. The song became his ninth and final number one song (although he would hit number one in 1986 as part of Dionne Warwick's "That's What Friends Are For" song). "Go Home" is an underrated gem with it's driving keyboards and funky beat. "Overjoyed" is a lush beautiful ballad that just soars to the heavens. In Square Circle hit number four on the charts but it marked the end of a 14 year run of chart dominance for Mr. Wonder. To date, he has not reached the top ten on either the singles or albums chart since this album.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Album!, August 17, 2000

By	G. Byrne (Fairfield, CA. United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Stevie had a great success with songs here. I especially love Land of LaLa, Overjoyed, and Whereabouts! A great album is hard to find but I found it here!