Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A hidden gem in Stevie's catalog!, October 9, 2005
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.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First Class Delivery, February 14, 2001
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.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The Genius Taking Form, October 29, 2009
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.
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. 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, after this album, Stevie would enter into a period of unmatched musical & lyrical brilliance. This is a great starting point for anyone just beginning their journey into the wonder world of this musical legend.
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album Signed, Sealed & Delivered 
