This album is another great capsule of Wonders inventive & individual style. The man really had a style all to himself back then & with this album takes himself to the next level. 'You Are The Sunshine Of My Life' is a classic love groove that kicks things off, and 'Superstition' rides one of the greatest guitar riffs that was ever recorded. From front to back the production is awesome, slick keyboard melodies & guitars, with bongo-based beats. My personal cut has to be the bouncy 'Maybe Your Baby', a great fonk number. 'Big Brother' is another inventive cut with its heavy drums and harmonica based groove.

Stevie Wonders sound is just undeniable to me. The man created an awesome body of work in the 70s and this is another of those classic Must Own albums.


The Good Book   January 29, 2001
Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

After the personal triumph of Music Of My Mind, Stevie Wonder proved he was a true musical force with Talking Book. The album shows that Mr. Wonder could run the gamut of music stylings from ballads to hard rockers and succeed in producing memorable music. The album opens with one of his most familiar songs, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life". The songs opens with not Mr. Wonder, but two backup singers. Mr. Wonder slides in on the third verse and takes over with smooth grace. "Maybe Your Baby" has some nice guitar work from a young Ray Parker, Jr. and "Tuesday Heartbreak has sax playing from a young David Sanborn. The album contains some great socio-political songs that Mr. Wonder is known for with the stinging "Big Brother" standing out. Mr. Wonder was going through the breakup of his first marriage at the time and songs like "You & I", "You Got It Bad Girl", "Looking For Another Pure Love" (Jeff Beck contributes his guitar work to the song) and the aforementioned "Tuesday Heartbreak". When Mr. Beck was laying down his guitar track, he asked if Mr. Wonder would write a song for him for his new album. Mr. Wonder came up with "Superstition" and then deemed that it was too good to give up. He was right as the song is one of his best with its combination of funk, rock and soul and that evil sounding guitar riff. It became his first number one song since his first single, "Fingertips, Pt. 2". Mr. Beck was none too happy about the situation. Talking Book proved to be a huge success and set Mr. Wonder hurtling towards the stratosphere.


Timeless Music From A Modern Master.   July 10, 2000
WILLIE A YOUNG II (Houston, TX.)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

This brilliant work by Motown's first child prodigy has become the standard by which all R&B is judged. Filled to the brim with gorgeous melodies, gentle keyboard textures, and romantic, but never sappy lyrics, "Talking Book" has weathered every trend in music and is still without peer. This seminal release from a man who is justifiably called a genius is still a class act. The opening "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" is a pop music standard that sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday and is probably the greatest love song ever written. Stevie's understated electric piano, the soft bongo playing in the background, the sprightly horns on the chorus and beautiful vocals by Lani Groves, Jim Gilstrap (on the intro) and Wonder himself all combine to make this song the perfect intro to a classic album filled with brilliant, timeless music. Pointing out highlights is almost pointless, this being a complete, cohesive work of art. The songs presented here perfectly complement each other and create an open-ended song-cycle that ebbs and flows in all the right places. The funky, paranoid "Superstition" (a no.1 R&B and pop hit) is matched by the extended, slow, bass/clavinet drenched "Maybe Your Baby" which itself is innovative in it's use of multi-speed and altered vocals, wicked rock guitar and Stevie's searing lead vocal. The ballads are wonders unto themselves; the acoustic guitar blessed "Blame It On The Sun", the stark and hopefully romantic "You And I", and a pair of smooth-as-butter ballads, the jazzy, easy paced "Lookin' For Another Pure Love", and the drop- dead beautiful "You've Got It Bad Girl" are the most sonically pleasing confections on the album. Highlighted respectively by a great guitar solo (do it Jeff!) and synthesizer solo Stevie stretches out to astounding effect on these numbers. (Special note: The 'Jeff' Stevie is referring to is none other than Jeff Beck, in case there are still 2 or 3 people in the world who don't know.) This is the record that forever put 'Little Stevie Wonder' to rest and showed the world that a gifted musician, composer and singer was claiming his place in moderm music and effectively launched one of the single greatest runs (both creatively and commercially) in the history of pop music. No collection is complete without it.