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Some of the tracks extend themselves to 7 or 8 minutes, but you don't really notice, you could go on singing La-La-La forever. There really is a lot to swallow at once. Once again he repeatedly seems to be reaching for truth. It's as if he's always saying - of all things a blind person could say - "With love, there is always light at the end of the tunnel". It is a landmark album.


Wonderful Album   July 26, 2000
 53 out of 57 found this review helpful

Stevie Wonder spent almost three years working on this album and the time was well spent. The music is probably the most personal and outspoken of his career. He sings about his childhood in songs like "I Wish" & "Easy Goin' Evening", his heroes in "Sir Duke", the birth of his daughter in "Isn't She Lovely" and while "Contusion" is an instrumental the title is a reference to the life-threatening auto accident he was involved in. Mr. Wonder has always been a strong voice for the civil rights movement and the struggles for his race's equality and he expresses his feelings on those matters in "Village Ghetto Land", "Pastime Paradise" & "Joy Inside My Tears". He also gives us a history lesson in "Black Man". "Love's In Need Of Love Today" and "Have A Talk With God" are pleas for togetherness and understanding. Mr. Wonder could always write great love songs and they are here as well in the forms of "Ebony Eyes", "As", "Knocks Me Off My Feet" and others. As I've just mentioned, the album broaches many diverse subjects, but it all comes together in the end. Usually on double albums, there is filler, but not here. Every song serves a purpose and help create a cohesive musical statement. Stevie Wonder has been called a musical genius and this album is further proof that the title is an appropriate one.


WONDER-FUL!   June 21, 2005
 28 out of 29 found this review helpful

This album is Stevie Wonder's Magnum opus; a delightful, intricate musical delight, which is still a powerful lesson in music today.

Released way back in 1976, where it performed the (then) rare feat of debuting atop the Billboard 200 album charts. It spun off two hot 100 no.1 singles; the horn laden 40s big band sounding `Sir Duke', and the nostalgic, funky `I wish', as well as `As' and `Another star' which both made the top 40.

It also won the Grammy for album of the year (Stevie's third win in that category) and three others: one for best male r&b vocal for 'I wish' best male pop vocal for the album, and best producer for Stevie.

Not to talk of the cover versions and samples inspired by this album over the years: George Michael & Mary J Blige ('As'), Coolio ('Gangsta's Paradise' samples 'Pastime paradise'), Tevin Campbell ('Knocks me off my feet') Mary J Blige ('Time' samples `Pastime paradise') to name a few.

Stevie Wonder paved the way for future soul vocal styling as utilized by people like Charlie Wilson (GAP band), Aaron Hall (Guy), Boys II men to name a few, and the Neo soul pack.

What can I say about this masterpiece that hasn't been said already? I wouldn't call this just soul music. More than that, it's more of psychedelic soul, with sprinklings of jazz, rock and pop. With lyrics that touched on everything from love, life, death, war, sadness, and joy. Lyrics that were way ahead of their time, still relevant today.

The delightful `Ebony eyes' has a faint Beatles feel to it. A real pop gem!

`Saturn' is a pop epic with lyrics even more relevant today. It's about wanting to leave earth with all her troubles for a fantasy utopia on Saturn. Featuring lyrics like `'we have come here many times before/to find your strategy to peace is war/killing helpless men, women and children/that don't even know what they're dying for'. Are we sure it wasn't written for the world of today?

`Another star' is a delightful upbeat, almost disco number with great `la la la la' backing vocals sweeping in and out, featuring excellent percussion, great horns, and guitar and backing vocals from George Benson.

`Blackman' is a history lesson, teaching us about the accomplishments of the black man, as well as a few red, yellow and white people. The different peoples who made America. Also featuring excellent percussion and darting horns, as well as a classroom segment towards the end. What a wonderful musical history lesson which still needs to be told this day.

`Have a talk with God' is a gently bubbling psychedelic soul number, encouraging prayer to God when all seems lost and desolate. Beautiful musicianship, played entirely by Stevie himself.

`Ngiculela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing' is a delightful synthesized jazzy number which ends all too soon. Even jazzier is 'Summer soft'.

`Love's in need of love today' begins with some choir like humming, which breaks into an inspiring but subdued ode to love. Anthemic vocals towards the end.

`Village ghetto land' is a tale of life on the streets. Stark, icy synth strings and Stevie's passioned voice make up this brilliant song. `children play with rusted cans/sores cover their hands/politicians laugh and drink - drink to all demands'. Still so true.

`Pastime paradise' is a wonder! Great synths, percussion, cutting strings, and intricate vocal layering, not to talk of the lyrics. `Proclamation/race relations...' I can't describe this song well enough. Fantastic!!!

Then there's the two part `Ordinary pain', the second part sung by Shirley Brewer making for an interesting song. The instrumental `Contusion' which is a brilliant, upbeat fusion jam. The tender, instrumental harmonica laden `Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)'. The harmonica driven, sunny ode to his daughter `Isn't she lovely'. The beautiful, powerful testament to love called `As' which here, is the ultimate version. Again, intricate vocal layering and superb musicianship.

What more can I say. This album was recently certified diamond for shipments of 10 million copies in the US alone.

A classic which has stood well up to the test of time, almost 30 years on.



MASTERPIECE.MASTERPIECE.MASTERPIECE   December 9, 1999
 20 out of 28 found this review helpful

There is absolutely, and I do mean ABSOLUTELY! NOTHING that can't be said in the negative sense about this MASTERPIECE. I just can't refer to this recording as an album or CD or A Record, because it is beyond those things. Stevie Wonder is what many people have said about him, which is definetely true to the heart, A BONIFIDE GENIUS! let me tell you when I first heard this Masterpiece. I can't say I purchased it, because at that time I was only 13. I have five sisters, and on the very day that this Masterpiece came out in the summer of 1976, they all brought it. The funny thing is they were all coming in the house at different times of the day with that Masterpiece in their hands, so needless to say I heard the whole entire Masterpiece countless times that day and the next day and for the rest of my entire life. And you know what? It still seems like the first time.

I have always been a huge Stevie Wonder fan, I can honestly say since I was a very little boy. His songs and his music speaks the epitome of life itself. And needless to say "SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE" is a pure inspiration for all people who walk the face of this earth. I feel that this very Masterpiece should be in EVERYONE'S HOUSEHOLD the same way every household has a bathroom (or at least they should). From the beginning of LOVE'S IN NEED OF LOVE TODAY until the end of EASY GOIN EVENING (MY MAMA'S CALLING),Stevie gives us nothing but PURE JOY! It is so unheard of for an artist to release an album, let alone a double album, with a 45, also with a full page book with every lyric (including the adlibs) and all of the credits that help to make this what it is, what I've been saying A MASTERPIECE! My personal favorites on this MASTERPIECE are LOVE'S IN NEED OF LOVE TODAY, JOY INSIDE MY TEARS, KNOCKS ME OFF MY FEET, PASTIME PARADISE, I AM SINGING, ANOTHER STAR and of course AS. That song is like a national anthem of LOVE. But there is one very overlooked song that I beleive is truly one of the best on the album, and is maybe slightly overlooked because it is on the 45 from the Masterpiece, and that is SATURN. Although it was co-written with Michael Sembello, it still has Stevie written all over it. If I had to chose one (which is a very, very hard decision) I would have to go with AS as being my favorite song from the album. Even as a little boy, when listening to the words they made me stop and listen to what he was singing. I had already known of Stevie way before he released this album, but this song blew me away. Even if I am also a lover of spiritual music, this song can be sung in the church for the love of the creator himself. The words are so true. If you have that unconditional love for the LORD and for your loved ones, the song speaks of going to no boudaries for the one you love. I am going to close this by telling you all of the experience that I had of having the once in a lifetime chance of singing with Stevie Wonder. I was once a member of the New Jersey Mass Choir and we were blessed by the GOOD LORD himself by appearing with Stevie on the NBC special " MOTOWN SALUTES THE APOLLO ". We all did a rendition of LOVE'S IN NEED OF LOVE TODAY and just from the rehearsals with Stevie and doing the show itself, it was an unforgettable feeling that I will never forget. I will never forget the vivid image after the show , and there were lots of MOTOWN and many other stars there, I have of Stevie being driven to tears after singing that inspirational song with us, that was an experience I will never forget. Stevie Wonder showed me personally right at that exact moment what kind of thoughtful, caring and loving human being he really is. You can tell from that moment how even his own lyrics can move him. If you listen to SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE, and concentrate on each song on the album it will take you through life's experiences. The Masterpiece deals with the past, present and the future. From LOVE'S IN NEED OF LOVE TODAY that very song which was recorded over 20 years ago still holds true today here in 1999 going into the year 2000. We are all still in need of that same love that Stevie is singing about, and ironically he chose to make that the very first track on the album. Even then he was telling us something. We all need to focus on one thing, remember that GOD is love and love IS in need of love today.


A True Classic   March 16, 2007
 20 out of 20 found this review helpful

I bought this album for what I'd consider a strange reason: Every week, I watch American Idol, and very often someone sings a Stevie Wonder song. It never sounds very good, and the judges always say "you'll never compare well with the great Stevie..." Knowing some of the major hits, and generally associating him with "I Just Called to Say I Love You" and "Superstition," I decided I must not be getting the full picture. I was thinking of getting a greatest hits comp, but ultimately decided to try a different route: I'd buy two of his masterpieces. I wanted to see the whole picture, rather than just hear the radio hits. So I bought Innvervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. Holy cow did I make the right choice. It took me only one marathon listening session of both albums to hear what I'd been missing all these years.

Many critics and reviewers indicate the album has a slow start, taking a few songs to kick into gear. True, the first songs are slower in pace, but I'd hardly consider it a "slow start." More like: Stevie eases you into a place that you're going to be (and want to be) for a long time (at two LPs and an EP - this really is an epic). With so many songs, I'll only mention a few for brevity's sake: "Sir Duke" is about as danceable a song as I've ever heard while still being substantial. "Black Man" is a history lesson everyone should hear, and examples of important people in American history of many races are mentioned: black, brown, yellow, and white as well. "As" gets under your skin on first listen and never lets go.

If I could stress one thing about this album, it would be this: These songs are ABOUT something. It's not funk music about wanting to get funky. It's not R&B about sex. Sure, sex and dancing are in there. But so are IDEAS, politics, social theory, parental love, fear, hope, and much more. The music, the singing, and the lyrics work absolutely. And they don't sound "dated" at all. That is no small achievement. Few artists have ever reached this level, and few ever will.

So, as a late-comer to the cult of Stevie, I'm happy to say: Better late than never!