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Songs in the Key of Life

Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life Audio CD

A fair review of the Stevie Wonder "Songs in the Key of Life" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Stevie Wonder reviews here, or go back to the Stevie Wonder tabs.

Band: Stevie Wonder
Title: Songs in the Key of Life
Rating:

Release Date: 1992-04-13
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Love's in Need of Love Today 2: Have a Talk with God 3: Village Ghetto Land 4: Contusion 5: Sir Duke 6: I Wish 7: Knocks Me off My Feet 8: Pastime Paradise 9: Summer Soft 10: Ordinary Pain 11: Isn't She Lovely 12: Joy Inside My Tears 13: Black Man 14: Ngiculela -- Es Una Historia -- I Am Singing 15: If It's Magic 16: As 17: Another Star 18: Saturn 19: Ebony Eyes 20: All Day Sucker 21: Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)

Songs, keys, and true life, too
Stevie Wonder and Elton John are made from the same mold (how's that for equality?), both talented pop artists whose greatest talent is making their music seem holier than it is. It's no surprise that Elton John thinks this is the greatest album ever recorded. The different between them is that E. J. is a decent pop artist and S. W. is a truly gifted pop artist: John's grand double-album opus, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," is up and down and mostly intriguing for its flaws; Wonder's grand double-album opus is the real deal, all highs that never let up, and it comes with an E. P. , too. I'm not sure what Elton's after, if anything. Stevie just wants everyone to get along and to see the beauty in the world, a statement he can make without the need to acknowledge its irony. Nevertheless, "Black Man," on which Stevie gets a little angry, is the most exciting song and sounds like the sincerest to me--but not by much. On an album full of songs built around melody, that's something. And since the President has named it his favorite record, add "patriotism" to its list of merits.

An Album for a Generation!
It seems Stevie was taking all of us on a trip down memory lane with him and i found myself being familar with each of the stops along the way. I love this Double LP for so many reasons, but one of the most relevant is that each song reminds me of periods of my life as i was growing up. One of the Greatest Compliments i've heard concerning this album was from Elton John.

He stated that this was the greatest album of all time and even to this day whenever & wherever he travels, "Songs in the Key of Life" travels with him. This album took about 3 years for Stevie to make and it was time well spent. He touches just about every different genre of music in popular music.

The lyrics are thought provoking, the music compositions are wonderfully crafted & the vocal arrangements are other worldly. There are many highlights from the standards "Sir Duke", "I Wish", "Summer Soft" & "Isn't She Lovely" to the lyrical masterpieces like "Village Ghetto Land", "Ordinary Pain", "If It's Magic" & the song that was a gift from the universe, the epic "As".

This album waa yet another statement by Stevie that he along with the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Maurice White, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Bob Marley, etc. was a musical Avatar of the highest order. He's songs were really unlike anything else and you would him played in the public schools (by teachers & students alike!) to movie theatres, parks, parties, radio and even in church's!

He Truly is a Genius in every since of the word and this was his hallmark album, the one everyone would know him by the world over!.

Easily one of the best albums ever
I have appreciated Stevie Wonder for a long time, but after listening to "Songs in the Key of Life", I think I'm in love! What a beautiful, creative, inspirational and sincere piece of work this is! This album was released in 1976, but somehow each and every song sounds crisp and fresh. When people have conversations about what the best albums of all-time are, most of the time I hear "Songs in the Key of Life" mentioned. It sounds so good that it sounds like it was recorded yesterday.

There are a string of hits on "Songs in the Key of Life" like "Isn't She Lovely?", "As", "Pastime Paradise", "Sir Duke" and "I Wish. " Though those tracks were released, each and every song is worth listening to and Wonder obviously put time into each track. My personal favorite song is the amazing "Knocks Me Off My Feet. " Everything about this song is great from the melody to the magnificent production, namely the piano chords. "As" sends chills through me with every listen. This song was sampled by a rapper named Nonchalant; she called her version "Until the Day. " The lyrics to "As" are very profound. "Ebony Eyes" is another highlight. This song immediately grasps your attention and holds it until song's end.

If "Songs in the Key of Life" is not in your collection, I don't know what's wrong; you need to add it quickly! This is music. This is music at it's very best!

Mikeisha's Top 5

1. "Knocks Me off My Feet"
2. "As"
3. "Pastime Paradise"
4. "I Wish"
5. "Isn't She Lovely".

Sing out loud with Stevie Wonder
I used to call it my happy album, because it just plain made me feel good and I am so glad to own it again in cd. I owned this album in cassette version in the 70's and I had forgotten how fabulous it was. I find myself playing it over and over again as a blast from the past and singing at the top of my lungs with it. I especially love "I am singing" on cd #2. Buy it! You won't believe how good it feels.

Yeah......Love's in Need of Love Today

It brightened dingy walls with falling plaster and watermarked stains that held a kid that wanted to be an "artist. I listened to the album wearing grooves in the grooves in college. " One who lost, turned into a teacher that seems a perpetual student. Stevie Wonder gave a set of songs that I can put on in times I'm utterly soundless to solutions and exhausted, waiting to get through, or slip by, and find myself inspired.
The songs are filled with love, "Wonder," I think the sheer appreciation for life, take a song like "Village Ghetto Land" it's such a statement on life for a child in a ghetto-how really has it changed? Tell me. I went to work in those ghettos. Without the violin serenades, minus the metronome of our actions and measured against our words, he's as ever simple genius here.
Would you be happy here, he asks in Renaissance flair? I think not.
I don't find you here.

Maybe "I Wish" is my favorite. . . hummm. . . maybe. The rhythm. Or Knocks me Off My Feet. it really is hard to pick.
But for me the album opens with Sir Duke. That's when I got kicked. It's just a feeling of the power of the music, its ability to bring you joy. What a tribute to his relationship to music.
Kids, let me assure you, like the music. Not all but some of my favorite Wonder years tunes are here. Joyful.
I just bought it again to replace the vinyl that skips and jumps. And wobbles like the owner.
And I hear records are returning. I hope they are.

I loved setting up my turntable with this one late nights painting.
Like the sound still.
Small review, insignificant reviewer, mighty musician.

You can see a complete list of all Stevie Wonder discography, or go back to the Stevie Wonder tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.