Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
|
List Price: Our Price: $14.97 You Save: $5.01 (25%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $9.99 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Songs in the Key of Life
Free Music Review: THE ULTIMATE STEVIE
Hit: 5 Stars
Like listening to a career greatest hits CD. With so many familiar tunes like "Isn't She Lovely", "As", "Sir Duke", "Love's In Need Of Love Today", "Village Ghetto Land", this was Stevie at his creative best. A two disc classic consistently rated amongst the best recordings of all time. No Stevie Wonder disc collection is anywhere near complete without this multi Grammy winner of 1976.Free Music Review: awesome Stevie Wonder at his best
Hit: 5 Stars
Stevie Wonder hit yet another new high with Songs In The Key Of Life. We get seventeen tracks plus an awesome four bonus tracks. This two record album set with an EP 45rpm record has been carefully and lovingly transferred to a two CD set for us to enjoy.
The track set begins with "Love's In Need Of Love Today." The gospel feel of this number makes this number stand out as a highlight of this album. Stevie uses this song to spread his message of peace and love NOW here on Earth. The melody uses the electric guitars, piano, bass and percussion to bolster the number; and the backup chorus enhances the song as well. "Village Ghetto Land" starts with the strings--and when Stevie comes in the number takes off like a jet! Stevie sings of the strife poor people everywhere must face; his voice doesn't convey any anger but the lyrics certainly send the bitter message that this strife is unacceptable. I hope "Village Ghetto Land" encourages more people to help those in need.
"Sir Duke" sports that big band flavor mixed with a funky 1970s beat that proves too memorable and catchy for anyone to ever forget! Stevie's voice never sounded better; and this upbeat tribute to Duke Ellington and other black artists shines like gold. Great jamming from those musicians, too! "Sir Duke" is an obvious highlight of this two CD set; and so is the ballad entitled "I Wish." "I Wish" gets the royal treatment from Stevie as he sings this to perfection. Stevie remembers how much simpler life was when he was young--even though they were poor, he didn't know it because he was still a happy child.
"Pastime Paradise" sports a great melody with awesome key changes; Stevie sings of how we need to work today to make a better future. This stunning ballad works well not just because of the lyrics but also because of the musical arrangement and the backup singers for Stevie. Great!
The second CD continues this incredible track set. "Isn't She Lovely" tells about the joy Stevie experienced when one of his children was born. This moving ballad has a relentlessly upbeat set of lyrics with a melody that uses the harmonica, guitars and percussion well to enhance the beauty of "Isn't She Lovely." I predict that you will like "Isn't She Lovely" very, very much.
"Joy Inside My Tears" is another moving ballad about a man whose life has finally found some happiness now that he has his one true love; the piano and percussion work wonders for "Joy Inside My Tears." "Black Man" is a lengthy but awesome ballad about how everyone from all races made life better for others--and therefore all races should continue to work together to make a better tomorrow. "Black Man" sports a very funky 1970s beat to it; but it still works well even today--love that musical arrangement!
"As," yet another Stevie Wonder masterpiece on this two CD set, has a wonderful arrangement with the perfect beat for this optimistic ballad about the importance of love. The backup chorus lacks nothing; and the guitars, percussion and piano bolster "As." Stevie sings "As" passionately with all his heart and soul, too.
One of the bonus tracks, "Saturn," lets Stevie express his desire to move to another place--or world--where violence is gone, "people live to be two hundred and five," and there is peace and harmony. An electric arrangement enhances "Saturn;" and Stevie sings this one without a superfluous note! "Ebony Eyes" has a great upbeat feel to it as Stevie celebrates the existence of a young woman whose natural beauty attracts Stevie. This funky 1970s love ballad works very well; and I love that backup chorus!
The liner notes give us the lyrics to all the songs; and the incredible artwork is worth the price of admission alone! Stevie himself adds a brief commentary near the beginning of the liner notes booklet.
Stevie Wonder, always the genius and the gentleman, remains an icon of the twentieth century for his fine music and his message of peace. Songs Of The Key Of Life gives us Stevie at his very best; and people who appreciate 1970s rock with a little R&B and soul mixed in are going to love this two CD set!
Enjoy!
Free Music Review: Still One of the Best
Hit: 5 Stars
This CD highlights the genius of Stevie Wonder. After all these years, this CD (formerly album, maybe 8-track) still sounds good. It will take you back!Free Music Review: (4.5 stars) It's got a groove, and it's in the groove!
Hit: 5 Stars
Whoa, what can I say about this one that hasn't been repeated a million times over? This is not my favorite Wonder album - I'm still gonna have to give that honor to either Talking Book or Innervistions, depending on my mood. There's only one song I really don't enjoy, and that's Have a Talk with God. Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to the spiritual element of the lyrics at all. Stevie sounds like he means what he says, and that's all that really matters, right? I just don't like the song's synthesizer part: without it, it would've been far better. And a couple of other songs do have rather annoying bits, like the second half of Ordinary Pain (the first great) and the second half of Black Man: while it starts off as a strong tune about the power of integration, it ends up a student/teacher questioning session. Interesting conceptually, but so is Revolution 9: if you're gonna do something like that, it should be made a minutelong interlude during the real song, not four minutes of repeating the points Stevie made.
Those complaints aside, this is a marvelous album. Stevie's songwriting skills really win out here: Knocks Me off My Feet is one of my numerous favorites here, a triumph of melody and insightful, wise love song lyrics that reflect the confusing nature of being in love perfectly. Oh, and I like the chorus, and the... post-chorus, would you say? You know, the "I don't wanna booooooore you wiiith it, oh but I love you I love you I love you...". The more I listen to it, the more I realize it's probably my favorite song on the whole album. It wasn't a big hit, but do give it a listen. Or several.
Now for the songs that were big hits: I Wish is one of Stevie's best funk songs - booty-shakin' groove, a horn duel to rival Superstition's, and a touch of humor. Sir Duke is interesting in that it works in big-band jazz elements to funk, something you don't usually hear from the genre. Talk about a seamless, if offbeat, blend of styles! And Pastime Paradise definitely wins when it comes to the "cool" factor. The Eastern instruments, meditative, philosophical lyrics, and full choir give it an epic feel. It's one of the several highlights. No, I'm still not done naming highlights. The fourth smash hit was Isn't She Lovely, an unbeatable explosion of pure joy. Plus I love the baby "talking" in the interlude: not only is it bold experimentation, it's also (more importantly) some of the most heart-warming music I've ever heard. Few can communicate utter happiness like Stevie Wonder.
But wait - there's more! Much, much more. Another Star is another longtime favorite of mine: over the course of eight-and-a-half minutes it goes from R&B to an almost tribal chant to jazz. Cool! Great chant, too. I've also always loved As. I've gotta say that it's a very underrated song, a declaration of pure love with Stevie doing the "big-man" vocals he popularized on Livin' For the City. And the coda, while repetitive, is hypnotic: its length, scope, and quality almost make it the soul version of Hey Jude, only I prefer it to Hey Jude. And the Beatles are my favorite band, so that's really saying something. Joy Inside My Tears also has a repetitive coda that sounds fantastic. Joy is one of Stevie's sad, pensive ballads. And it's great. If It's Magic is one of the album's many unsung gems, if only for the subtle, lovely orchestration and Stevie's harmonica solo near the end; I Am Singing has a wonderful melody; and Summer Soft is an inspired fusion of soul and soft-rock, two very opposite genres.
And I haven't gotten into that bonus EP. That is some good stuff right there, man. Ebony Eyes is an awesomely fun love song, with a cool sax solo and an even cooler sax solo introduction: "SAXOPHONE RIGHT HERE!". All Day Sucker is FUNKY, Saturn is an inspiring song about pacifism (I'm all for one of those!), and Easy Going Evening (My Mama's Call) might be my favorite on the album, a slow, relaxing harmonica solo over a jazzy backdrop. Tremendous.
So yes, this is a total classic release that should be heard by everybody. It was what got me started on Stevie, and I revisit it quite often.
Free Music Review: Stevie's Wonderous Opus
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm not gonna bore you with another long review,but if I was stranded on a desert island and I had only a few discs with me,Stevie Wonder's "Songs In The Key In The Life" would my top choices.So many great songs(Sir Duke,I Wish,Knocks Me Off My Feet,Summer Soft,Isn't She Lovely,As,Another Star,Love's In Need Of Love Today,Ebony Eyes,If It's Magic etc.)with no filler whatsoever.Plus the updated version(supervised by Harry Weinger and remastered by Kevin Reeves at Universial Mastering East)is excellent,with punchy,spacious,vibrant sound and all the original artwork,liner notes and lyrics included.Truly a must-have in every sense of the word!