Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
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Free Music Notes for Songs in the Key of Life
Free Music Review: Wonder's best
Hit: 5 Stars
This is by far S.W.:s best album. It's ambitous and it blends loads of different musical styles. My peronal favourites are the soft, very pretty "Summer soft", "ordinary pain" and the funky hilarious "Contusion".
This album is a must-have for sure. People talk a lot about Inner visions and Talking book, but this is the one. The golden album. The diamond.
Free Music Review: TY BESS(THE MUSIC MAN)
Hit: 5 Stars
A masterpiece that five stars can,t begin to tell the true magic of this cd.From knocks me off my feet to sir duke to ebony eyes i can go on and on.This cd has got to be one of the best albums ever made if you have not heard this cd where have you been? enjoy!Free Music Review: "I am singing.... of love from the heart."
Hit: 5 Stars
Why do we listen to the music we do? Sometimes I forget. But as several occasions have affirmed, all I have to do is put on 'Another Star' and I remember. This is why I listen to music. It is music like THIS that is why I listen. Because it is a soul connection.... a connection with the infinite.
Such are the impressions of awe and beauty that the music of Stevie Wonder engenders. They transcend both time and space. This album, released in 1976, 30 years ago as I write this, affects me every bit as powerfully today as it ever did. Although Stevie's musical output has been quite prodigous, I think this was probaly his masterpiece. It is just such a total singular experience from start to finish. If one really listens, I don't know how they could not be profoundly moved.
Originally packaged as two LP and a 2 song EP, the entire collection is a result of a 3 year recording session. The work reflects quality in both concept and execution. The musicians are awesome. (listen to 'Contusion'!) But like all his best work, it is Stevie Wonder's spirituality that brings this recording to life. And while all of the album is excellent, with tight R&B songs like 'I Wish', 'Sir Duke' and the melanchcoly 'Summer Soft', the album really kicks into high gear with 'side four' with 'Isn't She Lovely' through to 'Another Star'. This segway of five exquisite compositions, pardon the pun, simply knocks me off my feet!
The infectious 'Isn't She Lovely' is irresistable in its happiness. A song he obviously wrote for his newborn daughter, it also coincided with the birth of my first son. The playful harmonica is a masterful improvisation of the instrument and is a perfect fit that really communicates the joy of the artist. It also runs for 'longer than radio length', as do many of the tunes here. Stevie obviously had earned the right with this album to do what he wants and he joyously indulges with lengthy treatments of these songs, but they are never too long. They just give him room to really express his extraordinary passion. "The latin-tinged 'Ngiculela' (I am singing) is a pure, beautiful piece both in lyric and melody. Stevie expresses his most passionate singing in this song: "I am singing... of tomorrow! - I am singing... of love. - I am singing... that someday love will rule throughout this world of ours. I am singing.... of love from the heart." Expressed only as Stevie Wonder can say it. "If it's Magic" is a shorter piece, but also beautiful,arranged with harps and a simple acapella vocal. Again, the lyrics carry beautiful poetry with, "It holds the key to every heart, throughout the Universe, it fills you up without a bite, and quenches every thirst."
Next are what I consider the two back-to-back most powerful recordings of probably the entire decade let along this album: 'As', and 'Another Star'. They go together seemlessly as a singular passionate statement, although each is quite different musically. 'As' starts out with a laid-back R&B verse, and then just gathers momentum as it morphs into a untraditional 'gospel' style piece with a call an answer section that is just too cool for words. What is awesome here are the lyrics. "Until the day that 8X8X8 is four - Until the day that is the day that are no more, etc." This song really rocks and posesses a passion rarely captured on a studio recording. Stevie allows the tune to heat up until a point where he 'steps out' and has s few things to say: "We all know that life's heartache and trouble can make you wish you were born in another time and place. But you can bet your life times that and twice it's double... that God knew exactly where He wanted you to be placed. So make sure when you say you're in the world but not of it.... you're not helping to make this a place sometimes called hell... Change your words into Truth and then change that Truth into Love and maybe our children's grandchildren and their great grandchildren will tell..."
Free Music Review: Great Concept Album, One of the Best of All Time! Good Sound Quality!
Hit: 4 Stars
Not only is this a great concept album by Stevie, it's also his best effort and it also stands the test of time to emerge as one of the best albums of all time. As they say, "the cream always rises to the top" and this is surely the case for this album. This gatefold mini-lp sleeve cardboard replica version is also the best version of the album that is out there at the moment. The sound quality is good due to the remastering job they did although not great which is understandable given the state of the 1976 original master and so some tracks have higher volume levels than others. However, the tracks are things of beauty and stand the test of time. Although there is "single" material in here, the only way to truly appreciate this work of art is to listen to the whole thing at one go. For the record, the "single" stuff that still sound good today are: "Sir Duke" and "Isn't She Lovely". The other standout tracks must be "Pastime Paradise" later ripped off to great effect for the "Dangerous Minds" soundtrack "Gangster's Paradise" and "Black Man" is a fantastic study in slap bass that would make Mark King of Level 42 proud. There is also a track on disc two that sounds a lot like Lionel Ritchie's "All Night Long." It's obvious that many, many artistes have been inspired over the years by this album and I sure many, many more will be over the decades to come. Very highly recommended.Free Music Review: Best double album ever heard
Hit: 5 Stars
Love's In Need Of Love Today 10
Have A Talk With God 10
Village Ghetto Land 10 (classical music?)
Contusion 9.5 (just because no vocals)
Sir Duke 10
I Wish 10 (some samples?)
Knocks Me Off My Feet 10 (am i dreaming?)
Pastime Paradise 10 (Coolio shouldn't have raped this one)
Summer Soft 10
Ordinary Pain 10
Isn't She Lovely 10
Joy Inside My Tears 10
Black Man 10
Ngiculela/Es Una Historia/I Am Singing 10
If It's Magic 10 (paradise)
As 10
Another Star 10 (latin flavour)
Saturn 10
Ebony Eyes 10
All Day Sucker 10 (musical genres?)
Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call) 9.5