Stevie Wonder - Stevie Wonder - The Definitive Collection
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Free Music Notes for Stevie Wonder - The Definitive Collection
Free Music Review: Essential Stevie Wonder
Hit: 5 Stars
Stevie Wonder (born Steveland Judkins Morris) began singing in a choir with his mother and siblings at a very early age at the Whitestone Baptist Church, which lay in his hometown of Saginaw.
By the age of 10, Stevie Wonder was a child prodigy. He proved a master on the piano, harmonica and drums and was adept at poetry and song-writing. Stevie was soon recommended by John Glover (who he was extensivley working with at the time) to Ronnie White, then a member of the fantastic, Smokey Robinson And The Miracles, who were signed to Detroits, Tamla Motown Records, founded by Berry Gordy who was instantly astounded by this child genius.
Dubbed Little Stevie Wonder in his early career, he was rapidly signed to Motown Records, home to some of the most important names in the history of black music including Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye. It was clear from an early age that Stevie Wonder indeed was a deeply gifted singer/songwriter and muscian.
Fingertips, released in 1963, proved an exhilirating masterpiece. Fingertips was virtually a harmonica instrumental but its just so totally infectious and caught onto the public like a magnet. Fingertips quickly catapulted to the top of the U.S charts and became the first in a long line of classics.
It was clearly his Motown work that remained some of his most popular and compelling output. The vibrant, Uptight (Everything's Alright) was a highly infectious affair as was the more sparse production of Yesterme-Yesteryou-Yesterday. The rolling undertones of playful funk on the classic, Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours) were three classics that perharps were pure examples of how Stevie Wonder gradually adapted to more Pop styles where his work still vastly contained elements of traditional black rhythm and blues but was able to cross boundaries and break down many racial barriers (much in the way Diana Ross had). Though commercial in each of the tracks content, they all still firmly retained that earthy, soulful style, owing much to Stevies credible and unique vocal style.
Stevie proved to be a masterful lyric writer and conveyed an effortless flair for ballads such as on the passionate, timeless, My Cherie Amour (written with Henry Cosby) and the more subtle and profound, A Place In The Sun.
Like Marvin gaye, his work steadily progressed from the formulaic sounds of Motown to more creative, artistic and indepth material, releasing a string of quality studio albums throughout the 1970's. The startling Superstition was a sharp, nifty, funky number where Stevies voice effectivley cuts through the stark musical arrangements. He delivered a more anthemic message on the compelling, Higher Ground.
The awesome, Living For The City, was an exciting, severn-minute epic which echoed the restrictions and perils of ghetto life. Much of his work steered more into profound political and social issues that perfectly captured contemporary times and deservedly gained wide acknowledgement from critics.
Like Diana Ross (a close friend of the divas and he'd also written the dazzling compostion, Too Shy To Say for her 1977 studio album, Baby It's Me) his work eventually settled into the more Adult-Contemporary market that occupied the lower reaches of the charts yet fully remained an A-list novelty act. Such saccharine numbers like I Just Called To Say I Love You, may have become big cross-atlantic hits but this type of material lacks the dynamic of some of his earlier work.
Even so, Stevie Wonder continues to this day to enjoy a large and loyal following. This being the definitive collection of Stevie Wonders work makes it essential to any serious Soul/R&B/Motown collection.
Free Music Review: Nice overview of his best known songs on a single CD.
Hit: 5 Stars
The track listing sequence on Amazon's website slightly
differs from the track sequence the CD I own. The track
sequence from my CD is as follows:
1. Fingertips (Part 2) 3:11
2. Uptight (Everything's Alright) 2:54
3. Hey Love 2:43
4. I Was Made To Love Her 2:36
5. For Once In My Life 2:50
6. My Cherie Amour 2:50
7. Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours 2:39
8. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life 2:52
9. Superstition 4:05
10. Higher Ground 3:11
11. Living For The City 7:25
12. You Haven't Done Nothin' 3:24
13. Boogie On Reggae Woman 4:11
14. I Wish 4:09
15. Sir Duke 3:54
16. Master Blaster (Jammin') 4:51
17. That Girl 5:09
18. Do I Do 5:04
19. I Just Called To Say I Love You 4:22
20. Overjoyed 3:44
21. Part-Time Lover 3:42
Total Time 79:46
The music on this compilation CD covers the time from
his days a child prodigy in 1963 to the mid 1980s, or a
span of roughly 22 years. Every song shows what a musical
genius he is, even though the term gets used more than it
should, he is worthy of the title. His influence can be
found in today's popular artists, namely the Red Hot Chili
Peppers, who did a cover version of Higher Ground, and Will
Smith, who used I Wish and reworked it into the song Wild
Wild West, which was the title track for the movie of the
same name. If there is a regret with regards to this
collection, it is there wasn't enough room to include his
Ebony & Ivory duet with Paul McCartney. I believe that
track can be found on Paul McCartney's single disc
compilation entitled All The Best. Nonetheless, a very
impressive effort to catalogue Stevie Wonder's most
important work on a single disc, which isn't easy to do
considering his longevity and the quality of his songs.
This would be a good buy for the Stevie Wonder novice
fans, and even for the ones who have been with him since
the beginning of his rise to fame in the 1960s, when he
was one of the signature voices for Motown Records. If
you're a serious Wonder fan who has all his albums, you
probably don't need to get this album, unless you like
the idea of having most of his significant songs on a
single CD. It is well worth the price and then some.
Free Music Review: "an magnitude of ultimate hits from the Wonder of Music"
Hit: 5 Stars
Universal Music has tackled the difficult task of bringing a "The Definitive Collection" featuring the legendary composer, arranger, producer and artist of the last century ~ Stevie Wonder! If you were just starting a collection of this icon, this my friend would be the one to pick up. Inclusive is the twenty-one tracks of a musical journey paved with gold.But the Wonder's ballads surface with some of the most compelling tracks. Try these on for size ~ "MY CHERIE AMOUR", one of his biggest ballads from 1969, an arrangement and lyrics that just lay there in your heart and simmer ~ "YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE", every artist including Sinatra recorded this one, a number one 1972 hit that still holds up today as then ~
"I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU", another number one from 1984 still holds up as a classic that can bring out the romantic in anyone, just listen to Stevie sing the longing lyrics that seems to bring the ache out of your very soul ~ "OVERJOYED", melody and lyrics just keep getting better with each year, take this 1985 ultimate classic---the sandman has come from to far away---they just don't write them like that anymore. This is some rare cues that will tear at your heart.
Of course if its funk that grabs you here goes ~ "PART-TIME LOVER", as Wonder just keeps cranking them out, from 1985 his magic touch just kept the hits pouring out like a golden faucet ~ "SUPERSTITION", was a favorite of my daughter and her pom-pom group in school, you can't select a better song with a beat to die for than this 1972 classic ~ "LIVING FOR THE CITY", talk about getting under your skin, this has all the ingredients of super-strutting down your favorite main street ~ just keep struttin' we now have "YOU HAVEN'T DONE NOTHIN'", a 1974 tune that can take you downtown on the thoroughfare of funk ~ "BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN", another 1974 super hit tells it like it is, listen to funky piano man play this down and dirty.
A collection of this magnitude comes along just once in a great while---if you're a fan or want to maintain your collection on the highest level of musical genre---then this ultimate or may I say "definitive collection"---is a keeper in the career of Stevie Wonder!
Total Time 79:56 on 21 Tracks ~ UTV Records 440-066-164-2 ~ (2002)
Free Music Review: The man who reinvents himself day afterday!
Hit: 5 Stars
The craftsmanship of Stevie Wonder certainly obligates us to get back on our ancient memories. In the febrile turbulence of new forms of expression in the middle of the sixties, the British invasion through the Beatles displaced Elvis from the top of the Billboard, the rock movement literally defined the feature of raising American bands. But the racial tensions penetrated the intimate feeling of the black people who literally had built a refugee in the jazz music: in this ambits they were the kings: Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Halliday, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Wes Montgomery opened the Gates and somehow narrowed the distances and the feeling and the whole world acknowledgement for their undeniable talent. The Soul music precisely derivates from a complex variety of fusions; Latin music brought Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria and Carl Tjader were the pioneers. The Soul knows about Wilson Pickett, Smokey Robinson, Otis Reading, Diana Ross, The Supremes and Temptations, allows the creation of Motown records; and in this state of things Stevie Wonder appears and his immense talent has allowed him to survive to ten generations, he possesses this special smell to feel the fashion musical and innovate and reinventing himself to remain always fresh and renovated. I think in so many young couples who meet and fell in love with My cherry amour, for instance, married and then his sons grow up under Isn't she is lovely? Or Superstitious beats to become in teenagers to complete the cycle with Ribbon in the sky (his best and most complete song to my mind) or the famous "I just called to say I love you". He owns this touch of genius who maintains him active. Consider the cases of three remarkable singers as Edwin Star in the last sixties, Bill Whiters in the middle seventies and Lionel Ritchie in the eighties. They were famous but belonged to a decade. That is the real difference with Wonder
His songs always transmit optimistic mood even talking about sad issues, and his undeniable charisma have become in a true legend.
Free Music Review: Essential!
Hit: 5 Stars
The Soul superstar genius Stevie Wonder has enthralled audiences for over three decades now, with his origanal, well-crafted work that demonstrates a genuine, raw talent. From the breathless, infectious pop of Fingertips, it was clear from an early age he was a gifted singer/songwriter and muscian. Fingertips was a sheer masterpiece! Exciting musical arrangements featuring a fabulously effective interlude from Stevie playing the harmonica, this marked the beginning of the musical legends career. Clearly his Motown work was his most compelling from the R&B/Pop sounds of the vibrant, upbeat Uptight (Everything's Alright) to the more raw Superstition, containing an elements of pulsating funk. Stevie was a masterful ballad writer and he scored several hits in the late 1960's with co-writer Henry Cosby on such strong, passionate ballads such as My Cherie Amour and A Place In The Sun whilst continuing his run of infectious R&B/Pop tunes that carry the traditional Maotown sound on tracks like the fabulous Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours, Yesterme-Yesteryou-Yesterday, I Was Made To love Her and For Once In My Life. Like Marvin Gaye, his work steadily progressed from the formulaic sounds of Motown to more creative and indepth material on tracks such as the startling Superstition, the anthemic Higher Ground and the awesome Living For The City, a severn-minute epic about the perils of ghetto life. His work explored social and political issues that deservedly won wide acclaim from critics. Eventually his work settled into the more middle-of-the-road material like the saccharine, I Just Called To Say I Love You, but he still takes credit for writing and recording some of the most remarkable songs that have comfortably stood the test of time and set standards for many younger contemporaries. This definitive collection is just that - enthralling from beginning to end, it is essential to any casual fan. Recommended!