Stevie Wonder - Stevie Wonder - The Definitive Collection
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Free Music Notes for Stevie Wonder - The Definitive Collection
Free Music Review: Hardly comprehensive, but still worthwhile.
Hit: 5 Stars
If you've never owned a Stevie Wonder album in your life, "The Definitive Collection" is a good choice, if you only want one disc by this most talented man. "Definitive" in this case meaning reliable or representative, this is the case, although people confuse the term with "COMPREHENSIVE", which would by definition make it complete or at least wide in scope. It is surely a sturdy, representative collection of which I would think no one could possibly find fault, knowing well ahead of time that it would not be a complete collection by any means. But even if you've owned some Stevie on CD, this is still a worthwhile collection to have, if only for the first-time EVER appearance of the 45 edit of "Do I Do" on ANY Stevie album, vinyl, tape or CD. Those wanting more COMPREHENSIVE collections would be advised to check out one of three: "Original Musiquarium I" which is a first-rate collection running from 1972 to 1981, and includes the heartfelt "Isn't She Lovely" among the other hits and new tracks, "Song Review", which purports to be a career-spanning collection, but still (barely) misses the mark, although it encompasses his hits from the 60s and 80s, as well as some 90s gems, or, if you want the most bang for your buck, "At the Close of A Century" box set is truly the definitive AND comprehensive collection to have, starting with the full 6-1/2 minute version of the live "Fingertips", along with 22 other hits and rarities from 1963-1972 (his own version of "Until You Come Back to Me", Aretha's 1974 hit, is stunning), and doesn't let up until the end of Disc 4 with his duet with Babyface, "How Come, How Long". But if you want just one Stevie disc, you can't go wrong here (although my personal faves "A Place in the Sun" and "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" are missing from it, I don't only own one Stevie album). Buy it, slap it on, and enjoy!!Free Music Review: Great single disc compilation!
Hit: 5 Stars
This is a great single disc collection spanning the career of Stevie Wonder. That being said, how does Motown define "definitive"? In regards to performers I think of definitive as substantial, significant, and representative of the performer's best work. I mention this in regards to two songs on this collection. First--"Hey Love"--a definitive Stevie wonder song? It is a good song and I like it, but it is certainly not definitive. My choice in place of "Hey Love" would be "If you really love me". Second--while I realize it is unavoidable that it was included on this CD since it was one of Stevie's biggest hits--the song "I Just Called to say I Love You" is one of the worst songs ever recorded--by anyone. That it was given life by Stevie is painful. Oh well, I can program my CD player to skip track 19 and no harm done. I am thankful that "Ebony and Ivory" is not included! My choice in place of "I Just called to say I Love You" would be the excellent "Ribbon in the Sky"--definately a definitive Stevie Wonder song! Except for these two minor points, I feel the compilers of this set have done an excellent job with the nearly impossible task of summarizing Stevie's career in a single disc. At over 79 minutes, all disc space is utilized. If you are a serious Stevie Wonder fan you most likely already own most of his CD's or the box set "At the close of a century" (to which I give my highest recommendation!) and may see no point in this single disc. I thought of this but ended up buying it to have in the car--great driving music! For the casual fan, this CD is of great quality and value and highly recommended!Free Music Review: I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this
Hit: 5 Stars
This is another in the list of CD's in my collection that you wouldn't expect a metalhead to have. I mean, the guy who runs Black Sabbath's website - liking Stevie Wonder?!? To be honest, before I bought this, when I thought of Stevie Wonder, I thought of three things. First, he's blind. Second, Eddie Murphy used to parody him on Saturday Night Live. Third, his song "Superstition", which I loved. That was it.
In April 2007, my stepfather died, and due to that, I had to head over to Men's Wearhouse to buy a suit for the funeral. While I was in there, I was getting fitted, and a song came on. I thought it was Will Smith's "Wild Wild West" from the (bad) movie of the same name. However, as it went along, I realized "Hey, that's not Will Smith". Listened some more, and said "That sounds like Stevie Wonder". Turns out it was, it was his song "I Wish". I was quite amazed. Not only did Will lift the main "riff", there was a lot of the same song structure. I then realized I was quite deficient in Stevie Wonder music.
Then I listened to it. I was quite amazed at how much of Stevie Wonder's music I actually knew! As I listened to more of the music, I realized I knew just about all of this stuff, just not by name. To be honest, when I sat down to listen, I thought this would be one of these knee jerk purchases I make, which I later go "Why did I buy this?" Not this one, I enjoyed it a lot, especially the more I realized I knew. It's hard to quantify his music - some might say "funk", but that doesn't seem right. I just know it's good music. Worth picking up.
Free Music Review: How high can we rate an artist?
Hit: 5 Stars
You know, with Mr. Wonder we reach for superlatives and we slap them down on paper and looking back on it we realize that the meaning of our impression is deeper yet. Listening to this retrospective of his best hits I was dazzled at how many there were, how many I remembered, how many years ago it all started and how the purity just carries on. While there is a substantial pool of anger, resentment and rage amongst African Americans and many choose to vent their spleen in their music, Stevie Wonder chose a different path. Perhaps it is just a reflection of the love in his being, but his music always keeps pointed to a positive message, even when he is lamenting the scourge of ghetto life.
This master musician, singer, songwriter and story teller has no peer who eclipses his place. He has given us funk so hot you just have to get up and gyrate on the floor lest you fall off your chair. He has given us love songs so tender that dozens of other singers have sung them to great acclaim for their own careers. It is not an exaggeration to say that with this genius, his reach has never extended beyond his abilities. They go hand in hand, his ability to manifest his deepest creativity is unimpeded. A person cannot be without this compilation and say that they have surrounded themselves with the best of American Afro funk, jazz and pop. It only remains for us to wait for more music to fill up the already substantial opus that he has created. A greater joy in music is hard to come by. Essential.
Free Music Review: If you have to get one, get this one
Hit: 5 Stars
So, what can I say about a Stevie Greatest Hits CD? In some ways a lot but in many others, not much. Stevie, like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye and Prince, just has too much to offer to fit in one disk. This definately does include most of his hits but an artist like Stevie is so much more than just the hits. He's about taking chances and busting down doors and barriers. The album includes ballads like Overjoyed which is for sure one of his best and one of the best written in the last 2 decades but yet it doesn't (or can't because of space) include You and I, All Is Fair In Love or the great Lately. It includes social/political songs like Superstition, Higher Ground and Living for The City but can't include Evil, Big Brother, He's Mistra Know It All or the amazing Apartheid (It's Wrong). How about the best lost love song ever, Maybe Your Baby, from Talking Book? For the casual listener or for a beginner to Stevie this is a great disk. If you have to get a greatest hits type of Stevie's work, get this disk. If you can afford better, get At the Close Of A Century. Of course, if you are a real music fan interested in how we got to where we are today in music, and of course where we came from, buy his whole collection. It's an incredible journey well worth the money.