Stevie Wonder - Talking Book
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Free Music Notes for Talking Book
Free Music Review: Let's Have A Talk
Hit: 5 Stars
Released in 1972, the same year as Music of My Mind, this album is by many considered to be Stevie Wonder's greatest and most influentual album. If you ask Soul fans they agree that it's a masterpiece, but they also mention Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life as his greatest albums, but if you ask Rock fans, they will mostly admire "Talking Book" cause it's Wonder's first crossover success that became a smash hit among both blacks and whites, Soul and Rock fans. Something that hadn't been archived by anyone before. On Talking Book we'll find Wonder more exprimental then ever mixing synthesizers and guitars and perfecly breeding tender love songs with conscious protest songs. As always, the the album is packed with memorable songs (and many big hits) performed with plenty of emotion and magic and apart from previous albums it all comes so natural sounding like it's all taken from a day in his life. Wonder means what he sings and often switches from joy to heartbreak in the same song. Now, that's magic.
Instead of talking more of the album's impact, let's take a look at the songs that made it famous. Jim Gilstrap and Gloria Barley starts the album by singing the first notes of "You Are the Sunshine of My Life". A very basic love songs in it's construction....then Stevie jumps in, take control and owns it. His emotion here is is incredible and make a quite simple song sound tough. The song topped the billboard charts in 1973. "Maybe Your Baby" is a rock-funk number. Ray Parker Jr (That later made the Ghostbusters song) plays the guitar here and make it a perfect crossover. The song is almost 7 minutes with lots of jamming toward the end. "You and I (We Can Conquer the World)" is the perfect piano ballad, starts very slow but takes shape and end up full of emotion. "Tuesday Heratbreak" is the complete opposite, a very warm uplifting soul song, kind of like "If You Really Love Me". The arrangements here are amazing and the lyrics speak the language of love "I wanna be with you when the nightime comes/ I wanna be with you when the daytime comes /I wanna stay, oh baby, lemme, baby with you" songs like these is the reason that it's hard not to like Stevie Wonder. A midtempo called "You Got It Bad Girl" does use the synthesizers but just as backround for his vocals, it may sound a little dated today but the song is enjoayable and beautiful.
"Superstition" is one of the greeatest songs of all time. Period. It's what defines this album, and Stevie's 70's sound the best. It's Soul meets Rock. Brassy Earth Wind and Fire horns Vs Classic Rock Riffs. The riffs here are just as good as the Stone's "Satisfaction" and the Beatles "Day Tripper" and that sais alot. The song was actually supposted to be given to Jeff Beck but Wonder's manager insisted that he recorded it. The result was his first #1 single since "Fingertips" in 1963. Jeff Beck was offered another song and accepted to play the guitar on the "Talking Book Sessions". "Big Brother" which got it's name from the Orwell novel "1984" critisizes politicians that only want votes from the poor but aren't ready to do anything to make their lifes better. The lyrics go like "Your name is big brother/ You say that you got me all in your notebook/Writing it down everyday/ Your name is I'll see ya,/ I'll change if you vote me in as the pres,/The President of your soul/I live in the ghetto/ You just come to visit me 'round election time" and the arrangements are among his best of the album with the classic harmonica and piano. A classic ballad called "Blame it On the Sun" where Wonder blames the sun, the wind, the trees and sea for his love dissapearing. "Looking for Another Pure Love" is a quite simular midtempo love song while the closer "I Believe (When I Fall In Love) the third consecutive love ballad here is among Wonder's deepest and most poignant moments. The interesting thing here, is that the verse and the hook sound like two diffrent songs. The verse a ballad and the hook a soul-funk number.
Overall, From being a one man band man on his last album, Wonder ends up being a genius that loves company on this one. As always he got full control over his music, but thanks to his wife Syreeta, Saxophonist David Sanborn, Guitarists Parker and Beck and backround singers this album feel more complete then his last one. Like aformentioned it's a crossover succcess with both soul and rock, joy and heartbreak. Finally, Wonder got the apreciation that he deserved, Few people saw him as the kid that made "Fingertips" anymore but one of the brightest and most creative music stars of the 70's. "Talking Book" is a classic in any way you put it.
Free Music Review: Steve Knopper doesn't know what he's talking about
Hit: 5 Stars
this isn't really a review. i just wanted to point out that in Amazon's review Steve Knopper says that 'superstition' features funky wah-pedal guitar or something like that. but it doesn't. Stevie Wonder's playing the clavinet in that song...check ya factsFree Music Review: Sunburnt orange and brown
Hit: 5 Stars
In my opinion this is Stevie's most intimate album. There is so much colour and emotion here. It's the nucleus of Stevie's songwriting and musicianship. A MASTERPIECE! (Tuesday Heartbreak.. yeah!!! Looking for another pure love.. yeah!!!)
The melodies are so rich and warm they make me think of a summer sunset. I would love to hear this as an instrumental album too.
This music feels and breathes. So much emotion. And color... just close your eyes.
There is Electric Ladyland, Sgt. Pepper's and Talking Book.
Free Music Review: So good
Hit: 5 Stars
A stunning collection of tunes written by a man who at this time was consistently producing music of an incredibly high quality:
You are the sunshine of my life.
Superstition
Blame It on the Sun
I believe
These are all fabulous tracks in different ways. But the best is 'You and I'. A wonderful ballad, demonstrating Stevie's fantastic voice and his subtle use of early synthesizers. On the last chorus he modulates the song up into a different range and the song is taken to a new emotional level. Something similar was done with 'Lately' a few years later.
Every collection should have this album.
Free Music Review: Stevie Wonder's Greatest Album.
Hit: 5 Stars
Stevie Wonder released many classic albums in the 1970's including "Innervisions", "Fulfilingness First Finale" and the epic "Songs In the Key Of Life". However, in this reviewers opinion, his late 1972 classic "Talking Book" is still Stevie's best overall album.
Like "Music Of My Mind" before it, "Talking Book" finds Stevie Wonder in complete control by writing, producing and performing most of the music himself. His natural songwriting talents combined with the latest technology and his unmistakable vocals make for what is undoubtedly a timeless classic.
Many of the tracks on "Talking Book" have become standards since their initial release including the wonderful "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Tuesday Heartbreak", "Blame It On The Sun", "You've Got It Bad Girl" and the driving funk of "Superstition". Elsewhere are stellar moments such as the hard rock of the jamming "Maybe Your Baby", the folkish "Big Brother", the beautifully orchestrated piano ballad "You and I" and the dynamic spiritual closer "I Believe".
Indeed, all 10 tracks that make up "Talking Book" are some of the best music Stevie Wonder has ever made. This isn't just an album to be listened to in sections, it needs to be played from beginning to end. As mentioned above, Stevie has made albums that have equalled "Talking Book", however this album has an extra little added kick that brings it above the others.
Although I've been familiar with the "Talking Book" album since I was born, I'm very happy to say that I finally own this album all these years later.