LoveOrConfusion said:

My absolute favorite Stevie song is Visions.

One of the most beautiful songs ever, one of my absolute favorites, Have you ever listened this song at night with lights off, let me tell you; is something else.

[Edited 4/28/17 18:39pm]

TheFman said:

He has some absolutely fantastic songs, but to me many of his songs sound better when done by others. A bit like Dylan in that way.
I listen to about 15 songs regularly, but can't get myself to like a whole album A to Z; too much of the same thing imo.

A rational take, but I'd commend Talking Book to you. It was Sign O' The Times before Sign O' The Times.

namepeace said:

TheFman said:

He has some absolutely fantastic songs, but to me many of his songs sound better when done by others. A bit like Dylan in that way.
I listen to about 15 songs regularly, but can't get myself to like a whole album A to Z; too much of the same thing imo.

A rational take, but I'd commend Talking Book to you. It was Sign O' The Times before Sign O' The Times.

Namepeace, you are preaching to the choir about Talking Book. I have been listening to that album since I was 4 years old. It is fantastic from start to finish. There's not a bad song on that album. I think it's more like Purple Rain than Sign o' the Times. Songs in the Key of Life is more like SOTT just based on pure length and variety of the musical styles.

Stevie Wonder's catalogue is so vast, it's hard to pick out a greatest song. I'm not takling favourite, but greatest. (My favourite is probably "You've Got It Bad Girl"). If I had to choose one song as his greatest, I would choose "Living for the City." The lyrics, the instrumentation, the sound effects, the emotion in his voice, everything about the song is flawless. The song is something to behold, a masterpeice by every measure of musical greatness.

.

What song do others consider to be Stevie's greatest?

Stevie Wonder is the 8th wonder of the world, seriously! Man has talent oozes from his finger tips and his genius knows no bounds! He also was a strong man of character with great insight and intelligence. He did a ton of great things for Black people and social justice during the Civil Rights movement. One of the very first albums I listened to as a child is the "Hotter than July" album but Stevie has so many great albums, Innvervisions, Songs in the Key of Life, Music of My Mind, Jazz of Soul of Little Stevie, etc. I love him soooooooo much!

[Edited 5/1/17 10:19am]

Purple Raindrops:

Don't you think Hotter Than July would be a greater album if we drop out 4 songs Happy Birthday, Did I Hear, As If You Read and Do Like You and instead of them we add That Girl, Do I Do, Ribbon In The Sky and Front Line. I for one believe this would be a much greater album.

214 said:

Don't you think Hotter Than July would be a greater album if we drop out 4 songs Happy Birthday, Did I Hear, As If You Read and Do Like You and instead of them we add That Girl, Do I Do, Ribbon In The Sky and Front Line. I for one believe this would be a much greater album.

...

I agree - in fact, I might also drop "Cash In Your Face"....

...

here's how you make Hotter Than July a better album....

You replace the opening track "Did I Hear You Say You Love Me" with.....

"Let's Get Serious" yes,the song that Stevie gave to Jermaine Jackson.

That song is fantastic...too good to give away to another artist

SoulAlive said:

here's how you make Hotter Than July a better album....

You replace the opening track "Did I Hear You Say You Love Me" with.....

"Let's Get Serious" yes,the song that Stevie gave to Jermaine Jackson.

That song is fantastic...too good to give away to another artist

....

That's funny, we were just talking about the stuff he was giving away during that period ..."I Can't Help It", Try Jah Love", "Let's Get Serious", "You Are My Heaven", etc...drop any of that on there....

....

[Edited 5/2/17 14:58pm]

paligap said:

214 said:

Don't you think Hotter Than July would be a greater album if we drop out 4 songs Happy Birthday, Did I Hear, As If You Read and Do Like You and instead of them we add That Girl, Do I Do, Ribbon In The Sky and Front Line. I for one believe this would be a much greater album.

...

I agree - in fact, I might also drop "Cash In Your Face"....

...

No,whata crime, it's a great song. Especially lyrically.

yeah it seems like,around that era,Stevie was giving away alot of great tunes to me,"Let's Get Serious" is better than any of the uptempo songs on Hotter Than July.I still like that album,though.

paligap said:

SoulAlive said:

here's how you make Hotter Than July a better album....

You replace the opening track "Did I Hear You Say You Love Me" with.....

"Let's Get Serious" yes,the song that Stevie gave to Jermaine Jackson.

That song is fantastic...too good to give away to another artist

....

That's funny, we were just talking about the stuff he was giving away during that period ..."I Can't Help It", Try Jah Love", "Let's Get Serious", "You Are My Heaven", etc...drop any of that on there....

Wow, from the late-60s to early-80s, he was just the best (or close anyway!).

It's hard to say anything but superlatives about his 1972 to 1976 recordings, and Hotter Than July (1980) is pretty awesome, too, as are the 4 new songs he included on the Original Musiquarium compilation in 1982. [We won't mention the 'Plants' movie... what was he thinking there?]

After that, however, he did fall quite a bit. Not that he's not still great, but there was a fairly sudden drop-off. And he started taking about 20 years to make each album, etc.

Sometimes I'm in a restaurant or something and a song like 'Overjoyed' comes on, and you just feel: Where is this music from? Another dimension?

ThePanther said:

Wow, from the late-60s to early-80s, he was just the best (or close anyway!).

It's hard to say anything but superlatives about his 1972 to 1976 recordings, and Hotter Than July (1980) is pretty awesome, too, as are the 4 new songs he included on the Original Musiquarium compilation in 1982. [We won't mention the 'Plants' movie... what was he thinking there?]

After that, however, he did fall quite a bit. Not that he's not still great, but there was a fairly sudden drop-off. And he started taking about 20 years to make each album, etc.

Sometimes I'm in a restaurant or something and a song like 'Overjoyed' comes on, and you just feel: Where is this music from? Another dimension?

Truly!

ThePanther said:

Wow, from the late-60s to early-80s, he was just the best (or close anyway!).

It's hard to say anything but superlatives about his 1972 to 1976 recordings, and Hotter Than July (1980) is pretty awesome, too, as are the 4 new songs he included on the Original Musiquarium compilation in 1982. [We won't mention the 'Plants' movie... what was he thinking there?]

After that, however, he did fall quite a bit. Not that he's not still great, but there was a fairly sudden drop-off. And he started taking about 20 years to make each album, etc.

Sometimes I'm in a restaurant or something and a song like 'Overjoyed' comes on, and you just feel: Where is this music from? Another dimension?

Right? and it's not even one his better songs.

TheFman said:

He has some absolutely fantastic songs, but to me many of his songs sound better when done by others. A bit like Dylan in that way.
I listen to about 15 songs regularly, but can't get myself to like a whole album A to Z; too much of the same thing imo.

I have to disagree with you about the point you made about others covering Stevie's songs. However, I will say that I love O'Bryan's version of "You and I," but I love Stevie's version the best. My husband and I did the first dance at our wedding to Stevie's original version of "You and I."

[Edited 5/9/17 19:35pm]

If you want to have a good cry, go and listen Joy Inside My Tears. It really moves you, is an inspiring piece of art. I just had it today listening to this song, it helps, you know it's good for your health. Thank you Stevie.

[Edited 5/9/17 14:49pm]

[Edited 5/9/17 14:50pm]

214 said:

LoveOrConfusion said:

My absolute favorite Stevie song is Visions.

Many say "Songs" is his best work. For me, it's "Innervisions".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEVIE!!!

Source: https://www.facebook.com/...mp;theater

uPtoWnNY said:

LoveOrConfusion said:

My absolute favorite Stevie song is Visions.

Many say "Songs" is his best work. For me, it's "Innervisions".

I totally agree that Innervisions is his best work.

"All Day Sucker"

I love this footage Stevie Wonder 1974 concert on German TV show Musikladen/Beat Club (featuring a young Denise Williams and the always awesome Ollie Brown on the drums)

[Edited 5/13/17 17:40pm]

SoulAlive said:

"All Day Sucker"

Great one, and i don't know you but it sounds to me as though it were from the late 90's early 00's. Does not sound like 70´s song to me.

uPtoWnNY said:

LoveOrConfusion said:

My absolute favorite Stevie song is Visions.

Many say "Songs" is his best work. For me, it's "Innervisions".

Visions is the second best song off Innvervisions.

Goddess4Real said:

I love this footage Stevie Wonder 1974 concert on German TV show Musikladen/Beat Club (featuring a young Denise Williams and the always awesome Ollie Brown on the drums)

[Edited 5/13/17 17:40pm]

I'm listening right now 'Cause We've Ended As Lovers and i think that it fits perfectly in Talkin Book, to me his best album. This performance is the best i have seen from him so far. It's amazing, why those germans didn't move at all, they seem like dead.

Stevie = Best!

[Edited 5/14/17 14:31pm]

Lately i have been listening to some songs off Characters, it's not bad at all. I dig Skeletons, Free, With Each Beat of My Heart, Crying Through The Night and You Will Know.

One thing i can't get my head around it yet, why Stevie has neglected Music Of My Mind and Fulfillingess in his live performances? he never sings any song from those great albums, the same could be said about Hotter Than July and Characters. But we are talkin about his best period as an artist. I don't get it, Fulfillingness is such a great album, great songs like Ain't No Use, it's not fair.

214 said:

Lately i have been listening to some songs off Characters, it's not bad at all. I dig Skeletons, Free, With Each Beat of My Heart, Crying Through The Night and You Will Know.

I've been listening to Characters a lot as well. Characters has definitely grown on me. It doesn't measure up to Talking Book, Innervisions, or SITKOL ---very few albums measure up to those 3. But Characters is a pretty good album by the standards of 1987.

.

My favorite song from Characters is "Dark 'N' Lovely," which is a song about the impact of apartheid on black people in South Africa. I knew he had an album called Characters but I never listened to it. I first listened to it on Easter Sunday of this year because I heard the song "You Will Know" while driving to mass on Easter Sunday.

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When I first listened to DNL, I figured out that it was about some conflict going on in Africa. When I did some more research on the internet 2 weeks ago (on Stevie's birthday), I found out that DNL was specifically about apartheid in South Africa. I knew the basics about apartheid, but I really don't remember anything first hand about it because I was so young when it came to an end (I was born in 1986). I remember the South African elections in 1994 and seeing footage of these long lines of people who were waiting to vote, and that Nelson Mandela became the president of SA.

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DNL actually has helped me become more educated about apartheid. Because of DNL, I've learned the meanings of words like shebeen and bantustan, as well as who Botha was. I knew that apartheid was racist and unjust, but DNL made me interested in become more educated about apartheid, and I have gained a better understanding of how brutal and unjust the apartheid government in South Africa was.

.

Stevie has numerous songs like DNL, songs that make the listener think and question. He is a thinking person's artist, and it's one of the reasons why I respect him so much, because he uses his platform as a musician to make the world better.