INDULGE ME FOR A MOMENT...

I bought Innervisions and Hotter Than July over a year ago and only just listened to them this week. Shame on me, I know!

Anyway, I think they are both incredible records and would like to canvass opinion about which record orgers prefer. IMO, HTJ takes my fancy - Rocket Love, As If You Read my Mind, and Do Like You are simply stunning. Surely, it doesn't get much better than that...

So let's hear your thoughts. It beats talking about the MJ case, Ursher, and Drop It Like It's Hot.

Innervisions 0-1 Hotter Than July.

Well Innervisions is probably my favorite album by any artist ever. Hotter Than July, however, is possibly the most criminally underrated Stevie album. But in any case, I prefer Innervisions. Every track on that is amazing and complex and so emotionally pure. Hotter Than July is mostly great, but it's more ear-candy than the sophisticated piece of artistry that Innervisions is.

jacktheimprovident said:

i concur Innervisions,Talking Book are the most critical stevie albums to own.

The Essential Stevie Collection As Far as I'm Concerned

Where I'm Coming From-His first self-produced album. He covers A LOT of ground even if it's more raw, idiosyncratic and less polished than his others (I think that's what makes it so good). Lots of psychedelic numbers, which is unusual for stevie (do yourself a favor, look around, the sgt.pepperesque take up a course in happiness)
Music Of My Mind-First One man band record and it's once again more raw than a lot of his other stuff and that's once again what makes it great. Pioneering use of synthesizers, amazing songwriting, killer grooves, what more could you want
Talking Book-Polished, but not overly slick. Covers nearly every stage of love from warm affection, to paranoia, to yearning promise, to heartbreak (and that's just the first four songs) as well as leaving from for some awesome political numbers as well (superstition, big brother)
Innervisions-What's Going On my ass. THIS is the absolute paragon of socially conscious R&B (of R&B in general as far as I'm concerned). Just buy it now
Fulfillingness' First Finale-More mellow and melancholy but still fantastic and he leaves room for his raciest(boogie on reggae woman), angriest (you haven't done nothing) and most haunting (they won't go when I go) songs.
Songs in the Key of life-Not as tight as the previous four but has more top quality music than nearly any album ever
Secret Life of Plants- A complete curveball, but proved that stevie could do orchestral, world, and other weirder types of music as well as the more palatable stuff that everybody liked
Hotter Than July-The end of his prime and the perfect balance to the previous one. Every tune is grooving and catchy as hell and he does reggae, disco and country for the first times, all masterfully.

I WAS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO SAY THAT

But I think Rocket Love is comparable to anything on Innervisions.

jacktheimprovident said:

Check out this form:

Music Of My Mind (1972)
Talking Book (1972)
Innervisions (1973)
Fulfillgness' First Finale (1974) - I'll listen to this tonight.
Songs In The Key Of Life (1976)
Looking Back (1977)
Journey Through The Secret Of Plants (1979)
Hotter Than July (1980)

Bold denotes albums I've listened to

1980 - 1988 was good for Prince but the above is record is close to unbeatable.

I'm also fond of Characters - though I'm not sure how it was commercially and critically received.

Innervisions 2-1 HTJ

papaa said:

In square circle and characters grew on me, but they sounded almost unbearably dated the first time I listened to them (then again I felt the same way about dirty mind, controversy and 1999). If Stevie had kept to a more organic sound with those two I might rank them closer to his prime material. Conversation Peace, to me, was a true return to form, he recovered his muse as a producer (he never lost his sense of melody or groove to me).

Innervisions in a breez. What?

I think Songs in The Key of life is where the artistry and production meet to perfection. So Innervisions is not a slick as Hotter than July, but it's a more artistic record.

Hotter Than July is underrated, though. It's kind of like Stevie's Diamonds & Pearls. It's not like the old stuff, but there are some great tracks.

Most of my friends don't even sing the old Happy Birthday to each other anymore.

Oh, but I pick Innervisions...
[Edited 12/15/04 12:57pm]

papaa said:

Hold up, what's this?

CinisterCee said:

some obscure Anthology package Cin'

IT'S THE MISSING STEVIE ALBUM

You've been dying to get your hands on for nearly 20 years. The muscial bridge between Innervisions and James Brown's Turn It Loose

TheRealFiness said:[quote]

CinisterCee said:

TheRealFiness said:

Any Looking Back-only songs? This is important.

papaa said:

Harlepolis said:

which part of that is that a reaction to

Since age ooooone Keita knew he had the aaaaanswer

And it waaaaas that someday he'd be a daaaaancer





Yeah, definitely a slept on lp. Not sure if it's better than Innervisions, tho.

"Looking Back" (1977) was basically a three record compilation of Stevie's earlier hits from '63 to'71, but it included 3 (until then )previously unreleased tracks: "Until You Come Back To Me", "If I Ruled The World" and "I'd Be A Fool Right Now"(alternate take)...



Oh, and I'll take Innervisions by a mile...




...
[Edited 12/15/04 15:48pm]

THANK you, paligap

CinisterCee said:

s'alright!

I have to get "Hotten Than July" and I want "Music Of My Mind" if for nothing else the song "Superwoman".

TheRealFiness said:

Co-sign with Finess, Innervisions with Talking Book ahead of that.

However lately, i'm really diggin' his old school tunes...



...Greatest Hits Vol.1&2

Uptight
I'm Wondering
I Was Made To Love Her
Fingertips
Nothing's Too Good For My Baby
Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day
For Once In My Life
We Can Work It Out
Signed Sealed Delivered I'm Yours

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

papaa said:

If only I had the time to explain...


Innervisions, btw.

paligap said:

what's the alternate take of "I'd be a fool right now" like?

HELLO CHEEKY!

Supernova said:

jacktheimprovident said:

I have to go back and listen to it, it's been awhile...I know it's different from the version that was released on Stevie's For Once In My Life album...

Stevie can be a truly great artist (obviously most of his '70s work), but for me, he's always played too safe. He seems too concerned with 'commercial potential'. 'Secret World of Plants' aside, I'd love for Stevie to just do an album for himself, music for music's sake. Soul, jazz, orchestral, funk, avante-garde, instrumental, whatever. I mean, Prince did 'Rainbow Children' for himself and maybe also as a sort of tribute to his father (and to his God of course), then he did 'Musicology', which to my mind is more of a 'commercial' album, good, but it barely competes with TRC. Miles Davis surprised everyone with 'Bitches Brew', which reawakened his creativity.

We need to hear Stevie's 'Bitches Brew' or 'Rainbow Children' (minus the religious aspects, perhaps ...). Damn the unit sales, damn what people expect from S. Wonder,just release a really creative record to truly reclaim his great legacy. No need to compete with the likes of Usher, Steve should operate on another level.

Come on, Stevie, you're only 54, Duke Ellington had 20 years more great work in him at that age.

Whatever, I'm looking forward to his next album, whenever it finally comes out, to see any sign of a true Stevie return. Fingers crossed ...

theAudience said:

I love Vol 2

Doesn't he look like Eddie Murphy on the cover (or vice versa)?

Miles said:

co-sign, Stevie needs a "Rainbow children" or "bitches Brew". From what he's said though, he has a jazz album planned for immediately after time 2 love and a musical.

MAN!!!!!
INNERVISIONS!!!!!
Enough said.....
"Too High" alone is the jam....
Those harmonica solo's overdubbing each other.....Genius.....
I could never listen to one song....
I always play this whole album...its that good.....
Love 'Hotter Than July', but INNERVISIONS does it for me....

paligap said:[quote]"Looking Back" (1977) was basically a three record compilation of Stevie's earlier hits from '63 to'71, but it included 3 (until then )previously unreleased tracks: "Until You Come Back To Me", "If I Ruled The World" and "I'd Be A Fool Right Now"(alternate take)...



Hi--any idea of the source for 'High Heeled Sneakers' that was on Looking Back?? I used to love that and haven't been able to track it down on cd or online . . .

Hotter Than July. All I Do and Lately are two of my favorite Stevie tracks. Lately is... perfection.