Go and buy it RIGHT FUCKING NOW! I can't believe after all these years and over 2 decades of albums that sounded like they were produced by Casio, that this guy has the ability to crank out an album as classic as this. I bought it off itunes the other day and track after track after track, you get nothing but grade A material. It definitely stands right up to any of the best things he's ever done, including "SITKOL."

If you like Stevie, especially his mid to late 70s stuff, you will not be disappointed.

It almost makes me wish Prince would take the time to do an album like this. Almost.

I don't know if I can write an unbiased review cuz I love the whole damn thing but I'll try to describe the songs.


1. If Your Love Cannot Be Moved - Great opening track and one of my favorite songs. It's an uptempo song with some African influences and even a little beatboxing. The chords have sort of a cautionary tone. Stevie trades lines with Kim Burrell, who has a great, scratchy gospel voice and there are some big choral vocals in the back. The line that always stands out for me is "You can't form a line if you're afraid to stand alone." It kind of reminds me of "Another Star." Just a little.

2. Sweetest Somebody I Know - An easy going mid-tempo love song with sort of punchy rhythm section. Very nice.

3. Moon Blue - Probably my personal favorite. This song is fantastic. It's a jazzy piano ballad that sounds like a new jazz standard. It totally casts a mood and Stevie's vocals really shine. His adlibs at the end are subtle but really great.

4. From The Bottom Of My Heart - A nice mid-tempo love song that features Stevie's harmonica. It kind of reminds me a little bit of "I Just Called To Say I Love You."

5. Please Don't Hurt My Baby - Another favorite of mine. This reminds me of 70s Stevie. It's a tale of infidelity that's sort of a cross between "Superstition" and "All Day Sucker." Nice horn punches and female back-ups.

6. How Will I Know - This is another one of my faves. A gorgeous piano ballad that his him dueting with his daughter, Aisha Morris. I play this one all the time.

7. My Love Is On Fire - A sexy mid-tempo groove with a catchy keyboard refrain and a smooth baseline. Has a real live-band feel.

8. Passionate Raindrops - Okay when I first heard a sample of this song I thought it might be too corny for me. But now I totally love it. This sounds like something from "SITKOL." I think it reminds me a little bit of "Summer Soft." It's a piano-driven midtempo love song. I like the line, "Let each drop of rain be a lifetime that our love won't end."

9. Tell Your Heart I Love You - A laid back funky little jam that features Stevie's harmonica. It has a bluesy vibe to it and the groove kinda reminds me of "Boogie On Reggae Woman" without the piano.

10. True Love - Another jazzy piano ballad and another one of my favorites. I really think Stevie is at his best when he does songs like these. They all sound like classics! It features some nice, sensual saxaphone playing as well.

11. Shelter In The Rain - If I had to pick a least favorite, this might be it. It's a little too schmaltzy for me and somewhat overwrought at the end. It's a gospel ballad that features yet more great vocals from Stevie. However, listening to it now, I'm realizing I like it more than I thought I did.

12. So What The Fuss - The funkiest jam on the album for sure with great back ups from En Vogue (Is it true that Dawn is back???) and funky guitar from Prince. The album version has some more noodling from Prince at the end and a couple more name checks from Stevie. There's a funny moment when Stevie and EV are chanting the "so what the FUSS" chant back and forth and then Stevie goes, "Hey Prince....so what the FUSS.." and the girls crack up.

13. Can't Imagine Love Without You - This one might fall into the "Shelter In The Rain" category for me in terms of schmaltziness but it's still a nice ballad.

14. Positivity - Another total favorite of mine! This is just a sunny, happy and vibrant pop song. Nobody makes songs like these anymore and I don't think they could. It's just a different era. Stevie delivers the verses in a spitfire manner but if you really listen, he just has so much to say. Even after all these years. There's some nice rhythm guitar playing and a really nice female voice chiming in on the refrain. I also love the little vocorder background vocals.

15. A Time To Love - The epic title track that's a duet with India.Arie. It's a midtempo song with some more African influences in the percussion. It also features some nice strings and big, choral back ups at the end. It's about all the terrible things we make time for in life and poses the question, "When will there be a time to love?" Stevie even starts preaching a little bit at the end. And I had to laugh when Stevie ends the album by saying, "PEACE! And we out."

GO GET THIS DAMN ALBUM!
[Edited 10/13/05 10:12am]

is it Stevie Wonder you are talking about?

piepie1976 said:

I agree with you that is an excellent record especially if you are someone who knows Stevie's music and appreciate it. I think it would be able to go a fe rounds with some o his 70s stuff although SITKOL still is king. But yes, if you love Stevie get this. IIf you want something that will be a classic years from now get it. If you thought Usher and Alicia Keys had excellent albums this isn't for you. The music is too good and wholesome for you.

This CD isn't out yet is it?

intha916 said:

It's available on itunes now...the actual physical CD drops in another week or so...

paligap said:

Thanks. That's what I thought. I'll wait for the real deal.

I actually really like it. It's certainly not the second-coming of Innervisions or anything, but I think may possible the best work he's done since his prime, even if it does at times feel a little too close to the MOR nigh-easy listening stuff that bogged down his 80s and 90s albums. Anyone know the album credits? I'd like to know which instruments he played and who the guests were.

typo edit, Innervisinos
[Edited 10/5/05 14:49pm]

I heard the whole album last night and it certainly is one the better R&B/soul releases that is going to be released this year, in my eyes. No it's not Songs In The Key Of Life, Innervisions, nor is it Talking Book, but it is a great album. One thing that I will never understand is why would he wait almost a decade to get this thing made. I love that duet he sings with his daughter, "How Will I Know". The production is pretty good too. So, I'm not going to be surprised if this record is going to at least get a Grammy or two, especially for his performance on So What The Fuss, but I'm going to wait until October 15th, so I can get the real thing...

I've been playing the track "My Love is on Fire" non-stop, in fact, it's on right now.

Great album, and worth the wait.
[Edited 10/5/05 15:39pm]

And how can "Positivity" NOT bring a smile to your face? A little corny? Yes. But still.

piepie1976 said:

To me it sounds like it's from about 1995.

I'm sorry I love Stevie... always will. But this album damn near just picks up where Conversation Piece left off ten years ago. I'm just glad to have it as part of the collection. But this was not worth the wait. Let me reiterate... I love Stevie.

psykosoul said:

Yeah that was my reaction, too, pretty much....I know a lot of people will disagree...I dunno, Ijust resigned myself to the fact that he plays, writes and sings in a different way than he used to in his heyday...he's got more of a sing songy, safe, middle of the road style now....and that's fine, It's his life, more power to him...I'm just not a big fan of his latest stuff....



...

The song "How Will I Know" (featuring his daughter Aisha) is getting some airplay on one of our local Quiet Storm stations.I like it alot

I haven't heard the rest of the album yet.I'm waiting to buy the CD.

silverchild said:

Could one of you guys give us a track-by-track review? I want to know what each song really sounds like....what songs you think could be singles....what songs you totally dislike...etc.

Thanks

I read a review from the Boston Globe with respect to this album. And it is a point of view which I think can help but this album in perspective.

It is a very solid album when contrasted and compared to many of the albums that were released this year.

The writer said it is not TAlking Book, Innervisions, or Songs In The Key of Life. But the author states that hardly anyone has been able to create an album that compares to those three magnum opuses in the past 30 years. I agree. No. It's a fact.

Finally, she said that as long as the album is judged on its own merits and not that of past records, primarily the 70s, then you will find that this was a good, very good album. The overwhelming majority seems to think it's good enough.

Clearly, we have Stevie's 70s record to remind us of who he was then. Lets let this 2005 record help us appreciate who his now, a grown man who is 30 years older, and different life experieces. He is a different Stevie, people. But he is Stevie. Just like Prince is a different Prince, but Prince.

breeze1 said:

I read a review from the Boston Globe with respect to this album. And it is a point of view which I think can help but this album in perspective.

It is a very solid album when contrasted and compared to many of the albums that were released this year.

The writer said it is not TAlking Book, Innervisions, or Songs In The Key of Life. But the author states that hardly anyone has been able to create an album that compares to those three magnum opuses in the past 30 years. I agree. No. It's a fact.

Finally, she said that as long as the album is judged on its own merits and not that of past records, primarily the 70s, then you will find that this was a good, very good album. The overwhelming majority seems to think it's good enough.

Clearly, we have Stevie's 70s record to remind us of who he was then. Lets let this 2005 record help us appreciate who his now, a grown man who is 30 years older, and different life experieces. He is a different Stevie, people. But he is Stevie. Just like Prince is a different Prince, but Prince.

Dead on post!!!

i agree
if u go in2 this album xpecting 70's stevie
u r in 4 a disappointment
cuz u will not find it
if u go in2 it and let it stand up on it's on merit
and c that he did the best a 50+ year old artist can do and try
2 remain contemporary..let's thank there's no rappers on here for christ's sake
this is a lot like in musicology
when i listened 2 musicology..i wasnt expecting sott
i just let it stand up 2 its own merit..and it was an enjoyable expereience
just like a time 2 love is enjoyable only if u let go of any expectations

breeze1 said:

This is exactly how I feel.I'm gonna listen to this album and judge it on it's own merits instead of playing the pointless "comparison game".It's unrealistic and silly to expect this album to be another 'Innervisions' or 'Sitkol' when NO artist has been able to top those albums,imo.

revolution75 said:

"He did the best a 50+ year old artist can do and try 2 remain contemporary"? You make it sound like some he's some poor, pathetic musician who has lost it. This 50 year old's best is better than 3/4 of everyone else's best stuff that is playing on the radio right now or that is in record stores. This album, 20 years from now, will outlast many of the albums that have been released in the past 5 years. I think Stevie accomplished what he set out to accomplish with his music. It is the public who has all of these expectations just because the man took time to take care of his family, his many children, and a whole lot of other things we don't know about, including a brother slowly dying of AIDS. They thought he was taking that time to prepare and come up with the ultimate album for them. So alas, the expectations of some redefining or reinvented sound or whatever...The music is fresh. For a 55 yea old man, it's damn good.

Can someone give us a track-by-track analysis? You know...describe each song a little.What tracks are the highlights? What tracks,if any,are filler?

I did a little one for you Davideye.

DavidEye said:

I can't wait for the album but what it with this shit about it being out now? That lying bitch Oprah kept saying "It's in stores today...". You nasty cunt, it isn't in stores! Get a reality check! You only have a copy now because you're Oprah. It's not in stores until Tuesday. Not good to announce a CD is in store when it isn't (you know, kind of like when ads said it was coming out on June something...)

It's on Itunes. It comes out in stores next week! Get it right!

piepie1976 said:

No fillers at all, buddy. No fillers. Every song is a meaningful song that could be a single on its own.

piepie1976 said:

thanks!

breeze1 said:

I can't wait to buy this CD on Tuesday!!

If it isn't Powernoise I'm not going to buy it.

I just love Stevie and I think this is up there for how he has evolved as an artist. I remember people saying this cd would never drop and here it is in all of its glory. Diverse, funky and just kickass, yeah it's got some beautiful mellower songs but IMO it's better than anything he's done in the last 20 years.

A few of observations;

"My Love is on Fire" - just has a solid Prince vibe to it or should I say an overall Prince produced sound and is solid music.

"Tell Your Heart I Love You" - Just a flat out funky groove that isn't in popular music anymore, a must for any fan of the 70's stuff.

"Positivity" - Inspirational with a groove, it's just Stevie's beautiful way to put music with messages, man, I love this guy's talent

DavidEye said: It's unrealistic and silly to expect this album to be another 'Innervisions' or 'Sitkol' when NO artist has been able to top those albums,imo.[/quote]

I'm really glad that's been said.

I brought Innervisions recently on CD and listened to it for the first time in many years. It's still such a classic album. That and Songs In The Key Of Life. I can't wait to see what Stevie has in store tomorrow. Finally.