I have been going through various CD's in my collection and re-listening to my favorite albums and I noticed something that had been mentioned to me a while back but I gave it nothing more than passing thought. I was listening to Talking Book, Innervisions, Fulfillingness' First Finale, Songs In the Key of Life and Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants, and I noticed how similar the albums were. They all followed a basic format (with a somewhat exception of Journey), and it got me to thinking about what happend to Stevie Wonder in the decades that followed the 1970s. Stevie Wonder is a legendary musician however he stuck to a sound that he knew his listeners would like. He was on a creative roll during the 1970s but he really stopped covering new ground by Innervisions. The albums that followed rehashed a great deal of the previous material. Too Shy To Say was You and I with a change from a backing synth to a guitar riff. Summer Soft, and Please Don't go followd the same musical pattern as Golden Lady. There were brief moments of new ground on brilliant songs like Songs' Pastime Paradise and If It's Magic however these moments of brilliance were followed by the same Piano/Keys led songs. I just do not see a great deal of diversity in Wonders work. It was wildly popular because it stuck to a formula that sold and most people buy what they are already familiar with. I think the 1980s decline of Wonder was due in part to the changing times of music and how he was unable to deal with the new sounds various artists were tackling. I do not see the challenging listens in Wonder's peak that I found during Prince's Peak, Dirty Mind, 1999, Purple Rain, Around The World In A Day, Parade, Sign O the Times and Lovesexy are arguably some of the most diverse musice ever put out by an artist. The albums are distinctly different and they challenged the listener to adapt to a new sound. I think Prince's loss of a mass audience was due to the fact that he challenged you on each susequent release. I honestly feel this is why Prince's run was not as commercially viable as Stevie's. This is just my personal opinion.

I want to get more of his music. Ive only got a few albums.

Like Prince, I love Stevie because he plays from his heart. Even if there are similarities, there are also differences, I bet.

He is a fantastic musician.

5 stars for Stevland.

Geez. I really don't know where to begin with that post. Stevie followed a formula??? I can't say I agree at all, with regard to his 70s output. If Stevie ever followed a pattern he's certainly not the first nor the last to do so. Every recording artist has done it to an extent at least. You don't see his music as challenging during his peak? That's a loaded statement, and one I wholeheartedly disagree with.

Overall throughout his career Prince covers more ground, yes, but so what. It doesn't in any way mean that Stevie was one-dimensional, or detract from his brilliance. People would KILL to fall into a "formula" the way Stevie did during the 70s. The fault I find with Stevie's music was during the 1980s till today when it seemed that he let technological advances overwhelm his music to a certain degree, instead of making those advances human within his music. Stevie was the first person to really humanize synthesizers. He opened an entirely whole new world with what he did on keys, and how he arranged his songs. Not just in Soul/R&B music, in music PERIOD. There was so much that Stevie was capable of, not to mention the fact that he's one of the most underrated songwriters in the history of music.

I just don't get your post about Stevie's music. Can't relate at all.

This is not a very clever comment, in my opinion. Sure highly insensitive.

I bet if you were there to witness Stevie Wonder's career moves in the 70's you wouldn't say this. It's exactly the same a newcomer would say when they get 4 or 5 Prince albums in a short period of time. "Yeah, well, "Kiss" sounds very much like "When Doves Cry" and "Sign O'The Times" with that drum machine and no bass and...".

One has to get some perspective over things. You can't go through all the Beatles' back catalogue in one evening and dig everything.

..i don't like to think that any artist still living hit their 'peak..' i'd rather believe they are still great artists and have something just as amazing that will show up again...

...hitting a peak just sounds like 'okay..that was it..it's all downhill now...'

i believe we'll hear from stevie again..and i believe he has something very important and some amazing music he's yet to do...

Hey I said it was my opinion not the gospel...Jeez you can't even critique anything around here. Why do you all get so defensive I have the right to state that I feel that way. I was simply making a comparison and in know way did i disrespect Stevie. I just stated that I did not see the type of changes in his sound that I witnessed in Sly, Miles, Jimi, and in some instances Marvin.

lickerdipper said:

Thanx for your insight, and I appreciate you telling me that I did it all in one evening(which I didn't). Futhermore how do you know I'm a newcomer. I've been listening to Stevie for years. BTW "Kiss", "When Dove's Cry" and "Sign O the Times" may incorporate similar instruments but the overall sound is not the same as the songs I mentioned in the post. You could have used "Under The Cherry Moon" and "The Question of You" as better examples because in that instance the songs are actually the same.

Don't get mad. You started it.

I agree somewhat with what Urbanhang22 stated. There was some rehash with Stevie as there is with every artist in the history of music. Maybe Stevie did follow a formula but it doesn't take away from all of the amazing material he has created and has yet to create. You could argue the same point with Prince after Lovesexy that was made in reference to Stevie and Innervisions. These two men are my favorite artists as the music they have created has connected with me on so many levels emotionally and spiritually and isn't that what good music should do regardless of it sounds like the same ole song?

stevie is truly the best to me. talking book, music of my mind, fuffillingness, songs in the key of life, the secret life of plants, hotter than july !!! THE M.F. MAN !!!

Urbanhang22 said:

We know you said it was your opinion, no need to get defensive. And some people are going to disagree - don't we have that right too?

If you really want to hear the changes in Stevie's sound, listen to his output from 1962 throughout that decade, and then compare it to his 70s output. That is a VAST difference in sound. Simply because he acquired more artistic control (from Berry Gordy) over his music, after being relegated to the Motown assembly line methods for so long.

Much like Michael Jackson with the Jackson 5 (Off The Wall signaled his more adult status musically) and George Michael with Wham! (hey, don't laugh, it's true - Faith and his subsequent solo albums were much more adult in content and tone), Stevie as an artist grew up in the public's eye and started releasing more mature, more sophisticatedly crafted music. This isn't always easy to carry off. The ones with the most perseverence, and obviously the most talent, can do it.
[This message was edited Sat Jul 27 15:10:51 PDT 2002 by Supernova]

Supernova said:

Thanks supernove 4 putting my feeling s down...

Urbanhang22 said:

...they R very similar songs...

Supernova said:

Great Post Man!!

Whether or not Stevie followed a predictable "formula" in the 70s,(and I strongly disagree with you)there is no denying the greatness,the depth and the true genuis that can be found in those albums.I can't think of a single artist who made a better string of albums in the 70s than Stevie Wonder.

DavidEye said:

Sly & Family Stone "Stand-Riot-Fresh" is close but yeah...

I see Prince as artist with as many periods of mediocrity (BATMAN, ATWIAD, post-LOVESEXY,"SYMBOL" man/NPG) as flashes of sheer briliance 1999, PURPLE RAIN & PARADE --soundtracks ONLY!!! and SIGN O' THE TIMES. On the other hand, I see Stevie as an artist whom I watched develop (WHERE I'M COMING FROM - MUSIC OF MY MIND and hit an unparalleled critical and commercial streak TALKING BOOK[b] - [b]HOTTER THAN JULY. I don't see Prince as being fulfilled in making the comprehensive musical statement of his life, whereas Stevie's magnum opus is wholly contained in that period.

Not that I compare them, but I play Stevie's back catalog a lot more than I do Prince's

Urbanhang22 said:

Oh quit your whining.

Only three responses got posted before you put this up. Just as you posted an opinion, others will post theirs. Especially as you initiated the tread, you should expect to be disagreed with.

Essence said:

Earth,Wind&fire, were close as well but Stevie was a Monster back in the day IMHO.alot of Acts made at least a Couple Solid Albums back in the 70's But Stevie Wonder seem to just make More IMHO.

PFunkjazz said:

I Agree with you on that all the way.

mistermaxxx said:

EWF yeah, Bootsy's first three as well as Funkadelic's opening trio (And basically all their albums IMO) too.

70s was the time, no doubt.
[This message was edited Mon Jul 29 21:55:23 PDT 2002 by Essence]