This thread shows the genius of Stevie, with all of us clamoring for the most-overlooked gem -- just like his video shows the humanity and beauty of marginalized peoples.

Amazing, how much trust he must have in his video directors to manifest a concept. Awesome.

My list of overlooked gems.

1. I Believe (When I fall in love...)
2. That Girl
3. Same Old Story

dag said:

That's criminal!

CoolTarik1 said:

For sure, Stevie's riffing a lot more than Mike, but who doesn't? Mike's never been that kind of singer. What makes Mike's vocals way better than Steve's is his tone. Whether Mike sings one note or twenty, it sounds great. It's like how BB King will play one note on the guitar that will wipe out a hundred notes from someone else. Also, When Mike sings on JGF you can hear his breath. His breath is a part of the sound. That adds another layer that lifts him above Steve. His phrasing as well is one of a kind. I also prefer Mike's adlibs than Steve's. When he's doing that "She love me, she love me" line over and over, you don't want him to stop. Mike just makes the right choices, whereas Steve is so musical that he's almost got too many options so he's like a kid in a candy store riffing all over the place.

I'm going to see the genius in action on December 1!!!

AlexdeParis said:

If there's ever been a perfect soul album, this might could be it.



Get it!!!

namepeace said:

I would expect dag to at least have Fulfillingness' First Finale since MJ's on that.

Rocket Love

whatsgoingon said:

I agree with you. "Rocket Love" is underrated. Lovely song. In fact, I think "Hotter Than July" is a underrated Stevie album. There are some real gems on there. "Lately" is underrated as well (it's way better and more heartfelt than the KC & Jojo remake). "Cash In Your Face" is funky too.

But anyway, "Free" is a underrated classic. "In Sqaure Cirlce" and "Characters" are both underrated Stevie Wonder albums.

AlexdeParis said:

Oh really? There another MJ and Stevie Wonder duet? I better get it.

Don´t worry guys, I am definately planning on getting some Stevie Wonder albums, I need to save some money first. I have been seriously broke lately.

dag said:[quote]

AlexdeParis said:

I have Fulfillingness first finale...I dont remember MJ on it

1KissAtATyme said:[quote]

dag said:

J5 singing background on You Haven't Done Nothin






http://www.youtube.com/wa...Cf2yJfZvNg


Jackson 5 sing along with me , say dooooowoopp!!!!

funkpill said:

Oh thanks!! I didnt even know it was them

They won't go when I go.... haunting,beautiful,absolute genius.

PurpleAlegria said:

Yes a very deep song..and now that I think about it..Truley haunting..I made the mistake of listening to that song after my father died and Stevie had me bawlin

The reason for starting this thread was to point out that "Free" is underrated because it came after his golden period. This point has been confirmed by most of the responses. Even when specifically looking for the most overlooked songs of his career most of you have turned to the same old classic albums. Let me say this. NOTHING ON SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE CAN BE CALLED HIS MOST UNDERRATED TUNE! The reason for that is obvious. That album is owned by at least 10 million people and is loved all the way through by many. The same goes for most of his 70s albums, and even 1980s Hotter Than July.

Some of you have seriously named tracks like "He's Mistra Know It All", and "Pastime Paradise". Well known and loved songs which are still played on oldies radio stations and have been covered many times. Hell, I'm just waiting for someone to name "Superstition". But most people have never even heard "Free", and those that have have often overlooked it because it was on one of his 80s albums. Most people who hear those mid 80s albums have the same reaction that dag described earlier. They're turned off by the sound and so the odd classic like this gets overlooked. Point blank, if "Free" had been recorded ten years earlier, it would get it's rightful due as one of the very best songs he ever wrote.

dag said:

I think you'd like Hotter Than July more than Fulfillingness' First Finale. If I'm not mistaken Mike sings bvs on that album too, and you can hear him a lot clearer than on FFF, where you can't hear him at all. Also, it's more of a pop album, which I think you'd prefer.

midnightmover said:

MJ sings backup on "All I Do." Being able to hear Mike clearly on "You Haven't Done Nothin'" is debatable, though. It's really hard to tell whether that "ow" near the beginning is him or Stevie. It's probably Stevie, but it sounds almost exactly like Mike would sound a few years later.

AlexdeParis said:

If MIke´s allegedly on it, then I better get it.

Thanks for the recommendation. Though I don´t think I prefer pop. I love funk the most probably. I´ll check it out one day and let you know how I liked it.

AlexdeParis said:

No, it's not debatable. I don't know how anyone could think that "ow" on the beginning of 'You Haven't Done Nothing" was Mike. Firstly, it sounds nothing like Mike. It sounds like Stevie which is who it is. Secondly, Mike's "ow" years were a long way ahead. Diana Ross and Stevie had being "ow"ing away for years before Mike incorporated it into his bag of tricks.

midnightmover said:

Michael does an "ow" at the end of "Get It Together," which was released a year before FFF. I now await further debate on this topic you describe as "not debatable."

midnightmover said:

...and Marvin too.

AlexdeParis said:

That "ow" on GIT sounds NOTHING LIKE the "ow" on YHDN. The "ow" on YHDN is weak, as Stevie's falsetto yelps always are. Compare his "hee-hee" on Maybe Your Baby to Mike's "hee-hee"s. When Stevie does those kind of things it comes across as playful and jokey (he even smiles to himself when he does them on stage). By contrast Mike's are powerful and filled with attitude. The same goes for when Stevie tries to sing gruff. That's usually an angry or impassioned sound, but when Stevie does it comes across more as a joke. When Mike or Marvin do it it comes across as passionate.