It's such a shame that when someone (in this instance, Threadbare) does make the effort to try and initiate an intelligent discussion of actual MUSIC around here, it ends up getting derailed by bullshit...

http://prince.org/msg/8/321309?&pg=1

...exits soapbox


An interesting point that did come up was Stevie Wonder's arrangement of I Just Called To Say I Love You.
As a Pop song it's not really that bad at all. Imo, it's the arrangement that takes it to, what some might consider, the hokey/sappy side of the street.

Now take the arrangement, Greg Phillinganes helped to create for the version that appears on Herbie Hancock's Possibilities album...



...vocal/vocalese by Raul Midon


In my opinion, a much more heartfelt interpretation that shows the actual depth the song has given a different presentation.



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

I really don't get the hate for the song either.

I get that's it's not this macho, uber-brilliant piece of craft that is something like Superstition, Visions, or pretty much any other tune he penned in the 70's, but it's far from "the worst song ever". I mean... really...

I think the standard we hold great artists to is a bit ridiculous sometimes.

Superstition said:

I dont get it either. So it was a peice of throwaway pop from the early 80's....the early 80s was full of throwawy pop. Its a pleasant enough song melody wise, that suffers from its producion and lyrics.

Wow!

This is def a dark/haunting rendition I like and I agree, more heartfelt than that original.

Wow... that made me hear Stevie's original in a new light.

BlaqueKnight said:

I'm glad you said that

Anything of sincere value no matter how ominous, cheerful, complicated OR simple it is, it will hit a raw nerve on people. And coming from Stevie, it showed to me that the man didn't have to prove himself anymore at that point.

Its only people's one dimensional perception of what art "should" be.

BlaqueKnight said:

You're right.

It's a nice song, but after writing such classics such as, "You are the Sunshine of my life",and "Super Woman" which sort of displays the same sentiment, the song is a step down. For me, it is just corny 80's pop that sounded just like everything else at that time. This is what had set Stevie apart from everyone....the fact that nothing he wrote, sounded like what was out. This song changed my opinion of him, from that moment on.

shorttrini said:

IMO, "I Just Called" don't sound too out of step with "Sunshine". Maybe with "Superwoman" but "Sunshine" was a simple pop ditty too. The thing that made THAT stood out was the funky ass horns, lol

I think it's actually a clever song lyrically.

"No giving thanks to all the Christmas joy you bring"

He is supposed to be singing to God right?

or Santa!

Timmy84 said:

you forgot 'Isn't She Lovely' my most skipped on SITKOL. there is a reason for that.

Marrk said:

That too.

Marrk said:

Hahaha, I think he's telling that special SOMEONE, not necessarily God or Santa.

Timmy84 said:

That's what I mean. In most of his songs, there was always something that stood out. There isn't too much that stands out and grabs me, in "I just Called..."

shorttrini said:

Maybe that was the point @ "I Just Called..."

Marrk said:

Stevie may serve you cheese. But it's often funky cheese. sprinkle a little blue cheese on that salad.

Timmy84 said:

Hmm, i might have to listen to it, i like how he writes off months, seasons and holidays. I guess he's saying doesn't matter what time of the year it is, he just loves HER.

'These Three Words' was cheesey as hell to me awhile back, but since i lost some family, well now it makes me cry for obvious reasons.

Stevie is the only artist that moves me to tears with the beauty of his songs, he has a few from the seventies especially that do that to me.

Marrk said:

I always loved that song and yeah it definitely reaches you in those emotions.

P2daP said:

I like nacho with cheese dip so Stevie gives me that with some of his ballads, I don't mind it at all. It's tasty cheese, lol

BlaqueKnight said:

It's called snobbery. I always dug what Stevie did.

And when I said cheese, I was joking.

Timmy84 said:

I know.
My point is that we've become a thrill seeker society. Also, people always look at songs in retrospect rather than in the context of the cultural climate in which they were written.

BlaqueKnight said:

That's true too.

IJCTSILY is a good written pop-ballad.

But it's far away from soulful, deeply personal ballads like Where Were You When I Needed You.

If you write a song that can be embraced by Auntie Ethel, you’re going to take heat from the purported keepers of the cool. And it gets even worse when the song gets heavily espoused by those who know little of music outside of the biggest hits.

One of the many powerful things about music, at least for me, is that you can delve into these types of feelings and have a chance of succeeding. If someone said these words in the chorus without music and in a non-ironic way, it might not go down in the same heartfelt, simple way.

But sentimentality is valid human emotion and should be explored like anything else. And that a good majority of it is often mediocre (or worse), doesn’t make it any less important. And the same can be said for depressing, disheartened music. Most of it isn’t anything special. There is no superior key. But if that key fits more with the door to one’s world view, more I think will get heard (processed) in that manner.

To me art is the attempted external reconstruction of the soul. Not my soul, but the person holding the chisel.

That to me means that most things created are far from great, but whole areas of emotion and/or genre classification are seldom the line of demarcation.

um. for me it was the music. the music was really horrible imo. stevie OD'd on synths and midis.

the lyrics are quite clever. (except that one part where it didnt rhyme. it stings to me! )