To be honest, when I first heard songs from this on YouTube, I thought this was a brilliant collection of songs but not as "cohesive" as Music of My Mind. After listening to this album, I've made a reassessment. Harlepolis pointed out that this album was sorely underrated and I definitely agree with her. Nine beautiful songs written by Stevie & Syreeta mixing socially conscious with romantic balladry and funky musicianship, it was an early concept album that paved the way for Stevie's eventual success. I wanna know what are y'all's thoughts on it?
[Edited 3/15/10 16:33pm]

oh yeah...
"do urself a favor is my" jam!!!

hope4thenew said:

Yeah that's a real jam. It's amazing how it's mixed with "Something Out of the Blue", "If You Really Love Me" (the only top 40-ready record) and "I Wanna Talk to You" (which is a funny as hell song lol).

I consider this album to be the "lost" Stevie Wonder album before the storm that was the album run of 'Music of My Mind' to 'Hotter Than July.' It is one ambitious, sprawling and forward thinking album that may not have the consistency or urgency of his next couple of masterpieces, but WICF is a classic album that showed that Stevie was moving in a whole new direction artistically. My favorite song on this album has to be 'Take Up a Course in Happiness.'

You know the most amazing thing about the album, Stevie is playing all ths instruments except for bass (James Jamerson) and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. That's about effing it. I reckon the saxophonists weren't the Motown hired men either.
[Edited 3/14/10 15:40pm]

As of now this is my favorite Stevie song:

Timmy84 said:

Yes, that's another thing! This was a self-contained project for him and it broke him away from the many formulas that Motown implemented in his music since his debut. Many consider the 'Music of My Mind' album to be the start of his "new" sound, but I think it was the stepping stone. 'Where I'm Coming From' was his true declaration of independence as it was an indication that he gained independence in doing his own thing artistically.

Timmy84 said:

I adore this song too! This album is way underrated...

silverchild said:

Exactly. This was when the Funk Brothers and Andantes no longer accompanied his records. It was mainly just Stevie. And to think he was just months away from 21 when he recorded and released this! Amazing.

silverchild said:

It really is. If it was ever possible, this album just gave me a new appreciation of Stevie Wonder.

Got this gem on a very hard to find cd

I'm actually mind-blown by "Look Around", how many 20-year-old musicians were doing this type of material especially in today's "American Idol" generation?

Timmy84 said:

I Really, Really Dig this

Timmy84 said:

I'm telling you when I first heard this, as it was the first song of the album, I asked myself "what the hell is this?" It really sounded different from anything he did up to that point with just a clavinet backing him and his distinctive voice, it was fascinating and chilling at the same time. No other person in today's generation can pull off something like that.

silverchild said:

It's amazing looking back, it's clear that people who claimed to admire Stevie, couldn't do a track that simple yet very unique. It was just him and a clavinet... just amazing.

Timmy84 said:

It was from a great era of albums when artists were doing at least 1 sometimes 2 albums a year and often challenging each other, without BS hype talk like we have today, not just a "overlooked" stevie album, a forgotten era for musical creativity from the "Mainstream".

I don't know where you've been all this time! I've been touting this album for years on here. AFAIC, Where I'm Coming From is even better than Music of My Mind. It's just that good.

is this available on cd? should i make an ebay acount to find this since the music sites i buy from dont have it

I was so blown away by Music of My Mind i'll admit i just
kind of skimmed over this album. I have 3 stevie cd's with
all his music on it. I have to go back and check it out.
I like the soldier song too.

AlexdeParis said:

I was probably at a cave listening to Music of My Mind.

DAMMIT TIM WHERE THE HELL AVE YOU BEEN

and THINK OF ME AS YOUR SOLDIER is my favorite Stevie song too now im mad i gotta change it!

Nvncible1 said:

Dude, don't be defeated. Today it could be "I Never Dreamed You Leave in Summer".

I really dig this album, but one track I really don't like 'I wanna talk to ya', I really dislike it to the poinnt where you won't hear me say where I'm comiong from is a classic. Even though I think all other songs are 5/5

Thibaut said:

Is that the long song where he is trying to get his rap on?

motownlover said:

It is

But very hard to find

I think I got mines very cheap

Thibaut said:

I'll agree it's the weakest song on the album, but I think it definitely has its own charm. It's funny enough that I could never dislike it.

motownlover said:

You should do whatever you have to do to get this album.

AlexdeParis said:

Me either. I dig it too. This was his reaction to Motown politics I heard.

hope4thenew said:

u better believe it...Edgar Winter's White Trash did a great cover of "Do Yourself A Favor".

This is the album that features the evergreen "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer". What's it been 40 years and how many of us still get misty when that melody kicks in like John Lennon's "Imagine"


[Edited 3/15/10 16:01pm]