I don't care how many kudos this album has received--every time I listen to it over the past decades, including tonight, every song just hits the right note and every song is a treasure! I just love, love, love this entire album! Stevie's masterpiece for real, IMO! Just feeling this whole album tonight.

He did some pretty good songs on "Talking Book", too...

My favorite album by him! He OWNED that whole decade.

I have said the following on this board, at least 1,000 times. "Songs In The Key Of Life", should be required listening in EVERY music appreciation class and African studies class....

shorttrini said:

I have said the following on this board, at least 1,000 times. "Songs In The Key Of Life", should be required listening in EVERY music appreciation class and African studies class....

Definetly. Don't scrap Marvin out though

Brilliant album

I Wish

Pasttime Paradise

Knocks Me Off My Feet

Isnt She Lovely

As

Summer Soft

Another Star

Have A Talk With God.....Shit,I wonder if Stevie knew that his and the lives of the people who listened 2 this album would NEVER be the same again... lol

Analyst said:

He did some pretty good songs on "Talking Book", too...

I'm not gon say Stevie didn't make a "bad" album 'cause after all thatz subject 2 taste/opinion, but every1 has at least 1 story 4 at least 3 or 4 songs off every album he's ever done......

[Edited 8/4/12 10:18am]

it's my all-time favorite album It's just amazing! On this album,Stevie takes us on a long,interesting journey through life.I've been hooked on this album ever since it was released in 1976,and all these years later,I'm still in love with it.

Saturn

Love's In Need Today

Joy Inside My Tears

Black Man

[Edited 8/4/12 10:27am]

shorttrini said:

I have said the following on this board, at least 1,000 times. "Songs In The Key Of Life", should be required listening in EVERY music appreciation class and African studies class....

diamondpearl1 said:

Pasttime Paradise

diamondpearl1 said:

I Wish

Pasttime Paradise

Knocks Me Off My Feet

Isnt She Lovely

As

Summer Soft

Another Star

Have A Talk With God.....Shit,I wonder if Stevie knew that his and the lives of the people who listened 2 this album would NEVER be the same again... lol

My favorites:

Summer Soft

Knocks Me Off My Feet

All Day Sucker

Another Star

Pasttime Paradise

but really,I love everything on the album.

shorttrini said:

I have said the following on this board, at least 1,000 times. "Songs In The Key Of Life", should be required listening in EVERY music appreciation class and African studies class....

Yes. Easily his best album.

The term 'magnum opus' was invented for a work like this, every aspect of his previous works came together nicely on SITKOL.

I even modelled my Master Thesis, which I just handed in, inspired on this album and Prince's Sign 'O' The Times.

In the end it did not become my 'magnum opus' for several reasons, but music and albums like this can truelly function as an inspiration for academic works as well!

[Edited 8/6/12 21:08pm]

there is no greater joy then walking down the street in 1976, at 17 years of age and having this album under your arm and foxy ladies sweating you about borrowing the album for the night.

Great album which I have to purchase again because I can't find disc 1.

That 5 (or 6 whenever you wanna start) album run is the stuff of Legend.

Just heard from a guy on the street that Stevie is gonna close the the Outside Lands Festival, which is sold out. Damn! I can't go any way cause I gotta work but it sounds really great this year...

Words cannot describe how brilliant this album is. This and the two previous albums (Innervisions and Fulfillingness' First Finale share the title of my favorite Stevie album).

I love this album more than any other Stevie album, and maybe more than any album period.

I know partly that this is because I've listened to it since 1976 (when I was 4 years old), but I have rediscovered it so many times that I have no doubt that this album is far more than a nostalgic listen. My old Adam & the Ants and Styx records are still enjoyable, but I am not placing them on my top 5 lists.

I've listened to Talking Book & Innervisions for nearly as long and they still don't quite match SITKOL. The songs on those earlier two albums are fantastic, no doubt, but the albums just don't have the seamless scope of the latter one.

As time has passed, I've noticed that there are moments of syrupy sentimentality on SITKOL (that might rub some the wrong way), such as If It's Magic or I Am Singing, or that the songs go on for a long time (Love's In Need, Black Man, Another Star) but those songs are still perfect for what they are. And they fit the overall feel of the album.

The whole album is so smooth, but it still swings better than later Stevie. Earlier Stevie music feels almost clunky in comparison. But the music still has an organic warmth, even when bathed in synthesizers. The recordings are clean and the lyrics work well. And where they are a little questionable ("the king of all, Sir Duke" Uh...so is he a king, a knight, or a duke? ) the music more than makes up for it.

Talking Book & Innervisions may be a little cooler but they are not as perfect, and they don't cut as deep emotionally.

^^I agree with everything you said