Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" (1979)
Hotter than July (1980)
The Woman in Red (1984)
In Square Circle (1985)
Characters (1987)
Jungle Fever (1991)
Conversation Peace (1995)
A Time to Love (2005)

Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" (1979)

I would include that in the Golden Era

as for the rest I'd rank them from top to bottom like this:

Hotter than July

In Square Circle
The Woman in Red

Characters
A Time to Love
Jungle Fever
Conversation Peace

Your choices aren't Stevies Golden era..

Music of my mind - Hotter than July

is!

In Square Circle is pathetic.

MD431Madcat said:

Your choices aren't Stevies Golden era..

Music of my mind - Hotter than July

is!

Yes, i will include Hotter Than July, bit not Secret Life.

MD431Madcat said:

Your choices aren't Stevies Golden era..

Music of my mind - Hotter than July

is!

Music From My Mind through to Songs In The Key of Life are universally regarded as the Golden Era, not so much Hotter Than July.

bluegangsta said:

MD431Madcat said:

Your choices aren't Stevies Golden era..

Music of my mind - Hotter than July

is!

Music From My Mind through to Songs In The Key of Life are universally regarded as the Golden Era, not so much Hotter Than July.

You're right.

I understand the feedback that I'm reading but, personally, I consider Hotter Than July part of the "golden" era simply because I like some of the songs (All I Do, Lately, etc...) as much as I like some of the Innervisions/Fulfillingness joints That said:

Jungle Fever

A Time To Love

Conversation Peace

That's it. The 80's stuff was too hit and miss up until Junger Fever for me.

MD431Madcat said:

Your choices aren't Stevies Golden era..

Music of my mind - Hotter than July

is!

THIS!!!!!^

TonyVanDam said:

i'd bet anything that i know much more about music than both of you!

214 said:

bluegangsta said:

Music From My Mind through to Songs In The Key of Life are universally regarded as the Golden Era, not so much Hotter Than July.

You're right.

MD431Madcat said:

Your choices aren't Stevies Golden era..

Music of my mind - Hotter than July

is!

The title of the thread asks you to rate his ***post-***"Golden Era" albums.

That means those that came after.

However, Wonder's classic era does not include Hotter Than July. Even Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" is questionable.

MD431Madcat said:

i'd bet anything that i know much more about music than both of you!

214 said:

You're right.

I'd bet anything in this whole wide world that i don't care a damn, darling.

214 said:

MD431Madcat said:

i'd bet anything that i know much more about music than both of you!

I'd bet anything in this whole wide world that i don't care a damn, darling.

jtfolden said:

MD431Madcat said:

Your choices aren't Stevies Golden era..

Music of my mind - Hotter than July

is!

The title of the thread asks you to rate his ***post-***"Golden Era" albums.

That means those that came after.

However, Wonder's classic era does not include Hotter Than July. Even Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" is questionable.

728huey said:

TonyVanDam said:

THIS!!!!!^

I always thought his best 1980's output came on his first greatest hits album (the Musiquarium one) which included "That Girl", "Do I Do", and "Ribbon In the Sky".

me too. i dont see how this album and hotter than july are not part of his 'golden era'.

heathilly said:

Music of my mind 8/10 Talking book 9/10 Innervisions 10/10 Fufillingness First Finale 9/10 Songs in the key of life 10/10 Great music great songs. But lyrically not that amazing to me Majority of his songs are about peace love and togetherness with some protest things sprinkled in. And that's great and that his artistic expression But Stevie is not a really deep or expansive thinker all the conflicts in his music can be solved with god and love and I know that's an African American trope and just the status quo in society of how to think but it so cliche and cheap it kinda rubs me in a mystical nonsense mumbo jumbo talking way leaving me intellectually hungry. Prince also does this a lot 3rd eye hotep crap, time doesn't exist that gets passed off as deep intellectual knowledge and I'm like uhh no. I wish the music had more darkness grit and realism like songs (to high, superstition, living for the city etc) Anyway it's good overall. [Edited 1/19/17 11:48am]

You're right, Stevie Wonder is a little or it comes across as naive lyrically wise. The same could be said about Prince and Michael Jackson, but isn't all go down to respect each other, if we did, things woul be much different, so... that's the point in the message of these artists. So, in this case Bob Dylan's writing seems to me much more complex than that of Stevie,Michael and Prince and many more of course. Although in that matter, Leonard Cohen is up there with Dylan.

214 said:

heathilly said:

214 said:

You're right, Stevie Wonder is a little or it comes across as naive lyrically wise. The same could be said about Prince and Michael Jackson, but isn't all go down to respect each other, if we did, things woul be much different, so... that's the point in the message of these artists. So, in this case Bob Dylan's writing seems to me much more complex than that of Stevie,Michael and Prince and many more of course. Although in that matter, Leonard Cohen is up there with Dylan.

The Marvin Gaye acclaimed what's going on is chalked full of that. But yes I respect the different perspectives.

You don't like that song, is great, but the message is true, even if it's full of cliches. Life is that; is full of common places.

214 said:

To me A Time to Love was his best work since Hotter Than July. And I am a lifelong fan. The others post Hotter often have moments but have too many pedestrian songs/performances to make cohesive and powerful statements as albums.

bluegangsta said:

Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" (1979)
Hotter than July (1980)
The Woman in Red (1984)
In Square Circle (1985)
Characters (1987)
Jungle Fever (1991)
Conversation Peace (1995)
A Time to Love (2005)

'Plants'. Not keen on it at all 4/10

'Hotter than July'. I love nearly every song 9/10

'The Woman in red' meh. 5/10

'In Square Circle'. Has 'Overjoyed' and 'Part Time Lover' on it, so not all bad. 4/10

'Characters' I saw as a return to form. Little i dislike. 8/10

'Conversation Peace' Not heard it, don't own it.

'A Time To Love'. A pretty strong album 7/10.

Can't believe it's 12 years ago! Come on Stevie, put something new out.

Marrk said:

bluegangsta said:

Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" (1979)
Hotter than July (1980)
The Woman in Red (1984)
In Square Circle (1985)
Characters (1987)
Jungle Fever (1991)
Conversation Peace (1995)
A Time to Love (2005)

'Plants'. Not keen on it at all 4/10

'Hotter than July'. I love nearly every song 9/10

'The Woman in red' meh. 5/10

'In Square Circle'. Has 'Overjoyed' and 'Part Time Lover' on it, so not all bad. 4/10

'Characters' I saw as a return to form. Little i dislike. 8/10

'Conversation Peace' Not heard it, don't own it.

'A Time To Love'. A pretty strong album 7/10.

Can't believe it's 12 years ago! Come on Stevie, put something new out.

Yeah, one new album the past 22 years! What a waste. And to think it was highly publicized and a running joke about how long it took for him to deliver SITKOL after Fulfillingness. Now instead of a couple of years it's a couple of decades!

HardcoreJollies said:

Marrk said:

'Plants'. Not keen on it at all 4/10

'Hotter than July'. I love nearly every song 9/10

'The Woman in red' meh. 5/10

'In Square Circle'. Has 'Overjoyed' and 'Part Time Lover' on it, so not all bad. 4/10

'Characters' I saw as a return to form. Little i dislike. 8/10

'Conversation Peace' Not heard it, don't own it.

'A Time To Love'. A pretty strong album 7/10.

Can't believe it's 12 years ago! Come on Stevie, put something new out.

Yeah, one new album the past 22 years! What a waste. And to think it was highly publicized and a running joke about how long it took for him to deliver SITKOL after Fulfillingness. Now instead of a couple of years it's a couple of decades!

You'd think with the passing of so many great artists (and his friends too!) it might inspire him, seems that isn't the case. Maybe he's content and done with it all. It is a waste. Stevie could have done so much more, he still has good songs in him.

I love all his albums from this era, he is a genius.

Marrk said:

heathilly said:

I wonder why Stevie's decline was such a sudden drop? It's interesting to look at great songwriters and see their best work usually comes in the 20s than it just vanishes. Same with Bob Dylan McCartney/Lennon Prince Neil young Etc. strange phenomena

Bob Dylan and MCcartney have done great songs, later in their lives, especially Dylan, But in general is true the 20's is when they do their greatest and more iconic work.

214 said: