I've always been a casual Stevie fan. Up till last year I'd only really heard the hits and had in my collection only the Song Review CD, one of the many SW collections out there on the market.

Then I bought Innervisions (fantastic!) , and Songs In The Key Of Life "one of the best double albums ever" I read somewhere, and I tend to agree.

I need some help from Stevie fans. As I prefer the 70s stuff, I've been advised to buy Talking Book next but to avoid like the plague, The Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants. Why is this? Is the latter that diverse?

Someone told me it was it was Stevie's, Around The World In Day. Not a musical comparison to it, but a sort of rebellious detour against what he had released on previous albums.

Stevie fans, tell me I'm being mislead here.

Should I buy? Or stick with Talking Book for now?

Advice Welcome.

My opinion is try to find it in a second hand store. Just like with my Prince collection, all of them are worth having. I am very biased when it comes to Stevie.

Shafty said:

I'd stick with Talking Book first and also get the other '70s albums. Don't be put off by what you've heard about 'Secret Life'. However - it is different because it is a soundtrack and has a concept behind it. It gave him a chance to explore the development of different musical themes - that's what happens in film scores. Remember, if the previuous album is considered one of the best double albums ever made, it's a bit of a tall order to live up to - and I certainly wouldn't avoid it like the plague.

The critics were not overjoyed - and it wasn't overflowing with the level of diverse hits on 'Songs In the Key of Life', but there are some good songs and lovely melodies in amongst the album. On balance I'd collect his work and leave 'Secret Life' to the last of the 70s albums to purchase - but get it!

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[This message was edited Thu Jul 17 10:41:02 PDT 2003 by langebleu]

Your next two albums should be Talking Book and Fullfillingness' First Finale. In whichever order- they are both great.

Shafty said:

Critics will be very quick to tell you not to buy this album, but that's only because it's a work of art and doesn't pick up where Songs In The Key of Life left off. IMHO, this is the BEST album Stevie ever put out (and it's not just because it was released the same year I was born ), but the lyrics are so profound and captivating. It's interesting the way he seems to be singing about "flowers," but if you look beyond the meaning behind the words, he's actually referring to "love." I would highly recommend it along with Talking Book, Fulfillingness' First Finale, and The Woman In Red Soundtrack,

Secret Life of Plants is my favorite stevie album!!! It did take some time to grow on me, but i hightly recommend it. He invents techno on it...and Same old story is one of my favorite songs of all time

what made me check out secret life of plants was when brian mcknight did a medley of stevie's songs at "walk of fame", and went in 2 send 1n your love...

A man is invited to write a song for a documentary about plants. Instead, he writes an entire soundtrack. As someone who saw the movie when it came out, I can only say that it serves as a testament to the depth of the man's talent that he could so skillfully match music to -- of all things -- visual images that he cannot see. Some of the songs are exqusitely beautiful. Others are educational. Out of context, it may be hard to appreciate that the best thing about certain songs is how well they serve the movie. I'm with langebleu. The album is definitely worth geting, soon, if not immediately. The man's 70's output is paralleled by few. The Beatles in the 60's, but who else?

Stevie was so prolific during the 70's that when he didn't release an album one year during the mid-70's and Paul Simon won the Grammy for best album, the first words of Paul's acceptance speech were to thank Stevie for NOT releasing an album that year, so that someone else finally had a chance to win.

"Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants" is a classic that cannot be compared to any other album Stevie has done.

Don't listen to what others tell you to buy; embrace the fact that you're indeed making your own "journey" through one of music's most prolific writers.

I won't tell you to buy it. I won't tell you not to either... go through your own motions. ...but you should eventually end up with them all... he is that good.

Remember this, though. Even Stevie's worst album (whichever that may be) is better than 99% of the shit that is out there now.

"Send one your love with a dozen roses, make sure that she knows it, with a flower from your heart..."

Fulfillingness First Finale is just as essential as SITKOL and Innervisions IMO. Actually, his entire 70s catalogue is "essential". The re-masters are pretty cheap over here. Always about £5.99 on sale, which is about 90% of the year round in HMV.
[This message was edited Thu Jul 17 13:46:31 PDT 2003 by Ellie]

Is 'Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants' still available on CD? I never see it when I go to the record store.I have it on vinyl,but I'm reluctant to buy the CD because I keep waiting for it to be re-mastered

Please buy Music of my mind from 1972.
Amazing album!!!
/peace Manki

I agree that "Secret Life of Plants" is not an album for the basic topical Stevie fan (only one recognizable song), it can be a bit strange for them to hear Stevie experiment like that. It's an album that one really has to get deep into, and if you are a big fan of Stevie, it's quite refreshing to hear him take a different path than the pop-hit route with most of his previous albums. What makes it brilliant, is that Stevie truly captures the music of nature and turns it into his own brand of magic.

To find it, you'll likely have to order it from a music store...very few stock them (think it's out of print).

Overall, there are VERY few (if any) poor Stevie albums. Any from the 70's and you've got an outstanding piece of art.

I think if you go for "Secret Life Of Plants", it may put you off. Don't do it.

Get "Talking Book" next, then "Fullfillingness' First Finale", then "Music Of My Mind", THEN "Secret Life Of plants".

Why?

I got into Stevie only about 10 years ago. I started with Innervisions, then, SITKOL, Then "Talking Book". But I skipped to "Secret Life" and it almost killed it for me.

It was only after I borrowed "Fullfillingness" that I realised I had been too harsh!

Take the easy stroll, its great.

By the way, am I the only one who also loves "In Square Circles"?

DavidEye said:

Yes, it is. You just have to know where to look. I ordered mine about 6 months ago from an import CD dealer online.

SquirrelMeat said:

No...





-SWANG'sNeverinYourSun

"Journey through the secret life of plants"
have some jewels in it,like Send one your love.
I love that song,& also the title track.
/peace Manki

thanks for reminding me of this.My Dad has 'Secret life' on vinyl.i remember i used to play his Stevie albums as a kid and as i got older bought them all on CD (except secret life, which i'd completely forgot about).I didn't appreciate it as a kid and probably only played a song or two on it.

I bet i'd like it now.

SWANG said:

'In Square Circle' is a pretty good album *EXCEPT* for the first single "Part-Time Lover".I never liked that song.It sounded too trendy,too lightweight for an artist like Stevie Wonder to be doing.The rest of the album is very good (especially the funky "I Love You Too Much" and "Spiritual Walkers").

Thanks to all for your replies.

I'm pretty broad minded when it comes to music anyway, I am a Prince fan after all!

I'm sure I'll pick a copy up fairly soon (if I can).

Echoing what DavidEye said, I've seen a lot of the back catelogue remastered, but not "Plants" as yet.

SquirrelMeat said:

Hell no! All of the songs are really good. Very 1980s with all the synthesizers, drum programming, and whatnot. Great album!

manki said:

That's is one of my all-time favorite Stevie songs. It is so WONDERful! Tee-hee.

SquirrelMeat said:

No you are definately not the only one who loves In Square Cicrle. Another one of my all-time favorite cuts by Stevie, I Love You Too Much, is on there.

stymie said:

"...maybe three much!!!"

I love his ad-libs too.

manki said:

Now this is an album worth talking about! (not that any others of Stevie's aren't)

His first real album since his release (?) from Motown. Check out Superwoman. This is where all Stevie collectors should start.

I would also suggest picking up Stevie's proteges such as Minnie Riperton's Perfect Angel (which features Stevie on the keys and some drums as the pseudonym, "El Toro Negro" along with Wonderlove) and both the Syreeta albums.

Come2getheras1 said:

Yeah I would start with Music of my Mind. Superwoman and Happier than the Morning Sun are two of my favorite songs from anyone. If you can go there, however, Secret Life of Plants is the most fulfilling of any Stevie albums. Songs in the Key of Life is great but isn't as much a great album as it is a collection of great songs. Secret Life of Plants is a very inspiring ,cohesive, uniquely beautiful work of art. No artist can lay claim to a better run of albums than Stevie in the 70's-- not the Beatles or Hendrix in the 60's, Prince in the 80's, or Ani in the mid 90's-til whenever. If Songs in the Key of Life is his Sign O' The Times then The Secret Life of Plants is his Lovesexy. A great change of pace following a critically-acclaimed masterpiece.

Agreed, whodknee. Stevie's span of great albums -- most often focused in on the span between Music of My Mind through Songs in the Key of Life but, in my opinion, great at least two albums off either side -- is unparalleled. Prince is, for me, the only one who really even comes close.

Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants is no exception. It's got a good chunk of the great pop-soul and opulent balladeering of Songs in tracks like "Send One Your Love," "Black Orchid," "Power Flower," "Outside My Window," "Same Old Story," and most obviously, the faux-live funk-rocker "A Seed's a Star" (tell me you don't like this track and I'll say you don't really like Wonderlove). Even if you find yourself unamused with the stabs at agricultural worldliness like "Kesse Ye Lolo de Ye" and "Voyage to India" (and as the ag-wo tracks are musically astonishing, that's a big "if"), they still take up a lot less running time than the pure pop stuff.

Unfortunately, I'm guessing Motown isn't exactly chomping at the bit to remaster a double album that, justly or not, put a screeching halt on Wonder's skyrocketing career (not that much else could be done to top Songs, RIAA-speaking). So I'd say go ahead and buy whatever copy you find laying around.

Revisionist history seems to have pegged Hotter Than July as Wonder's first signal of defeat and regression, as far as scope and ambition. But I'd say "no" to that. Truth be told, Stevie always was first and foremost a pop musician/star, and only Innervisions and Plants (and the second half of Songs) hinted at a self-consciousness towards art-rock. In that respect, Hotter is almost like a return to form: brimming with hot hooks and A-sides-in-waiting (excepting the obviousness of "Happy Birthday," there's not a bum track in the entire lot). Don't neglect it.

As for all the others, I've nothing to add except that they're all that and more. Ah, to be just getting into Stevie Wonder for the first time again...

whodknee said:

Well with Hendrix it's obvious since he only completed 3 studio albums in his short career.

SWANG said:

I love it, too! I gotta go listen to that tonight. . .