"songs in the key of life" is a very Beautiful Album > More i listen it more i think that Songs in the key of life & Sign O the times from Prince are linked in Mind-style & sound>No signOTT from Prince without the Previous one FRom Stevie>I think 2 that Dream Factory & Cristall Ball are similars 2 Songs in the Key Of life

Tom said:

With "Saturn," "Ebony Eyes," "All Day Sucker" and "Easy Goin' Evening"? Yes.

Supernova said:

My bad,,,I always get mixed with this title. Its not the 1st time tho and I'm sure it won't be the last!

Other than being double albums by great artists I don't see many similarities between SOTT and Songs in The Key of Life. I'm a big fan of Prince's music but SOTT isn't as musically pleasing. There are great songs on that ablum but they don't hit as hard as Stevie's.
The instrumentation on Songs... is beautiful to this day and the songs are full of real world concerns. SOTT is more about Prince's inner struggles as are most of his songs-- there's nothing wrong with that because we all have them. It's the musicality of it that makes Songs the better choice for me. The only other double album that speaks to me like that is Ani Difranco's Revelling/Reckoning. Bitches Brew is close but comparing that is useless.
I was listening to Music of My Mind yesterday and was thinking how great Stevie was. Not only were songs like "Happier Than The Morning Sun" (one of my favorites) well-composed but his voice is the best.

Damn, I wish I had some good new music to listen to

Stevie is amazing! - I was fortunate enough to grow up to his music because my mother adores him! and I defintely love him too!

It's cool though - I'm still enjoying the New Me'Shell - Comfort Woman

Enjoy the rest of the collection!

I had "As" in my head all last night. It was great! I woke up with it.

Moonbeam said:

George Michael and Mary J.Blige IMHO do a great cover of this classic song!

Harlepolis said:

I'm just messin witchoo.

seanski said:

I LOVE George's cover of "They Won't Go When I Go," but I've never heard Stevie's original.

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHY EVERYONE CONSIDERS THIS ALBUM AS STEVIE'S MASTERPIECE?

Don't get me wrong, I love this album just like the next person, but to say it was the most influential and classic piece of work of his career I just don't see. I would choose Talking Book, Innervisions or Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants any day over this one. Again, I just never saw what all the hoopla was about.

Moonbeam said:

He also did a cover of "Love's In Need Of Love Today"!

>I LOVE George's cover of "They Won't Go When I Go," but I've never heard Stevie's original<

That just happens to be one of the tracks on "Fullfillingness' First Finale". I love George's cover every bit as much as Stevie's original, he did a fantastic job.

one time i went for three days with no sleep working on something.. and I had this album playing on headphones... and it got kind of weirdly powerful.

okaypimpn said:

I'm with you in that I don't think it's his greatest album, but at the same time it's easily in his top 3 to me. But I think for many people what puts SITKOL ahead of everything else Stevie has done is the fact that it's a multi-album that allows for more of a greater quantity of brilliant songs than anything else he created. To me there is some obvious dross there, and that keeps it from being my favorite Stevie album. This, of course, does not mean it's not a great album. It's STILL a downright transcendent Desert Island Disc.

okaypimpn said:

i havent heard Talking Book" yet. Im scared of it. I remember u had it as an avater.

It was the first Stevie Wonder I listened 2 with a "let me see what is so special about this mess" kinda album. I kinda hesitated 2 buy it. After i bought it... Now i am reading a book on Stevie, u knwo what i mean?

To me, i am diggin "Hooter Than July" the best so far. SITKOL is good 2 me still. Id probably put them on the same spot. And no, I dont think "As" is a classic as much as Rocket Love, or even "Living For The City" 4 that matter.

I think it has the most catchiest songs on it (SITKOL) and musically in depth.

Now i have 2 find Talking Book & Fufillingness' First Finale. I love the quest of finding an artists' "Purple Rain" and working up from there!

Supernova said:

What ones do you like more?

okaypimpn said:

For years,I've been trying to decide what Stevie's best album is.It's definitely a tie between 'Innervisions' and 'Songs In The Key Of Life'.But if you forced me to choose,I would have to go with 'SITKOL',because,like SuperNova said,it's a double album that "allows for more of a greater quantity of brilliant songs than anything else he's ever created." All of Stevie's 70s album were amazing,so picking a favorite is not an easy thing to do.

paisleypark4 said:

LOL!!! PP4, all I can say is is you love Hotter Than July you will ADORE Talking Book. Although it wasn't Stevie's first self-produced album, it feels like it was just because of the way he expanded his instrumentation on it versus Music of My Mind. More Arp and Moogs and way too funky.

You know how you always have that one song that you go to first upon buying a new album? Well when you pick up Talking Book please automatically go to track 2 ("Maybe Your Baby").

okaypimpn said:

U r absolutely right my friend. I love Songs in the key as well. However even though it is a double and is very varied it couldn't even begin 2 tie the shoelaces of Talking Book and especially Innervisions which 4 the record is his single greatest album. This album houses his greatest ever song Living For The City.

Journey into The Secret Life of Plants is his most underated piece as well as being his most experiemental.
It is his greatest double album better than the Key and almost as great as Innervisons.

By the way his last great record was The Woman in Red soundtrack.
Yes...even the sugary sweet I just called to say I love u.

Just try 2 deny that it's an effecient and slick slice o' pop,(even though it is not my fav track ever from Stevie I can still appreciate what he's getting at in the song.

The Woman in Red on the whole is the last essential Wonder recording...of the 80's.

Jungle Fever would be his last essential recording period.

Yoda.

YODAHENDRIX said:

Yes!!! However, let's not sleep on In Square Circle. Very 80-ish with the vintage synths and whatnot!!!

okaypimpn said:

Yes, anything that has Part time Lover,and the ethereal Overjoyed cannot be ignored!

Yoda

You can hear the labour and emotion of 2 years work expressed in "Songs In the Key Of Life".

This album is on par with "Music Of My Mind" for me personally.

'dre

YODAHENDRIX said:

I know U didn't 4get "Stranger On The Shore Of Love". One of the earliest track to express prominent voice sampling and place the synclavier right up there with the Fairlight.

'dre

DreZone said:

Okay...all this talk about In Square Circle I'm going home right now to dust off my LP!!!

NuPwr319 said:

That's such a beautiful song,isn't it? It's just heavenly.

Moonbeam said:

When it comes to my idea of an ALBUM, I'd have to give the nod to Innervisions. SITKOL has a greater quantity of undeniably great songs, but songs like "Saturn", "All Day Sucker", and "Ebony Eyes" feel ... like they break up the flow of the album. "Saturn" is sort of like Stevie's "Arms Of Orion" (or should I say "Arms Of Orion" is Prince's "Saturn"?) ...

Supernova said:

"Saturn" might be my favorite on the whole album! It seems more like Stevie's version of Bowie's "Life on Mars?"

Moonbeam said:

I need to listen to it all the way thru for the first time in ages.

Supernova said:

Seriously! That and "As" have been in my head constantly for the past 2 days. They are my favorites.

Moonbeam said:

Saturn is not as great as Life On Mars.