I Was Made to Love Her

by

Stevie Wonder

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It's true, not all the tracks are original songs, but enough of them are and I'd say about six are really, really good. I've known them all my life and I love them. Just great mid-'sixties Stevie that you haven't heard anywhere else before, not even on compilation albums.

I also love his renditions of 'Respect' and 'Can I Get A Witness', they both have a grooviness and originality of their own.

If you really like Stevie's mid-'60s sound, don't hesitate tracking this album down.

It's a real finger clicker and sing-a-longer. Very 1967, in the best upbeat soulful way. None of the melancholic sweetness that he did so well in the 70s here.

'Everytime I See You I Go Wild' is wild and fabulous!

'I'd Cry' is divine. There's a wonderful irony to the way he sang sad songs in a fast uptempo way.

'Everybody Needs Somebody' has a wonderful, melodic, understated soulfulness.

Actually, the only song I've grown tired of is the title track and yes, there are a few fillers/duds that you'll want to skip, but the good far outweighs the bad.

He was very proud of this compilation when it came out and he was right to be.

I think what lets this album down is its awful cover. Don't let it put you off.

The title tune was legendary after the first dee-jay layed down the stylus for its' initial audition for civilization: something which fits any genre you want; gets even better as tome goes on and artists lay on their own interpretations - completely contemporary, and while it uses Motown formula, musically, it stands and dances on its' own.

Track two is a very enjoyable "cover" of Little Richard's famous B-side, that triplet-laden beat ballad, another perennial which crosses format lines. A very good programming choice.

Then we get into many non-reemarkable cuts, sounding to me as if they were arranged in the wrong key, and unaccountably eschewing a natural attention-getter: that unmistakeable harmonica. What were they not thinking?

The Ray Charles ("A Fool For You") and James Brown ("Please, Please, PLease") covers are okay, but, again, without that afore-mentioned instrument, or his own drumwork [presuming he doesn't play on these and others - session notes? Forget it].s Yes, and we see

On four numbers we note that Stevie is co-writer, and the second best is "Everytime I See You I Go Wild", something groovy from the 17 year old for other 17 year olds, maybe the artist looks back and smiles when the title skims across the memory banks (but doesn't provoke a carousel ride to the turntable or chamber). It's got alot going musically and perhaps could have used a touch of Phil Spector.

Reissue engineers appear to have deferred to original compressed commercial sound (if my aging sound system is a witness). By this time, maybe a little more punch and pop would help.