Innervisions

by

Stevie Wonder

Edit

This is easily Stevie Wonder's best CD. Though his previous "breakout album" Talking Book did have some innovative tunes, to me it was hindered by a few overly sappy love songs. "Key of Life" is a great album, but isn't as concise. There is only one traditional love song on Innervisions ("All is Fair in Love" is a sad reflection on relationships, but certainly not a romantic ballad). Here's a track by track analysis

1) Too High: Jazzy cautionary tale about drug abuse and its consequences, but subtle enough not to be overtly preachy. It captures the feeling of an addict who exists only to "touch the sky" but never gets there. Outstanding drumming by Stevie (yes, he plays the DRUMS too!!).

2) Visions: Utterly stunning in its beauty. The acoustic guitar work is second to none.

3) Living for the City: The "epic" of the CD describes the tribulations of a man raised in poverty in the South only to find more poverty upon his migration to the city. Yeah, the interlude section is a little cheesy, but still effective and with great vocals as always.

4) Golden Lady: I love how this song keeps going up a key in the end, which signifies the yearning of the singer for his lady. What a great love song.

5) Higher Ground: Once again, outstanding drums and a very funky beat. Like most in my generation, I heard the RHCP cover first (which is a decent interpretation), but it didn't take long to me to realize that this is the definitive verision.

6) Jesus Children of America: Stevie boldly confronts religious fundamentalists, junkies, and even the listener, challenging all to "come clean," all while being backed by insistent gospel harmonies.

7) All is Fair in Love: Laced with agony and pain, Stevie teaches us all about the difficulties of a romantic relationship.

8) Don't You Worry Bout a Thing: A great song about being there to support a friend who is going through a transitional period. Very comforting.

9) Mista Know-It-All: Some think this song is a bash on President Nixon; others interpret it as a stern message against arrogant street hustlers who are looking to corrupt inner-city youth. However you interpret it, it is certainly an effective kiss-off and a creative way to end the album (as opposed to ending it with a sappy love song).

People who have only ever heard "Part Time Lover" may have a hard time accepting Stevie Wonder as a genuine artist, but trust me and the other reviewers, this CD is different. You will not regret buying it.

This is a great album song/composition-wise. I love Stevie Wonder and this is an excellent collection. It's a 5-star album if you consider just the songs themselves. The reason for taking away two stars is because the remastered version is so bright and harsh it hurts my ears. Stevie's voice is full of sibilance and on the tracks where he has electronically altered his vocals, these come across as way too bright. It gets your attention but soon becomes tiring because of the harshness in the vocals.

UPDATE - 05/13/2012 - This update is for the 24K Audio Fidelity version of the CD that was recently released. This is sooooooooo much better than the remaster I reviewed above. Wow, what a difference. A masterpiece work by Stevie Wonder now has a masterpiece engineering job, too. The vocals are especially good - very clean, you can hear every little nuance, and it sounds like Stevie is right there in front of you. Instruments and vocals sound realistic, are balanced and detailed. This is really an excellent mastering and well worth the extra money to get the 24k version. This album deserves it. Really, really good!