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Stevie Wonder


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I'm pretty sure the only Stevie Wonder record I ever owned was "Songs in the Key of Life"

 

e12993zhy8t.jpg

 

Sadly, I never went any further than that, even though I totally loved that double-album. You know how it goes -- you always mean to listen further but not enough time, too many other bands, etc etc.

 

Now I am going to see him perform next week with a friend who is a BIG fan and so I feel the need to be a little more familiar with his catalog and it's pretty damn big.

 

Any ideas what he plays these days when he performs live? What other albums should I get? Thanks for your help.

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Not sure about now, but just a few years back he made a live album called Natural Wonder, which included many greats spanning his catalogue. I can't imagine he's doing anything all that different these days, save for one or two from his last album (hopefully he's doing "So What The Fuss" from that). If you're lucky, he'll drop "Ribbon In The Sky" and add "As."

 

Here's a piece that tells you what you can expect: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/news/article/...g-concert-tour/

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The following are indispensable:

 

Innervisions

Talking Book

Fulfillingness' First Finale

Songs in the Key of Life

 

I'm not sure what he plays live, but if you have those four records you'll want to spin them pretty regularly regardless.

 

In fact, now that I think about it, add Music of My Mind to the front end of those, and you've got one of the best consecutive five-album streaks in history. I wonder if anyone mentioned these way back when in the thread on that subject?

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The following are indispensable:

 

Innervisions

Talking Book

Fulfillingness' First Finale

Songs in the Key of Life

 

I'm not sure what he plays live, but if you have those four records you'll want to spin them pretty regularly regardless.

 

In fact, now that I think about it, add Music of My Mind to the front end of those, and you've got one of the best consecutive five-album streaks in history. I wonder if anyone mentioned these way back when in the thread on that subject?

I'll be mad at myself if I didn't.

EDIT: I didn't. Mr. spunky backpack did, though.

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Thanks guys! Reading that article that Sir Stewart linked to, I had not realized it had been 10 years since he last toured. I may be missing Wilco at Pritzger Pavilion that night, but wow -- I'm really looking forward to this. :dance

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The following are indispensable:

 

Innervisions

Talking Book

Fulfillingness' First Finale

Songs in the Key of Life

 

...Music of My Mind...

 

Word, word, word!!!

 

There are some tracks on Original Musiquarium that are monsters as well: "Do I Do" and "That Girl" immediately come to mind...

 

As far as his early singles, "Uptight (Everything Is Alright)", "Nothing's Too Good For My Baby", "I'm Wondering", and his version of "We Can Work It Out" all kick. Of his later numbers, "All I Do Is Think About You", a remake of an old Tammi Terrell single, is wonderful.

 

It's amazing how Stevie's been recording since he was 12, and you really can't do too poorly picking songs from any portion of his career. What a catalog.

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Word, word, word!!!

 

There are some tracks on Original Musiquarium that are monsters as well: "Do I Do" and "That Girl" immediately come to mind...

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have the pleasure to present on my album, Mr. Dizzy Gillespie! Blow!"

Sometimes I forget there are originals on that one. :cheers

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The following are indispensable:

 

Innervisions

Talking Book

Fulfillingness' First Finale

Songs in the Key of Life

Exactly. The albums on Tamla just prior to and just after (but not long after) Songs in the Key of Life are all great. The three LP set of Stevie's work on Motown proper is also worth having.

 

LouieB

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Not to belabor this point, but back in the day (Wendy knows this..) Stevie had a bunch of really great singles so don't miss out on them while trying to get his best mid-career albums. I don't know how they are packaged, but the old Motown collections on LP were great. Maybe they have some of those still available in some configuration.

 

LouieB

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Best harmonica player in pop music history.

 

I saw some photos from his show in Atlanta. He has a pretty huge band. 10 people, at least, probably more like 15. It was nice to see that he still has a Hohner Clavinet as part of his keyboard setup.

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Fulfillingness' First Finale has always been my favourite out of that run. I don't know quite why other people tend to think it is the weak link in the chain.

I kinda like that one the best, too. Talking Book is generally regarded as the king of the jungle among those three, but it's not my favorite, even though it has many, many killers. Stevie, damn! Now I wish I got tix for the Boston show!

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:lol what does that mean?

Just that it would have been sad if no one had mentioned that string of albums back then. I'm surprised I hadn't thought of it myself.

 

I think I'll break out a little Stevie this afternoon if I get the chance. :music

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  • 2 weeks later...

Reporting in!

 

278103891.jpg

 

I had SOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun at this show! Stevie Wonder blew me away - he was completely, utterly out of this world! :dance

 

This article sums up the experience far better than I could - and be sure to listen to some of the after-show interview clips with Stevie over on the right side of the page where Stevie mentions he hopes to launch a full-blown tour -- including Australia. (Sir Stewart, you may still have a chance!)

 

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.../709130444/1035

 

And I found a setlist there:

 

 

 

Meadowbrook - Detroit - September 12, 2007

 

Loves in Need of Love Today

Too High

Visions

Living For The City

Master Blaster

My Eyes Don't Cry No More Tease

Higher Ground

Golden Lady

Ribbons in the Sky

Overjoyed

I Cant Think of Loving You

You and I

Dont Worry About a Thing

Sign Sealed Delivered

Boogie On Reggie Woman

All I Do Is Think Of You

Isnt She Lovely

Sunshine of My Life

My Cherie Amour

Sir Duke

I Wish

Superstition

Do I Do

Part Time Lover

As

 

 

The setting was perfect - Meadowbrook has a huge lawn area behind a covered seated small amphitheater. We were in the seated pavilion about 30 rows from the stage and the sound quality was superb, slight lines excellent due to the steep grade of the venue. I really really like this venue with the exception of the nail-biting 50 minutes it took us to get into the parking lot. Inch by inch we moved closer to the venue, anxiously watching the clock pass the show starting time by 1/2 hour! Then when we FINALLY parked, ran to our seats, Stevie started playing his first song! :w00t

 

His voice is in tip-top shape -- he was all over the scales! At one point, while at the electric keyboards, he created a spontaneous funky Talkbox (a la Peter Frampton) prelude building up to one of his hits (damn if I can remember which one now). During other quieter songs, he played a beautiful black grand piano.

 

Through most of the show, there was not a soul sitting down ... we was gettin funky!!! There's no way you can sit still! Luckily we had 3 empty seats surrounding us so we could really let loose! And bonus - it was so cool outdoors, no sweating and no mosquitos! Yay!

 

I'm so grateful he started late and then went 1/2 hour past curfew ... he just kept playing hit song after hit song in his final medley ... "let's do one more, one more," he kept saying, and on and on they played. Man, I have never seen a band pass curfew that far. He gave Detroit some special treatment.

 

While he performed "Sunshine of My Life," "Isnt She Lovely," Stevie's grown daughter, Aisha Morris, who performed as a background singer throughout the show, playfully teased and poked and tickled him. She is in the photo above wearing the white coat-dress. She has a lovely voice and accompanied her father in a duet on one of the newer songs early in the set.

 

278103892.jpg

 

Toward the end of the show, Stevie brought out two elderly people from his hometown neighborhood who he said were responsible for introducing him as a very young man to people who could help him into the music business - very touching.

 

On stage were two percussionists, one drummer, two keyboardists, one acoustic/electric guitarist, one bass, one lead guitarist, 3 background singers, and Stevie on keys. And for 2 or 3 songs, they were joined by a horn player. A lovely young woman who Stevie called his god-daughter performed free-form modern dance during yet another song. And toward the end of the show during the medley, Greg Phillinganes joined in on piano right next to Stevie on electric keyboard.

 

So, sooo good! :)

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