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In this series of blogs, I will document a selection of albums that were pivotal in shaping my musical journey. I will focus on what made these albums special to me, as opposed to what makes them special in music, cultural or any other terms. Of course, every album I discuss can be considered as recommended listening, however, please keep in mind that whilst these albums are special to me, that doesn't mean they're particularly special and/or unique in their own right (although in most cases, I would argue that they are!).
Artist: Stevie Wonder
Album: Songs In The Key Of Life
Release: 1976
Label: Tamla
Genre: R&B / Progressive Soul
Personnel:
Stevie Wonder – lead vocals, musician, arrangement, composer, producer
Nathan Watts – bass guitar (4-6, 16, 17, 19, 21), percussion (14), handclaps (16)
Raymond Pounds – drums (4-6)
Greg Phillinganes – keyboards (4, 11, 12, 18)
Michael Sembello – lead guitar (4, 5, 10, 18, 20)
Ben Bridges – rhythm guitar (4, 5, 9, 18, 20)
Eddie "Bongo" Brown – collinga (1)
Shirley Brewer – backing vocals (4, 14), "Ordinary Pain" reply vocals (10), handclaps (11)
Josie James – backing vocals (4, 17)
Michael Gray – backing vocals (4)
Artece May – backing vocals (4), handclaps (11)
Hank Redd – alto saxophone (5, 6, 10, 13, 17)
Trevor Lawrence – tenor saxophone (5, 6, 17)
Raymond Maldonado – trumpet (5, 6, 17), percussion (8)
Steve Madaio – trumpet (5, 6, 13, 17)
Renee Hardaway – backing vocals (6, 14)
Bobbye Hall – percussion (8)
West Angeles Church of God Choir – backing vocals (8)
Hare Krishna – backing vocals (8)
Ronnie Foster – organ (9)
Nastee Latimer – percussion (9)
Minnie Riperton – backing vocals (10)
Mary Lee Whitney – backing vocals (10, 16)
Deniece Williams – backing vocals (10)
Syreeta Wright – backing vocals (10)
Linda Lawrence – "Ordinary Pain" reply backing vocals (10)
Terry Hendricks – "Ordinary Pain" reply backing vocals (10)
Sundray Tucker – "Ordinary Pain" reply backing vocals (10)
Charity McCrary – "Ordinary Pain" reply backing vocals (10)
Linda McCrary – "Ordinary Pain" reply backing vocals (10)
Madelaine "Gypsie" Jones – "Ordinary Pain" reply backing vocals (10)
Josette Valentino – handclaps (11, 16), percussion (14)
Dave Henson – handclaps (11, 16)
Brenda Barrett – handclaps (11)
Colleen Carleton – handclaps (11)
Carole Cole – handclaps (11)
Nelson Hayes – handclaps (11)
Edna Orso – handclaps (11)
Tucker – handclaps (11)
Susaye Greene – backing vocals (12)
George Bohanon – trombone (13)
Glenn Ferris – trombone (13)
Al Fann Theatrical Ensemble – verbal replies (13)
Amale Mathews – percussion (14)
Charles Brewer – percussion (14)
John Fischbach – percussion (14)
Marietta Waters – percussion (14)
Nelson Hayes – percussion (14)
Dorothy Ashby – harp (15)
Greg Brown – drums (16)
Herbie Hancock – keyboards (16), handclaps (16)
Dean Parks – guitar (16)
Yolanda Simmons – handclaps (16)
Bobbi Humphrey – flute (17)
George Benson – guitar, backing vocals (17)
Nathan Alford, Jr. – percussion (17)
Carmello Hungria Garcia – timbales (17)
Jim Horn - saxophone (19)
Peter "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow – steel guitar (19)
W. G. Snuffy Walden – lead guitar (20)
Carolyn Dennis – backing vocals (20)
Personal Context
As far as music is concerned, I'm primarily a pianist and keyboardist with a background in blues, jazz, soul and funk. I'm also a harmony-junkie that gets a real kick out of clever and interesting use of chords and melody. I love soul music to the extent that I named my son Otis (you don't need me to explain that reference, right?!). I listen to more music derived from jazz, soul and funk than any other genres. Stevie Wonder therefore has been an enormous part of my musical development.
Side-Note: as well as being one of the greatest musical minds in all of human history, Stevie Wonder is also the embodiment of triumph over adversity. To this day, he champions love, compassion, anti-discrimination, equality for all, and overcoming adversity. In these regards, his inspiration extends far beyond music.
In my youth, I was only familiar with Stevie Wonder's big hits and hadn't yet been exposed to his albums. I made a conscious effort to change that in my early 20s and I started with Songs In The Key Of Life, as I knew it was regarded by many as his magnum opus.
From here, it took me quite a while to get around to any of his other work, as there was frankly so much to unpick from this one album. After 6 months or so, I delved into the rest of his catalogue and as a result, my approach to music matured significantly in this time (not just music creation, but also in the way I listened to and perceived music).
My Takeaways
There is an innumerable amount of critical literature dedicated to this album and I'm not sure I could add anything new to that discourse. I'm sure people far more eloquent than me have penned far more refined words (than anything I could muster) on how and why this album is a masterpiece of the highest order.
Therefore, to break from the conventions I've established for myself with this blog series, I'll just say: clear two hours in your schedule, make sure you have no distractions (audible and visual); put your phone away, get offline, pour yourself a cup of tea and listen to this album from start to finish (fairly loudly).
Conclusion
In my article about Tom Waits' album Swordfishtrombones, I said that I regarded that album as (not necessarily my favourite, but) the greatest album ever made, and I stand by that comment. However, at the risk of undermining myself, I don't consider that mantle to be a space solely reserved for one album; other albums can be equally deserving of being the greatest album(s) ever made (I know, that's a bit of a cop-out, sorry).
For a great many reasons, some very similar (to Swordfishtrombones), some markably different (it will be clearly apparent upon listening as to why), Songs In The Key Of Life is (also) the greatest album ever made.
(Unlike Stevie Wonder) I'm not a religious man. I don't subscribe to a particular faith or any sort of spiritualism. However, if there is a God of some sort, they went above and beyond when they made Stevie. Wonder is able to pour so much of the human experience into his musical creations that it's immeasurably difficult to fathom how he conceived his ideas and made them a reality.
You see, when you've trained in music, it's both a blessing and a curse. It takes some of the sheen off of a lot of music. You train your ear to hear through music, deconstructing things as you go, and this often makes it a struggle to take things at face value. It can be very hard not to dissect and analyse whilst listening. This isn't even a conscious thing; your brain just does it before you can try and stop it. Therefore, if you can all too easily hear how things have been made and/or all too easily understand the decisions that were taken in the creative process, things can sometimes feel predictable, lacklustre and uninteresting. That's not say things can't be simple and enjoyable, but when music is simple, I find there's a need for believability in the conviction of their execution that gives them a little extra humility and artistic edge.
It's a hard thing to explain to non-musicians, but that's (kind of) where my head's at when I listen to music. I liken it to those professional visual effects artists on YouTube that critique special effects in films. They can't watch a movie without thinking about how it was made, and their enjoyment of a movie can often hinge on whether or not the special effects remove them from the immersion, based upon their technical insight. The things they enjoy the most are often the things they don't understand or can't accurately figure out. I guess, in many ways, it's the same for me and music; if it feels believable, immersive, executed with conviction, and/or does things I couldn't predicted, it is much more likely to resonate and speak to me.
When I listen to Stevie, I get that believability, surprise, shock, amazement, etc, and I'm always overcome with a childlike wonder (no pun intended). There's so much imagination at work, the structures are so tastefully arranged, and the performances are so delicately articulated and soulfully rendered that I'm often overcome with emotion and lost for words; unable to explain how and why I feel the way I do. Stevie manages to reach right into the depths of my soul within a single bar of music. He can get me euphorically happy one moment and tearful the next. A very small handful of artists have this effect on me, and when they do, it's perhaps with one or two particular songs of theirs. But Stevie... He does this with such startling frequency that I sometimes have to give myself a break from listening to him, such is his command and power over my emotional state.
Stevie Wonder's music maintains its magical hold on me today, just as it did the first time I listened to Songs In The Key Of Life some twenty years ago. At the time of writing this article, I've been on this earth for over 40 years, however the earth is 4.5 billion years old, and I've been fortunate enough to share my brief time on this rock with his music. I said above that I'm not a spiritual or religious person, however to be alive with the music of Stevie Wonder is truly a blessing and a gift.