28th September - Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life

Artist – Album: Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life

Released:  28^th September 1976

Sounds Like: Life, the Universe and Everything

Yet another double album! I'm beginning to think that the double whammy is uniformly a bad idea - Songs in the Key of Life was a little bit disappointing. I know in some circles this may be considered blasphemy, but hear me out: Some of the songs here are glorious, but over 17 songs Wonder struggles to keep his expansive creative side under control. A case in point is 'Isn't She Lovely' - a nice enough if a bit schmaltzy tune, but clocking in at 6 and a half minutes long and involving the sound of bathtime is just not necessary. Still the majority of it is exceptional, with 'As', 'Sir Duke' and 'Summer Soft' being the incredible highlights.

Albumaday... rating: 8/10
 

1.       Love’s in Need of Love Today – 7:06

2.       Have a Talk with God – 2:42

3.       Village Ghetto Land – 3:25

4.       Contusion – 3:46

5.       Sir Duke – 3:52

6.       I Wish – 4:12

7.       Knocks Me Off My Feet – 3:36

8.       Pastime Paradise – 3:27

9.       Summer Soft – 4:14

10.   Ordinary Pain – 6:16

11.   Isn’t She Lovely – 6:34

12.   Joy Inside My Tears – 6:30

13.   Black Man – 8:27

14.   Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing – 3:48

15.   If It’s Magic – 3:12

16.   As – 7:08

17.   Another Star – 8:08

 
Listen to ‘As’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWhMyOs0pCQ

Also released on 28^th September:

1987: The Smiths – Strangeways, Here We Come

Also released on 28^th September:

1998: The Beta Band – The Three EPs

Also released on 28^th September:

2004: Brian Wilson - SMiLE