Stevie Wonder - Number Ones (Album)
» Stevie Wonder announces Australian tour! - July 3, 2008
You have to admit, having to review a Stevie Wonder greatest hits package is not the easiest of undertakings. Stevie Wonder is from the special echelon of artists who are almost untouchable from a critical point of view… a bit like Neil Young, Joy Division, Scott Walker and Jeff Buckley. In the words of the bass player of Deep Purple, Roger Glover, they are so good it is actually trendy not to like them. So anyway, here goes…
Surprising to many, including myself, Stevie Wonder only turned 57 this year. But his musical legacy kicked off back way back in 1962, under the guise of Little Stevie Wonder, at the ripe old age of 12. This latest package, Stevie Wonder-The Number Ones, covers his number one hits from the early ‘60s until is most recent, ‘So what the fuss’, in 2005.
The talent is literally dripping from the two earliest tracks, ‘Finger Tips Pt 2’ and ‘Uptight (everything’s alright)’, and you can just imagine the excitement the Motown execs felt when they first heard him pound out these opening numbers. ‘Finger Tips Pt 2’ in particular is a scintillating live version of the tune, and the intensity of his singing is literally awe-inspiring. Especially considering he was all of about 13 at the time. The Dylan cover ‘Blowin’ in the wind’, however, is infinitely forgettable especially if you have the Hendrix version close to hand. One has to wonder how many artists have taken that song to the top of the charts. Not really surprising though, it is a little gem. The final tracks from his Motown years are classics in the their own right but standing next to his independent ‘70s work they sound decidedly dated.
And onto his ‘70s canon. This is the period where Stevie Wonder really hit his form. From the early ‘70s to 1980, unshackled from Motown, he released one of the great strings of faultless records. Represented from these years are the ‘Superstition’, ‘Higher Ground’ and the reggae inspired ‘Master Blaster’. The latter being a personal favourite. ‘Higher Ground’ a protest song masterpiece is all the more astonishing when you think at this point he was so politically minded that this supreme riff was probably used just to get more people listening to his message.
Unfortunately, as you move through the album and into the 1980s, the tunes get decidedly saccharine. Whilst, “I just called to say I love you’ is genius, and you can’t not sing along to it, it does make you feel you are in a karaoke bar. Despite its noble motives, with the McCartney duet, ‘Ebony and Ivory’, the less said about it the better. Awful. ‘That’s what friends are for’, is only useful to remind yourself how bad Elton John’s singing is these days. He sounds like a dull, muffled drowning cat of some description. The final track, ‘So What the Fuss, I hadn’t realised was Stevie Wonder penned, but it is, and has Prince on guitar no less. It is a belter of a track, and goes a long way to expunging the memories of the Elton moment.
Overall, a solid package. In my opinion you would be better off exploring his 1970's albums in full, as they are a masterpieces. But as an introduction to the man, this is a great place to start.
