features in: Album Chart of 1973 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s ● 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die  |
A Stevie Wonder that gets my full-on thumbs up seems pretty much an impossibility, but “Innervisions” comes closest of all his works. The amazingly talented one plays every instrument on seven of the nine pieces; putting personal taste aside, who could possibly fail to be impressed by Stevie Wonder the man, the musician? First half highlight “Living For The City” identifies with the poor young black man's plight, calling out institutional racism. The futuristic funk of “Higher Ground” opens up side two in good style, fancifully imagining that we may have a second life to live, as he explained in interview: “I would like to believe in reincarnation. I would like to believe that there is another life. I think that sometimes your consciousness can happen on this earth a second time around. For me, I wrote "Higher Ground" even before the accident [3 days after the album was released in August '73 he was in a car-crash that left him in a coma]. But something must have been telling me that something was going to happen to make me aware of a lot of things and to get myself together. This is like my second chance for life, to do something or to do more, and to value the fact that I am alive.”. Continuing the fine form, album closer “He’s Misstra Know It All” has shades of gospel, with lots of hand-clapping and distant chorals nicing up the laid-back groove. A song about a con-man, Richard Nixon according to some. He's getting brave post-Motown is he not?
The Jukebox Rebel
08–Feb–2008
| Tracklist |
| A1 | [04:37]  Stevie Wonder - Too High (Stevland Judkins, Paul Bollenback) Disco / Funk |
| A2 | [05:17]  Stevie Wonder - Visions (Stevland Judkins) Jazz |
| A3 | [07:26]  Stevie Wonder - Living For The City (Stevland Judkins) Disco / Funk |
| A4 | [05:00]  Stevie Wonder - Golden Lady (Stevland Judkins) Pop |
| B1 | [03:54]  Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground (Stevland Judkins) Disco / Funk |
| B2 | [04:04]  Stevie Wonder - Jesus Children Of America (Stevland Judkins) Disco / Funk |
| B3 | [03:45]  Stevie Wonder - All In Love Is Fair (Stevland Judkins) Pop Ballad |
| B4 | [04:55] Stevie Wonder - Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing (Stevland Judkins) Pop |
| B5 | [06:06]  Stevie Wonder - He’s Misstra Know It All (Stevland Judkins) Cerebral Pop |
