Recommendations of the Editorial team
Verabandoned emigration plans (Ghana), a new 37 million dollar deal, a record company (Motown) that throws “We’re Almost Finished” T-shirts to the people when Stevie Wonder disappears into the studio for another long time: That’s what it was like when “Songs In The Key Of Life” was finally released at the end of September 1976. Rarely, perhaps never, has any expectation been less disappointed.
Because Wonder not only delivered a bestseller (US number 1 for 14 weeks, third “Album of the Year” Grammy in a row), but also a good 104 minutes of music that exactly match the album title. 21 songs penetrate key moments of human existence: joy and pain, love and hate, birth and death, longing for transcendence, knowledge, justice.
Some of it is also humorous, born out of desperation: when he wants to run away towards “Saturn”, where the snow is orange, people live to be 205 years old and cars are superfluous, “’cause we’ve learned to fly”. Or when a classic synthesizer motif satirically underpins the foray through “Village Ghetto Land”.
Stevie Wonder recorded many songs alone
Musically, “Songs In The Key Of Life” is a cornucopia that gets to the heart of African-American music: with the childhood ode “I Wish,” the Ellington tribute “Sir Duke,” the simmering history lesson “Black Man,” with “As,” which balances song and funk jam. At the same time, Wonder points beyond this. How unheard of the harp and harp come together in “If It’s Magic”!
Wonder recorded many tracks (almost) single-handedly, supported by Nathan Watts (bass), Greg Phillinganes (keys), Mike Sembello (guitar). Plus guests like Herbie Hancock (“As”) and George Benson (“Another Star”).
In retrospect, it’s surprising that Wonder himself wasn’t swept away in this creative whirlwind. But he was able to rely on his ability to weave text and music together in such a way that the heavy often feels lighter than it is, and the light never feels banal. How embarrassing it can be to put to music the feeling of being overwhelmed by the birth of your own child! But “Isn’t She Lovely” simply brings out the sheer joy of the moment, genuine and infectious, instead of burdening it with a message.
Of course, Wonder can also send a message. “Love’s In Need Of Love Today” sounds even more relevant today than it did back then and is also so good because it ends properly after a good seven minutes, after an eternally long ad-lib stretch that you don’t want to miss a second of. While Wonder evokes love in a more abstract way here, other songs permeate everything interpersonal: “Joy Inside My Tears,” “Ordinary Pain” or the bitter “All Day Sucker.” The latter, a wonderfully galvanized funk piece, was, like the aforementioned “Saturn” in the original vinyl version of the album, also included on a bonus 7-inch single with four tracks.
There are good to very good double albums that would be even better if they had their essence in a simple one Work concentrated down. “Songs In The Key Of Life” is certainly not one of them.
