ALBUM REVIEW: Stevie Wonder - Music of My Mind

    After Stevie Wonder's 1971 Where I'm Coming From, his original contract with Motown Records expired. Under his first contract, Wonder was like most Motown artists at the time; having a lack of creative control under Berry Gordy's hit-making factory - under his newly negotiated contract, Wonder not only got a sweet bonus with a raise in royalties, but won what he desired more than anything: full creative control of his music. Stevie Wonder wasted no time recording his next album, which was totally intended to be a product of himself, hence the album's name - it was, too, with Stevie playing every single instrument on this album, save for two examples. In comparison to his certainly catchy previous releases under Motown, though, it's immediately evident that Music of My Mind is an artistic step above. Wonder really does gain his own autonomy on this album with a rich blend of soul and funk and a certain element of electronic stylings that give the album a unique feeling. It's the beginning of Wonder's "Classic Period", and the start of some nearly uncontested musicianship in an incredibly short period of time.

    Wonder's musical ambition was already a little evident on his final Motown record, but on Music of My Mind, we really do get a proper look at the artist here, unrestricted by any label stipulations or demands - his eagerness to prove what he can really do is prevalent, and especially so when opening the album with a tune that's as smooth, catchy, and filled with as many textures as the 7-minute "Love Having You Around", which makes even the classic-leaning "Do Yourself a Favor" on Where I'm Coming From seem quaint - all the facets are here, from Wonder's entirely self-played arrangement (minus a trombone), his creative lyricism, and all the hookiness in the world. Wild Life Syndrome? Please! This song could be 10 minutes and it'd still be one of the best on the album. "I Love Every Little Thing About You" is Stevie in his element, and it certainly had the potential to be a big hit single in my eyes - strangely enough, it was only a B-Side to "Superwoman", which while probably my favorite Stevie Wonder song, is not an ideal single choice (especially because the single mix cuts out the best part of the song, man!). Stevie loves to employ kinds of different sounds and ideas throughout this album, be it the clavinet-only and beautiful "Happier Than the Morning Sun" or the frantic energy of "Keep on Running", the latter of which making for a damn good penultimate track: for as long as some of these songs are, the album flows immaculately well.

    With all this artistic liberation in mind, is it any wonder that many of these songs, even some of the weaker ones, are all as fantastic as they are? Let's fly back to "Superwoman" briefly, as I feel this song doesn't get nearly enough attention, even if it is one of the best known moments on the album - it's a brilliant 8-minute complex love story about egotism and the end of love, complete with some of Stevie's most heartbreaking lyrics and a truly shattering vocal performance that results in one of his most enduring numbers - I could listen to this constantly. If you want some of the goofier moments, there's "Sweet Little Girl" with it's sharp harmonica playing and spoken-word segments, which I always find to be a little corny. If you want my highest praise of this, it's that Stevie makes the spoken word segment not corny, which is a truly magical feat - oh, also the song is pretty good. "Seems So Long" is similarly solid enough, although a little slow moving, and the same can be said for the closer "Evil", even if it is very impassioned. Music of My Mind is a little bit of a front-loader, even with almost no bad moments - just keep in mind that I mean that Side A is more insanely good than the second half.

    This is Stevie Wonder's creative genesis for all intensive purposes. For the first time, Wonder is unshackled creatively, and his growth since his days as nothing more than a preteen Ray Charles are long gone - this is the mark of a matured and realized artist on full display. While what would inevitably follow this album are the works that shape the cornerstones of Wonder's musical catalog, one can find pretty much every idea on those future albums in some sort of primitive form on this watershed release in Stevie's catalog. Smooth, man.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Music of My Mind.