ALBUM REVIEW: Stevie Wonder - Talking Book

    March 3 of 1972 marked a pivotal day in the career of Stevie Wonder, and one that will be important in his career for years to come - on this day, Music of My Mind released to the world. While Wonder was a more than successful artist before than, he was mostly stuck with that child prodigy label, and one under the thumb of mastermind Berry Gordy and his Motown machine. With a new contract, however, Wonder was free to make the music he wanted with no outside influences telling him what he had to do, and the result was an expansive and experimental album that set the scene for Wonder's biggest career leg. Even with such an accomplishment, Wonder wasn't content to sit around and wait, and his following record is very much cut from the same fabric. Talking Book is just as artistically fulfilling and explorative, but is far more refined and textured than its predecessor while remaining just as catchy and lively. The classic period in full effect, Talking Book is one of many Stevie Wonder landmarks.

    One thing remains consistent throughout this album when measuring it up to Music of My Mind, and it's that endless spirit of discovery and musical ambition throughout. In a similar vein to the one-man-band attitude of the previous album, Talking Book is largely a self-contained effort, with any other musical contributions typically limited to bass, guitar, horns, congas, or back-up singing. One notable exception is the guest singing on "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", however that's limited to the first verse. Much like the previous album, Stevie Wonder's independence shows an expert musician, confidently good at the Fender Rhodes, piano, synthesizers, and drums - I never got a chance to mention this last review, so allow me to quickly mention that Wonder is a better drummer than most people that have the gift of sight. He's not only bestowed with a remarkable efficiency, but he's also incredibly distinct with his drumming, in part due to some of his tactics when playing, the main one being his half-open hi-hat playing that creates a "slushy" style. You can hear both that and his drumming distinction on "Superstition", which probably stands as Wonder's most enduring tunes, and he plays everything on the track except for horns.

    There's more to the album than just two number one hits, though, and Wonder is consistently delivering the goods from Side A to B. Following the matured love of "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" is the uncertain and almost chaotic "Maybe Your Baby", which is probably the closest link to Music of My Mind in terms of the music, complete with some effects on Wonder's voice - special kudos to Ray Parker Jr. and his guitar work here, which certainly brings something strange and wonderful to the track. "Tuesday Heartbreak" is classic Stevie Wonder through and through with an incredibly catchy chorus to boot - I would single out his vocal performance here, but truth is that Wonder sounds excellent on every single one of these tracks. "Big Brother" is a fun and upbeat tune, playing like a more textured "Happier Than the Morning Sun" from Music of My Mind, with plenty of percussion and harmonica blows fill out this more solo number. "You and I" is similarly minimal with its lack of percussion, but is brilliantly textured with the distinct sound of the T.O.N.T.O. synthesizer, which creates such distinct and singular sounds that seem to invoke a style only done by Stevie Wonder - part of this feel is undoubtedly also because of the production partially handled by Malcolm Cecil, the inventor of the T.O.N.T.O. synthesizer. Other moments like "You've Got It Bad Girl" or "Blame It On the Sun" harken back to some of the more mysterious or somber moments on his previous album like "Superwoman", although that's hardly a bad thing, especially in the case of the textures of "You've Got It Bad Girl" with its second helping of that singular synth sound. By the time you get to the brilliant closer "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)" and the book has ended, it's clear that Stevie's ascension to artistry has been complete.

    While many consider Music of My Mind the start of Stevie's classic period (myself included), I've seen quite a few who consider Talking Book the bona-fide beginning of this era for Stevie Wonder, and there's a fair argument to make there. As great as Music of My Mind is, Talking Book is that true explosion of creativity coupled with the immense commercial success one may associate with this era of Stevie Wonder - a Top 3 Billboard album and two chart-topping singles is nothing to sneeze at. With Talking Book, Stevie Wonder's artistry is refined and polished to a brilliant point, and his craft will only get better with time.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Talking Book.