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Stevie Wonder


MrBen

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I do like Stevie Wonder... but honestly, I can't listen to any of the albums all the way through, because I just can't stand the schmaltzy songs.


The idea of an album as a complete body of work that should be listened to as a whole, has always struck me as rather silly and pretentious. Even before CDs, I never listened to music in that way.

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Then it's the "Greatest Hits" at Tesco's for you Jezza.


As a child of the Eighties my first intro was "I just called to say..." pure schmaltz-pop but it sold millions. Then you hear "Superstitious" at your first wedding and start to realise what came before. Then listen to "Songs in the Key..." with its 8 min tracks (a remixers dream) and all of a sudden Prince don't look so clever.

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MrBen Wrote:

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> Then it's the "Greatest Hits" at Tesco's for you Jezza.


No way! That's probably the worst place to start, and in no way guarantees schmaltz-free listening. Some of his best songs were album tracks... You Met Your Match, Do Yourself a Favour, All Day Sucker, etc.


But I don't think I could listen to any of his albums all the way through without having to skip at least a couple of tracks.

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Jeremy Wrote:

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> The idea of an album as a complete body of work

> that should be listened to as a whole, has always

> struck me as rather silly and pretentious. Even

> before CDs, I never listened to music in that way.


i've always thought that was what made some albums special - like innervisions which i still listen to from start to end occasionally (and still probably think of as side A and side B)


may be that makes me pretentious, but i don't think so

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I partly with Jeremy here but mostly not


For better or worse, an album captures a moment in time in the artist?s life.


Most of the albums that I love have flaws , but I love them because they are an entity and not a collection of bits (I accept that many albums are exactly that from an artists POV mind you ? a collection of bits)


But even then there will be songs I skip (has anyone who likes Ziggy Stardust for example, EVER needed ?It ain?t easy? at the end of side 1?)

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StraferJack Wrote:

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> I partly with Jeremy here but mostly not


I'm well aware that I'm going against the grain! Maybe it's because I have a short attention span, maybe because I look for quite specific qualities in music... but I rarely listen to an album in its entirety. Even when I was growing up with vinyl and tapes, I wouldn't sit through a song which I wasn't keen on. And this is particularly true of Stevie Wonder - no matter what heights he reaches, you know there's a dull ballad or some nonsense about god coming up in a few minutes.

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Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> StraferJack Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I partly with Jeremy here but mostly not

>

> I'm well aware that I'm going against the grain!

> Maybe it's because I have a short attention span,

> maybe because I look for quite specific qualities

> in music... but I rarely listen to an album in its

> entirety. Even when I was growing up with vinyl

> and tapes, I wouldn't sit through a song which I

> wasn't keen on. And this is particularly true of

> Stevie Wonder - no matter what heights he reaches,

> you know there's a dull ballad or some nonsense

> about god coming up in a few minutes.


Try the Smiths, probably more your sort of scene. "Heaven knows I'm miserable now" would be a good place for you to start.

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StraferJack Wrote:

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> I'm always suspicious of people who think the

> Smiths are genuinely miserable, and who can't see

> the many threads of humour


Right, so many of their tunes were tongue in cheek eh? Well I'll be damned.

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