Stevie Wonder, Talking Book

It's odd that this album finishes stronger than it starts.  Usually, the trend is the opposite.  Then again, Stevie Wonder could pretty much do whatever he wanted during that spell of his career.  This portion of Wonder's career is the equivalent of Pedro Martinez in 1999 of Picasso during his Blue Period.  He was at the height of his game.

I actually don't think Talking Book is his best work.  Like I said, the beginning is weak — probably not his fault, but "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" has long been in the cliché gutter.  ("Superstition" is getting there, too.)  But I love exactly half the songs here: "Tuesday Heartbreak," "Big Brother," "Blame It On the Sun," "Lookin' for Another Pure Love," and "I Believe."  

I'll have more to say about good ol' Stevie when I listen to his other (better) albums, but this one is certainly not without its merits.  He manages to combine the depth of Marvin Gaye with the pop of the Jackson 5.