Songs in the Key of Life
| Stevie Wonder
Songs in the Key of Life
Songs in the Key of Life is the eighteenth album by American recording artist Stevie Wonder, released on September 28, 1976, by Motown Records, through its division Tamla Records. It was the culmination of his "classic period" albums. The album was recorded primarily at Crystal Sound studio in Hollywood, with some sessions recorded at the Record Plant in Hollywood, the Record Plant in Sausalito, and The Hit Factory in New York City. Final mixing was performed at Crystal Sound. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
2016 - *Songs in the Key of Life *was the culmination of a historic period of creativity for Stevie Wonder. Its ambition and scope were unprecedented, and he never approached its caliber or impact again.
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Rolling Stone
1976 - Wonder confronts us virtually single-handedly, grasps our expectations and wrestles them to the ground. I give him four out of five falls gratefully, happily; were it not for his lyrics he might have won them all.
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BBC
2008 - If you don't own it, buy it tomorrow. Life, literally, isn't complete without it.
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AV Music
2011 - Songs was the rarest of beasts: It was expected to be nothing short of a masterpiece that also did blockbuster numbers, and it absolutely delivered on both counts.
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All Music
touched on nearly every issue under the sun, and did it all with ambitious (even for him), wide-ranging arrangements and some of the best performances of Wonder's career
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Newsweek
2016 - "I'm not a minster," he said at the farm, "but I get the feeling that when I'm singing I'm just the vehicle." Listening to Songs in the Key of Life makes you think that just maybe he is.
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Pop Matters
2002 - Songs in the Key of Life is the sprawling vision of a man whose sight has been rendered infinite by the power of love and faith. Sculpted from Wonder's unique amalgam of jazz, pop and R&B, it is a bold effort that flirts with genius.
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The Quietus
2016 - Songs In The Key Of Life is without doubt worthy to sit alongside its mountainous predecessors in Stevie Wonder's formidable 70s pantheon.
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Music Radar
2010 - The highs, when they come, are still incredible, and the fact that Stevie’s sets still draw heavily on Songs’ tracklisting is testament to its quality.
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The Orion
2018 - Wonder’s artistic vision feels fully realized in this album, with an exceptionally mature artistry that is endlessly replayable.
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The Observer
2004 - This is an amazing double album, which ranges from more mainstream songs such as 'Isn't She Lovely' to jazz-influenced tracks such as 'Sir Duke'.
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Daily Beast
2016 - Stevie Wonder’s magnum opus transcends and transforms. Today, 40 years after its release, it’s still an album that every creative should reference, if not emulate.
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Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews
Quite good, but over-rated.
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John McFerrin Music Reviews
This album (and the accompanying EP) is such a tsunami of creative ideas that it would have been difficult in the best of circumstances for Stevie to come close to it ever again GREAT
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Only Solitaire
A little bit of filler and a little bit of preachiness mar this, but the album is nevertheless the greatest statement of Optimism in music.
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OO Cities
All things considered, the album's positive vibes and dazzling diversity can't help but impress, as this often-superlative self-contained package provided an exclamation point to a sustained period of excellence.
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Don Ignacio's Music Reviews
The fact that the album is almost two hours long is only a benefit. You can never have too much Stevie.
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Starling
With so many brilliant performances, the only problem is absorbing it all.
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Aphoristic Album Reviews
an incredible tour de force
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