[Music] Is Stevie Wonder overated?
- Thread starter Icy Gull
- Start date
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
Angie girl one of the best B sides ever https://youtu.be/qmoX6NQ6z-g
Insel affe
HellBilly
Robinjakarta
Well-known member
Never really 'got' Stevie Wonder. Marvin Gaye and many others, yes!
Skaville
Well-known member
The guy can play keyboard, piano, synthesizer, harmonica, drums, bongos, melodica and Clavinet. Plus he sings.
You might not like his music but how can someone that talented be overrated? It’s a bit like the question about Elton John the other day. I love Stevie, can’t stand Elton. Elton’s music leaves me cold, but you had to at least admire his talent .
You might not like his music but how can someone that talented be overrated? It’s a bit like the question about Elton John the other day. I love Stevie, can’t stand Elton. Elton’s music leaves me cold, but you had to at least admire his talent .
Mayonaise
Well-known member
Seriously talented but not to my taste
Not Andy Naylor
Well-known member
I was going to suggest That Girl but then I realised that it's 40 years old. So yes, between his great late 60s stuff such as I Was Made To Love Her and Signed, Sealed, Delivered and Fulfillingness' First Finale (and half of that is debatable), he reached a peak that few other artist have scaled.
Almost everything after that was part of a sad, sad decline, but at least we still have Music Of My Mind, Talking Book and Innervisions..
The Albion Roar
97.2FM
B-Side from 1968 - be bollocksed to remember what it was the B-side of...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6T4kLMsQ4s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6T4kLMsQ4s
The Albion Roar
97.2FM
He wrote and recorded the original of this (admittedly Aretha's 1973 version is better than Wonder's), but what a song to write at 17.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJZwcaWResA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJZwcaWResA
herecomesaregular
We're in the pipe, 5 by 5
Tbh, I don't understand why this is a relevant argument - yes, a musician often releases music long after their creative high (and why shouldn't they) but why should it detract from their (transient) period of genius, to then make them "over rated"? I wouldn't watch Cantona at 55 play for his local pub team and say "so over rated!". It seems it's better for a musician to die shortly after their peak...
Machiavelli
Well-known member
Haven't got time to trawl through this thread but, hopefully, I'm not the first to call [MENTION=34942]Dr. No[/MENTION]
If the question was: is Stevie Wonder underrated, then the answer would be yes.
If the question was: is Stevie Wonder underrated, then the answer would be yes.
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
- Thread starter
- #54
Was it you that threw in Neil Young as being similar? If so that's where your argument falls down imo. Neil Young is still making relevant music and has never succumbed to making the absolute shmaltzy shite Stevie Wonder has done for decades now, although Young has made some rubbish albums in fairness. I think any musician who makes great music and then loses all ability to keep up with a changing world whilst continuing to trade on his name with shite music is overrated. Just imo and it's clear that I am in a very small minority on this thread.
herecomesaregular
We're in the pipe, 5 by 5
I used Neil Young and Brian Wilson in terms of genius being fleeting. Aswell as Stevie Wonder I also love Neil Young (seen him 6 or so times live) but he has also released some embarassing cringe if that's your bug bear (even during his peak). Young is unusual, however, in that did have a rebirth of brilliance late 80s/early 90s (but i haven't enjoyed much of his new stuff since and I do listen to most of it at least once. The Archive releases are fantastic though). Wonder has only released 5 albums after 1985 compared to multiple albums from Young so I find it a bit odd to slate Wonder for "continuing to trade on his name with shite music" as he hasn't released much?!
Stato
Well-known member
- Dec 21, 2011
- 7,367
Its worth remembering that he was about twelve when he made his first album. He made a couple of dozen albums from 1962 to 1980. He very much earned his semi retirement. I think I've always had a bit of a disjunct when thinking about his age. Yes I knew that he was 12 when he was 'Little' Stevie Wonder and released 'Fingertips'. I've always thought of him as a mature thirty something when he hit his classic period. but I hadn't done the maths properly. He recorded the five albums from Music of My Mind to Songs in the Key of Life between the ages of 21 and 26. His Motown pop hits were all done during his teen years and he was also writing songs for other people throughout the period. He co-wrote and recorded 'Uptight' at 15. He was only 17 when he recorded this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppLJAp2Tnwo
and also when he co-wrote this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcd9N62nOLg
Had he done nothing else in his career, he would still have made a greater contribution to American popular music than most people. Instead, he spent his twenties making those albums. If he felt burnt out by the time he reached his 40s, its not really a surprise. As far as new music is concerned, he may have been resting on his laurels for a few decades, but given that he's still made about 30 albums in a sixty year career, I'd say he owes nobody anything at all.
Last edited:
Stato
Well-known member
- Dec 21, 2011
- 7,367
Watching Pointless by any chance?
Yes.
The Albion Roar
97.2FM
Anyone else realise the ubiquitous Romesh Ranganathan was a member of the Miracles?