Stevie Wonder: Talking Book [BACK TO BLACK/MOTOWN/TAMLA]

Why you'll love it

This gatefold edition keeps the Braille message printed on the original cover. "Superstition" and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" both went to No. 1 on the Hot 100, and the album earned Wonder his first Grammy Awards.

This edition

• Gatefold jacket
• Braille message on the cover

About the album

Talking Book is where Stevie Wonder stopped being Motown's prodigy and started being Stevie Wonder. With more artistic freedom than ever and far less direction from Berry Gordy, he wrote, sang, played and co-produced it himself, and it marks the start of his celebrated classic period alongside Music of My Mind from earlier the same year.

Its sound is all keyboards. Wonder worked with Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff, the synth pioneers behind the giant TONTO synthesizer, and their Moog and ARP programming gives "Maybe Your Baby" its funky, rubbery edge. The Hohner clavinet riff on "Superstition" is one of the most famous in music, "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" is pure joy, and "You and I (We Can Conquer the World)" and "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)" are among the loveliest ballads he ever wrote.

Rolling Stone placed it at No. 59 on its 2020 list of the 500 greatest albums. The clavinet on "Superstition" has been launching amateur funk bands ever since, and we'd gently suggest they start with the record.

Also at Kops: more Stevie Wonder on vinyl · browse Motown

Tracklist

Listen

On Tamla / Motown (cat# B0025529-01), a reissue of the 1972 album.