You don't know how close I came to posting Michael McDonald's "Signed, Sealed."
08. DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING (Innervisions, 1973) -- 337 points, 15 votes, 1 #1 vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zywDiFdxopU
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:51 (twelve years ago) link
I speak VERY FLUENT SPANISH
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:52 (twelve years ago) link
I can actually lip sync to that whole bit now.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:58 (twelve years ago) link
Craigery Morgan : Kristen Wiig characters on SNL :: Me : Stevie Wonder
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:59 (twelve years ago) link
07. HIGHER GROUND (Innervisions, 1973) -- 366 points, 16 votes, 1 #1 vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCPjeOPjH5Y
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:05 (twelve years ago) link
So I guess we can safely say all of Innervisions will place?
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:08 (twelve years ago) link
i voted for 7/9 of them. i approve.
― anorange (abanana), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:08 (twelve years ago) link
Now, that one would have been my Number One. Except maybe for.... (soon come, I guess)
― Mark G, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:10 (twelve years ago) link
06. GOLDEN LADY (Innervisions, 1973) -- 368 points, 16 votes, 2 #1 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTX2Db6naaU
Good job, ILX voters. This one bobbed in and out of the top 10 for awhile. Then it began bobbing in and out of the top 5 before settling just outside. <3 all those who voted for it.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:22 (twelve years ago) link
Bleh, more album filler :)
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:27 (twelve years ago) link
I think you're kidding. But then again, you didn't vote for it.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:38 (twelve years ago) link
And I hold anyone who doesn't vote for this in suspicion.
I think it was pretty clear from the start that our tastes are not very alike ('Summer Soft'??). And I didn't vote for it because I think it's the worst song on Innervision.
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:41 (twelve years ago) link
I love the bass and piano at the beginning. Like a lot of Stevie's songs from this period, it could go anywhere.
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:42 (twelve years ago) link
I'm learning that other people rate Stevie's non-funk stuff way higher than I do
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:48 (twelve years ago) link
Cecil has a great quote in that book, something about how Stevie didn't know how to program a synthesizer and only used factory presets on SitKoL.― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, October 11, 2011 11:37 AM (1 hour ago) Sadly, the remainder of his career would tend to confirm that claim.― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, October 11, 2011 11:39 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, October 11, 2011 11:37 AM (1 hour ago)
Sadly, the remainder of his career would tend to confirm that claim.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, October 11, 2011 11:39 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark
But were there such things as factory presets on analog synths in 1976?
Eric H OTM. My first thought (which I think I've posted elsewhere) when I heard "I Just Called..." was, "Oh, he wrote a song around the 'demo' button on a Casio." My second was that he must've thought, "Hey, I don't have to play the drums anymore! This keyboard plays them for me!"
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:12 (twelve years ago) link
XP - If by "non-funk stuff" you mean his ballads, that's about 2/3 of his output - even on his greatest albums - right there. And if you don't love at least a few of Stevie's ballads...well I don't mean to judge, but gosh. I feel sorry for your ears.
― Melle Mel and the Coconuts (thewufs), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:14 (twelve years ago) link
"Higher Ground" = my #1. Surprised "Golden Lady" did slightly better, but I voted for that too.
Great top 10 so far.
― Jeff W, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:14 (twelve years ago) link
I think it was pretty clear from the start that our tastes are not very alike
Um, you voted in a Stevie Wonder poll. They can't be THAT far off.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:15 (twelve years ago) link
My favorite poll so far.
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:16 (twelve years ago) link
05. AS (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 372 points, 17 votes, 3 #1 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjsAy7HFeX0
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:17 (twelve years ago) link
If by "non-funk stuff" you mean his ballads, that's about 2/3 of his output - even on his greatest albums - right there.
there's plenty of Stevie ballads that I like, and some of the pre-70s stuff is okay, but they're all kind of secondary in my mind behind stuff like Superstition, Higher Ground, You Haven't Done Nothin, I Wish, etc.
"As"? more like "ass".
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:18 (twelve years ago) link
I'm an equal-opportunity Stevie fan-maniac. I love his funk stuff as much as his ballads as much as his twee album filler.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:19 (twelve years ago) link
I just don't like "Ebony & Ivory."
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:20 (twelve years ago) link
"As" is great. There've been some appalling cover versions of it though.
― Jeff W, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:26 (twelve years ago) link
04. SIR DUKE (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 381 points, 18 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MIjsANK_LQ
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:28 (twelve years ago) link
wow neither Sir Duke nor As at number 1? surprising!
― piscesx, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:31 (twelve years ago) link
o rly?
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:32 (twelve years ago) link
superstition v. uptight v. living for the city, right? genuinely can't tell what will win but all are good enough to.
― Ravaging Rick Rude (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:33 (twelve years ago) link
Guess "I Don't Know Why" won't make it. Bummer. Was in my top 5.
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:34 (twelve years ago) link
I hope Living for the City is not number one
― gospodin simmel, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:38 (twelve years ago) link
yyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
― Ravaging Rick Rude (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:40 (twelve years ago) link
xp I love it of course, but Superstition and Uptight feel like better choices for the top
― gospodin simmel, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:40 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, I'm kind of surprised at the direction this top 5 is taking. I would never have guessed 'As' would place this high. But I'm pretty sure 'Uptight' will win.
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:42 (twelve years ago) link
As - TOO LOW
― Melle Mel and the Coconuts (thewufs), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:42 (twelve years ago) link
I was kinda resigned earlier to 7 minutes of bathtime gurgles being #1. So yay ILM.
― Jeff W, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:42 (twelve years ago) link
I hate when people jump in and start listing the top three or whatever, even if we don't know the order--let us enjoy the g.d. results in real time!
― Iago Galdston, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:46 (twelve years ago) link
Heywhatabout "Tell Me Something Good"? Fuck y'all if you forgot about that one.
― Melle Mel and the Coconuts (thewufs), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:46 (twelve years ago) link
'Race Babbling' anyone?
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:48 (twelve years ago) link
03. LIVING FOR THE CITY (Innervisions, 1973) -- 483 points, 22 votes, 3 #1 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSRyf5G2uI8
Yep, Innervisions went 9/9. I call it "the Innervisions effect.'
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:50 (twelve years ago) link
I've no problem with that (the 9/9). I think I voted for more songs from Hotter Than July though, which is evidently the most underrated Stevie LP around these parts.
― Jeff W, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:59 (twelve years ago) link
TS: Album or single version?
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 18:04 (twelve years ago) link
Would love too see a post-Seventies (or even post-Musiquarium) Stevie poll, which is all too predictably slept-on here as elsewhere.
― Melle Mel and the Coconuts (thewufs), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 18:06 (twelve years ago) link
If you follow the official ILX list, your next chance will be somewhere around May of 2013...
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 18:07 (twelve years ago) link
I think I voted as many Hotter Than July tracks as any other album. Hella underrated.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 18:16 (twelve years ago) link
Alright, top two time.
02. UPTIGHT (EVERYTHING'S ALRIGHT) (Up-Tight, 1966) -- 527 points, 21 votes, 2 #1 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14hskyBXkPo
01. SUPERSTITION (Talking Book, 1972) -- 637 points, 25 votes, 2 #1 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ul7X5js1vE
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 18:19 (twelve years ago) link
I've never once seen a Stevie Wonder poll in which "Superstition" didn't more or less run the table.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 18:20 (twelve years ago) link
For awhile, tho, I seriously thought "Uptight" would stage a big upset. You all sure do love that chugging old school '60s Motown, huh.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 18:21 (twelve years ago) link
'Uptight' is literally my favorite song I discovered all year, and I probably hadn't if it weren't for this poll. So thank you Eric! It was great fun.
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 18:22 (twelve years ago) link
Yes, cheers Eric for running this.
― Jeff W, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 18:25 (twelve years ago) link