Classic Album Review: must-have music.
Innervisions by Stevie Wonder, 1973.

Stevie followed up his smash album, Talking Book, with this masterpiece.

Track 1: "Too High"- A cautionary tale about drug usage, it features a bridge w/ Stevie killing it on the harmonica. Jim Gilstrap, who previously sang on "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", provides backing vocals.

Track 2: "Visions"- Least favorite song on the album. The theme of equality is fine, but it's just too slow-paced without a real hook.

Track 3: "Living For the City"- The greatest song of all time. Stevie plays every instrument and provides all the vocals. The tale of a young boy growing up in Mississippi, trying to escape poverty and racism to make it to the big city. When he grows up and makes it to NYC, he finds things are no better. The bridge is a spoken interlude voiced by Stevie's real-life brother. He is arrested and thrown in jail for 10 years, for a crime he didn't commit. The outro is a haunting, angry Steve disillusioned by the society he lives in. The radio version omits the bridge and outro, presumably for the use of the 'n word'. You have to get the full studio version to fully appreciate this gem.

Track 4: "Golden Lady"- A beautiful, soft-funk jam of Stevie professing his love for some fine fox. Steve paints images in this jam that belie his blindness.

Track 5: "Higher Ground"- Why is this song not played on classic rock stations? It fuckin' rocks, as evidenced by the Red Hot Chili Peppers cover a decade and a half later. The clavinet is just stanky funk in this tune. Shortly after the release of  Innervisions, Steve was injured as a passenger in a car. It left him in a coma. Reportedly, this song was continually played in his hospital room as it got the most reaction from the comatose Wonder. Thankfully, as we know, Steve recovered and continued his wonderful career.

Track 6: "Jesus Children of America"- A funky tune calling out believers and non-believers alike. Once again, Steve is playing every instrument. Check out the dirty funk of the clavinet at 1:44 of this jam, makes you recognize.

Track 7: "All in Love Is Fair"- A ballad of heartache, with a building crescendo. Obviously, it's Ryin's favorite track, as he loves when Stevie sings about love and heartache.

Track 8: "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing"- Funky, Latin-inspired track with shakers, bongos, and the Latin gourd. Starts off with Steve riffing, 'Cause like I been to, y'know, Paris, Beirut, y'know, I mean, uh, Iraq, Iran, Eurasia... y'know I speak very, very, um fluent Spanish -- 'Todo 'stá bien chévere' -- you got that? ", and then boom, get down to this infectious number.

Track 9: "He's Misstra Know-It-All"- Second favorite song on the album. A scathing commentary about con men with a funky, gospel-infused background. Many believe the song was about Nixon. The bridge will make you holla "Preach!".

If you don't add this album to your collection, you're not very smart.