Happy 60th birthday you frickin' genius!

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Originally posted by Kevin-W:

Stevie is 60 today.

If anyone doubts that the man is anything but a complete and utter mindblowing genius, a soul titan, a musical god, and any other number of superlatives ...

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Originally posted by fred simon:


Mike, I agree that the term "genius" is used too promiscuously, but in the case of Stevie Wonder ... if he isn't a genius, then who?

As regards the semantic issue, perhaps it's different on your side of the water, but every dictionary I check has "genius" as both the talent one possesses, and as the one who possesses that genius. In fact, one dictionary uncannily gives this usage example: "one of the great musical geniuses of the 20th century." All that's missing is a photo of Stevie!

Further, the Latin origin of the word means "attendant spirit present from one's birth, innate ability or inclination," and if that doesn't describe Stevie, I don't know what does.

In all manner of artistic endeavor, or scientific discovery or mechanical invention, genius has often been something that fades over time, but this in no way diminishes the genius of a genius's earlier achievements. In rare cases, genius can span a lifetime, but more often than not it doesn't. I agree that Stevie's best writing is behind him (although his singing genius continues unabated), but so, too, that of Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney, and many other geniuses whose genius flourished in earlier years.

Best,
Fred

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Originally posted by irwan shah:

Strangely, the one song that I love after all these years is actually from outside that creative period; 'Overjoyed' from an album in the mid to late 1980s that also gave the world 'Part time Lover'. I still listen to 'Overjoyed' on the black, i.e. 12 inch single. I just like it a lot and cannot explain why! Any Stevie fans here who love that song too?

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Originally posted by fred simon:

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Originally posted by irwan shah:

Strangely, the one song that I love after all these years is actually from outside that creative period; 'Overjoyed' from an album in the mid to late 1980s that also gave the world 'Part time Lover'. I still listen to 'Overjoyed' on the black, i.e. 12 inch single. I just like it a lot and cannot explain why! Any Stevie fans here who love that song too?

I can explain why: because it's one of the greatest songs ever written!

One of the many aspects of Stevie's genius is that he can pack so much melodic/harmonic interest and sophistication into a seamless, flowing, organic whole. Just the key modulations alone in Overjoyed ... modulation in the hands of an average songwriter usually results in a hackneyed device; in the hands of a genius like Stevie it becomes a sublime musical expression of unbounded emotion.

And you're right, it was written well after his primary heyday, yet it's one of the very best songs he's written.

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Originally posted by Geoff Cottle:

A Genius doesn't need to be a Genius all his life.

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He can play the Drums too!

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Originally posted by irwan shah:

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Originally posted by fred simon:

One of the many aspects of Stevie's genius is that he can pack so much melodic/harmonic interest and sophistication into a seamless, flowing, organic whole. Just the key modulations alone in Overjoyed ... modulation in the hands of an average songwriter usually results in a hackneyed device; in the hands of a genius like Stevie it becomes a sublime musical expression of unbounded emotion.

Fred:

It is a deceptively simple song. Modulations like that are common in jazz tunes, but less so in pop songs.

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I remember a Stanley Clarke interpretation of the tune where he has Stanley Jordan for company.

It shows what could be done when you put a simple pop tune in the hands of a couple of jazz masters.

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Originally posted by fred simon:

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Originally posted by irwan shah:

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Originally posted by fred simon:

One of the many aspects of Stevie's genius is that he can pack so much melodic/harmonic interest and sophistication into a seamless, flowing, organic whole. Just the key modulations alone in Overjoyed ... modulation in the hands of an average songwriter usually results in a hackneyed device; in the hands of a genius like Stevie it becomes a sublime musical expression of unbounded emotion.

Fred:

It is a deceptively simple song. Modulations like that are common in jazz tunes, but less so in pop songs.

Actually, Overjoyed is more of a jazz tune in its harmonic sophistication. The whole-step-up modulation late in the tune is more of a standard pop device, but the harmonic modulations in and around the initial tonal center are more common in jazz ... and Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, and Stevie.

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I remember a Stanley Clarke interpretation of the tune where he has Stanley Jordan for company.

It shows what could be done when you put a simple pop tune in the hands of a couple of jazz masters.

Not to be argumentative, Irwan, but it's really not a simple pop tune, not in its musical nuts and bolts. Of course, Stevie pulls it off with all the ease of a pop song, but there's a lot more going on there than may first meet the ear.

Also, and I recognize that I may be alone in this, I'm not such a big fan of the idea of jazz players "improving" on a pop tune because they may have a more sophisticated musical sensibility ... I'm not at all suggesting that you hold this attitude, but it's long been a prevalent stance in the jazz world that because many pop tunes tend to be less melodically/harmonically advanced than jazz, all too often jazz musicians condescend to play them and throw in all sorts of fancy shit that completely misses the point. And with a pop song like Overjoyed, which already is more advanced than many pop songs, it's even less necessary. But maybe that's just me. (insert emoticon here)

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Originally posted by irwan shah:

Would that explain why Earth, Wind and Fire songs are so infectious as well?

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Originally posted by mudwolf:

I loved those 3 albums around the superstition period, Innervision and Talking book I still have.

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Originally posted by jazzfan:
I would add Songs In The Key of Life to the 3 albums mentioned above (as being part of his great period). I would agree that Music of My Mind does not receive the recognition it deserves.

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Originally posted by fred simon:

Fulfillingness' First Finale has another of my all-time favorite Stevie songs: Creepin'. And Songs In The Key of Life has another: As, with the fantastic electric piano playing of the great Herbie Hancock!

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Originally posted by jazzfan:

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Originally posted by fred simon:

Fulfillingness' First Finale has another of my all-time favorite Stevie songs: Creepin'. And Songs In The Key of Life has another: As, with the fantastic electric piano playing of the great Herbie Hancock!

Interesting - I had not realized that that was Herbie Hancock.

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I can only surmise that, because Music of my Mind was released just a few months prior to Talking Book, it was probably overshadowed by the latter to some extent.