What can possibly be said about this album that hasn’t been said already? Everything you’re looking for is here in Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions. Recorded in 1973, Wonder covers themes of love and love lost, spirituality, and social-political issues- many of which still exist in today’s society. Not only are all the songs written, produced, and arranged by Wonder himself, but he also plays the majority of the instruments heard on the album (In some songs, he IS the only performer/musician listed). Who does that anymore? I mean granted, technology is crazy nowadays, but who can you really think of who is musically proficient enough to play even one instrument, let alone all of them on their album (Top that, Lady Gaga)? For Stevie, it was about being able to express himself in ALL facets of his music- from the lyrics, to the arrangement, and even to the production. At all of 23 years old, Stevie was proving through this album and several others throughout his landmark “classic” period, that he was not only a force to be reckoned with, but the driving force behind what music issupposed to be.
The album starts with the funky, uptempo “Too High,” a song that explores the feeling and the dangers of drug abuse. The song’s complex composition plays off of its psychedelic nature- in the sense that it is a musical representation of being “high.” The story follows a girl who’s wasted her chances in life by using drugs- only to eventually succumb to the one thing that gave her an illusion of happiness. We then go right into “Visions,” a beautifully-crafted, mellow tune that proves that someone who’s never had the gift of sight can truly be a visionary. He speaks a world free of prejudice and hate, where love and equality prevail. Once again, Wonder goes to show that he a deep, spiritual thinker that lies on a plane of existence far beyond the rest of us. What amazes me is that you don’t hear of many songwriter/musicians that young (especially in this day and age) trying to impact socio-political change through their music. Through this song, and several others throughout his body of work, he was using his gifts to inspire and lead a generation to the “Promised Land.”
Which leads right into one of the most poignant songs on the album, “Living For The City.” Can you say a classic recording? It tells the tale of a boy who is born under dire conditions in the deep south, and fights to make a way out and make a better life for himself. He arrives off the bus in New York City for the very 1st time, completely naïve to the ways of city life, and gets caught up in a drug trafficking scheme. Completely unbeknownst to anything that is going on, the main character gets arrested for just simply being Black, and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He gets sentenced to 10 years in prison, and comes out with a much darker, colder view of the world. The song builds up all throughout, and even includes an interlude in the middle of the song where you actually hear the man’s experience when coming to New York City. When the music comes back in, you can hear the extreme difference in Stevie’s voice- it’s harder, grittier, as though he is “growling” out the lyrics. The extreme change in tone reflects the main character’s attitude towards the world after being wrong by both the justice system and life in general. Sadly enough, it is still the case where innocent men are getting arrested, tried, and convicted for a crime they didn’t commit.
Changing the vibe completely, we then flow right into the smooth, yet funky “Golden Lady.” Clocking in at 4:59, “Golden Lady” is every bit infectious to the soul from beginning to end. It’s just one of those songs that you could listen to over and over again, and never once begin to get tired of. The groove is so on point that you have no choice but to sit back, close your eyes, and just listen. The lyrics suggest that he seems to be admiring this woman from afar; admiring the subtle nuances of her beauty. He speaks of how her mere presence affects the world around her. Towards the end of the tune, Stevie performs a remarkable feat by transposing the song up 4 octaves (which is SICK!!); and it sounded like he was still going when the song faded out. Next, we have the funky goodness of Higher Ground, a track that was said to have been written, and recorded during the course of three hours- with Wonder playing all the instruments himself. Who else do you know could pull off something that complex in just three hours. Talk about a burst creativity…The outcome: nothing short of a classic….Higher Ground, with its definitive “wah-wah” clainvet sound has been imitated several times over and covered by a number of musicians in a variety of different genres.
From there we come to “Jesus Children of America,” which is a wake up call to those talk about religion, but don’t actually practice it. You know the ones, the hypocrites that preach the Good News…but gossip about the bad news when no one’s looking…He says:
“Are you hearing
What He's saying ?
Are you feeling
What you're praying ?
Are you hearing, praying, feeling
What you say inside?”
This is yet another tune that Stevie plays all the instruments on…from Moog bass to Clavinet and background vocals…He does it all…The same goes for the last three tracks, the 1st of which being “All In Love is Fair,” a beautifully crafted tune that speaks to the very soul of any one whose ever been in love and lost it at some point in time. Sometimes things change, and there’s nothing you can do about it, nothing that can be said about it, but you know when it happens. Clocking in at just 3:48, it says so much all at once, in such a simple way. In this writer’s opinion, it is one of the most beautiful, most poignant songs he’s ever written, because you can tell that it comes from a place of deep pain and regret. From a songwriter’s perspective, you can’t write a song like that, if you’ve never been there yourself….
To lighten the mood up some, there is the playful, “Don’tYou Worry ‘Bout a Thing,” which can only be described as “3 parts Afro-Cuban rhythm mixed with a dash of 70’s Soul.” In the beginning of the song, the spoken word is Stevie’s attempt at trying to impress a girl with his “worldliness.” What is really tight are his complex, melodic vocal riffs all throughout the song over a Latin beat…Pure Genius…..and the only voice you hear is on the entire track is just his own. He is doing all the lead and background vocals in the tune. Last but not least, we come to “He’s Misstra Know it All,” a tale of a con-man who always has a scheme up his sleeve. This guy is a fast talker, whose only concern is how to make his next buck. Many critics felt that he was talking about then-US President, Richard Nixon, with whom Wonder was a vocal opponent of. The song’s handclaps (especially towards the end of the song) give more of a gospel feel to the music itself.
And there you have it…Needless to say…if you haven’t heard the whole Innervisions album in its entirety, then you’re doing yourself a major injustice. This album alone, along with the others in Wonders “classic period” (Music of my Mind, Talking Book, Fufillingness’ First Finale, and of course, Songs in the Key of Life) are “must-haves” in any true music lover’s collection. So take an afternoon, expand your mind, and go on a musical journey, to the likes of which you’ve never before experienced….
Until Next Time…..
