Garage Sale Vinyl: Stevie Wonder
Innervisions / Tamla Music / August 1973
by Christopher Long
This was one of those elusive little buggers I’d been pursuing for quite some time. So, when I walked into my local go-to used record joint a couple of weeks ago and discovered that a rather punished original pressing copy of Innervisions had just arrived, I was jazzed, to say the least — especially given the very appealing sticker price of just $6. SOLD!
Of all the entries in the impressive and exhaustive Stevie Wonder music catalog, it arguably remains his most acclaimed. And for good reason(s). Simply put, Innervisions was, and still is, an important record. Truth be told, artistically, it covers more ground, more quickly than Jesse Owens did physically in Berlin back in ‘36.
Any qualified creative writing coach will teach ya two things, straight out the gate: write what you know, and show don’t tell. As a world-class word craftsman and master storyteller, Stevie Wonder checked both of those boxes with a big fat Sharpie throughout his chart-busting, multi-platinum-selling run during the early and mid-‘70s. And with Innervisions, he showed us EVERYTHING, revealing the often harsh realities of authentic inner-city life, while also reflecting a heartfelt sense of hope, peace, and love.
Supremely gifted, Wonder wrote all nine songs on this self-produced masterpiece and played most of the instruments, including drums. He also explored new frontiers within his acknowledged keyboard comfort zone, resulting in a finished slab so personal, so organic, so real, you (almost) can (still) smell the fragrance of strawberry incense burning as the needle glides across the grooves.
Oozing a smooth vibe and peppered with a dash of scat, “Too High” makes for a supa-sweet opener glossed with engaging vocals, punched up with a smidge of scorching harmonica and beaming sparkly images — “She’s a tangerine,” indeed! Equally beautiful, the acoustic guitar-driven “Visions” resides in a magical place where pop meets jazz, not far from “the land of milk and honey.”
One of the record’s three Billboard bruisers, “Living for the City” stunk from the funk. As a ten-year-old, pop-bottle-goggled geek from the ‘burbs, even I got that. The minute-long vignette that plays out in the middle of the full-length LP version paints a vivid portrait of the prevalent racial injustice of the time.
Despite being something of a funkfest, Innervisions owns a couple of significant, magnificent ballads, including the shiny, piano-fueled gem “Golden Lady” and “All in Love Is Fair” — a timeless treasure that soon would become a modest hit, and a massive staple for Babs.
I scored my personal copy of the record for “a song.” Hence, the cover clearly has done some living over the years, and the condition of the vinyl was kinda shabby. But it plays pretty well wet. Yes, that IS “a thing.” Yet, as often is the case with cozier-feeling, seasoned LPs, a lil’ warm crackle actually can add a bit more authenticity to the music. Two prime examples of tunes (on my copy) undeterred by some scuffiness — the iconic, bass-slappin’ Top Five smash “Higher Ground” and my all-time #1 Stevie Wonder power jam, “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing.”
Nothing’s new, man. Cultural clashes, political unrest, social tension, racial injustice — it’s always been with us, ever since that time when you know who took a chunk out of that juicy red Fuji. Let’s face it, humans are a consistently imperfect, downright dopey species that craves conflict. And with Innervisions, Stevie Wonder proved to have his thumb placed firmly on the pulse of world culture. As a result, the record is as fresh and relevant today as when it dropped at my neighborhood Kmart, a staggering 50 years ago this week.
(5/5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Innervisions Track List (All songs written by Stevie Wonder)
SIDE ONE
- Too High – 4:36
- Visions – 5:23
- Living for the City – 7:22
- Golden Lady – 4:58
SIDE TWO
- Higher Ground – 3:42
- Jesus Children of America – 4:10
- All in Love is Fair – 3:41
- Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing – 4:44
- He’s Misstra Know-It-All – 5:35
