FEATURE:
Second Spin
Stevie Wonder – Music of My Mind
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WHEN you have a career as long-running…
IN THIS PHOTO: Stevie Wonder performing at Madison Square Garden in 1972/PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Walter/WireImage/Getty
as Stevie Wonder, then there are going to be albums that are not as regarded and celebrated as the classics. Although his fourteenth studio album, Music of My Mind, is not badly reviewed or dismissed, I don’t think many rate it as fondly as Songs in the Key of Life or those that get a lot more attention! Released on 3rd March, 1972 by Tamla Records, it was Wonder's first to be recorded under his new contract with Motown – this allowed him full artistic control. On Music of My Mind, Wonder introduced Electronic music pioneers Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff as co-producers, employing their custom TONTO synthesizer on several tracks. Music of My Mind, bafflingly, was a fairly modest commercial success; many critics feel it is the start of his classic period and a real statement of artistic growth, though. I am going to bring a couple of reviews in but, when you look at the songs included on the album, it is strange that Music of My Mind did not sell better! On the first side, we have Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You), and Sweet Little Girl; Happier Than the Morning Sun, and Keep on Running are on the second side. Over nine exceptional tracks, I think one can completely immerse themselves in such a terrific album. Maybe the songs are not as standout and timeless as those we instantly associate with Stevie Wonder, but I would urge everyone to listen to the album and experience something wonderful!
I will bring in a couple of reviews before wrapping things up. When they assessed Music of My Mind, this is what AllMusic remarked:
“With a new contract from Motown in his hand, Stevie Wonder released Music of My Mind, his first truly unified record and, with the exception of a single part on two songs, the work of a one-man-band. Everything he had learned about musicianship, engineering, and production during his long apprenticeship in the Snakepit at Motown Studios came together here (from the liner notes: "The sounds themselves come from inside his mind. The man is his own instrument. The instrument is an orchestra.") Music of My Mind was also the first to bear the fruits of his increased focus on Moog and Arp synthesizers, though the songs never sound synthetic, due in great part to Stevie's reliance on a parade of real instruments -- organic drumwork, harmonica, organs and pianos -- as well as his mastery of traditional song structure and his immense musical personality. The intro of the vibrant, tender "I Love Every Little Thing About You" is a perfect example, humanized with a series of lightly breathed syllables for background rhythm. And when the synthesizers do appear, it's always in the perfect context: the standout "Superwoman" really benefits from its high-frequency harmonics, and "Seems So Long" wouldn't sound quite as affectionate without the warm electronics gurgling in the background. This still wasn't a perfect record, though; "Sweet Little Girl" was an awkward song, with Stevie assuming another of his embarrassing musical personalities to fawn over a girl”.
From the improvised synths through the sheer expressiveness and power of Music of My Mind, one cannot fault such a bold and phenomenal statement. I think the album deserves a place in the top-five list of Stevie Wonder albums - and it is one that seems to mean more to me the more that I listen! The BBC reviewed the album and had this to say:
“Music of My Mind was Stevie Wonder’s first release after he gained complete artistic freedom from Motown Records’ "hit factory". Re-signing to the label after his contract lapsed on his 21st birthday, no committee would tell him which track to release as a single or what cover versions to include – this was now his domain alone.
Aside from trumpet, guitar and support from his wife at the time, Syreeta Wright, Wonder played every note on this, his 14th studio album. It also marks the first time he collaborated with synthesizer pioneers Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil.
Music of My Mind is a work that brims with passion, excitement and exuberance. Opener Love Having You Around signposts the new territory: a leisurely, synth-driven jam, its propulsive beat, jive talk and the line “Every day I want to fly my kite” render it childlike celebration of the freedom Wonder was now enjoying.
The album was described at the time by Sounds as representing the “coming of age of black soul music”, and it’s as much the sound of African-America in the early 70s as Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield. From Wonder’s visible afro on the cover to its reference to Melvin Van Peebles’ then-current landmark blaxploitation movie Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, it was the record that put to bed "Little" Stevie Wonder forever.
This being Wonder, however, all of his polemic is sweetened with breathtaking melodies. I Love Every Little Thing About You is one of his most beautiful songs. Happier Than the Morning Sun is great fun, and the second half of Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) shows Wonder’s indestructible way with a love ballad.
The closing track, Evil, was written at the height of the Vietnam War as response to Memorial Day. It ends proceedings on a downbeat, questioning note, and is indicative of just how far Wonder had travelled since My Cherie Amour.
Somewhat left in the shadow cast by his following two albums, Talking Book and Innervisions, Music of My Mind nevertheless remains a fascinating, influential listen”.
It is unusual to highlight a Stevie Wonder album as underrated, as many associate him with having this faultless career. There are a few albums that are weak and not up to his best but, because it didn’t shift as many units as some of his albums, Music of My Mind seems to have been forgotten by many - and it is one of his very strongest efforts. If you have not heard the album then go and do so now and discover this great treasure! Wonder would quickly follow-up on Music of My Mind with Talking Book in October 1972; he would put out Innervisions less than a year later in August 1973 – such amazing invention, consistency and brilliance! If people did not know it in March 1972, Music of My Mind was…
THE start of a very special period for Stevie Wonder.