‘Songs In The Key Of Life’ is considered one of popular music’s masterworks, a definitive musical statement by Stevie Wonder, and for many the absolute pinnacle of his career. To follow the releases of what are considered his ‘classic period’ albums – ‘Innervisions’ and ‘Talking Book’ – with a double-disc three years in the making was a bold statement. Widely regarded as his magnum opus it is ambitious, sprawling and unarguably indulgent, but it’s deeply beloved despite its flaws.
Covering a myriad of themes and genres it traverses the socio-political spectrum with confident expansive strides. Upbeat discourses on childhood, the joy of parenthood and spiritual devotion sit alongside tales of urban deprivation, race relations and civil rights. To convey each shift in tone and mood the music traverses gospel, jazz, fusion, even baroque through funk and soul, each track connected only by its own boundary-pushing, unpredictable melodies and unbelievable harmonics.
Released in September 1976 on a new contract with Motown Records which allowed him full creative control, it almost never came into being. Wonder had considered throwing in the towel to become involved in humanitarian work overseas. This could be attributed to both his burgeoning social conscience and a near fatal automobile accident which had made an indelible spiritual mark on the singer. As it was, it became one of the best-selling and critically acclaimed albums of his long career, debuting at Number One in the Billboard chart and going on to win three Grammys.
Its classic tracks are numerous – the bold brassy eulogy to Ellington in ‘Sir Duke’, the classical indictment of inner city living in ‘Village Ghetto Land’, the recognition of of black and ethnic contributions to history in ‘Black Man’ and, in ‘I Wish’, a jubilant journey into Wonder’s past. ‘Summer Soft’ is a sorbet of passing seasons in a song and features one of Wonder’s most restrained and beautiful vocals. In contrast, ‘Contusion’, an experimental instrumental piece, is disjointed and anxious, inspired directly by the accident which left him in a coma for four days.
The use of multi-layering, overdub and clavinet (which had become his signature sound after the release of ‘Superstition’) were reigned in, with ‘real’ instruments used to create the dense sound. It’s thought that over a hundred musicians contributed to the album, including Herbie Hancock, George Benson and Minnie Ripperton. Despite this, Wonder continued to play just about every instrument on it, in addition to his role of band leader extraordinaire.
It’s been perceived as overrated and overblown in places – certain lyrics sound hackneyed to our post-modern ears, too monochromatic, even evangelical in tone. But there is no doubting Wonder’s sincerity, musically and lyrically. Each track has something interesting going on, even if at times it’s only that sublime multi-octave voice and the their sheer variety and multifaceted nature of the company each cut keeps.
It inhabits a timeless dimension, perhaps because it deals with the big themes in life; it transcends genre and in doing so continues to retain currency and immediacy. It offers something fresh at each listening, something right for every mood, be it a lazy Sunday morning, a late night dancing, on your headphones or on the dancefloor. It’s fierce, sentimental, tender and complex; in short, one of life’s affirmatively essential albums.
Words by Anna Wilson
STEVIE WONDER – ‘SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE’
Released: 1976
Producer: STEVIE WONDER
Musicians: MIKE SEMBELLO – LEAD GUITAR, NATHAN WATTS – BASS GUITAR, BEN BRIDGES – RHYTHM GUITAR, GREG PHILINGABES – KEYBOARD
1976: In The News
• Apple is formed by Steve Jobs.
• First commercial Concorde flight.
• The Soweto riots begin in South Africa.
• The kidnapped Patty Hearst is found guilty of armed robbery. 1976: Albums
• David Bowie – ‘Station To Station’
• Frank Zappa – ‘Zoot Allures’
• Led Zeppelin – ‘The Song Remains The Same’
• Parliament – ‘Clones Of Dr. Funkenstein’
