Product Description

While the phrase, "greatest album" is a useless distinctionfor the great Stevie Wonder, the material contained herein finds him at a pinnacle of his more introspective songwriting mode. Released between the chart-topping splendour of INNERVISIONS and the monumental SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE, FULFULLINGNESS' FIRST FINALE has spare instrumentation and a particularly personal tone. From gospel-inflected affirmations tothe funky classic, "Boogie On Reggae Woman", this music is spirited.
Stevie sings out on a seamless array of love declarations ("Creepin") and social protestations ("You Haven't Done Nothin"). The melodies are simple and evocative, spiced with jazzy harmonies. Between his gentle clavinet work and his inspired synth romps, the man's got a great keyboard palette, and he surely knows how to use it. Throughout, Stevie provides excellent interplay between foreground and background, rounding out his vocal and keyboard flights with haunting overdubs. Perhaps most outstanding is the moving reverie, "Heaven Is", a hand-clapping groove on the divine. Let's face it -- few soulsters can be quite as mesmerising as Stevie with a line like, "Love is so a-ma-zing".

Track Listing

1. Smile Please
2. Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away
3. Too Shy To Say
4. Boogie On Reggae Woman
5. Creepin'
6. You Haven't Done Nothin'
7. It Ain't No Use
8. They Won't Go When I Go
9. Bird Of Beauty
10. Please Don't Go

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #841 in Music
• Released on: 2000-05-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Soundtrack, Original recording remastered
• Running time: 43 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Stevie Wonder was in the middle of a multi-album roll when he put out this funk and soul collection, clunky title and all, in 1974. As usual, he adds depth and unexpected touches to even the most straightforward love song--the moving piano ballad "Too Shy to Say" has a spooky feeling, as if "I want to fly away with you, until there's nothing more to do" is the saddest line he ever sang. The harder songs, such as the fuzzy funk of "Boogie On Reggae Woman" and the angry "doo-de-wop" attack on then-US President Richard Nixon in "You Haven't Done Nothin'", add urgency without sacrificing the album's cohesiveness. --Steve Knopper

Customer Reviews

Give it time, it's a bit of a sleeper.
This album won't grab you at first. I had it a while before it got under my skin. Just be patient, you will be richly rewarded.

Strongly recommended.

..oh and check the sound quality. This album is nearly 35 years old and it gives plenty of modern recordings a complete pasting.

Often overlooked
Stevie Wonder had begun his metamorphosis from the teen star to a major and serious artist back in 1971 with "Music of my Mind", where he stretched beyond the boundaries Motown wanted to impose and began to explore the amazing creativity he had. There followed 3 of the most innovative and influential albums of the 70's - Talking Book, Inner Visions and Songs in the Key of Life, each of which could be considered a classic.

Little surprise then that "Fullfillingness...." (which came between Visions and Songs..) has been largely disregarded when critics choose their favourite Stevie Wonder album. That's a shame though, because there are some excellent tracks on display here.

The albums from this phase of Wonder's career always had plenty of variety of mood, with the uptempo and positive rubbing shoulders with the militant and regretful. FFF is no different, opening with "Smile Please" (no prizes for guessing the mood on this one), and a jaunty "Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away", before the wistful "Too Shy..." brings things down tempo. We're back up again with "Boogie On..." , before the mellow "Creepin'" and the funky and angry "You Haven't Done Nothin'", which has a scorching lyric.

"It Ain't No Use" finds Stevie in regretful mood as he says goodbye to his love (would this be the hymn to the end of his marriage to Syreeta?), before "They Won't Go...", which almost comes to a full stop in places, such is the slow tempo. But Stevie Wonder always came across as a positive individual and this reasserts itself at the end of the set, with "Birds Of Beauty", a funky, Latin tinged number, stressing the virtues of a natural high.

You may have heard some of the tracks here, but Wonder's albums always rewarded listening as a whole and this is no exception - Inner Visions remains my favourite, but this runs it close

superb album
This Album is full of surprise, the songs grow on you.
Ten Zillion is a very clever song the backing vocals are excellent. Very good to listen to if you need cheering up. The other gem for me is "They won't go when i go" The vocals are amazing, very emotional and powerful.
I recommend fans to buy this and play it a few times and watch the growth.