Track Listing

1. Too High
2. Visions
3. Living For The City
4. Golden Lady
5. Higher Ground
6. Jesus Children Of America
7. All In Love Is Fair
8. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing
9. He's Misstra Know It All

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #935 in Music
• Released on: 2000-05-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import
• Running time: 44 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
One of Stevie Wonder's best albums, and the one where his more fanciful, free-form moments gel perfectly with his knack for irresistible pop singles. 1973's Innervisions swings between delicate and airy ballads, Latin-influenced rhythms (the hit "Don't Worry 'Bout a Thing"), and his own synth-heavy versions of gut-bucket soul (the determined spiritual questing of "Higher Ground"). The striking juxtaposition between "Vision", a barely breathed hope that a world of peace might be upon us, and the great "Living for the City", a funky, pulsing tale of racism, is powerful, haunting, and still all too relevant. --David Cantwell

CD Description
After breaking away from the Motown singles mode, Wonder began creating albums that were visionary in concept, sound, and construction. The greatest of these is 1973's INNERVISIONS (1976's SONG IN THE KEY OF LIFE was also an indisputable masterpiece, yet it lacks the economy and focus of INNERVISIONS). Moving largely away from romantic themes (the beautiful"Golden Lady" is the exception), Wonder tackles the socio-cultural landscape of 1970s America, including drugs, urban life, and crooked politicians, in addition to questions of identity, faith, and idealism.
The album is also more musically ambitious than anything Wonder had attempted before. "Too High", the album's opener, has a buoyant, jazzy feel witha subtly complex interaction between instruments and vocals. "Livin' for the City" is a story-song with a stomping beat, gospel flavour, and a dramatic interlude and outro. The churning "Higher Ground" segues into the fierce, slinky grooveof "Jesus Children of America" (complete with burbling Arp and Moog synthesizers). The intensity of these songs is not mitigated by the slower songs, which are equally stirring, but by the exuberant, Latin-esque "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing", one of the album's highlights. From beginning to end, INNERVISIONS is a work of genius--a powerful, complex, yet accessible pop masterpiece.

Customer Reviews

Stevie Wonder at his very best
Stevie Wonder is a musical genius. His voice is superb, his piano playing inspired and his songs unforgettable. Innervisions is the album to start with if you dont know too much about SW. You will hear good things about 'Songs in the key of life' and all those good reviews are perfectly justified, but 'Innervisions' is on a different level. Every song is a masterpiece of soulful, funky music. The melodies are unforgettable! Stevie Wonders strength, apart from his great voice, is his approach to song writing. As a writer he is eclectic; on this particular album, going from the wistful teary eyed ambience of 'Visions' to the hard funk of 'Higher Ground' 'Innervisions' also happens to have my two of my favourite SW songs of all time 'Golden Lady' and 'Living for the city' I bought it on the strength of those two songs and was unexpectadly knocked out by the rest of this great package. Wonder and his band use electronics and acoustics tastefully and expertly side by side to produce that glorious 70's funk sound, synonomous with edgy and more experimental artists, while clevery retaining the commercial edge. This would be high in my chart of 'best albums of all time' Just think, all this praise and anthusiasm from a 'Prog Rock' fan, Innervisions must be good to cut through my cold cynicism reserved for anything that isnt 20 minutes in length, and in 7/4 time.

Hear Stevie Growl.........
I was introduced to this album , other wise I might have laboured on with my misconception, held by many I feel, that Stevie is only 'Ebony & Ivory' schmaltz and some of the other guff he has come out with from the early 1980s onwards. This album and Gaye's 'What's Goin' On' are essential for a variety of reasons: early examples of a black artist taking creative control and venting their anger at the treatment of their fellow man; examples of former child stars finally gaining artistic release from the artistic shackles of the Motown to express themselves fully; and albums that have not dated at all. Mnay people prefer 'Songs In The Key Of Life', but this is the album that best showcases his talents. By the release of this album the Panthers were fading/over as a force, so it must have been a shock for a squeaky clean ex-child star like Wonder to come out with something as acerbic as 'Living For The City'. Listening to Stevie growl over that track, and gently mock in 'He's Misstra Know It All', and you realise that before his winsome duets with McCartney et al here was an artist who was not only a musical genius but who hit his every target with a sarcastic panache. For me. 'Living For The City' is still one of the most coruscating songs about the US black urban experience recorded over the last 30 years- a template for Public Enemy and others to follow.....you won't find many serious artists today who don't respect this guy or do not give this album pride of place......please buy it, and see what you've been missing......it is never out of my hi-fi.

Wonderman Hits Peak Form
This album, next to Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and Al Green's I'm Still In Love With You is the definitive soul album. From the opening synth-filled pungence of Too High to the closing, wonderful growled "duh duh duh duh" of He's Misstra Know-It-All, Wonder can do no wrong. The obvious highlights are "Living For The City" and "Higher Ground" but the detatched elegance of "Visions" and the thrilling "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" are too great for words. Songs In The Key of Life may get more acclaim and I Just Called To Say I Love You may be his Oscar-winning biggest selling single, but Innervisions is Wonder's definitive statement, a flash of utter genius!