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List Price: $9.98 | | Label: Motown
Salesrank: 6257
Released: March 21, 2000 |
| Our Price: $4.25 |
| Used Price: $3.73 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Music of My Mind Track Listing:
1. Love Having You Around
2. Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)
3. I Love Everylittle Thing About You
4. Sweet Little Girl
5. Happier Than The Morning Sun
6. Girl Blue
7. Seems So Long
8. Keep On Running
9. Evil
Editorial Review:
Stevie Wonder was getting his fusion of soul, rock, and various other styles together when Music of My Mind appeared in early 1972. A bit shapeless compared with Talking Book, the masterpiece he'd release by the end of the year, this disc nonetheless finds the then-21-year-old self-assuredly deploying an array of synthesized textures and natural voices: check out the drawl lurking around the edges of "Sweet Little Girl." Not an essential album, but an entertaining one--and one that, in retrospect, carried enormous implications for the future of American music. --Rickey Wright
Music of My Mind Reviews:
It's simply amazing... 
2008-08-21 - Before it's time is the perfect definition. You grant Wonder complete artistic control of his music, plus access to innovative synth machines and this is the end result!!! If it sounds as futuristic as it dose now, imagine what heads were thinking in 72'. One of Steveland's more electric, "tripy" albums. Still, nothing less than beautiful!!!!
Difficult to find the words 
2008-04-18 - It doesn't happen very often but there are some albums I listen to that leave me at a loss for words. I struggle for ages to find the appropriate words to use to describe them in a review and in the end, I often just give up.
This gem from 1972; the first of five albums widely hailed as Wonder's "classic period", is a typical example. (Wonder's 1974 album, Fulfillingness' First Finale was another. I did attempt a review some time ago and ended up babbling for a scant few lines about how listening to it was like being like a "spiritual journey". Sometimes I feel like going back and deleting the review but it's an accurate reflection of how I felt about it, so I leave it be).
And in case anyone is wondering, the other three albums from the period are Talking Book, Innervisions and, of course, Songs in the Key of Life.
"Superwoman" was the popular single from this set, the song most folks remember and the one so many people have covered but people unfamiliar with the album might be surprised to learn that the song is by no means the best thing on offer here. This is only my personal opinion but the incredibly funky tunes "Love Having You Around" & "I Love Every Little Thing About You" and the mid-tempo "Sweet Little Girl" (with it's awesome, mellow, nice & easy refrain) and the ballads "Happier Than The Morning Sun" & "Seems So Long" are much more memorable, much more soulful and much more satisfying.
Produced by the man himself and largely written by him too (he wrote a few with Syreeta Wright, although the CD inner-sleeve notes credit her as "Y. Wright"), the work is described as "virtually the work of one man". Buzzy Feiton plays a guitar solo on "Superwoman" and Art Baron a trombone solo on "Love Having You Around" but every other single instrument is performed by Wonder himself. Including the vocoder, a device Wonder was using way before Herbie Hancock or Roger Troutman (although never to modify or enhance his lead vocal) and a device that seems to be back in vogue these days. "The sounds themselves come from inside his mind," state the inner-sleeve notes. It's entirely possible he performed all the backing vocals as well. Listening to the album, it's very hard to believe (especially listening to the upbeat "Keep On Running", the other single from the album) but no backing singers are credited so, unless someone knows different..?
If you love Stevie, if you love soul or if you just love good, real music, then you either have this already or you need to check it out.
(Phew! Well, I guess I managed to find the words in the end, eh?)
(3.5 stars) Great, but overrated 
2007-11-27 - Look, I'm a massive Stevie Wonder fan. If you ask me, all his albums from Talking Book to Hotter Than July are absolute essentials, and along with the Rolling Stones he was the best musician of the '70s. I even like most of In Square Circle, though it takes a lot of abuse. And this... well, there's a lot to like about it. It's mostly creative. It's consistent. It has a couple great songs. But in truth I don't feel this ranks among his best material. There are a mere nine songs here, and only five of those nine are any good. The atmospheric space-funk-jazz - think Pink Floyd, almost - "Superwoman" is obviously the best, one of the two that does rank among Stevie's best material. The other is the powerful funk of "Keep On Runnin'", with a fantastic clavinet part and great refrain. Okay, maybe the non-space funk "Love Having You Around" does too, if I'm in a good mood. And "I Love Every Little Thing About You" is pleasant, at least. Unlike "Sweet Little Girl". That slurred voice over really gets on my nerves. I'm sure it's supposed to be a parody or something, but it's a bad parody. I gotta admit, though, that part about Sweet Sweetback and the "I love you more than my clavinet!" line is funny. Too bad he had to say it in the stupid slurred drunk voice. It just may be the worst song of his "mature" career. "Happier Than the Morning Sun" is annoyingly minimalist, not as much of a song as it is Stevie playing an annoying harpsichord-like keyboard and reciting some dull love song lyrics; "Girl Blue" is a particularly painful ballad with more trite lyrics (this is one Wonder release you don't listen to for its lyrics - unlike the next five. It's also got those damn phased vocals). He's just getting to know synthesizers here, too: sometimes he works wonders with them (the closing sermon "Evil"; funky "Keep on Running"; jazzy on "Superwoman"), sometimes he works blunders with them ("Seems so Long"). So this is slightly uneven and not as consistent as what was to come, in spite of containing one or two of Wonder's greatest songs. A few words more about the lyrics: Stevie was nowhere near his socially relevant peak here. Every song but "Evil" is a love song, which isn't bad, but hey, I've heard a lot of love songs. More to the point, both "Love Having You Around" and "I Love Everything About You" contain the lyric "You've been (or stuck) with me through thick and thin" - in fact, the lyrics to those two and "Happier Than the Morning Sun" are essentially the same things. And both "Sweet Little Girl" and "Girl Blue" use the term "Little girl" predominately, which shows me he didn't really put much thought into these lyrics. But the next five albums are fantastic. Especially the follow-up, Talking Book. Please do get all of those. They rule.
The One Man Band Man
2007-10-19 - 1972. Stevie Wonder's contract with motown had expired after the release of Where I'm Coming From - MotownSelect.com the year prior. Stevie now spent a half year by himself waiting for the right offer and when it came he signed a new contract with Motown. The new contract meant that he would have full controll of his albums, and "Music of My Mind" is an Stevie Wonder effort in every possible way. He wrote, sang, produced and played most instruments of this album, quite impressive for a blind man, this liner notes said "The sounds themselves come from inside his mind. The man is his own instrument. The instrument is an orchestra.", Sorry Prince and Terence Trent D'arby but Stevie Wonder was the first "One Man Band Man". And for the first time he used the Arp and Moog synthesizers that sets the tone of this album and many upcoming 70's albums from Stevie's most creative period. When this album was released it was considered very futuristic, by now it ain't but it's still incredible creative, well produced and a very rewarding listening experience. Instead of wasting more time talking of his genius, let's take a look at the songs.
It kicks off with a love dedication called "Love Having You Around" a quite typical Wonder song from this period. It's a midtempo funk song where the robotic synthesizer plays a key role. The absolute standout here is the album's only hit "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)". A beautiful love song that starts like "Mary wants to be a superwoman/ But is that really in her head/ But I just want to live each day to love her/for what she is", It can't be said better. The interesting thing with it, is that it starts like a classic ballad but eventually there will be synthesizer beats and guiatar solos mak it it quite progressive. So far both of the songs have been far longer then radio standards at 7-8 minutes. A third love song "Love Every Little Thing About You". Even if Stevie and Syreeta would be divorced during the same year, there are no hearbreak on this album just wonderful love songs. On "Sweet Little Girl" we get a glimpse of one of his favorite instruments, the harmonica. It sounds alot like Ray Charles. Not so strange considering he was one of Stevie's heroes.
"Happier Then The Morning Sun" is how he feels after letting in this special woman in his life. Although Wonder is famous for very complicated chords, this one is the most simple thing he ever made. "Girl Blue" a midtempo with more exprimental take with the synthesizer sound he just invented. The lyrics are also great where he tries to cheer up a depressed young girl "Little girl youre sad/ Though all you have/ Is visible to you/Within your heart/There stays a part/That like the sky is blue". Why can't people write these kind of lyrics anymore?. The only true heartbreak song is "Seems So Long" where he sings "Lady love and lady cared/ but lady went away/ And left me all alone to suffer". It's slow but offers good arrangements perfectly suited for a mellow hertbreak song. "Keep On Running" is the most exprimental of all songs here, perhaps in his entire career. It's a synthesizer driven song in very fast pace that could be used for a morning workout. You won't miss it. The closer "Evil" is the only socially consious song here, It's a haunting ballad about what makes mankind go wrong...well, hate.
Overall, there isn't much more to say then to congratulate him for a wonderful album that only was the start of what was coming. In the upcoming 4 years, Stevie Wonder would make 3 of the greatest albums of all time and truly proves why he was one of the greatest muscians of his generation. "Music of My Mind" his first album from the classic period, is considered a classic and was ranked as #284 on Rolling Stones list of the greatest 500 albums of all time. Good album to start a Stevie Wonder collection with. Recommended.
Music of My Mind
2007-08-29 - This Stevie Wonder album came out in 1972 and it began a very, very long line of brilliant music. Each album that came out after this one have pieces that are now standards. You will not be disappointed!!
