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List Price: $12.98 | | Label: Polygram Records
Salesrank: 669163
Released: October 17, 2000 |
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| Used Price: $1.50 |
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| Media: Audio Cassette |
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Editorial Review:
This 16-song set presents the hits Wonder scored after he negotiated artistic control for himself in the 1970s. It's a wondrous collection, ranging from the driving pop-funk of "Superstition" and the streetwise "Living for the City" to the sweet "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," now a pop standard. In addition to the hits, Musiquarium includes four great new songs, two of which ("Do I Do" and "That Girl") would go on to become hits soon enough. In the years since this set was originally released, Wonder's output has been spotty at best, but Musiquarium reminds us that Stevie Wonder is a giant of soul and pop. --David Cantwell
Original Musiquarium I Reviews:
WONDERful but incomplete. Poor remastering -- seek out the earlier version 
2009-05-25 - This collection consists of 12 of Wonder's best '70's tracks, plus four tracks that were new at the time of this collection's release. What's amazing is that the new tracks are on a par with the best-of material. The timelessness of this music--it mostly sounds as fresh today as it did when it was recorded 20-25 years ago--makes a strong argument for Wonder as THE artist of the '70's. What keeps this collection from a full five stars is the exclusion of any material from his '60's and early '70's Motown albums. And what makes listening to this album a bit sad is the realization that he would never really hit these artistic heights again.
Note that the four star review is for the music contained on these CDs. The mastering on this "remastered" package, issued around 2000, is rather poor--very loud, very trebly, not very much like the original (LP) album release. You would be better advised to seek out the earlier Motown issue. It isn't a sonic wonder, either, but it sounds better than this.
dap
Great Compilation from a True Genius 
2009-04-24 - Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I is a compilation of his best material from the 1970s, with a handful of excellent new tracks added to the mix. Classics like "Superstition," "Isn't She Lovely," "Sir Duke," and "Master Blaster (Jammin')" simply speak for themselves as some of the biggest hits from one of history's most talented and diverse musicians, while "Do I Do," "That Girl," and "Ribbon in the Sky," three of the songs recorded for this compilation, have become classics in their own right. There isn't a dull moment on this essential record. 5 Stars.
a great collection by a great artist
2009-04-05 - For a guy who is blind, Stevie Wonder has a way of describing things in an amazing way! He is a fantastic writer and this is a wonderful collection of some of his best work. It does a masterful job of showing not only his writing, but his performance and musicianship. If you are a casual Stevie Wonder fan, this would be my top choice to get familiar with his work.
hidden treat
2008-05-08 - The entire package is great but there's something special about the final four tracks on the first disk: all are gorgeous love songs strung together without gaps or breaks and Sunshine of my Life has a delicious horn track that even seems to bring up the rhythm track. Like a fine bottle of wine everytime I hear that set. I like it so much I had to pick it up in vinyl, too!
LIVING FOR THE STEVIE!!!!!!!!
2007-06-22 - This album is beyond GREAT! This is (well in my opinion)HIS
WONDER at his best!The very first time I ever heard him was
on the radio and it was the song LIVING FOR THE CITY...
I was just a child,but still could feel the beat and rythems
and although could not make out the lyrics,I can remember
driving my mom crazy at 4 yrs. old trying to sing/hum.....
DA,DA,DA=DUM,DA,DA,DUM-DUM,DUM,DUM,DUM,DUM,DA,DUM-DA-DA-DA=DUM
DUM-DUM-DUM=DUM....I think my mom thought I was dumb! A year
goes by and I am at the drive in it's a double feature the
movies were Black Sunday(Robert Shaw)and It's Alive(John Ryan)
While waiting for It's Alive to come on those crappy speakers
you had to mount on your window started playing another tune
my 5 yr.old mouth could'nt stop humming.Dun,dun,dun,dunt,dala,dala
dala,dunt,dala,dala,dala,dun,dunt.It was SIR DUKE, and I can still
smell the popcorn and picture the SUPERFRIENDS colorforms in my
hands in the backseat of the car.Not intil many years from than
did I really hear his WONDERful music again...The likes of HIGHER
GROUND,SUPERSTITION(one of JEFF BECK'S FAV.)MASTER BLASTER
and the immortal BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN! I have read other reviews
for this album("ALBUM? JEWEL!")and they are right if you love
great music and are comfortable with $$$ than buy HIS CATALOG!
But seriously if you can buy only one! It should be this and really
that is NOT debatable. You have 16 tracks of music that anyone I
mean anyone can enjoy!If you love country(you will love this album)
you love punk(you will love this album)classical,heavy metal and
yes I will go so far as too say POLKA!!!You will love this album!
So buy MUSIQARIUM it is truly WONDERful(sic)
JUST ENOUGH...JUST ENOUGH....FOR THE CITYYYYEEEAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
