Thursday, 1/5

While I enthusiastically agree with the sentiment, I'm not quite sure I agree with the end result.

Let me explain. Over the holidays, I read an article online from Slate magazine in which the writer talked about the run of classic albums Stevie Wonder produced during the 1970s, five albums (three of which won Grammy awards for Album of the Year) that rank among the best ever recorded. Like I said, I enthusiastically agree with that statement. The albums are among the best ever recorded. But what I didn't agree with was the idea that the last of the five albums, “Songs in the Key Of Life”, an album that produced classics like “Sir Duke” and “I Wish”, was, and I quote Jack Hamilton, the dude who wrote the article, “perhaps the most ambitious work ever made by a pop star at the height of his or her powers ”.

Now, you guys know how much I like Stevie Wonder. Lord knows I've written about him in here enough. And while I'll certainly agree that Stevie Wonder is a genius and “Songs” is an amazing album, is it REALLY “perhaps the most ambitious work ever made by a pop star at the height of his or her powers ”? I might personally posit that it's not even Wonder's best album (hello, “Innervisions”). And when I re-read that statement, I had these albums pop into my head--

-Marvin Gaye's “What's Going On”

-Brian Wilson's “Pet Sounds” for the Beach Boys

-Pete Townshend's “Tommy” for The Who

-Prince's “Purple Rain”

-Bruce Springsteen's “Born in the USA”

Who's to say that you couldn't make the very same claim about any of those five albums, plus the others that didn't pop into my head in the 30 seconds to which I devoted any thought to the subject? “Songs in the Key of Life” is a great album, well deserving of the Grammy for Album of the Year and the two number one songs that sprang forth from it. But is it appreciably that much better than any of those I listed? Is it any more groundbreaking, revolutionary, or hit filled than any of those five?

I don't know.

I always feel uncomfortable when someone makes an “absolute” statement—something is the best ever, or “everyone” thinks a certain way about a certain thing. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that there are no “absolutes” in life. Yes, I think Stevie Wonder is an amazing artist, and he's one of my favorite singers ever. But as much as I admire him and love his work, I'm still uncomfortable that “Songs in the Key of Life” is, and I once again quote, “perhaps the most ambitious work ever made by a pop star at the height of his or her powers ”. Maybe it's a personality quirk/fault on my part. Maybe I'm just weird that way.

It certainly wouldn't be the first time, you know.

But like I said, “Songs” is an amazing album. Don't believe me? Then listen--

Amazing, right? Incredible, no? But “it is perhaps the most ambitious work ever made by a pop star at the height of his or her powers ”? For me, at least, the jury's still out on that one.

(jim@wmqt.com), once again overthinking things waaaaay too much.