Re: Recommend an album
This is one of my favorite albums of all time. It's not my favorite Stevie album, but this album is "cross-roads" Stevie: it's not quite the heavy-hitting funk and soul of his 70's work and it's not quite as poppy as his mid-late 80's work, but it's right dab in between and offers a mix of funk, R&B, soul, and dance tracks.
1. Did I Hear You Say You Love Me - This is a great opener and will inspire you to get up and dance.
2. All I Do - This is an older track Stevie wrote for Tammi Terrell back in the day, and he updated it with synths, funky bass and horns and got some backing vocals from Eddie Levert and Michael Jackson. It's a head-bobber.
3. Rocket Love - Another album high on instrumentation. Stevie makes some good use of his own voice on both lead and backing vocals, and it's one of his more intense string arrangements. The lyrics are really nice...
"The passion burning in your heart would make hell's fire seem like a spark, where did it go?"
4. I Ain't Gonna Stand For It - This is Stevie's stroll into country/rock territory. It's not quite either of those, but that's the impression you'll get on the opening lines.
"Don't wanna believe what they're tellin' me.. somebody's been pickin' in my cherry tree..." Eric Clapton covered this song.
5. As If You Read My Mind - Awesome piano and harmonica work for a funky track.
6. Master Blaster (Jammin') - Stevie's first, but not last, venture into reggae. It's got a funky bassline and excellent ad-libs.
"I betcha if someone approached you yesterday to tell you that you would be jammin' you would not believe them because you never thought that you would be jammin'!" It is also a tribute to his good friend and someone he toured with, legendary reggae musician Bob Marley. It's a staple of his live shows to this day.
7. Do Like You - Tells a story of a young boy who wants to be a dancer... not quite as lame as it sounds once you hear the instrumentation. It's a dance track.
8. Cash In Your Face - One of Stevie's scathing social issue songs that takes a look at racism in the housing department... racial tensions were still high and this deals with the issue of people being turned away from renting an apartment due to their skin color. The title is not about money in someone's face, but rather their inability to cash in their face for a new one, or a new skin color. The landlord says to a black man:
"You might have the cash but you cannot cash in your face, we don't want you livin' here.."
9. Lately - This is an R&B standard. This is a sparse track heavy on piano, synth bass and Stevie's vocals. Jodeci later covered this and had a major hit.
10. Happy Birthday - An important song in black history: this song rallied for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday to become a national holiday. With the help of other celebs and political figures, this would become a reality.
"You know it doesn't make much sense
There ought to be a law against
Anyone who takes offense
At a day in your celebration
'Cause we all know in our minds
That there ought to be a time
That we can set aside
To show just how much we love you
And I'm sure you will agree
It couldn't fit more perfectly
Than to have a world party on the day you came to be
Happy birthday to you..."
I think anyone who listens to this album regardless of whether or not they are Stevie fans will find this album easy to listen to and a lot of fun.
