SO glad to see you do more Stevie. My friends all make fun of me because of how much I talk about him, but there is truly no one else on his level. The man released five literally perfect albums in a row, by the time he was 26. You've already done two of them (this one and Songs in the Key of Life). To get the whole picture of his genius, you have to listen to the other three: Music of My Mind, Talking Book, and (my personal favorite) Fulfillingness' First Finale. Keep up the great reactions. Glad you liked this one so much, it's a classic for a reason.
Absolute masterpiece of an album I think a fair way to explain his 70s run was basically him asking the questions of our society and world and life in general. And basically Songs in the Key of Life basically answers all his questions.
Great reaction to an all-time classic, but you didn’t mention the personnel. Stevie Wonder plays *every* instrument on Too High, Living for the City, Higher Ground, and Jesus Children of America. There are very few guest instrumentalists on the rest. Congrats on hearing your second album by the 1 true musical GOAT! I’m guessing you’ll go Talking Book next, but I’d recommend starting at Music of My Mind* and going in chronological order (Talking Book, Fulfillingness’ First Finale). Please don’t skip Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants! It had to follow up SITKOL, arguably the most anticipated album of all time, but it’s fascinating: different, even outright weird, but Stevie’s brilliance is still there and I actually think you’d really dig a lot of it. *At some point later, go back to Where I’m Coming From. It’s the first album he released after re-signing with Motown as an adult and it lays the foundation for his classic period. It was greatly overshadowed about a month later by his friend and label mate Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On.
you are the man a few recommendations: songs - Adrianne Lenker (folk, singer-songwriter) Ghosts of the Great Highway - Sun Kil Moon (folk rock, singer-songwriter, alt-country) SMILE :D - Porter Robinson (pop-punk, pop, electronic) Process - Sampha (experimental r&b, great production) Hypochondriac - Brakence (very experimental emo rap, glitch pop) Reading Writing And Arithmetic - The Sundays (the smiths ish, with beautiful female vocals)
Im having my own vision that Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway or Imogen Heap - Speak for Yourself reaction is coming soon omg that’s so crazy
Hell yesssss. Polvo soon I can feel it recs: Polvo - Today's Active Lifestyles (Sick sounding early 90s math/indie rock, awesome guitar tone) Swirlies - Blonder Tongue Audio Baton (GORGEOUS unique sounding early 90s shoegaze, sounds like mbv, pavement, guided by voices with twee pop mixed in, so awesome, better than Loveless imo) Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes (Unique folk-punk, early 80s college/alt rock, very catchy) Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque (Really catchy power pop, slightly shoegazey, same label as The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine) Quasi - Featuring "Birds" (Awesome Built to Spill-esque/Pacific Northwest indie rock, same label as Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Duster etc) The Breeders - Pod (Unique early 90s alt rock, Steve Albini prod, was in Kurt Cobain's top 3 albums of all time) Slint - Tweez (Sick late 80s post-hardcore/math rock, also Steve Albini prod) Pinback - Pinback (Very chill and creative late 90s indie rock) Modest Mouse - This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About (Amazing album, basically as good as The Lonesome Crowded West) The Prodigy - The Fat Of The Land (badass big-beat dance music) Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand (lovely 90's lo-fi) Hella - Hold Your Horse Is (Math Rock with the drummer from Death Grips, before he was in Death Grips) Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (Absolutely perfect 90's indie rock album)
this album practically taught me how to sing soul type runs in my car (still shittily but i mean), particularly the chorus of Jesus Children of America, which is so underrated, i think. you should listen to Donny Hathaway Live 1972, or if you want some younger stevie, Live 1970 is amazing, with michael henderson playing awesome blown out bass lines to a wide variety of pop tunes and some of his older original compositions. another goated soul funk album from this era was Fresh by sly and the family stone, though they have older good albums from the 60s too
This was my first Stevie Wonder album. Of course, I knew his work on the radio, all the Motown hits, but I wasn't moved to get an album until thos one, and it was so good, so great, I had to have Talking Book and Music of my Mind as soon as possible. Then I had to have Fufullingness Finale and everything I could get my hands on. Then in 1974, Stevie was my first concert. This week! Fifty years ago this week! Madison Square Garden. It was pretty near a religious experience. I remember looking up to the roof in a state of nirvana.
iirc, Stevie made "Higher Ground" in just a few hours, cause he felt a sudden rush of creativity, and a weird feeling like his time to make that song was running out (which is reflected in the song itself). Coincidentally, a couple weeks after releasing the album, on his way to a radio show to promote the album, he had a car accident that nearly killed him, which took his sense of smell and taste away. He was 23 at the time. A year later he released another banger album, with some songs reflecting said accident, and I think even Contusion, from SITKOL is about that car crash.
My favorite Stevie album. a little bit of context helps. Prior to this album, Stevie was mainly singing love songs on his albums. The release of Marvin Gaye's "what's going on" was the first album that spoke on black social issues. Stevie released this as his first social commentary album, talking about many issues affecting black people at the time. Too high - drug use, Visions - a perfect world, Living for the city - Black life in the city, higher ground - faith and reincarnation, Jesus children of America - fake christians, Mistra know it all - diss track towards Richard Nixon. It marked a drastic change in Stevies music, away from love ballads. 4 days after the release of this album, he was asleep in the passenger seat of a car when a semi-truck carrying tree logs, ejected a log and went through the windshield and sent Stevie into a coma. Cheating death, he released an album the following year, fulfillingness' first finale, released between Innervisions and SITKOL. It is SUPER spiritual and I highly recommend.
Stevie Wonder is my number 1 musical reference. Inspiring and musical genius, he played 90% of the instruments, composed, arranged and produced this album. His other classics from the 70s are incredible "Talking Book", "Music of my Mind", "Fulfilingness first finale".. "Golden Lady" and "Living for the city" may be my 2 favorites here but so many bangers :)
Ghosts of a Great Highway - sun kil moon three cheers for sweet revenge - mcr songs about leaving - carissas wierd El jardín de los presentes - invisible juturna - circa survive
May Smags add these to his list inshallah Kyuss - …And the Circus Leaves Town The Arcs - Yours, Dreamily, No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom Todd Rundgren - Something, Anything? And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead - Source Tags and Codes
Please do a reaction to the GOATS 🐐 of 70s ‘Lust for life’ (1977) by Iggy pop ‘Coney Island baby (1976) by Lou reed ‘The man who sold the world’ (1970) by David bowie Albums are fire 🔥👌👌👌
“Lush sounds of Songs in the Key…” - that one is the only album that sounds that way. These are gonna sound more raw to you but the focus is the songwriting which is absolutely brilliant
you gotta do sly and the family stone - theres a riot going on, it was made by sly as an answer to marvin gayes whats going on. some of the best grooves and vocals on any album and my all time favourite album
Please do the album LITTLE BUSTERS by The Pillows Next! Some other recs: Happy Bivouac by The Pillows (they are both top tier j-rock/grunge albums) I recommend starting with LITTLE BUSTERS though. HIGHVISION and Three Out Change by Supercar (both are great j-rock albums. HIGHVISION is indietronica, and Three Out Change is shoegaze) Everything Will Be Alright In The End by Weezer (great comeback album for weezer with some of their best songs to date) Mesmerize and Hypnotize by System of a Down (phenomenal double metal album with more melodic elements than their previous works with some of their best songwriting yet)
Stevie Wonder is like the Tyler The Creator of Soul. His albums are CLASS. 😂❤ Edit: I'm talking about how his music sonically stands out like Tyler's. I'm not a music nerd, it's just what I think, no need for the unnecessary flaming lol
![GEN Z guy REACTS to SGT Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band! [UNCUT REACTION]](/img/1.gif)
SO glad to see you do more Stevie. My friends all make fun of me because of how much I talk about him, but there is truly no one else on his level. The man released five literally perfect albums in a row, by the time he was 26. You've already done two of them (this one and Songs in the Key of Life). To get the whole picture of his genius, you have to listen to the other three: Music of My Mind, Talking Book, and (my personal favorite) Fulfillingness' First Finale. Keep up the great reactions. Glad you liked this one so much, it's a classic for a reason.
No one will ever reach the calibre or anything of Stevie Wonder its not comparable he’s the absolute goat don’t let your friends tell you otherwise
@@thebestoftvshows2456His friends will get it one day…if they’re lucky.
the lamb as effigy reaction would go hard
The GOAT of reaction channels!!
Absolute masterpiece of an album
I think a fair way to explain his 70s run was basically him asking the questions of our society and world and life in general.
And basically Songs in the Key of Life basically answers all his questions.
Nice to see your reactions to things I was listening to 50 years ago. I played this cassette so often on my long van journeys home from my job.
Grateful for you and your reactions my man ❤
fun fact, he plays every instrument on living for the city
Great reaction to an all-time classic, but you didn’t mention the personnel. Stevie Wonder plays *every* instrument on Too High, Living for the City, Higher Ground, and Jesus Children of America. There are very few guest instrumentalists on the rest.
Congrats on hearing your second album by the 1 true musical GOAT! I’m guessing you’ll go Talking Book next, but I’d recommend starting at Music of My Mind* and going in chronological order (Talking Book, Fulfillingness’ First Finale). Please don’t skip Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants! It had to follow up SITKOL, arguably the most anticipated album of all time, but it’s fascinating: different, even outright weird, but Stevie’s brilliance is still there and I actually think you’d really dig a lot of it.
*At some point later, go back to Where I’m Coming From. It’s the first album he released after re-signing with Motown as an adult and it lays the foundation for his classic period. It was greatly overshadowed about a month later by his friend and label mate Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On.
Also Wish you were here - Pink Floyd?
Top 5 favorite album of all time for me . Thanks for entertaining me SMAGS
you are the man
a few recommendations:
songs - Adrianne Lenker (folk, singer-songwriter)
Ghosts of the Great Highway - Sun Kil Moon (folk rock, singer-songwriter, alt-country)
SMILE :D - Porter Robinson (pop-punk, pop, electronic)
Process - Sampha (experimental r&b, great production)
Hypochondriac - Brakence (very experimental emo rap, glitch pop)
Reading Writing And Arithmetic - The Sundays (the smiths ish, with beautiful female vocals)
Im having my own vision that Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway or Imogen Heap - Speak for Yourself reaction is coming soon omg that’s so crazy
Hell yesssss. Polvo soon I can feel it
recs:
Polvo - Today's Active Lifestyles (Sick sounding early 90s math/indie rock, awesome guitar tone)
Swirlies - Blonder Tongue Audio Baton (GORGEOUS unique sounding early 90s shoegaze, sounds like mbv, pavement, guided by voices with twee pop mixed in, so awesome, better than Loveless imo)
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes (Unique folk-punk, early 80s college/alt rock, very catchy)
Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque (Really catchy power pop, slightly shoegazey, same label as The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine)
Quasi - Featuring "Birds" (Awesome Built to Spill-esque/Pacific Northwest indie rock, same label as Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Duster etc)
The Breeders - Pod (Unique early 90s alt rock, Steve Albini prod, was in Kurt Cobain's top 3 albums of all time)
Slint - Tweez (Sick late 80s post-hardcore/math rock, also Steve Albini prod)
Pinback - Pinback (Very chill and creative late 90s indie rock)
Modest Mouse - This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About (Amazing album, basically as good as The Lonesome Crowded West)
The Prodigy - The Fat Of The Land (badass big-beat dance music)
Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand (lovely 90's lo-fi)
Hella - Hold Your Horse Is (Math Rock with the drummer from Death Grips, before he was in Death Grips)
Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (Absolutely perfect 90's indie rock album)
this is a perfect album
Stevie!!!!!
this album practically taught me how to sing soul type runs in my car (still shittily but i mean), particularly the chorus of Jesus Children of America, which is so underrated, i think.
you should listen to Donny Hathaway Live 1972, or if you want some younger stevie, Live 1970 is amazing, with michael henderson playing awesome blown out bass lines to a wide variety of pop tunes and some of his older original compositions. another goated soul funk album from this era was Fresh by sly and the family stone, though they have older good albums from the 60s too
This was my first Stevie Wonder album. Of course, I knew his work on the radio, all the Motown hits, but I wasn't moved to get an album until thos one, and it was so good, so great, I had to have Talking Book and Music of my Mind as soon as possible. Then I had to have Fufullingness Finale and everything I could get my hands on. Then in 1974, Stevie was my first concert. This week! Fifty years ago this week! Madison Square Garden. It was pretty near a religious experience. I remember looking up to the roof in a state of nirvana.
iirc, Stevie made "Higher Ground" in just a few hours, cause he felt a sudden rush of creativity, and a weird feeling like his time to make that song was running out (which is reflected in the song itself). Coincidentally, a couple weeks after releasing the album, on his way to a radio show to promote the album, he had a car accident that nearly killed him, which took his sense of smell and taste away. He was 23 at the time. A year later he released another banger album, with some songs reflecting said accident, and I think even Contusion, from SITKOL is about that car crash.
My favorite Stevie album. a little bit of context helps. Prior to this album, Stevie was mainly singing love songs on his albums. The release of Marvin Gaye's "what's going on" was the first album that spoke on black social issues. Stevie released this as his first social commentary album, talking about many issues affecting black people at the time. Too high - drug use, Visions - a perfect world, Living for the city - Black life in the city, higher ground - faith and reincarnation, Jesus children of America - fake christians, Mistra know it all - diss track towards Richard Nixon. It marked a drastic change in Stevies music, away from love ballads. 4 days after the release of this album, he was asleep in the passenger seat of a car when a semi-truck carrying tree logs, ejected a log and went through the windshield and sent Stevie into a coma. Cheating death, he released an album the following year, fulfillingness' first finale, released between Innervisions and SITKOL. It is SUPER spiritual and I highly recommend.
Stevie Wonder is my number 1 musical reference. Inspiring and musical genius, he played 90% of the instruments, composed, arranged and produced this album. His other classics from the 70s are incredible "Talking Book", "Music of my Mind", "Fulfilingness first finale".. "Golden Lady" and "Living for the city" may be my 2 favorites here but so many bangers :)
music of my mind and talking book are also peak bro, worth checking out
Ghosts of a Great Highway - sun kil moon
three cheers for sweet revenge - mcr
songs about leaving - carissas wierd
El jardín de los presentes - invisible
juturna - circa survive
May Smags add these to his list inshallah
Kyuss - …And the Circus Leaves Town
The Arcs - Yours, Dreamily,
No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
Todd Rundgren - Something, Anything?
And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead - Source Tags and Codes
Oh let’s go, what a banger, can’t wait to watch the reaction.
You should check out Pink by Boris btw!
Stevie has at least 2 perfect albums (this is one of them), AT LEAST. You can't speak highly enough of Stevie, he's a genius.
Masterpiece. Cannae argue with that. One of my favourite albums ever, brilliant from start to finish. I personally think this is his best.
The album "Talking Book" is also awesome.
This is definitely his best album to me
Ghost of the Great Highway plzzz
Please do a reaction to the GOATS 🐐 of 70s
‘Lust for life’ (1977) by Iggy pop
‘Coney Island baby (1976) by Lou reed
‘The man who sold the world’ (1970) by David bowie
Albums are fire 🔥👌👌👌
Yessss
Maybe because I heard it first but I prefer this to Songs. It also feels more meditative which I like
id recommend live at folsom blues by johhny cash !!
Sly & The Family Stone - There’s A Riot Goin’ On
Please go to music of my mind 1972 and do everything till 1980
“Lush sounds of Songs in the Key…” - that one is the only album that sounds that way. These are gonna sound more raw to you but the focus is the songwriting which is absolutely brilliant
you gotta do future days
Smags underrated🗣💯
wow forgot how good innervisions was. Def check out Fulfillingness' First Finale next, it's super mellow, good stuff.
Golden Lady is a bonafide banger.
should check out purple mountains s/t !!
you gotta do sly and the family stone - theres a riot going on, it was made by sly as an answer to marvin gayes whats going on. some of the best grooves and vocals on any album and my all time favourite album
Please react to number girl - sappukei
What a banger of an album
You should check out no now by Clarence clarity
Good review, I disagree about “Too High”. Nice jazzy kind of song.
Please do the album LITTLE BUSTERS by The Pillows Next!
Some other recs:
Happy Bivouac by The Pillows (they are both top tier j-rock/grunge albums) I recommend starting with LITTLE BUSTERS though.
HIGHVISION and Three Out Change by Supercar (both are great j-rock albums. HIGHVISION is indietronica, and Three Out Change is shoegaze)
Everything Will Be Alright In The End by Weezer (great comeback album for weezer with some of their best songs to date)
Mesmerize and Hypnotize by System of a Down (phenomenal double metal album with more melodic elements than their previous works with some of their best songwriting yet)
Please do ‘Beach Boys Today’ !!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Great video, can anyone identify the headphones that he's wearing
Long shot but HIGHLY recommend Chaos Is Me by orchid. Idk if you’ve listened to much heavier or more frenetic rock/screamo/punk bands though
Day 5 requesting for David Bowie, the man who sold the world
would love to see you react to video game music. chrono trigger or donkey kong country 2 would go hard
You gotta react to Molchat Doma and Depeche Mode - Black Celebration!
TV on the Radio -Dear Science review please!!
Eels - Beautiful Freak (1996)
Hi smags, one of my all time favourite records is ,,magic realism" by Jon Hassell. Please listen to it. Hope you like it :))
STEVIE!!
Gonna keep recommending Ben Folds Five- The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner until it happens
U should check out Michigan by Sufjan Stevens
Check out Sharpen Your Teeth by Ugly Casanova
Gotta do an oasis definitely maybe reaction at some point, better than morning glory imo
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
day 2 of kindly suggesting a reaction to tell me about the long dark path home by the newfound interest in connecticut 🙏🏻
SMAGGIE PLEASE REACT TO HEAVY METAL BY CAMERON WINTER! IF YOU WANT TO!
Frrr
SMAGS PLEASE REACT TO BLUE REV BY ALVVAYS
Please please please listen to the ágætis byrjun album by sigur rós it is sooo good and unique sounding
I did that one!!
W
Where's your little simz introvert reaction?
Day 13 of asking for After the Night by Parannoul
Stevie Wonder is like the Tyler The Creator of Soul. His albums are CLASS. 😂❤
Edit: I'm talking about how his music sonically stands out like Tyler's. I'm not a music nerd, it's just what I think, no need for the unnecessary flaming lol
bro what
Wtf 💀 that's mad disrespectful
Yea bro don’t compare Stevie to Tyler bro😭
Day 51 of asking Smags to react to my album Mutagen
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota
reacts to oktubre by patricio rey y sus redonditos de ricota