Ace K wrote: Tue Dec 06, 2022 1:33 am I feel like the right answer might be Stevie

It is, blanche!

My favorite Stevie jawn isn't even a clavinet-drenched heater or socially-conscious soul, but a lovely, lilting, life-affirming pop song with cinematic backing vocals titled "A Place in the Sun." I can expressly recall as a child being being sat in my grandmother's house trawling through her old 45's and finding that gem.

I like Curtis Mayfield just fine, and on any other day "Trippin Out" might make me question my fealty, but c'mon, man, it's Stevie.

rsmurphy wrote: Tue Dec 06, 2022 10:32 am My favorite Stevie jawn isn't even a clavinet-drenched heater or socially-conscious soul, but a lovely, lilting, life-affirming pop song with cinematic backing vocals titled "A Place in the Sun." I can expressly recall as a child being being sat in my grandmother's house trawling through her old 45's and finding that gem.

tbh I might prefer the early Motown singles version of Wonder to his synth heavy, chop-y albums. Excellent singer with an ear for unique hooks.

Curtis Is way more consistent

The Best Of that Rhino released in 1996 is one of the better artist career samplers I've heard.

Not sure if it fits the thunderdome conversation but anytime someone asks Stevie Wonder or "..." the answer is Sly Stone.

Stevie. His album run from 1971 to 76 is unbeatable (yes, I count "Where I'm coming from" as part of the classic era even if he still used the Motown musicians/arrangements rather than himself and his keyboards and drumming). Add some monster singles in the sixties including all time fave "I was made to love her" (one of the first singles I discovered from my grandmas record collection as a kid) and it's a wrap. I love Curtis too though but the material isn't as consistently great. And no, unlike others, I have no problem with Stevies more cutesy and life-affirming song; that nihilistic perspective to music where you can't like anything positive or "cheesy" went out the window in my twenties and even more so after I had kids. My main beef with his later stuff is more related to the production and overall sound-aesthetic than songwriting which was frequently still damn good; a track like "part-time lover" would have been great in the 70s and there's some good stuff as late as the "Jungle fever" soundtrack. I still can't get into "I just called..." though even if the verses have grown on me, some songs are just TOO corny even for me

Stevie all the way for me.

I don't think we can have a serious Stevie Wonder conversation without discussing the harmonica. It has long been my musical rule of thumb that only mediocre harmonica players use the instrument enjoyably (i.e. Dylan, Neil Young) and that excellent harp players are extremely annoying (Blues Traveler). Stevie challenges this for me, there are tracks with too much chops on the harp but he kind of gets away with it, although I wouldn't miss it if it was replaced by some other lead.

I've just heard Talking book and a few Mayfield tunes. I'd vote Wonder, but wouldn't count really.