Stevie Wonder

British writer and musician Steve Lodder`s musically expert analysis of selected highlights from Stevie Wonder`s career focuses on the 1970s period of essential Wonder albums like TALKING BOOK, INNERVISIONS, and FULFILLINGNESS FIRST FINALE. It`s also a useful Wonder mini-biography, incorporating intriguing details of early tours with the Tamla Motown revue and his first attempts at self-production. Lodder deconstructs songs like Uptight (Everything Is Alright) and I Was Made to Love Her, charting Wonder`s musical development from child prodigy to the epoch-making albums that saw him breaking free of Motown`s artistic grip, and his equally liberating discovery of the Moog synthesizer. He also conducts an extended critique of selected songs and albums grouped under sections devoted to funk, Latin influences, and social and political commentary, among others. Coffee-table sized and illustrated with many little-seen black-and-white photographs of various stages of the artist`s career, the MUSICAL GUIDE is a valuable study of one of the preeminent musicians of the late 20th century. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.