[Today: Stevie Wonder turns a corner...]
The runaway success of Marvin Gaye’s socially conscious 1971 album What’s Going On changed the artistic landscape at Motown Records, and many of that label’s musicians suddenly demanded more creative control over their own records. Foremost among them was Stevie Wonder, who at age 21 had paid his dues to the label to the tune of 18 (!) full-length albums. His 19th, 1971′s Where I’m Coming From is widely considered to be his true artistic debut. It’s certainly the first of his albums that sounds like the superstar Stevie Wonder who owned the charts during the 70′s, and not Little Stevie Wonder, Motown product of the 60′s.
Where I’m Coming From is a younger reflection of Wonder’s epic masterpiece Songs In The Key Of Life. The breadth of music included here is maddeningly eclectic, flashing the many sides of his genius, from the hard funk of ‘Do Yourself A Favor’ to the love ballad ‘Think Of Me As Your Soldier’ to the upbeat Top 10 singalong ‘If You Really Love Me’. As such, it isn’t an outstanding, cohesive album so much as a collection of terrific songs – it would take an album as large as Songs In The Key Of Life for Wonder to properly flesh out his musical vision. This album also lacks the great Moog work that was to come, but the music here signals the many directions that Wonder was headed. Where I’m Coming From isn’t perfect, but it is the sound of an artist turning the corner into greatness.
Listen: Do Yourself A Favor
Listen: If You Really Love Me
Tags: Marvin Gaye, Moog, Motown, Stevie Wonder, Tamla, What's Going On, Where I'm Coming From
