| Music of My Mind | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Stevie Wonder | ||||
| Released | March 3, 1972 | |||
| Recorded | Media Sound, Electric Lady (New York, New York) Crystal Industries (Los Angeles, California) |
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| Genre | Soul, funk | |||
| Length | 47:53 | |||
| Label | Tamla T-314 |
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| Producer | Stevie Wonder Robert Margouleff Malcolm Cecil |
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| Stevie Wonder chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Robert Christgau | (B+)[2] |
| Q | [3] |
| Rhapsody | (favorable)[4] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[5] |
| Rolling Stone | [6] |
| Sounds | (favorable)[7] |
| Sputnikmusic | [8] |
| Virgin Encyclopedia | [9] |
| Yahoo! Music | (favorable)[10] |
Music of My Mind is a landmark album by Stevie Wonder, released on March 3, 1972 when Wonder was only 21 years old (see 1972 in music). Many observers count this album as the beginning of Wonder's "classic period", though others look to the previous one or the following one.[11] It is his fourteenth studio release. Music of My Mind showcases Wonder's earlier experiments with the synthesizer, and is a more assured recording than Where I'm Coming From (his first effort while holding the majority of artistic control). Also on display were his increasing musical ambitions, with him leveraging different genres of music and utilizing longer song forms. Stevie used synthesizers for many musical parts on this album.[12] He also played drums as he frequently does on all of his albums.
The texture of the album was different from anything he had released on the Motown label to that point. Standout tracks include "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)", "Happier Than The Morning Sun" and "I Love Every Little Thing About You". This is one of the earliest works in black music to include the use of synthesizers, and was the first of a set of collaborations between Stevie and his co-producers Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 284 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Its enduring influence was confirmed with its UK re-release on September 22, 2008 to coincide with Wonder's autumn 2008 European tour.[13]
Contents |
All songs written by Stevie Wonder except where indicated.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Having You Around" | Stevie Wonder, Syreeta Wright | 7:24 |
| 2. | "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)" | Wonder | 8:08 |
| 3. | "I Love Every Little Thing About You" | Wonder | 3:56 |
| 4. | "Sweet Little Girl" | Wonder | 4:59 |
| 5. | "Happier Than the Morning Sun" | Wonder | 5:18 |
| 6. | "Girl Blue" | Wonder, Yvonne Wright | 3:36 |
| 7. | "Seems So Long" | Wonder | 4:22 |
| 8. | "Keep on Running" | Wonder | 6:40 |
| 9. | "Evil" | Wonder, Yvonne Wright | 3:34 |
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Total length:
|
47:53 | ||
Chart information by Billboard ©VNU eMedia