A warmer place for all
Andre' S Grindle | 02/07/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"After the brilliant,yet bewildered "Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants",Stevie rushed out(by his standards) with Hotter Than July,the true follow-up to Songs In The Key Of Life.The fact that it isn't up to the standards of the Talking Book or Innervisions is already a constant,but it brings a closure to a winning streak of albums that began with 1972's Music Of My Mind(or 71's Where I'm Coming From according to true Stevie fans).Every cut is a stand-out especially Master Blaster,All I Do,I Ain't Gonna Stand For It(a country tinged tune worthy of a Garth Brooks cover),and the much interpretated classic Lately.The final cut,the MLK-tribute Happy Birthday brings the album to a glorious open-ended finish as well as beautifully closes the book on this Wonder-ful chapter of his career."
Happy Birthday!!!
Andre' S Grindle | Bangor,ME. | 03/24/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This albums concluding track is the definitive Stevie Wonder
song of the 80's in the minds of many-"Happy Birthday" being the
synth-funk tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. that played a giant
part in making the human rights hero's birthday a national holiday.Horray for Wonder AND horray for delivering yet another
diverse and ear-catching album.From Stevie's sweaty,cornrowed
hair on the cover and burning piano on the back "Hotter Then July" revels in Stevie's wonderous 70's eclecticism from the
rocking lead-off "Did You Have To Say You Love Me",the smooth and
catchy dance-R&B of "All I Do" and the VERY sensual ballad
"Rocket Love"-great start but that's not the HALF of it.From the
counrty pop of "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It",the reggae-ish Bob
Marley tribute hit "Master Blaster" and the typical deeply funky
clavinet-dominated pieces "Do Like You" and the topical "Cash In
Your Face".Do ALL slow declines sound this good?AGHHHHH!!!Wrong-
Stevie Wonder NEVER declined-he just had a new beginning and here
it's a beginning well worth investigating!"