Track Listing

1. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
2. Maybe Your Baby
3. You And I
4. Tuesday Heartbreak
5. You've Got It Bad Girl
6. Superstition
7. Big Brother
8. Blame It On The Sun
9. Lookin' For Another Pure Love
10. I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3704 in Music
• Released on: 2000-03-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Album Description
Japanese only SHM pressing. The SHM-CD [Super High Material CD] format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players. Universal. 2009.

Amazon.com essential recording
The two No. 1 hits from this 1972 album perfectly illustrate the contrasting sides of Wonder's complex personality. "Superstition" is a strong rocker, a paranoid bit of wah-wah guitar funk that's as persistent as the best punk music; the opening track, "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," is a pure love song that would sound corny coming from any other voice. A hint of bitterness, perhaps owing to Wonder's then-dissolving marriage, gives Talking Book its edge. But overall it's obsessed with love, and while "Sunshine" is still one of the singer/keyboardist's most beloved songs, the closing "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)" is much deeper and more rewarding. --Steve Knopper

Customer Reviews

Wonder's pages of the heart
"Innervisions"may show his genius at full form,& "Songs in the Key of Life"may be his masterpiece,but it's"Talking Book" that balances his musical genius and his emotional core. Not only are we treated to the salacious funk of"Superstition",and the georgeous"You are the Sunshine of my life",but other emotionlly charged songs that stemmed from his break-up with then-wife Syreeta Wright.From the turmoiled fueled "Maybe your Baby"&"You've got it bad,Girl"to the overtly ignored post break-up classic"Blame it on the Sun".But heartbreak gives way to the hopefullness of "You & I"(yet another buried classic ,which could pounce "I just called..."as the ultimate wedding song),"Looking for Another Pure Love",& the georgous album closer,I Believe(when I fall in love it will be forever) giving the indication that bliss is just around the corner. Only 22 at the time of recording,Wonder showed his talent was not only impressive,but most importantly,expressive.

Words can't describe how incredible this CD is
When you think about the fact that Stevie was so young when he wrote this music, that he was taking huge artistic risks, that he was talking about serious things in serious ways while fluff abounded around him makes this album that much more significant. He didn't just write love songs; he infused deep, soul-wrenching emotion into them. I dare you to say you don't get goose pimples listening to "You and I" or "You are the sunshine of my life." On the flip side, songs like "Superstition" and "Maybe Your Baby" shows how he can jam hard-core. The brother is bad! And let's not forget the fabulous players on this record - Ray Parker, Jr. on "Maybe Your Baby" or Jeff Beck on "Looking for another Love," to name a couple. Stevie's music is incomporable, and he is a rare musical genius. This CD is a fabulous representation of what a master songwriter can produce. You should check it out.

The Good Book
After the personal triumph of Music Of My Mind, Stevie Wonder proved he was a true musical force with Talking Book. The album shows that Mr. Wonder could run the gamut of music stylings from ballads to hard rockers and succeed in producing memorable music. The album opens with one of his most familiar songs, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life". The songs opens with not Mr. Wonder, but two backup singers. Mr. Wonder slides in on the third verse and takes over with smooth grace. "Maybe Your Baby" has some nice guitar work from a young Ray Parker, Jr. and "Tuesday Heartbreak has sax playing from a young David Sanborn. The album contains some great socio-political songs that Mr. Wonder is known for with the stinging "Big Brother" standing out. Mr. Wonder was going through the breakup of his first marriage at the time and songs like "You & I", "You Got It Bad Girl", "Looking For Another Pure Love" (Jeff Beck contributes his guitar work to the song) and the aforementioned "Tuesday Heartbreak". When Mr. Beck was laying down his guitar track, he asked if Mr. Wonder would write a song for him for his new album. Mr. Wonder came up with "Superstition" and then deemed that it was too good to give up. He was right as the song is one of his best with its combination of funk, rock and soul and that evil sounding guitar riff. It became his first number one song since his first single, "Fingertips, Pt. 2". Mr. Beck was none too happy about the situation. Talking Book proved to be a huge success and set Mr. Wonder hurtling towards the stratosphere.