Stevie Wonder – Talking Book

Found this album at a goodwill last year! So awesome

There's a longer remastered alternate version of You've Got It Bad Girl on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG_-1nlWidI It's never been released

Fantastic album, might be his best ever. The sequencing is immaculate and obviously every song is a banger

After some thinking, I decided to also buy this edition of the album as according to Discogs information the total length of Superstition is 4:52, almost 5 minutes. However, it was a total disappointment to find that the correct total length is 4:28 minutes, so this is another false ment.

Several editions listed here in Discogs state that the track's length is close to 5 minutes. Once I had a neighbor that had a 12" of Superstition which consisted of an extended version with more instrumental sections of the original 1972 track, with a total of 6 minutes approximately. I've been chasing that 12" for years, but with no luck.

Does anyone know if there's any CD release with a longer version of the original 1972 track? Thanks

Album Revolution #2:

After "Stevie Wonder" finally gained Total Creative Control and Produced "Music Of The Mind", nobody knew what to expect from "Stevie"......

Then came, "Talking Book".......

What Can You Say!!! This album had Everthing!!! The album cover was even in Braille, helping "Stevie" to really put himself in it....

The album starts off with the Hummungest Hit and 1st Crown Jewel, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life"....Now, I usually say that a song like this shouldn't open an album like this....But with "Sunshine", not only does it get a , in this case it is a TERRIFIC opener!!!! What makes this song so great is the fact that "Stevie" flipped the script by having "Wonderlove" (his Backing Band) , "Gloria Barley", "Jim Gilstrap" and "Lani Groves", singing the beginning part of the song (Priceless!!!!).....

The 2nd Crown Jewel, "Maybe Your Baby" (featuring "Ray Parker Jr." on Guitar), is great uncut "Funk" to the maximum!!!!!

Ok, I give, I am just going name the whole album an Ultimate, Ultimate, Ultimate Crown Jewel!!!!!

"You And I (We Can Conquer The World)", follows the pattern of just having "Stevie" behind the Piano and Electronic Keyboards...This song is so BEAUTIFUL, that it was CONSTANTLY being used at Weddings...

"Tuesday Heartbreak" is a SERIOUS FAVORITE of mine!!!!! It had some serious background Vocals by future "Wonderland" "Shirley Brewer" and the ONE and ONLY "Deniece Williams" (along with "David Sanborn" playing some SERIOUS Saxophone).....

"You've Got It Bad Girl" finished the first side in DRAMATIC fashion, just DRIPPIN' with Electronic Keyboards...

My "ABSOLUTE, ALL TIME, SUPER FAVORITE "Stevie Wonder" Song Ever" in "Superstition", is a Classic of ALL Classics!!!!! I heard that "Stevie" wrote this song for the ONE and ONLY Guitar Great "Jeff Beck", and begged "Motown" not to release his version..."Motown" said, "Are You Crazy???!!!!, You Have Lost Your Mind!!!!!!!!" I guess I understand where "Stevie" was coming from, but I am not going to lie, I am glad "Motown" didn't pay attention to "Stevie" on this one (and over time I'm sure he was too!!!!!)....

"Big Brother" is a song about Politicians coming to the "Hood" to get from the People...It has a very interesting sound on how the Electronic Keyboards and "Stevie's" Harmonica surround some muffled Drums...FANTASTIC!!!!!!

"Blame It On The Sun" is another great song, with great Love Lyrics...

"Lookin' For Another Pure Love" (featuring "Jeff Beck") is so dreamy, with once again having the Electronic Keyboards just DRIPPING ALL OVER the track...

The final song in "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)", is the perfect album closer, setting another pattern in crafting the perfect album...

This album was nothing like "Stevie" EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, released before....

It set a standard that only a few was able to master in the '70's (one of them was "Earth Wind & Fire")....This was the start of nothing but possibilities for "Stevie", and like I said before, a gift to US!!!!!!!!!

J-Keller, I absolutely agree. I own 4 different vinyl versions of TB : this one, a UK original, a 2008 180 gram reissue and the MFSL Silver Label version. This US version is the best, definitely. Just listen to track 2 and hear how rich the bottom end is and how wonderful the clavinet sounds. Ray Parker Jnr's guitar also sounds more prominent than my other versions. SW's 1970's output was as poorly recorded as it was gloriously made, so to hear TB like this is very welcome. Very recommended and very affordable, and the Dynaflex effect doesn't detract, trust me.

This pressing sounds spectacular. Soundstage is huge and separation is excellent. Love the bottom end of this press especially. Portions of the album sound 3D even on a modest setup. Definitely worth picking up if you’ve been looking for a good press of this album. Especially since VG+ copies are still relatively affordable (as of this review there’s plenty in the $20 range). I absolutely recommend this press!

My favorite album of all-time. Stevie is the only human being on Earth that has made committed love, devastating heartbreak, unshakable agony, sociopolitical concern, and personal catharsis hang together seamlessly in a song cycle and stamp it with life-affirming transparency. The warm exuberance, devotional finesse, and pure conviction that Stevie poured into this artistic statement was drawn solely from real experience (something that we all possess, but can't eloquently express). This was truth music at its finest. Stevie laid it all bare here and its magic sustains because of the music's raw emotion.

My original 1972 US Tamla pressing (with the braille cover) is insanely wonderful. It's a George B. Marino cut. Given that this wasn't a well-recorded album, there's so much warmth and clarity that comes through. Huge, room-filling, and holographic at times. The drums sound a bit muffled ("Superstition" in particular), but the keyboards sound fantastic, and Stevie's voice is in-the-room wonderful. "Maybe Your Baby" had voices floating in a 180-degree arc across the front half of my listening room. I've never heard the master tape, but this pressing has the qualities I associate with a master tape: black backgrounds, a 3D ambiance to the sound textures, the kind of weight, depth, and frequency extension I associate with 96/24 hi-res digital, but with more of that analog soundscape magic (euphonic? maybe--but bewitching). I own several copies of this classic on CD, but none have the depth of this particular vinyl pressing. My to-go digital version of this album is the 2010 Kevin Gray-mastered Audio Fidelity gold disc, with the 1986 Tamla CD reissue as a close second.

I have got 2 copies of this. both have the cat no T319L. one of them has a black(instead of brown) sleeve. tamla motown black label, gramophone co ltd on the rim of the label. the other has a brown sleeve, tamla motown black label and emi on the bottom rim of the label. also there is a blue insert regarding ing stevie's fan club with a US address enclosed. I'm wondering where are these from. finally, both copies have the same matrices.. hmmmmm

Original pressings contain Braille lettering of Wonder's name and the album title, along with a message not transcribed until the 2000 pressing:

Here is my music. It is all I have to tell you how I feel. Know that your love keeps my love strong.
— Stevie

via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talking_Book