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The Definitive Collection | 
 enlarge | Artist: Stevie Wonder
Label: Umtv
Category: Music
List Price: £11.99
Buy New: £9.00
You Save: £2.99 (25%)
New (12) Used (4) from £7.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 235
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 044006650227
EAN: 0044006650227
ASIN: B00006S041
Release Date: November 28, 2005
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: One of the UK's largest independent record stores. We stock an extensive range of singles and albums on CD, vinyl and cassettes. Please note not all UK releases are sealed.
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| Tracks:
Disc 1
| » | Superstition | | » | Sir Duke | | » | I Wish | | » | Masterblaster (Jammin') | | » | Isn't She Lovely | | » | I Just Called To Say I Love You | | » | Ebony & Ivory | | » | As | | » | Never Had A Dream Come True | | » | I Was Made To Love Her | | » | Heaven Help Us All | | » | Overjoyed | | » | Lately | | » | For Your Love | | » | If You Really Love Me | | » | Higher Ground | | » | Do I Do | | » | Living For The City | | » | Part Time Lover |
Disc 2
| » | For Once In My Life | | » | Uptight | | » | We Can Work It Out | | » | Signed Sealed Delivered I'm Yours | | » | Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday | | » | I'm Wondering | | » | My Cherie Amour | | » | You Are The Sunshine Of My Life | | » | I Don't Know Why (I Love You) | | » | A Place In The Sun | | » | Blowin' In The Wind | | » | Send One Your Love | | » | Pastime Paradise | | » | I Ain't Gonna Stand For It | | » | Fingertips (Part 1 & 2) | | » | Boogie On Reggae Woman | | » | You Haven't Done Nothin' | | » | He's Mister Know It All | | » | Happy Birthday |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
In a career spanning four decades Steveland Judkins Morris has been many things: child star, funk hero, political chronicler, the saviour of Motown Records and depressingly, the instigator of the painfully schmaltzy R&B ballad. Thankfully, this exhaustive "Best Of...", timed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his first appearance as Little Stevie Wonder, focuses mainly on the 1966-1980 glory years and his transition from incendiary soul man to voice of the 70s. The jackhammer beats, shout-along choruses and wailing harmonica peg "Uptight", "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and "I Was Made To Love Her" as three of the finest anthems of the Motown era, and "My Cherie Amour" as one of its sweetest love songs. But it was when he turned his attention to grinding keyboard grooves and social concerns that Wonder really came into his own. Inspired by ghetto funk and the unrest in 70s America he delivered three staggering albums, Talking Book, Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. Those albums highlights, "Living for the City", "Higher Ground", "I Wish", the gospel powered "As" and life-affirming Duke Ellington-tribute "Sir Duke", account for The Definitive Collection's standout tracks, while the rocking synth strut and ferocious horns of "Superstition" provide the defining moment. Next to such musical genius, the 80s slush of Motown's biggest ever selling single, "I Just Called To Say I Love You" seems particularly insipid. But like equally twee Paul McCartney duet "Ebony & Ivory", it's an easily skipped blip in an otherwise essential collection. --Dan Gennoe
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 Brillant January 4, 2008
Bought this cd a few weeks ago and just can't stop listening to it. Whatever mode i am in, it cheers me up and makes me smile great album really worth getting.
ESSENTIAL STEVIE WONDER May 4, 2006
7 out of 15 found this review helpful
Stevie Wonder (born Steveland Judkins Morris) began singing in a choir with his mother and siblings at a very early age at the Whitestone Baptist Church, which lay in his hometown of Saginaw.
By the age of 10, Stevie Wonder was a child prodigy. He proved a master on the piano, harmonica and drums and was adept at poetry and song-writing. Stevie was soon recommended by John Glover (who he was extensivley working with at the time) to Ronnie White, then a member of the fantastic, Smokey Robinson And The Miracles, who were signed to Detroits, Tamla Motown Records, founded by Berry Gordy who was instantly astounded by this child genius.
Dubbed Little Stevie Wonder in his early career, he was rapidly signed to Motown Records, home to some of the most important names in the history of black music including Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye. It was clear from an early age that Stevie Wonder indeed was a deeply gifted singer/songwriter and muscian.
Fingertips, released in 1963, proved an exhilirating masterpiece. Fingertips was virtually a harmonica instrumental but its just so totally infectious and caught onto the public like a magnet. Fingertips quickly catapulted to the top of the U.S charts and became the first in a long line of classics.
It was clearly his Motown work that remained some of his most popular and compelling output. The vibrant, Uptight (Everything's Alright) was a highly infectious affair as was the more sparse production of Yesterme-Yesteryou-Yesterday. The rolling undertones of playful funk on the classic, Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours) were three classics that perharps were pure examples of how Stevie Wonder gradually adapted to more Pop styles where his work still vastly contained elements of traditional black rhythm and blues but was able to cross boundaries and break down many racial barriers (much in the way Diana Ross had). Though commercial in each of the tracks content, they all still firmly retained that earthy, soulful style, owing much to Stevies credible and unique vocal style.
Stevie proved to be a masterful lyric writer and conveyed an effortless flair for ballads such as on the passionate, timeless, My Cherie Amour (written with Henry Cosby) and the more subtle and profound, A Place In The Sun.
Like Marvin gaye, his work steadily progressed from the formulaic sounds of Motown to more creative, artistic and indepth material, releasing a string of quality studio albums throughout the 1970's. The startling Superstition was a sharp, nifty, funky number where Stevies voice effectivley cuts through the stark musical arrangements. He delivered a more anthemic message on the compelling, Higher Ground.
The awesome, Living For The City, was an exciting, severn-minute epic which echoed the restrictions and perils of ghetto life. Much of his work steered more into profound political and social issues that perfectly captured contemporary times and deservedly gained wide acknowledgement from critics.
Like Diana Ross (a close friend of the divas and he'd also written the dazzling compostion, Too Shy To Say for her 1977 studio album, Baby It's Me) his work eventually settled into the more Adult-Contemporary market that occupied the lower reaches of the charts yet fully remained an A-list novelty act. Such saccharine numbers like I Just Called To Say I Love You, may have become big cross-atlantic hits but this type of material lacks the dynamic of some of his earlier work.
Even so, Stevie Wonder continues to this day to enjoy a large and loyal following. This being the definitive collection of Stevie Wonders work makes it essential to any serious Soul/R&B/Motown collection.
The definitive Steve Wonder htis collection...for now... November 7, 2003
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
The first collection of Stevie Wonder hits came out in 1968, when he was still a teenager. Of course, as a pre-teen "Little" Stevie gave Motown its first #1 album. In retrospect 1968 turned out to be a pivotal year in Wonder's career, which began covering Ray Charles songs and whose first hit "Fingertips, Part 2" actually came as a pre-teen, because that was the year he finally started writing most of the songs on his album (e.g., "My Cherie Amour"). The Wonder years definitively come in the early Seventies when he was putting out albums like "Music of My Mind," "Talking Book," "Innervisions," and "Songs in the Key of Life." This explains why the middle part of this collection is the best. Stevie Wonder is one of those artists where an album like this presenting his best work should give you impetus to go check out his best albums. Certainly there are artists where a good hits collection is all you need to have in your music library, but Stevie Wonder would not be one of those artists whose distinctive blend of odd riffs, incessant modulations and unpredictable melodies take advantage of his three-octave range. Yes, if you have but one Stevie Wonder album "The Definitive Collection" would be the one to get, but you should also explore at least the middle pair of the above referenced quartet.
The best Stevie Wonder compilation October 12, 2003
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
It is easy to be confused by Stevie Wonder compilations. In the nineties, a double CD was released in America titled Song review, while a single CD was released in Britain with the same title and artwork. More recently, a single CD was released in America titled Definitive collection, so (conversely) a double CD was released in Britain with the same title and artwork. This British double CD is much better than the earlier American double CD titled Song review, which had fewer tracks and missed out some important songs. Indeed, this is the best compilation of Stevie's music that I've seen. Even on two CD's, it is not possible to include every Stevie Wonder recording worth hearing, but all the big hits in Britain and America are here.You probably have your own favorites. I particularly like You are the sunshine of my life, For once in my life, Yester-me yester-you yesterday, Living for the city, I just called to say I love you, Sir Duke, A place in the sun, Lately and Happy birthday. Other classics (also excellent) include Superstition, I wish, Isn't she lovely, Ebony and ivory (with Paul McCartney), Never had a dream come true, Uptight and so many others. If you only want one collection of Stevie Wonder music, this is by far the best. If you want to build a collection of his music, this is a great starting point.
Stevie WONDERFUL! February 3, 2003
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
This collection of Mr Wonder's greatest hits is perfect for any situation, any mood and any person I can think of. Although most of these songs were released decades before I was even born, it is nevertheless my most prized possession at the moment. Stevie is a legend, and it obvious that pretty much every genre of music holds the same view - as you wade through the infamous classics and the lesser-known (to my generation at least) gems, you'll be amazed to discover how many people have sampled Stevie Wonder's music, in varying ways. Who'd have thought that gangster rap and UK garage would cunningly employ Stevie's genius to make him a best-seller a second time round. Ignorant young'uns like myself will say countless times "Oh my goodness, Stevie Wonder wrote that rift/those lyrics/that hook, etc! And there I was thinking it was a new piece of genius" Listening to this Definitive Collection was a great learning experience for me. The immense respect I already had for Stevie Wonder quadrupled when I heard Fingertips (Parts 1&2). The "13-year-old genius" has remained that way throughout his career, as this CD demonstrates, and he will always have his place amongst the diamonds that emerged from the Motown era and just kept on runnin'! This album would be a great Valentine's present, if just for the classic, and oh-so-eighties (synthesizer!), "I just called to say I love you" A must-have for anyone who has a little bit of soul in them.
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