Stevie Wonder "Songs in the Key of Life" - Your Favorite Side?

Mine is Side 1, but Side 2 is close.

Side 3 really sux in comparison, but Side 4 gets the mojo back although the big showpieces are annoyingly overlong.

Side 5 is nice, and easily better than Side 3.

Your take?

 

You could have listed the songs to help us know what side is what?!

Not everyone has the tracklist committed to memory.

 

Woops. Too late to edit now.

I forget that not everyone has the ability to preserve all that stuff in the old noggin' like I do.

 

It’s that SITKOL is an extremely long album. It’s hard to recall what was where unless you have it in front of you.

I do remember thinking that the EP had better songs than some on the main album, though..

 

Side 1
Love's In Need Of Love Today 7:05
Have A Talk With God 2:42
Village Ghetto Land 3:25
Contusion 3:45
Sir Duke 3:52

Side 2
I Wish 4:12
Knocks Me Off My Feet
Pastime Paradise
Summer Soft
Ordinary Pain

Side 3
Isn't She Lovely
Joy Inside My Tears
Black Man

Side 4
Ngiculela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing
If It's Magic
As
Another Star

Something Extra EP
Saturn
Ebony Eyes
All Day Sucker
Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)

 

Voted Side 4. I like the epic showpieces. And I love Dorothy Ashby .

 

I'd say each side has at least a couple of very strong tracks, so it's difficult to pick one. Today, I would go with side two. Surprisingly, my least favorite track on that side is the hit single that begins it, I Wish.

 

There are several double LP's whereby I have a strong preference as to sides, but not this one. It is in my opinion one of the best double LPs ever. However, for the sake of the thread and if push came to shove I'd rank them as follows:

Side 2
Side 3
Side 1
Side 4

I picked Side 3 over Side 1 as Isn't She Lovely has a very close personal meaning for me.
It's a shame that Side 4 was my lowest ranking as Ngiculela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing is my favourite song on the entire album.

 

As segues into Another Star is the greatest moment in any Stevie Wonder album. So side 4 for me.

 

Easily side 2 for me. The only part I can see someone quibbling about is the second half of “Ordinary Pain.”

 

I went side 2.

Not sure what the problem with side 3 is other than the fact the songs run too damned long!

 

Are you saying that the quality of a song is based on its length?

 

Um, no - I'm saying those songs quality is affected by their length.

There are plenty of great songs that are very long. Bowie's "Station to Station" is probably among my top 10 favorites by anybody and it's 10 minutes.

But some of the "SITKOL" songs drone on forever and get tiresome before they end.

Not every song needs to run 6+ minutes. "She Loves You" is a classic at 2:18 - a 6:18 version would be awful!

 

Got it! Thanks!

 

Yes, it seems Sides 3 and 4 are filled with songs that continue on for several minutes after they are actually over....just incredibly long fades really. And I agree, Sides 1 and 2 are perfect, except "Ordinary Pain" suffers from one of those fades that never seems to end.

 

+1

... and I also have a weak spot for Ngicula/As Una Historia

 

Whatever side Sir Duke is on.

 

You kind of nailed this thread right here in the OP.

 

Easily side 2 for me too & the coda to Ordinary Pain is the highlight of the entire album in my opinion.

I have to say I find this album very patchy in comparison to the LPs which proceeded it, three or four songs I just plain don't like & another handful that drag on forever.

A good example of where a single LP might've been a better idea but then who am I to argue with a genius.

 

Now if you really want to fight, which is better, Talking Book or Innervisions?

 

One of my favorite albums by Stevie Wonder, but like any album, there are a few missteps for me.

Side One:
"Have A Talk With God" kind of takes the steam out after the brilliant opener
"Contusion" to me has always sounded like an instrumental that would fit on a '70's Gino Vannelli album, rather than fitting here.

Side Two:
Edit out the ending of "Ordinary Pain" and you have a perfect side. I chose Side Two for this poll!

Side Three:
No doubt that these three songs run on far, far too long.
"Isn't She Lovely" is perfect in it's single edit form for me
"Joy Inside My Tears" I L-O-V-E this song, but it needed to end at that first place that sounds like an ending
"Black Man" This albums "Living In The City" and while I appreciate where Stevie was going with this song, he loses me along the way.

Side Four:
I have found that I have to really be in the mood for this side, unless I'm playing the Blu-Ray Audio disc, where the album just flows like a river.
"As" is yet another song that for me, just goes and on and on endlessly.

Bonus EP:
First, as a jukebox owner who owns two jukeboxes that actually play 33 1/3 speed EP 7" records (NOTE: The ones that have small LP sized center holes), I have to ask who makes a 7" record with a BIG (45 rpm size) hole, that plays at 33 1/3? That thing as a 7" has always been a bust for me just for that reason alone.
Half assed Michael Sembello ("She's A Maniac") co-write and 3 other averagely interesting songs on this EP in my opinion. (Dust collector as a vinyl single, Pad filler as extras on CD)

Outside of that EP, this is a masterpiece, although most all of his albums between "Where I'm Coming From" through this album, minus a few stinkers, I feel are all somewhat masterpieces, each in their own way for me.

 

Talking Book for me, but it’s really close.

 

Side 2

It’s the only side without a weak(er) song!!

 

2, but 1 and 4 are right there.

 

Side 4.

If It's Magic sets up As and Another Star perfectly.

As others have said, most of the long songs on this album go on for too long. However, I wouldn't mind if As and Another Star went on forever!