Rating: NNNN
|
|
Stevie Wonder was on this really weirdly segmented episode of Oprah last week (it was about makeovers, and Eva Mendes and Iman co-hosted), performing So What’s The Fuss, the dead-funky George Clinton-ish first single from this highly uplifting album. As his daytime live offering showed, the man’s still got the juice, a fact his first studio album in a decade proves with bold strokes. A Time To Love is affirmation of Mr. I-Just-Called-To-Say-I-Love-You’s continued genius in the departments of arrangement, production, songwriting and singing – basically, the man can still do any- and everything. Balancing his social sensitivity with his gift for writing evocative love ballads, Wonder invites a motley crew along for the ride, from Doug E. Fresh to Bonnie Raitt to Sir Paul McCartney to Prince. But despite sharing his platform with A-listers, Wonder holds the spotlight at all times, and makes it sound effortless.
