Innervisions, released in August 1973, was an apt title, dealing with his thoughts and feelings on numerous issues, all put together on a flowing album markedly different from the collection of singles and throwaways which characterised the Motown albums of the 1960s.
Visions
The album opens with the voices of the backing group, Wonderlove, swiftly followed by the synthesiser sounds which were becoming increasingly associated with Wonder. The track, 'Too High', is a no-holds barred anti-drugs message, immediately setting out the record's social direction.
This is followed by the reserved, bass and acoustic guitar lament (one of the few tracks which isn't performed exclusively by the singer) of 'Visions', in which Wonder eloquently lays out his ideal world. This world is of course not real, and just a figment of his imagination. The message of the track has regularly appeared in Wonder's work since, but rarely to such understated effect.
Living For The City
The eight-minute urban opera of 'Living For The City' is a damning indictment of life in the big city, which in terms of civil rights is no better than the rural area the song's protagonist hails from. The use of an audio scene after the first two choruses hits the message home, and the debut of Wonder's grizzled, angry, deep-voiced singing to finish the song brings the story to a dirty, energetic end. The track has remained one of the artist's most-loved, and has been covered by artists as important as Ray Charles.
The ballads on the album, 'Golden Lady' and 'All In Love Is Fair', are also much-covered tracks, the latter sung by Frank Sinatra. 'Golden Lady' is a joyous affair, a Moog Bass giving a jazzy sound that perfectly complements the elation in Wonder's voice. In contrast, 'All In Love Is Fair' is a more melodramatic affair, a melancholy pervading it which would find more of a voice on Wonder's following album.
Higher Ground
Wonder managed to continue his run of R&B number ones with 'Higher Ground', a funky plea to the rest of the world to keep on doing what they are doing, teachers to keep on teaching, preachers to keep on preaching, all so you can find that higher ground. Wonder's unparalleled ability to make his ARP and Moog synthesizers sound like the funkiest things on Earth is on full display, and it was to the beat of this that Wonder awoke after a near-fatal car accident following 'Innervisions' release.
'Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing' introduced the Latin influences which would become a staple of Wonder's percussion over the next three years, bringing a samba hint to another set of exultant vocals. Throughout the album Wonder complements the sound of his own voice with those of his talented backing singers, making vocals unnecessary to convey some of the emotions on the record.
The album finishes with the surprise UK top ten single, 'He's Misstra-Know-It-All', a warning against the fraudsters and money-centered 'businessmen' who were becoming widespread throughout America, and brings to a close Wonder's state-of-the-world address.
Through nine songs, he covers everything from drugs to business to religion (on the eerie 'Jesus Children of America') and in effect sets out his political stall in a definitive statement which would underscore his work from there on in. In terms of one conclusive, free-flowing, musically triumphant piece, however, Innervisions is yet to be matched.
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