Talking Book was the beginning of Stevie’s classic period from ’72 – ’76 where he couldn’t put a foot wrong as everything he put out was pure gold. Blind since just after his birth, and was seen as a prodigy, he was signed to Motown when he was just 11. He took soul and R&B to places that were not recognized at the time. He dragged the Motown label into the album era as they were known mostly for singles. At the time, Motown label artist’s songs were all 3 minutes and under. Stevie helped to change that outlook with 7 of the songs being over.
The album starts off with a stone cold classic, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life. Maybe Your Baby weighs in at 6.45, and has funk added to the mix to give the song that harder edge – plus you get a superb vocal from Stevie. You And I is a slow ballad, and Tuesday Heartbreak follows in the great soul tradition of the label. You’ve Got It Bad Girl finishes Side 1, and is a mix of jazz, soul, and some very clever rhythm changes.
Flipping over to Side 2, probably Stevie’s most famous track, Superstition, get us underway with that unmistakable beat before you get Stevie’s trademark clavinet with the main riff of the song. I always associate this song with guitar as some very famous people (Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan) have turned it into a guitar workout, but this is all Stevie on the keys with some horns for great effect. This song is as groovy as it comes. The very un-R&B, Big Brother, is next and you’d be forgiven for thinking this was an Americana song written today. Blame It On The Sun is the weakest song on the album. The slow Lookin’ For Another Pure Love is next with a guest appearance from Jeff Beck, which then brings us to the album closer, I Believe, which ends things in epic ballad style.
I like this album a lot. This album, and the three that came after it, are the ones worthy of inclusion into any collection.
8/10 from The Grooveman.
