At the Close of a Century [Box] - Wonder, Stevie (CD 1999)

I had heard about this amazing compilation of Stevie Wonder songs a few months before it came out, and I knew I was going to get it right away. I was at some music store, and suprised to see how expensive it was. I figured if I went online, I could find a good price. After looking at several websites, I found a good $40 price with no shipping and handling charge, which was very good as opposed to the $50 some odd prices I had seen around.

First of all, I love Stevie Wonder, his music amazes me constantly. This is basically because his influence is webbed off in so many artists past and present, his music reigns supreme in the r & b industry.

When I first got the CD, I listened to the songs I knew. Ya know, "Superstition," "I Just Called to Say I love you," those songs. But once I got sick of those, I started from the beginning. It's so awesome, they arrange it in order of when everything came out. The first song contains a little skat from when he was known as Little Stevie Wonder, around the age of 11 or so. It's almost like a storybook. The entire album really shows how his music has changed as the sound of music has changed throughout the years; good and bad.

Every song I heard I fell in love with all over again; "Uptight," then "A Place in the Sun." The list goes on and on. The amazing thing about the lyrics is that they touch you, and you can relate. "Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away" is one of those songs you can listen to for hours and never get sick of.

It's truly diverse. There are a good mix of slower and soothing songs, as well as fast-paced and "upbeat" songs toward the end of the album. The best songs are in the beginning, although as you get to the fourth album, you can truly see how the 70's and 80's had a profound effect on his music. Most of it has that disco flavor, and doesn't show much appeal to me.

I would recommend this CD to anyone. I don't have any of his other albums, but this is a rather easy way to get a good taste of all of them. Stevie is a music genius and everyone should own this amazing album!