Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder

Songs in the Key of Life Draft

0:00I'm Adam Amis. And I'm Peter Barton. And you're listening to the You'll Hear Podcast. Music Explored.

0:30Explored brought to you today by Open Studio. Go to OpenStudioJazz.com for all your jazz lesson needs, Peter. And a little something, a new, sorry. Am I pointing at you too much? Because I'm excited. We have a special bonus coming from Open Studio that actually draws directly from this album. Yeah. First time only lesson. First time only. Don't tell them though. Okay. We'll tell them later. Don't forget though. Put a pin in it. Okay. How you doing, man? Pretty good. How are you? Episode one of season 15. 15 years. Can you believe it? I think I met you 12 years ago.

1:00That's what's weird about it. Yeah, that's what's so weird. No, I think this is in the middle of our seventh or eighth year. Yeah, seventh year. But we've done 15 seasons. That's crazy. Scientifically, there's no rhyme or reason to a season. Well, you know, the season, the seasons of my life. That's reasons. We need to do that album. What is that? How did that fall off the list? Earth, Wind & Fire. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we got to do that. Okay. Talking about making some notes. Yeah, no, this is exciting because we've covered this album sort of, but not in our immutable new, you'll hear it fashion.

1:32Songs of the Key of Life, 1976, Steve Lynn Morris, a.k.a. B.K.A. Stevie Wonder. The Great. That's right. And we're going to do a special version of this episode where we're going to actually do, borrowed from our friends over at the old Ringer Network. Don't tell anybody. TM. But we're going to do a little draft of Songs in the Key of Life. And full disclosure, we just planned this 30 seconds ago because we were having trouble. Like, this is such a monumental record. Look, let me just set the stage a little bit.

2:03This record, these records, this is a double album, right? So it would be due, album, albumai, as they would say in, no, they wouldn't say that in Italy. But this is 1976. This was a very important record. This comes either right at the end of Stevie's classic period, Intervision, Fulfilling This First Finale, Music of My Mind, or the beginning of the next period, going into Musicquarium and Hotter Than July and all the great 80s hits. It's right at this kind of fulcrum of Stevie's career. And it's a long, because there's two albums, two record album.

2:34It's a beautiful cover design. This introduced me, actually, to Stevie through my music teacher in elementary school. This is an important record. This is a beautiful record. But we realized we can't just, like, go through every track and be like, yeah, yeah, yeah. So we're going to mix it up a little bit. You'll hear it style. So there's 21 tracks on the album, which means, Peter, we should probably have a place setter and just start with Loves and Need of Love Today, which is the opening track. And then from there on, you and I will alternate, drafting our favorite tracks so that we see

3:06who gets the better lineup by the end. I can already tell you, there's no losers here. There's only winners. I know. Because it is a masterpiece. And this is sort of like an all killer, no filler style album. So anything's possible.

Love's in Need of Love Today

3:19But let's check out the opening track. This is the neutral. So this is your first choice. No. This is the neutral. No, no, no. Who goes first? Did you not just hear what I said? We need to burn a track because there's 21 tracks. So this place setter, Loves and Need of Love Today, is nobody's track. This is the listener's track. This is one of the greatest openings. I know we've said this before with Stevie, but.

3:41Come on. Good morning, or evening, friends.

3:59Here's your friendly announcer.

4:04I have serious news to pass on to everybody. What I'm about to say couldn't mean the world's disaster could change your joy and laughter to tears and pain. This subtle build of this track to start on. It's that love in me.

4:36Yeah, and where it ends by the end of the track. It is one of the all-time great opening tracks, as you would need to be an all-time great album. Yeah. And this is a perfect album. And it's kind of, ooh, he said it. He said it. It's a perfect album. This is a perfect opener for a perfect album. It is. And although it has some shades of sunshine of my life, I would say, in terms of kind of the lyrical vibe and melody and even like the harmony, this is a little bit more of a challenging opening track than it belies from its beauty, right?

5:09It's going a lot of places. The choir comes in and out. Now with the drums, get to me. I think this is Stevie playing drums. Oh. So good, man. So good. All right. That's the neutral track. Oh, my God. The opening track we've got now. We have 20 tracks to choose from.

The Draft Begins

5:25Let's rock, paper, scissors to see who goes first. You ready? We're going old school. This is a one-of-one rock, paper, scissors. Okay. I'm going to describe it in case you're not on YouTube. We'll call it. Adam is warming up. Oh, he has the fist. Look, he's warming it up. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. Damn it. Okay. Peter had a rock. Peter got rock and I got scissors on that one. Okay. You go first. I psyched him out for the first time. Now, I have to be a little strategic because I'm selfish and I've already got three tracks that I do not want you to get. So how do I fake him out? This is the draft, man. This is like the NBA right now. Okay. This one I've got to have for sure.

5:58So I'm going to go ahead and take it because I'm like, I'm not going to let this slip. This, I guess you would say is my favorite track because I'm choosing it. Oh. Dang.

6:10Shoot. If it's magic. I can't believe you got that one. Okay. Then why can't it be everlasting? Of course, if it's magic, Dorothy Ashby, beautifully on harp. Yeah. Dorothy Ashby. Stevie's classic. Incredible through here.

6:29Do you like a relative minor chord? Yes. Nine chord there. Like the galaxies in time. And this is a little bit of a, it's deeper into that. I mean, it's on the second record. Yeah. So this is track number five. This is track number 15 of the whole album. Yeah. Yeah. So. All right. Did I do good with that one? That's a, that's an elite pull for sure. So we're going to put a PM by that one. Yeah. In case you're keeping score at home. Okay. I'm going to go actually the very next track, track 16 as, featuring Herbie Hancock.

7:02Okay. Okay.

7:06Yeah. Yeah. Turn it up. It's all the way up. So Herbie Hancock on the roads here takes one of the greatest road solos of his career. And the vibes on As are second to none. So Herbie Hancock's greatest road solo is your favorite Stevie Wonder track. This also is my favorite, maybe my all-time favorite Stevie song. Wow. Well, no, but it's close. Yeah. I've always wondered if Herbie's playing everything or just the stuff up high and like, like that

7:42for sure. I think Stevie's playing a bass line of like roads. And in fact, here. That's definitely Steve. I mean, for sure. Here, I'll, if I can take it here for a second, Peter. Yes. So you can actually hear.

7:59Woo. So I think that's Stevie.

8:04That's definitely Herbie. Yeah. You can hear them once you. That does feel like Stevie's. Big octaves in the left hand. Yeah. I don't hear Herbie doing that. Yeah. Yeah. And that would have made sense that he'd have that laid down already. And then, so Herbie's actually not comping really, if that's the case. I think Herbie's just blowing. That's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, like he did on, well, it was a little bit before, I was going to say Plug Nickel with Miles Davis, like some of the later great Miles Davis quintet when he was just single

8:35lining and, you know, Herbie haircut. Okay. That was a great one. So remember I told you there's three that I have to have. My strategy is working because I was kind of, before the show, you didn't even notice, like as we'd walk by each other, I'd be like, Herbie haircut, Herbie haircut, just to psych you into that one. Oh, you wouldn't have gone with that. Okay. All right. That's fine. Hey, Peter. What's up, Adam? You know who we don't see on this album? Who? Robert Margaleff and Malcolm Cecil. Oh, you're talking about the guys who created the Tonto, the Giant. We've talked about them before. Those guys helped produce all the albums from the classic period. Yeah, that's right.

9:06And I've been listening to Margaleff's new audio memoir, and he talks about all of that stuff from that period. He talks about meeting Stevie and introducing him to the Tonto and why they eventually parted ways before songs in the Key of Life. It's fascinating. It's so cool. That period and what those three gentlemen created is one of the great semi-told, but now fully told from a firsthand opinion, periods of popular music ever in America. For sure. I was listening to the chapter where he talks about introducing Stevie to the studio and

9:36Stevie literally feeling his way around all the stations at the studio. It was really, really cool to hear from Margaleff's perspective. That's awesome. And what's the book called again? It's called Shaping Sounds, and you can find it at... Do you have a pen? I do have a pen right here. Okay. It's called Shaping Sounds, and you can find it at pushkin.fm slash audiobooks, or at Audible, Spotify, or wherever you get your audiobooks. Just search Shaping Sounds. This one, I adore this song. I thought this would be number one for you.

10:08Yeah, it was close. It's called a song, wakes you up with a kiss to start the morning off, in the midst of herself playing sand or gloss, she brings gifts through her dreams. I think this is my favorite harmonic progression that Stevie ever wrote. And that's saying something, because there's about 30 of my favorites. Oh.

10:44What a song.

10:48Is Stevie one of the master of harmony? Yes. I mean, we talk about melody, vocals, a lot of things, but I think harmonic movements. And this is like never-ending.

11:01All right.

I Wish and Knock Me Off My Feet

11:05You know what? I don't want to call this game early, but I think I'm winning. Not so fast, buddy, because I'm going with a number one on the Hot 100. I'm going with track number six, I Wish. I knew I was probably going to lose this one by getting cocky with the other ones, but fine. I'm happy for you. I wish.

11:36I wish. Looking back on when I was a little nappy-headed boy.

11:48Then my only worry was for Christmas what would be my door. Kind of that walking church bass line that he's got going on. And then like... Even though we sometimes would not get a thing. You know, it's a basic nostalgia song, which nostalgia songs, they're a staple of every genre. It's a list song and a nostalgia song. And it's one of the great nostalgia songs of all time.

12:15Ooh, DJ. What do you got, Peter? What do you got? Okay, that's great. Your third pick, the third round. Oh, man. Because I got my... I can't let this one linger out there because I'm afraid you'll grab it.

12:42Man, the way the rhythm section comes in right here. Oh, perfection. Perfection. Yeah, I'm disappointed that you got this, honestly. This is... Well... Knocks me off my feet. Yeah.

13:04That classic Stevie way to use those like two fives that modulate somewhere different and then come back. Yeah. Say I don't want to bore you there. For those of you that are... Woo! When we talk about harmony, it's his ability to affect your emotion. But there's something about your love. When you go to a different tonal area. I mean, of course, the rhythm, the lyrics, the rhythm. Oh, and the way he changes this up the second time.

13:38The bass line.

13:42Check it out.

13:45One more time. Rule of third. I don't want to bore you there. I don't want to bore you there. Woo! Okay. That's good.

13:55I'm so disappointed. You like my song, don't you? This should be on my team. You like my song. Okay. I'm going to have to come strong to battle that.

Isn't She Lovely Piano Lesson

14:03So I'm going to go... It's not going to be hard. ...with one of the most recognizable Stevie Wonder songs of all time. Okay. The father-daughter dance. Oh. Isn't She Lovely.

14:14No show times.

14:21I believe that's his daughter. The actual bride.

14:27Woo!

14:34This intro... Actually, this whole track is the most... One of the most forward-looking to, like, his early 80s stuff. It does. You know what I mean? It sounds a little bit like everything that would happen. You're absolutely right.

14:44That's what I'm saying. This record sits at the right, at the juncture. I get it. This would be weird on Music In My Life. Yeah. Yeah.

14:51Even the way his voice is placed in it, production-wise. Shuffle. Yeah. Oh, yeah.

15:04Starts with the chorus. This is one of the greatest pentatons coming up. Man, it's scaling. So, this is the big surprise. So, I've created, Peter, a lesson for people who don't know how to play the piano to learn how to play Isn't She Lovely. Even if you've never played. Yes. I will walk you through where to put your hands.

15:36It's amazing. If you play along with me and Stevie, how to play Isn't She Lovely. It's not as hard as you might think. It's not. And in fact, I challenged producer Liz. Yes. Who does not play the piano. No. She's an amazing podcast producer. She's seen a piano, but she does not play it. Yes. She can identify a piano. Yes. And I said, could you be the test subject for this new idea where you'll hear listeners who don't maybe know how to play music yet can learn how to play one of the songs from the albums that we're listening to. And she said, yes. And then she texted me. She said, oh my goodness, I'm playing Isn't She Lovely right now.

16:09She said, as soon as she learned the simple right hand chords, that is pretty much the same thing Stevie's playing, by the way. And then she put the left hand to it. She said, it sounded like Isn't She Lovely. So, check it out. There's a link in the description, and you can learn how to play Isn't She Lovely with me and Stevie. I'm so excited about this. Please let us know in the comments on YouTube if you learned some of those chords. Yeah. I know some of y'all are ready to do that. Okay. Good job. But we have to move on, my friend. Okay. Round four. Round four. Are we on four? No, no. I've got one, two, three.

16:41You were correct. I'm keeping track here. You are a gentleman and a scholar. I'm going to have a list by the end of this episode of each one of ours. Okay. You know what I think I'm doing? Because are we going for the win or for the joy? Or is it for both? It doesn't matter. Here we go. Oh, damn it, Peter. We're going for the banger. Son of a bee sting.

17:00That's the thing is I want every track. Right. But this is incredible. This is a good call. I feel bad. I'm getting all the biggest. I'm getting all the hits. Not all. I mean, I got I Wish. Yeah. Is it She Lovely? Okay. This wasn't really a hit. It's a hit later. Right. Right. Coolier. Yeah. Exactly. This two-part harmony coming up here.

17:40And those synth strings.

17:50This was kind of a menacing track. I remember. I was like.

17:55Learning major scales.

17:58Modes. Oh, listen. Dispensation. Isolation. Exploitation. Exploitation. Utilation. Man, how does he do that? Could you imagine writing those lyrics and like, that's not going to work, but it works. Okay. I feel like you've made a little bit of a flaw in that I am now going to take the second number one on the Hot 100.

Sir Duke and Ebony Eyes

18:28I knew you were going to do that. I'm already telling you. Track number five. Sir Duke. I knew. I knew they were doing it. That was good. Well, they should go together. That and I wish go together. That and I wish go together.

18:52Music is a world within itself. I mean, here's the thing about, I love that change there.

19:25The thing about this, like, some of Stevie's bigger hits, in the wrong hands, this material could be corny. Oh, you think you've been at a wedding where that happened? Yes. Here we go. We got some nice more. Go. More pan of time.

19:41With the bass. Unison.

19:51Man, this was such a unique time. So this was number one pop hit and a number one R&B hit. Crazy. Which is crazy, because it's not even really, I mean, yes, it's R&B. Yes, it's pop. But, I mean, it's kind of like, it's got some, this was such a special time, 1976, 1977. It's something like this. It's got some, like, the whiz in it somehow. Yeah. You know what I mean? And it's almost got, like, some kind of, like, mandolin-y sounding, you know. Like a banjo kind of? Yeah. Yeah, I know. And then so much horns. Like here?

20:22Whistle. That could be corny. Yeah. But there's something about Stevie where everything feels so good and so natural and so grounded and earthy that it's not corny. It's actually super hit. And the song is about Duke Ellington, who had died about three or four years before this. So, I mean, it's a very, it was just a very interesting time in our pop culture. I feel like I won that round. Well, so you got the, what's the, not the trifecta, what's the duo, the duo effecta? I got the brace. I got the brace. Yeah, with Sir Duke and I wish, if you want to be like a big Billboard, you know, hot 100 seller. I'm a pop guy.

20:53I'm a pop fella. Okay, what do you know about this? Can we go a little bit deeper cuts now?

21:02Okay, this is actually. You talk about The Wiz. You talk about something. This is very theatrical. That's what got me thinking about it.

21:17This is Ebony Eyes. Yeah. This is so good. This is very Broadway.

21:24Even like the scope of it.

21:30Raised on ghetto. It's almost got like a little bit of barrel house to it.

21:48This is so, it's getting really hard now. Shit. Well, you know what it is? We're saying it's getting hard. It's actually getting easy. This is all easy. That's the funny thing. Yeah, everything is a winner. That's what's so hard. Okay, so if you're round five, you chose Ebony Eyes. Yeah. I'm going to go with my gut. Okay. I'm going to go, shoot. I'm going to go track number two, Have a Talk with the God. That's not a bad choice. Oh.

22:13One of the deepest inbound. What's the production here? What's going on here? I don't know. What are those noises? Are those like wind chimes? Yeah. A little orchestra. Shaker. This is the blues, too.

22:33Oh, yeah. Goes to the four.

22:37It's a 2-4 blues, though.

22:40Not a 2-5. Oh, the turn around. Yeah.

22:46It's got a little bit of space. To the two.

22:51Up to the four. And then a little hint of five. 2-4-5.

22:58Oh.

23:04That harmonica plays.

23:09Incredible harmonica. All right. That was good. That was good. I actually, I was hoping that that one was going to, I was going to be able to kind of grab that later than it should be. There's a couple more, too, that I want to be able to grab, but we'll see. Okay. I'm going to go, just because I really feel like now, I got all the ones I had to have. This is the most, I think, the most unique track. And I remember when I first heard this, I was like, what? This was actually one of my first entry points of wanting to, like, I didn't know what fusion was, but whatever the sound was, I was like, what?

Contusion

23:38I want to see if I can try to play that, you know? Hey, everyone. Taking a break real quick. We throw around a lot of music theory terms here in the show. If you're Googling things like, what is a triad? Hold on. I'm Googling. What is a triad? What is a Lydian chord? How do you spell Lydian? You know how to play that, bro. Good news. We have all the answers for you in the Liner Notes. You'll find the Liner Notes companion guide with clear, simple explanations of the contents we explore in this episode in the episode description. Download the Liner Notes for this episode for free today.

24:10Is that what you're saying? Okay. I'm pressing.

24:13Contusion. Yeah. And this was like, this is the only no vocals track on here, I believe. Instrumental track. Yeah.

24:21This, I mean, it's funny because Herbie's on ads, but this sounds like it could be on a headhunter. Yeah. From this ad. And it also sounds like- It could be on Secrets. A lot of the TV shows I was watching in the 70s around this time that I shouldn't have been watching, you know, like Starsky and Hutch, and that's what it sounds like. Yeah, that's great. Like going into commercial breaks and stuff. A little 5-4. Yeah. I mean, this is like the closest Stevie's ever gotten to dude music, I would say. You know? It's kind of, yeah.

24:53It's a little Steely Dan-ish. Yeah. I mean, Stevie's done this a couple times in his career where he's like, you know, I can do this too, right? I know. Where he's like, you all can do that. I can also do that. Well, he has had a thing because, you know, I've seen him, I've seen Stevie live probably four or five times over the last 35 years or whatever. Maybe even, yeah, probably five or six times. But almost every time he'll do, actually, I've heard him play this live. I remember when he busted this out as like a warm-up thing for an in-store at the, what

25:28was the name of that record store? Downtown in New York City. I'll remember. It might've been Virgin Megastore. He did a record release at midnight. This is like mid-90s. For what I believe was his, maybe it was the last release? No, no. He's done something since then. But he did this contusion. I was like, contusion! There was like three nerds in the audience. Everyone else was like, come on, when's the real Stevie started? But I've seen him do Spain before as an instrumental, which is a very, you know, Chicoria, Spain, a great fusion, 70s classic.

25:58Yeah, he's got that gear and he loves to play like that. Okay. What are we in? Round six? We're still in round six. That was your sound, round six. I'm going to go with the track right before this track three, Village Ghetto Land. Okay. Because I think it's, it's a, it's an absolute banger. Yeah. It's a beautiful, beautiful track. Some of the best synth strings. Not accurate, but just beautiful. Would you like to go with me? Some of this most like emotionally connected vocals.

26:33Would you like to come with me? Direct. Direct. Dry. Yeah. And you can hear every little detail in his voice. I heard him do this with live strings at the Superdome in New Orleans years ago. While robbers laugh and steal. Beggars watch and eat their meals. He killed all the lyrics on this. Come, Robert, can't tell.

27:09Okay. We've got. I know. We've got most of. Oh, you know what I'm going to do here? What are you going to do? My turn, my turn, my turn. I got a good one. I didn't think this one would, would, would last. I know. It's getting to that time, isn't it? Last song on the B-side of record one. Oh.

27:34Ordinary Pain featuring Minnie Riperton. Yeah. Very soon in your mind realize that it's not just an ordinary pain. I love this song. Stevie. Like, it could have been a big hit, but it's like.

27:51When you by chance, go knock on her door. It's got a lot of classic Stevie-isms. Walking away, you're convinced that it's much more than just an ordinary pain. But it's one of the simpler, yeah, it's Minnie Riperton, layered in the back.

28:08It's more than just an ordinary pain in your heart. So smooth. Yeah.

28:21This has a little bit of shades of sunshine in my life, too. And that it's much more than just an ordinary pain in your heart.

28:38Okay. Okay. So just for those of you keeping score and for you, too. You were furiously writing there, which made me a little nervous. But record number one. Is that what we call it? Record one? Yeah. Disc one. Is done.

Joy Inside My Tears

28:51Is out.

Joy Inside My Tears

28:52Yeah. Everything from the first 10 tracks is taken already, which I'm fine with, because one of my favorite tracks is still on the board. I love this song so much. I think about it a lot. I think about the choices Stevie made in the production. It is the 12th track. It is Joy Inside My Tears.

29:12Like, the bass. Yeah. This bass that's like, has this portamento. It's just sliding all over the place on such a, on this lush string arrangement.

29:28Oh, it's great.

29:32It's a weird song. It's a weird. This is probably the most unique track on here, except for Consumption. Interesting. Oh, man. Oh, man. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

29:45So I've tried to not be the one who'll fall into that line.

29:54But what I feel inside, I think you should know. Oh.

30:02This is kind of Broadway-ish. Baby, that's a you, you, you. Yeah. Made like his story.

30:15But you've got so short inside my tears. It's great listening to this, like, because you realize the variety on this album. You have done what no one thought could be. Ah, ah, ah. You've got so short inside my tears. Steve's not afraid of a big, fat dominant chord, is he? Not at all. No. Not at all. Yeah. His mastery of harmony is uncanny.

30:45Great call. Round eight, buddy. Round eight. We're almost to the end. Did I mark that? Okay. Because I think I know what this will push you into. Another star. This is another one of the... Yeah, it's a good call. This was a hit, I believe. Somewhat of a... Yeah, this is another one. I think this is a great... And this, I love it because George Benson's on here, which I never knew for the longest on guitar.

31:15This is almost like contusion with vocals. Yep. Yeah, this is a great pick. What am I going to do? I don't know.

31:24Big, big production. I've seen him do this live, too. For you, there might be a bright one. A little bit of early Putamayo. Stevie Putamayo a little bit. Stevie Mayo. Stevie Mayo.

31:54All right, cool. What you got next? All right, my round eight pick is...

Black Man

31:58Are you ready for a history lesson? Yes. Because we're going to listen to Black Man. okay here we go oh yeah this is a lot of history in this and i learned a lot again i was just oh that's funky as hell that's that bass that he fell in love with around this time and kept using oh yeah it's all over hot of the july yeah the first man to die for the flag

32:39who would have known he's literally making a textbook sound funky and hip if i could have learned my history like this i would have stayed in school i know it's really

33:12the best version of civics class you could have all right oh that's great two more rounds left peter there are literally oh you know what i'm going to do the next four tracks on the board since we were talking um now full disclosure i used to always skip over this but i did in preparation for this listen again i was like this is a killer track and you're talking about history um i am singing and i don't know how to say it fully una historia this is another like there's something about the way it started like to be honest i would always kind of skip over it

33:45it's a little stevie tiki tiki but it's got i love it when stevie starts singing in other languages man something about it i mean if you landed on tortolo you'd be okay if you heard this on the boat as you float to the island come on

34:21i mean stevie's range and we talk about stuff that could be considered corny this is a whole genre now i know because his conviction with it you know the ship i mean that goes back some years before this so all right we've only got according to my count three tracks left is that correct that is correct this is round nine and this the back half of it i'm gonna go i feel bad i kind of knew this was gonna happen that these are i know i know

34:55three tracks but they're great tracks too they are but how did they get stacked but part of this is familiarity bias right because they stacked these at the back of the second album so maybe we didn't know them as much i'm gonna go for my ninth round pick all day soccer okay safe pick out of those three i got you yeah it's a great track and then these vocals and bass lines together

35:40and this next chord i could double it this could have been way higher honestly

35:57this maybe should have been higher the harmony stays the same but he altered the melody with the the bass and the but how what a testament that this is literally the the 18th

36:12the 18th out of 20 tracks picked i know it could have been number three right

36:19this is a thick groove too all right good um all right your last pick peter well i'm gonna go okay i'm gonna go sad actually i could have picked this way earlier i think this is one of stevie's like greatest kind of there's stuff like this on um um secret life of plants yeah yeah this connects with that which is actually one of my favorite stevie anyway let me shut up the exploratory stevie a little bit of environmentalism there's no sense to sit and watch people die

37:04this could be in the whiz too yeah not the lyrics but the melody there's no sense to keep on doing such crime this has things

37:33lately this is the same key reminds me of what you say

37:45stevie's not afraid of a gliss back to the tonic back to the tonic man stevie's like he's so

38:01i mean you can hear it in the lyrics in the content like he's so unafraid like he will go anywhere musically harmonically rhythmically like playing different instruments and that that could lead to such a disaster of you know great proportions but i mean his craft yeah like like like let's let's let's do a little clap for his craft because that's what holds it all together he was notorious for like writing 10 times as many songs as that actually came out so this was not like he was beholden to these certain songs like he crafted them and if it wasn't right

38:33it just didn't make it on the album i think it's i think saturn is appropriate for round 10 even though i still think it's an amazing song i mean it would be round one in most people's catalog but yeah but for stevie and for this album in particular it's just like so packed with so many memorable moments that it's almost like it's chillness is a little bit against it for this discussion for sure and the placement on it just it made it was a bigger like for for the the lineage of how this album has been appreciated it's interesting because the last time i saw stevie which is about nine years ago live here in st louis eight or nine years ago he was this was his

39:06songs of lakeia life tour and he did the entire album from beginning to end as far as i could tell no intermission which is crazy he did every single song in order crazy and i believe he did everything in the original key which is kind of insane because he was i think he's like 75 now so he was you know in his later 60s or mid 60s um and the the range on this which by the way that age isn't doesn't it seem like he should be older i know like that's because he was he was so young when he's making i know yeah no he's not i think he's 76 77 yeah yeah but that was it was an amazing

39:42it was a three-hour concert too because they actually added some things and he did some jams

Easy Goin' Evening

39:46and stuff but well my my last pick is the last track really yeah it's easy going evening yeah it's it's the only one left on the board so brave so easy going evening i lost the i lost the rock paper scissors so brave yet so perceptive one of the greatest phase rose instruments

40:20what a great way to end oh yeah album too he's so good at these little moments yeah oh i never thought about it it's like a broadway play kind of it kind of i mean musical it's a music it's kind of someone should make a broadway musical on songs in the key of life all these other ones they're doing why not

40:48this is the jazziest they get on here too rhythmically groove-wise

40:54this is shades of to come make sure you're sure from the jungle yeah yeah yeah what is going on talk about lydian

41:30yeah okay good call i mean you got forced into it but you're still in a good place i mean that's a great album okay all right here's our here are our drafts okay you ready yeah so peter martin going in order i'm gonna go i got you in order here okay your number one pick yes was if it's magic number i stand by that number two summersoft yes three knocks me off my feet i mean it's still staying coming strong four pastime paradise that's right five ebony eyes nothing nothing going down six contusion genius picks seven ordinary pain

42:00variety is the spice of life eight another star who the man nine i am singing yes and ten saturn yeah that's a solid that's a solid list i also by the way have a solid list well i don't know if i read yours and then you can copy okay sure sure okay see if i can i'm over here so my handwriting is for me okay you what language oh you wrote this in a i'm left-handed so yeah uh number one as yes number two i wish i feel like i'm nailing this number three isn't she lovely yep number four sir duke amazing just the hits ma'am five have a talk

42:34with god amazing that's what this is when you started to like you know spread out spread your wings uh six village ghetto land incredible track seven um joy inside my tears we're still this is when i started getting worried this is why i felt like i missed some things but eight black man okay nine all day sucker yeah um ten easy going i don't know peter that was good put in the comments who you think won this draft please and you know what no don't even you know what you have to we all win we all win well this was fun shout out to the ringer who who is that by the way uh but

43:09we'll be back next week hey looking forward to season 15 we got some radiohead coming we got some dr dre coming dr dre i know we got some more d'angelo clean or dirty on that coming we got some jamiroquai coming jamiroquai we got a lot of cool stuff nice well i'm looking forward to it till next time you'll hear it