Stevie Wonder-Looking Back (1977)

 

Artist: Stevie Wonder

Title: Looking Back

Label: Motown

Format: 3LP

Cat #: M904-LP3

Year of Release: 1977

Country and Year of Edition Issue:  US 1977

Listed Condition: VG+/VG drill cut, spine wear

Sell Date: 2/8/21

Sell Price: $3.99

Discogs Last Sold: 1/17/21 NM/VG+ $8.50 

Low: $1.31

Median: $5.50

High:  $17.00 NM/VG+

Current low price: $3.00 VG+/VG+

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 

Have/Want: 6249/193

Where Sold:  Minneapolis, MN

Time it took to sell: 6 years

Where and When Bought: Worcester MA That's Entertainment early 80's used around $3.99

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: A-

Sad To See It Go:  No

Looking Back came out hot on the heels of Songs In The Key Of Life and around the same time as the Motown Anthology series.  A nod to Stevie's artistry, the LP was given another title besides 'Anthology' for it's jam-packed tri-fold cheap package.  These compilations were great for getting the Motown catalog at a discount, and went straight to the cutout bin later in the 70's or early 80's.

Due to it's indiscriminate length, this isn't something I would break out and play in it's entirety.  I played it once all the way through when I bought it and played it once all the way through going out.  My copy had great shape vinyl and the cover was a bit deteriorated, thus the bargain price, although I was a bit shocked at HOW low.

There is one song on this that I think is a lost gem for me, and I seem to remember thinking that the last time I heard it years ago: "Heaven Help Us All."  This song is so good, it single handedly inspired me to write this up.  It did peak at #9 on the Hot 100 the end of 1970, the year I was born, but for some reason I never heard it the way I did with other hits on the record that I've heard ever since I remember.   Signed, Sealed and Delivered, the album it was on, wasn't considered in the league of the Tamala years, but you can't escape hearing the title track in this lifetime.  "Heaven Help Us All" shakes the earth.   That it resonates 5 decades later, well, Stevie saw the future and he laid it out plain.

Of the other hits, my favorite is "I Was Made To Love Her."  If only for the approximate line "papa disapproved, mama boo-hoo-hoo'd, yeah! yeah! yeah!"  I reversed the genders when I started to write this, but I knew there was no way that would fly in the 60's, ha.

Obviously his take on Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind" is among the best of the world of Soul or anyone else interpreting Bob in the 60's.  The 12 year old breakout "Fingertips, Pt. 2" is undeniable as is "Uptight."  So those 4 are my top ten percent of the 40 tracks that are Looking Back.  The 70's made Stevie a man of his own league, but 60's run of hits can't be denied  

Stevie clearly had a gift to judge humanity from a young age in a way that was universal. He mastered short form in his teens and long form in his 20's.  Looking Back is 40 tracks meant to be heard as tracks, and was replaced in the CD era by later whole career retrospective releases like At The Close of the Century and preceded by single album Greatest Hits volumes 1 & 2 that were released in their era.  It would be nice to have a 60-90 minute well put together retrospective of the first decade.  Until then, the Greatest Hits releases from 1968 and 1971 will have to suffice.

Heaven help us all.