From 12-year-old multi-instrumentalist prodigy to groundbreaking adult songwriter and producer, Stevie Wonder is one of the handful of pop musicians who just about everybody agrees is possessed of genius. His 1960s recordings were great straight-up R&B, but his visionary '70s albums took pop and R&B where they'd never been before, incorporating electronics, reggae, and incredibly sophisticated melodic and harmonic development.
Stevie Wonder grew up fast, as Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 makes plain. Collecting both Motown assembly-line gems ("My Cherie Amour") and the first flashes of his self-contained ''70s funk-rock style ("Signed Sealed Delivered I''m Yours," a terrific cover of the Beatles'' "We Can Work It Out"), this 20-bit remaster disc is a must-own, particularly for Original Musiquarium fans looking for insight into Wonder''s artistic growth. It''s far from mere research material, though; the cream of this genius''s early work is some of Motown''s best. --Rickey Wright
If You Enjoy "Stevie Wonder - Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (CD)", May We Also Recommend: