20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Stevie Wonder (CD - 2005)

With the plethora of 20th Century Masters collections issued since the late '90s, it's hard to believe that it took until 2005 for a Stevie Wonder edition to be released. But thankfully, Motown and Universal should be acknowledged for showing up late to the party instead of not showing up at all. Casual fans who found the outstanding At the Close of the Century box set too pricey and 2002's excellent Definitive Collection too expansive in scope will be delighted at this compilation celebrating one of soul music's most revered treasures. Featuring Stevie's greatest numbers from his years as a child prodigy at Motown, nearly every song here was a number one hit on the R&B or pop charts, sometimes doubling on both. From the starting point of "Fingertips, Pt. 2" to "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," the compilation rings with instantly identifiable classics, instantaneously synonymous not only with Motown, but with soul music itself. The compilation appropriately ends with "If You Really Love Me," which signaled his creative independence from the stifling constraints of Motown and was also his first self-produced single for the label. This is an outstanding collection for an artist whose vast scope is paralleled by few if any others in the annals of pop and R&B. ~ Rob Theakston

The title of Stevie Wonder's 20th CENTURY MASTERS installation, THE BEST OF STEVIE WONDER, is something of a misnomer in that it only includes work from 1963 to 1971, the years he was still recording under strict Motown supervision. Yet the monumental importance of '70s albums like INNERVISIONS and SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE can tend to overshadow Stevie's accomplishments of the '60s, and THE BEST OF serves to remind listeners that his early music was just as exuberant, well-crafted, and overflowing with talent.

Nearly every track here rocketed to the top of the R&B and pop charts, including the live recording of "Fingertips Pt. 2" and the propulsive "Uptight (Everything's Alright)." All the staples of Wonder's aesthetic are here: minor-key funk ("Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day"), tender love songs ("My Cherie Amour"), and hard-grooving soul ("I Was Made to Love Her"). In the early '70s, Stevie began writing and producing his own singles (like the impeccably crafted "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"), paving the way for his artistic apotheosis later in the decade. As a historical document then, and--more importantly--as a superb collection of top-drawer '60s/early-'70s soul, THE BEST OF is a winner from start to finish. minimize