Examines the work of one of the most influential and prolific singer-songwriters of the popular music era.
Series Preface Introduction The Young Virtuoso, 1962-1964 The Soul Shouter, 1965-1967 The Middle of the Road, 1968-1970 The Independent Artist, 1971-1973 The Mature Superstar, 1974-1980 The Musician with a Cause, 1981-2005 Stevie Wonder's Songs as Recorded by Other Performers Annotated Bibliography Discography Composition Title Index Index
James E. Perone is Associate Professor of Music at Mount Union College, Ohio. He is the author of nearly a dozen books, including Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of the Music and Art Fair (2005), Music of the Counterculture Era (2004), and Songs of the Vietnam Conflict (2001). He currently serves as the series editor for the Praeger Singer-Songwriter series.
In this first release in the Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection
series, Perone (Mount Union College and editor of the series)
examines the music, lyrics (texts), and sound recordings of
Wonder's songs, including covers of Wonder's music and his covers
of songs performed previously by others. Since Wonder did not
compose many of the songs he recorded during his Motown years and
was controlled artistically by Motown producers, Perone focuses on
Wonder's post-1970 output, when Wonder had gained full artistic
control, defined himself as a singer-songwriter, embraced diverse
musical styles, emerged as producer and arranger, and developed
into a popular-culture icon. Readers with less knowledge of music
will be able to follow the chronologically ordered discussions
about Wonder's music and what these recordings sound like; readers
knowledgeable about music analysis will appreciate that Perone
investigates in detail Wonder's compositional, vocal, instrumental,
and recording production techniques and asks important questions
(for instance, about what techniques Wonder employed in his most
successful songs and why certain songs are historically
significant). Essential. Lower-division undergraduates through
faculty; general readers.
*Choice*
Every pop music fan has a sense of the work and accomplishments of
Stevie Wonder, from his start as a child prodigy to the acclaimed
singer-songwriter he was known as throughout the Sixties,
Seventies, and Eighties. Even though his heyday seems to be over,
he retains a spot in the American pop music pantheon. While
numerous biographies on the artist exist, this is the first to
critique and interpret his work. And as Perone covers in great
depth all of the artist's albums-both major and minor-readers are
likely to learn a lot about some of the less well-known albums and
may consequently seek them out. This thoughtfully researched and
finely written book, the first in a new series edited by Perone to
highlight various singer-songwriters of note, should be in all
public and college libraries; highly recommended.
*Library Journal*
[S]erves as a useful introduction to the music of Stevie
Wonder.
*Popular Music*
The Sound of Stevie Wonder critiques and interprets the works of
this notable composer and performer. Readers learn about Wonder's
most famous works and lesser-known albums along with the many cover
versions of his compositions. Included are a song title index, a
discography of his recordings, notes, an annotated bibliography,
and a general index.
*MultiCultural Review*
After revealing the social, cultural, and political context of
Wonder's work, the book provides detailed analysis of his
compositions and recordings, with a focus on both his well-known
songs and those known only to his hardcore fans. The volume also
contains discussions of cover versions of Wonder's compositions, a
discography of his recordings, a song title index, an annotated
bibliography, and a general index.
*Easton's Public Library eNewsletter*
The Sound of Stevie Wonder: His Words and Music, by James E.
Perone, is the first work of criticism on this important American
artist. The book also contains discussions of cover versions of
Wonder's compositions, a discography of his recordings, a song
title index, an annotated bibliography, and a general index.
*Library Media Connection*
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