Stevie Wonder
Conversation Peace

THE REVIEW

It is 1995 when 'Conversation Peace' is released. Stevie had already significantly slowed down his production for several years; in fact, this CD comes out after a 4-year silence, following the previous work 'Jungle Fever', the soundtrack to Spike Lee's film of the same name. I would define this album as the masterpiece of the modern era of Stevie Wonder, it is certainly the artist's best record since 'Hotter Than July' 1980.

Energetic and engaging soul vocals, often accompanied by the rich and powerful horns dear to 'Our Stevie', all wrapped in a fascinating and modern pop atmosphere. There are quite a few tracks (13), almost all of them splendid. Almost twenty years have passed since the masterpiece of 'Songs In The Key Of Life', many things have changed, the form is extremely different, but the essence, the pulp, the soul remains the same, recognizable and tangible right from the first notes. It is extremely interesting to listen to these two albums one after the other. The same essence enclosed in two different shells.

The album opens with thunder and then begins to rain the magical rhythm of "Rain Your Love Down", a beautiful love song among the many present on the record. It closes instead with the voices of many people asking for peace between the last notes of the politic-song, the wonderful and majestic "Conversation Peace", which gives the album its title. Between the roar of thunder and the voices demanding peace, a tide of splendid tracks are to be remembered: "Edge Of Eternity" very rhythmic and captivating, "Taboo To Love" delicate and soft (a new "If It's Magic" just to go back to the comparison with the '76 masterpiece), splendid choruses that energetically explode of "Take The Time Out" and "My Love Is With You", again the ballad the first single of the album "For Your Love", the playful "tomorrow Robin's Will Sing" and the powerful and chilly rhythm of "Cold Chill".

Monumental work from the mid-nineties. For a new true studio album, one would have to wait ten years, to find an almost unchanged style in the yet less brilliant work "A Time To Love" 2005. But the best of modern Stevie, post "Hotter Than July" is enclosed in this album. 'Me For You, You For Me There's no chance of World salvations Less the Conversation's Peace..'.