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Rating: Natural Wonder
1995: Live in Osaka (Japan) and Tel Aviv (Israel). A double album that contains 24 wonderful songs, the best of these concerts. The atmosphere is magical, we feel it from the very first notes of the opening track: "Dancing To The Rhythm" a splendid song (unreleased!) with a pulsating and overwhelming rhythm, kicking off the album on a high note. It's not the only unreleased track Stevie offers us in this album, but there are also: "Stevie Ray Blues" as the title unmistakably suggests, a song in the full soul-blues tradition, "Stay Gold" a splendid wonderian ballad (from the film 'The Outsider') and finally "Ms. & Mr Little Ones" also magnificent. Four unreleased tracks, each more beautiful than the last, all contained on the first CD. The rest Mr. Wonder draws from his immense discography, making perfect choices and performing everything impeccably, each song gains its own special charm here, rendering them even more beautiful than they already were, on those magical nights in Osaka and Tel Aviv.
No song is unworthy of at least a mention in this review, in chronological order: "My Cherie Amour" from the album of the same name. "Signed, Sealed and Delivered" from the album of the same name. "You Are the Sunshine Of My Life" and "Superstition" from -Talking Book-. "Higher Ground" in an irresistible live version with a slightly accelerated rhythm compared to the studio version and "Living For the City" from -Innervision-. From the monumental -Songs In the Key Of Life-, the artist draws abundantly: the very sweet version of "Love's In Need of Love Today", "If it's Magic" (yes, really magic), a "Village Ghetto Land" that gives goosebumps, the unmissable energy-rich soul duo "Sir Duke"-"I Wish", "Pastime Paradise" wonderful and to close the album an unforgettable version of "Another Star". "Master Blaster (Jammin')" with a new fast and contagious finale and the magical and mysterious piano notes of "Rocket Love" from the splendid -Hotter Than July-. "Ribbon In The Sky" in a very long, improvised and ever-changing version from -Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium-. The almost unrecognizable version of "I Just Called To Say I Love You" (indeed difficult to render live identical to the studio version) from -The Woman In Red-. the beautiful version of the ballad "Overjoyed" from -In Square Circle-. Finally from what was the artist's latest album at the time of this live -Conversation Peace- he performs "For Your Love" and the fun "Tomorrow Robins Will Sing".
From Osaka to Tel Aviv, from Japan to Israel. Those nights so far apart from each other, experienced the same wonder for two hours, the best of Stevie Wonder's music. Two nights contained in two CDs, immortalizing, at the end of the last millennium, what is the musical art of this artist, here perfect and magical like every 'natural wonder'. . . . -Natural Wonder-. . .
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 Master Blaster (jammin') (03:36)
Everyone's feelin' pretty
Its hotter than July
Tho' the world's full of problems
They couldn't touch us
Even if they tried
From the park I hear rhythms
Marley's hot on the box
Tonite there'll be a party
On the corner, at the end of the block
(chorus)
Didnt know you
Would be jammin it
'Til the break of dawn
See nobody ever told me
That you would be jammin' it
'Til the break of dawn
We'll be jammin' it,
Jammin' it, jammin' it
Jam on
*instrumental breakdown*
They want us to join the fighting
But our answer today
Is to let all our worries
Like the breeze, through our fingers slip away
Peace has come to Zimbabwe
Third World's right on the One
Now's the time for celebration
'Cause we've only just begun
(chorus)
*add refrain;
We're in the middle
of the making of the master blaster, jammin
You ask me; "Am I happy?"
Well, as matter of fact,
I can say that I'm ecstatic
'Cause we've all just made a pact
We've agreed to get together
And join as children in JAH
When you're movin' in the positve
Your destination is the brightest star
chorus
I bet you if someone approached you yesterday
to tell you that you would be jammin'
you would not believe it
cause you never thougt that you would be jammin'
fade out
05 Higher Ground (03:59)
People keep on learnin'
Soldiers keep on warrin'
World keep on turnin'
Cause it won't be too long
Powers keep on lyin'
While your people keep on dyin'
World keep on turnin'
Cause it won't be too long
I'm so darn glad he let me try it again
Cause my last time on earth I lived a whole world of sin
I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then
Gonna keep on tryin'
'Til I reach the highest ground
Teachers keep on teachin'
Preachers keep on preachin'
World keep on turnin'
Cause it won't be too long
Oh no
Lovers keep on lovin'
Believers keep on believin'
Sleepers just stop sleepin'
Cause it won't be too long
Oh no
I'm so glad that he let me try it again
Cause my last time on earth I lived a whole world of sin
I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then
Gonna keep on tryin'
'Til I reach my highest ground
'Til I reach my highest ground
Oh no
No one's gonna bring me down
Oh no
'Til I reach my highest ground
Don't you let nobody bring you down
God is gonna show you higher ground
He's the only friend you have around
07 Stay Gold (04:21)
Seize ... upon the moment of long ago
One breath away and there you will be
So young and carefree again you will see
That place in time
So gold
Steal ... away into that way back when
You thought that all would last forever
But like the weather nothing can ever
And be in time
Stay gold
But can it be ... when we can see
So vividly a memory
And yes you say so must the day
To fade away
And leave a ray of sun
So gold
Life ... is but a twinkling of an eye
Yet filled with sorrow and compassion
Though not imagined all things that happen
Will age too old
Though gold
Stay gold
09 Pastime Paradise (03:22)
They've been spending most their lives
Living in a pastime paradise
They've been spending most their lives
Living in a pastime paradise
They've been wasting most their time
Glorifying days long gone behind
They've been wasting most their days
In remembrance of ignorance oldest praise
Tell me, who of them will come to be?
How many of them are you and me?
Dissipation
Race Relations
Consolation
Segregation
Dispensation
Isolation
Exploitation
Mutilation
Mutations
Miscreation
Confirmation
To the evils of the world
They've been spending most their lives
Living in a future paradise
They've been spending most their lives
Living in a future paradise
They've been looking in their minds
For the day that sorrows gone from time
They keep telling of the day
When the savior of love will come to stay
Tell me who of them will come to be?
How many of them are you and me?
Proclamation
Of race relations
Consolation
Integretion
Verification
Of Revelations
Acclamation
World Salvation
Vibrations
Stimulation
Confirmation
To the peace of the world
They've been spending most their lives
Living in a pastime paradise
They've been spending most their lives
Living in a pastime paradise
They've been spending most their lives
Living in a future paradise
They've been spending most their lives
Living in a future paradise
We've been spending too much of our lives
Living in a pastime paradise
Let's start living our lives
Living for the future paradise
Praise to our lives
Living for the future paradise
Shame to anyones life
For living in the pastime paradise
10 If It's Magic (03:34)
If it's magic...
Then why can't it be everlasting
Like the sun that always shines
Like the poets in this rhyme
Like the galaxies in time
If it's pleasing...
Then why can't it be never leaving
Like the day that never fails
Like on seashores there are shells
Like the time that always tells
It holds the key to every heart
Throughout the universe
It fills you up without a bite
And quenches every thirst
So....
If it's special
Then with it why aren't we as careful
As making sure we dress in style
Posing pictures with a smile
Keeping danger from a child
It holds the key to every heart
Throughout the universe
It fills you up without a bite
And quenches every thirst
So...
If it's magic...
Why can't we make it everlasting
Like the lifetime of the sun
It will leave no heart undone
For there's enough for everyone
12 Village Ghetto Land (03:26)
Would you like to go with me
Down my dead end street
Would you like to come with me
To Village Ghetto Land
See the people lock their doors
While robbers laugh and steal
Beggars watch and eat their meals, from garbage cans
Broken glass is everywhere
It's a bloody scene
Killing plagues the citizens
Unless they own police
Children play with rusted cars
Sores cover their hands
Politicians laugh and drink, drunk to all demands
Families buying dog food now
Starvation roams the streets
Babies die before they're born
Infected by the grief
Now some folks say that we should be
Glad for what we have
Tell me would you be happy in Village Ghetto Land
Village Ghetto Land
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