Stevie Wonder - Jungle Fever (CD)

An Overlooked Gem...

By scott_724_98  Sep 7, 2001

For my tastes, the mighty Wonder machine relied a little too much on technology during the eighties. Gone was the rich, organic sound of "Innervisions" and "Songs in the Key of Life" and in it's place was the cold synthesizer based sound that defined... the era. Of course, groups like Depeche Mode weren't nearly the songwriters Wonder was, so there was some consulation available to long time fans. "Jungle Love" arrived just as Wonder was beginning to get the muse back. Inspired by Spike Lee's film about interracial love, Wonder wrote some of his most joyous - and bracing music - in years. Those looking for more fluff like "I Just Called..." are advised to look elsewhere. Yeah - there's lovely ballads here like "These Three Words" - but they are remiscent of classic Wonder era gems as "Sunshine of my Life" and "Superwoman". As for some ass-liberating funk, try the title cut and "Fun Day", proving that Wonder has not lost his mojo. His backbone is as evident as ever, as Wonder hardly shies away from the topic at hand with numbers like "Queen In the Black" and "Each Other's Throat". For those who thought Wonder had softened since the glory days of the mid-seventies, "Jungle Fever" will prove to be a stirring return to form from one of music's greatest visionaries. Read more Less