Tim Carmody writing for Kottke.org, Stevie Wonder and the radical politics of love:
Songs in the Key of Life tries to reconcile the reality of the post-Nixon era — the pain that even though the enemy is gone, the work is not done and the world has not been transformed — with an inclusive hope that it one day will be, and that faith, hope, and love are still possible.
It’s what makes the album such a magnificent achievement. But I’m not there. I don’t know when I will be. So for now I’m keeping Songs In the Key of Life on the shelf. An unopened bottle of champagne for a day I may never see. But I’d like to.
On three of Stevie Wonder's best albums, his political writing, and how he bridges saying something and making a good song.
I cannot wait to listen to Songs in the Key of Life again.
