Soundbite

Stevie Wonder “A Time to Love” Universal
Motown Group

After 10 years without a new album, many artists would be
calling it quits. Turns out Stevie Wonder was just biding his time.
The feel-good “A Time to Love” is a decidedly strong
return to form after his 1980s misfires, exploring gospel, jazz
ballads and Wonder’s ever-enthusiastic take on soul.

The long break between recordings seems to have reinvigorated
the musician, and the first track, “If Your Love Cannot Be
Moved,” charges out of the gate. Powered by massive
percussion and gospel vocalist Kim Burrell, the song finds Wonder
shaking off any doubts about his contemporary relevance.

“I was listening to some of the stuff (Dr.) Dre was
doing,” Wonder said in a recent press conference. “I
wanted to take that and do it live.”

He was surprisingly successful. The heavy rhythms of “If
Your Love Cannot Be Moved” and the funky “So What the
Fuss” puts current R&B practitioners and their synthetic
beats to shame. Wonder and his extensive band have crafted a thick,
natural sound for “A Time to Love,” and for the most
part the songs take advantage of it.

“Sweetest Somebody I Know” lays his voice over bossa
nova guitar lines, while the sultry “Moon Blue” ““
one of the disc’s excellent and too rare forays into jazz
““ shows off Wonder’s versatile piano playing.

Perhaps the love-themed album’s most tender song is
“How Will I Know,” sung with Aisha Morris,
Wonder’s golden-voiced daughter. Morris, who joined her
father on “Isn’t She Lovely” almost 30 years ago,
has developed into quite the singer. It helps that the production
is kept to a minimum, with only piano, bass, drums and vibes to
underscore the duet.

Originally written from the perspective of a lover wondering if
his mate really cares for him, in Morris’ hands it becomes a
love letter from a daughter to a doting father.

Wonder’s lyrics throughout are warm and caring, except
when he takes on the role of a wounded philanderer in the R&B
jam “Please Don’t Hurt My Baby.” The singer
demonstrates the pain and hurt caused by adultery in a humorous
way, getting his message across without ever preaching.

Would that Wonder could be so restrained and subtle on every
song. “Passionate Raindrops” strays into
adult-contemporary schmaltz, with the chorus
“raindrops/passionate raindrops” matched with a melody
too cloying to take seriously. The sincerity of “Shelter in
the Rain,” a charity single for Hurricane Katrina, written
for his dying first wife, is overwhelmed by its swelling choir and
the difficulties of conveying personal sadness through a universal
anthem.

The album redeems itself with the up-tempo “What the
Fuss,” a hard-hitting funk song with guitar work by Prince
that is simultaneously heavier and more fun than, say, Justin
Timberlake’s last single.

While “A Time to Love” boasts a host of guest stars
and an array of styles to choose from, the spotlight is on the
artistry of the 55-year-old Wonder.

Devoting a whole album to the subject of love does lead to some
cheesier material, but his undeniable passion for music and
still-considerable abilities make the album far more than ignorable
sentiment. Neil Young called for environmentalism with
“Greendale” in 2003, and now this album attempts to
make a similar plea.

“We’ve never had consistently a time to love, and
more than ever, we need that,” Wonder said, and if
anyone’s capable of delivering it, it’s Stevie
Wonder.

““ David Greenwald