STEVIE WONDER

Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants (Motown)

Lets assume that you didnt think that Songs in the Key of Life was a total bust. It was over-hyped for sure, overblown in part, a little simple in spots, a little dull, but it didnt contain much more than the usual amount of forgivable dead air that many a good double album has and most of it was engagingly clever, happy, an upbeat holding pattern at a well-earned career plateau. At best, you thought, the next Stevie Wonder album would be a rejuvenation, something exciting, hopefully something tighter and at worse itd be a celebration at the same plateau. It wouldnt be bad, you know, just more of the same, right? Wrong, cause this album is worse than youd expect. Its the toted bust that Songs in the Key of Life only hinted at.