Stevie Wonder – Fulfillingness’ First Finale (1974) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011 # UIGY-9072] {SACD ISO + FLAC 24bit/88.2kHz}

Uses the 2011 DSD master based on US original analog tape. Reissue features the high-fidelity SHM-SACD format (fully compatible with standard SACD player, but it does not play on standard CD players). DSD Transferred by Kevin Reeves.

After the righteous anger and occasional despair of the socially motivated Innervisions, Stevie Wonder returned with a relationship record: Fulfillingness’ First Finale. The cover pictures his life as an enormous wheel, part of which he’s looking ahead to and part of which he’s already completed (the latter with accompanying images of Little Stevie, JFK and MLK, the Motor Town Revue bus, a child with balloons, his familiar Taurus logo, and multiple Grammy awards). The songs and arrangements are the warmest since Talking Book, and Stevie positively caresses his vocals on this set, encompassing the vagaries of love, from dreaming of it (“Creepin’”) to being bashful of it (“Too Shy to Say”) to knowing when it’s over (“It Ain’t No Use”). The two big singles are “Boogie on Reggae Woman,” with a deep electronic groove balancing organic congas and gospel piano, and “You Haven’t Done Nothin’,” an acidic dismissal of President Nixon and the Watergate controversy (he’d already written “He’s Misstra Know-It-All” on the same topic). As before, Fulfillingness’ First Finale is mostly the work of a single man; Stevie invited over just a bare few musicians, and most of those were background vocalists (though of the finest caliber: Minnie Riperton, Paul Anka, Deniece Williams, and the Jackson 5). Also as before, the appearances are perfectly chosen; “Too Shy to Say” can only benefit from the acoustic bass of Motown institution James Jamerson and the heavenly steel guitar of Sneaky Pete Kleinow, while the Jackson 5 provide some righteous amens to Stevie’s preaching on “You Haven’t Done Nothin’.” It’s also very refreshing to hear more songs devoted to the many and varied stages of romance, among them “It Ain’t No Use,” “Too Shy to Say,” “Please Don’t Go.” The only element lacking here, in comparison to the rest of his string of brilliant early-’70s records, is a clear focus; Fulfillingness’ First Finale is more a collection of excellent songs than an excellent album.

Tracklist:
01 – Smile Please
02 – Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away
03 – Too Shy To Say
04 – Boogie On Reggae Woman
05 – Creepin’
06 – You Haven’t Done Nothin’
07 – It Ain’t No Use
08 – They Won’t Go When I Go
09 – Bird Of Beauty
10 – Please Don’t Go

DSD Transferred from analogue master tapes by Kevin Reeves at Sterling Sound, NYC.

SACD ISO

StevieWnderFulfillingnessFirstFinale1974Japan2011SHMSACDIS.part1.rar
StevieWnderFulfillingnessFirstFinale1974Japan2011SHMSACDIS.part2.rar

FLAC 24bit/88.2kHz

StevieWnderFulfillingnessFirstFinale1974Japan2011FLAC2488.2.rar