Conversation Peace is the 22nd album released by American musician Stevie Wonder, released on the Motown label in 1995. The album was Wonder's first full-length non-soundtrack studio album since 1987's Characters. This album yielded the hits "For Your Love" (a Grammy winner for Wonder for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance) and the reggae-flavored "Tomorrow Robins Will Sing". This album also saw Wonder reuniting with Robert Margouleff, who assisted during Wonder's "classic period" from 1972 to 1974.
Wonder wrote about 40 songs in 1993 after being invited to stay for six weeks in Ghana by President Jerry John Rawlings. A number of these songs were eventually shaped into album form.[1][2] Motown announced in August 1993 that Conversation Peace would be released later that year;[3] however, Wonder continued to work on the album through 1994 until its release in March 1995, when Vibe magazine reported that the album had been in development "off and on for at least the past four" years.[4]
Contents[]
[hide] *1 Reception
Reception[edit][]
Critics felt that the album was a return to Wonder's classic period of the Seventies. John Milward in a 1995 review in Rolling Stone felt that while the album is "reminiscent" of Wonder's classic albums, its "lean execution" gives it a "modern sound".[5] While the quality of the work was appreciated, some critics felt that the style was a bit too familiar and well-worn to be interesting,[6][7] though Robert Christgau remarked that while listeners may have "heard all this before, that doesn't mean it's worn out its welcome."[8] Stephen Thomas Erlewine in a retrospective review for Allmusic, felt the music wasn't contemporary enough to get radio play.[9]
Track listing[edit][]
All songs written and composed by Stevie Wonder, except where noted.
- "Rain Your Love Down" – 6:08
- "Edge of Eternity" – 6:01
- "Taboo to Love" – 4:25
- "Take the Time Out" – 5:05
- "I'm New" – 5:41
- "My Love Is with You" – 5:54
- "Treat Myself" (Wonder, Stephanie Andrews) – 4:55
- "Tomorrow Robins Will Sing" – 4:46
- "Sensuous Whisper" – 5:47
- "For Your Love" – 5:00
- "Cold Chill" – 6:53
- "Sorry" – 6:45
- "Conversation Peace" – 6:39
Personnel[edit][]
Personnel involved in the album include:
- Anita Baker – Background vocals
- Ollie Brown – Conductor
- Lenny Castro – Percussion
- Ernie Fields, Jr. – Tenor saxophone
- Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Background vocals
- Robert Margouleff – Mixing
- Branford Marsalis – Saxophone
- Greg Phillinganes – Keyboards
- Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin – Guitar
- Nathan Watts – Bass, background vocals, associate producer
- Deniece Williams – Background vocals
- The Winans - Background vocals
- Stevie Wonder – Guitar, arranger, keyboards, vocals, background vocals, multi instruments, mixing
- Syreeta Wright – Background vocals
- Take 6 - Background vocals
Charts[edit][]
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||