What are your thoughts of Stevie Wonder’s 17th studio album ‘Fulfillingness' First Finale turns 50 years old?

[Oliverlogan263]

Fulfillingness' First Finale 50th anniversary

Another phenomenal Stevie album turns 50 - released on July 22nd, 1974 🙌

50 years ago (July 22, 1974), Stevie’s “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” was released. Widely considered one of the milestones of his Classic Period, it is Wonder’s seventeenth studio album.

Somehow overlooked, the album is as much an understated masterpiece of reflective soul music as Innervisions was a politically and socially earnest and upfront soul masterpiece.

As diverse as Innervisions but far less angry and political, Fulfillingness’ First Finale sees Stevie Wonder in a more laid-back, reflective, and joyous mood resulting from his near-fatal car accident in 1973.

Stevie Wonder Fullfillingness’ First Finale 1974 Poster Type Promo

Although lyrically more straightforward than its predecessor, the album also explores in more depth its more spiritual musings, concentrating in many songs on the themes of death, the afterlife, existentialism, the purpose and existence of God, and people’s right to go to heaven, but not without the darker side of evil and political corruption.

Commercially, it was another winner too, being his first non-live one to hit the top spots on both the US pop and R&B charts, while achieving his highest position in the UK (#5) and winning the Grammy for “Album of the Year.”

As before, Fulfillingness’ First Finale is mostly the work of a single man. It was the last album co-produced by synth wizards: Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil.

Down below is the playlist for the album for those who haven’t heard of it. You can listen if you’d like to get your thoughts on this album.

For those who were around in 1974 and witnessed this album when it was released, what do you think of the album being 50 years old, and do you have memories of when it was first released?

Stevie Wonder was 24 when he released this album back in 1974.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_knOJ9fKcznUtUEyApBZVSCAaz4hDpckA4&si=MWYHHFrsEo4EIvKO

[FunkyMonkee]

I've only heard two songs from it.
If he was in a car crash, who gave him the keys?

[Oliverlogan263]

It was 6th August 1973 and the prodigious 23 year old singer, songwriter, musician and producer was heading north on Interstate 85 on a hot dry Monday afternoon after a performance the night before in Greenville, South Carolina.

In a wide 1973 Mercury Cruiser, a rental car from Hertz, driven by his cousin John Wesley Harris, Stevie was on his way to a benefit performance for the radio station WAFR in Durham sitting in the front passenger seat. Behind them were two other cars from Stevie’s entourage. Stevie had with him a reel-to-reel tape recorder along with two-track mixes of "Innervisions" which he wanted to listen to. Needing a connection to power the player from the car, Harris stopped off briefly at an electronics store near Charlotte to purchase a suitable cable.

As they approached the town of Salisbury at around 1:40 p. m., just ahead of them was 23 year old Charlie Shepherd in his 1948 Dodge flatbed farm truck. A sleeping Wonder was wearing headphones, and Harris, distracted by something, failed to notice the flatbed truck ahead of them.

There have since been conflicting accounts of the series of events that led to the injury of Stevie. One of the more popular reports that still pervade books and the internet was that a log came flying off the truck, crashed through the windshield of Wonder’s car and hit him on the head, sending him into a coma.

[FunkyMonkee]

From what I've been hearing, he can actually see.
One night, he was on stage playing a gig when someone walked past a mic stand and bumped it. It was about to hit the floor when Steve quickly reached out and grabbed it.