A Collector Collects-- Record Albums-- Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life

This is the second in a planned series highlighting some of the great record albums in my collection, the first being Elton John's Madman Across the Water.    Fittingly Elton wrote this about today's entry,  "Let me put it this way: wherever I go in the world, I always take a copy of Songs in the Key of Life. For me, it's the best album ever made, and I'm always left in awe after I listen to it."  At the 1977 Grammy's "Songs.." won four awards including Album of the Year. (I know this post is long but I wanted it to be complete.  I think next time I'll pick an album without a booklet.)

 

A Collector Collects -- Record Albums -- Elton John's Madman Across the Water 1971

This is the first installment of a series that I've thought about doing for a long time.

I started collecting records at the usual time, in my teens, which for me was the 1970's.  I managed to end up with around 800 albums before CDs came along.  I'm no vinyl snob.  I gladly switched.  No hissing, no skipping (well not as much), no turning over, easy access to a particular track.  If I could have afforded it I probably would have replaced all my vinyl.   I confess that these days I listen to more music on my computer via YouTube than any other way.  (I do have some nice speakers with a subwoofer, a gift from my wife.)  There's one thing missing, however, from from all the formats that have come along since LPs,  the "album" itself, that is the packaging that holds the music.  As time goes by I've really come to appreciate the album as an art form.  That as much an anything is why, through many moves,  I've continued to hold on to my collection.

I'm not an edgy guy and my taste in music, particularly as a younger man, was never what I would consider cool or sophisticated.  I really got into singer/songwriters in the seventies and I still gravitate to pop sounds.  I'm especially fond of piano based pop/rock.  My first offering is a great example.  Though this is about the visuals I saw no reason not to include the music.  In this case I was able to find both the album version and a live performance for each track.  I can't promise that level of completeness for any future installments.

Madman Across the Water was recorded and issued in 1971. 

 Note the great blue jean theme of both the front and back of the album.  So 1971.

The album opened up to reveal the glued in booklet seen below on the right.

Here's the contents, page by page, with the music following each lyric sheet.  BTW you can open the images in a new window to greatly enlarge them if you want to see  more detail.

The best songs are on side one.  I never get tired of hearing them.

Check out the lyrics reflected in the water.

I always find it fun to check out the other artists advertised on the record sleeve.

I wasn't a fanatic but I took pretty good care of my albums.  Looks pretty good for 40 years old.

I'd like to do more of these but this is after all a blog about card collecting.  Let me know if I should keep going, maybe once a week.  Thanks for making it all the way down to the bottom.