Stevie Wonder ‎– Music From The Movie "Jungle Fever"

Vastly underrated, in fact almost forgotten among the masses. Much of this has to do with it being a non-canonical soundtrack that accompanied the Spike Lee film, which amassed heavy controversy due to its subject matter and themes. Aside from its ties to Lee's feature film, this solid soundtrack helped Stevie stay afloat on the R&B charts and in a climate for which he was no longer a vanguard. It was also an assured update of his pop-soul brand that melded emerging contemporary styles. Yes, the new jack swing synths and digitized drum programming haven't stood the test of time and are way past his golden standard, but Stevie still had the consummate craftsmanship to pull punches, and it sounded effortlessly fresh. Stevie's enduring presence on the R&B charts stood firm well into the 90s. To be fair, his commercial impact may have waned substantially after In Square Circle, but he still retained his cultural relevance. Given that the musical climate was changing rapidly, Stevie adapted to the sonic and rhythmic spells of the new jack swing sound quite well. One can very well make the case that he is one of the lone antecedents that was able to strike a level of ingenuity to his re-purposed iteration of the subgenre. As with much of his later output, post-Woman In Red (or In Square Circle), Jungle Fever's lack of crossover appeal/success played a large role in how it was received in the mainstream rock and pop press, even though I must say that the accompanying film (and the controversy it spawned) overshadowed it greatly.

If I were able to construct a post-1971-80 Stevie album that could sit comfortably alongside that classic canon, it would have to include "These Three Words." Timeless song. It's a bummer that the poignant "Feeding Off the Love of the Land" didn't make its inclusion on the soundtrack.

Awesome album and very under-rated I feel. His best album since 'Hotter Than July'.

I applaud Spike Lee for picking Stevie to the soundtrack for "Jungle Fever", and I appluad Stevie for taking on the challenge. But once again, a late album effort that just fall short. Stevie tried so hard, and he even incorporated the "New Jack Swing" brand of funk into his already fusion type music. At times it sounds brilliant (Gotta Have You), but at other times it sounds kind of murky. The others two best songs on here are "Fun Day", and the heart renching "These Three Words", but thats because those songs have the Stevie sound stampped on them. Once again, a great effort, but still a C.