Hotter Than July [Original recording remastered]

Track Listings

1. Did I Hear You Say You Love Me

2. All I Do

3. Rocket Love

4. I Ain't Gonna Stand for It

5. As if You Read My Mind

6. Master Blaster (Jammin')

7. Do Like You

8. Cash in Your Face

9. Lately

10. Happy Birthday

Hotter Than July,Stevie Wonder,Universal,Album Rock,Funk,Pop,Pop-Soul,Pop/Rock,R&B,Soul,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues

Tracks:

Did I Hear You Say You Love Me
All I Do
Rocket Love
I Ain't Gonna Stand For It
As If You Read My Mind
Master Blaster (Jammin')
Do Like You
Cash In Your Face
Lately
Happy Birthday

Customer Reviews:

(4.5 stars) Rastaman Stevie!.......2007-07-27

Stevie Wonder is the man. I mean, it's not like that isn't terribly obvious, but it's also true. And it took me a few spins to realize this, but this is one of my favorite Stevie Wonder albums. As usual, it's divided between funk and ballads, with one major exception: the classic reggae-funk song Master Blaster (Jammin'). You've probably heard it, and if you have you probably love it - I know I do. Not quite the best song on the album, but close. That goes to one of the ballads, Lately. Now Stevie's normally a happy guy, but there's no happiness to be found here. Totally bleak, totally hopeless. That's not why I like it, though: I like it because Stevie just belts it out, because I like the atmosphere, because I like the melody. And because it resonates, arguably more than any other Wonder song - and that really takes something, because as we all know, Stevie's got plenty of soul. Let's see... what else... oh yeah, can't forget All I Do and Rocket Love, two FANTASTIC mellow ballads with a ton of hooks, and snappy strings in the latter's case. Oh yeah, and All I Do has a cool sax solo, so it gets brownie points. Those four are the backbone of a very strong album. What else is good? Not I Ain't Gonna Stand for It, that's for sure. The only song with a Stevie Wonder vocal I don't like (not counting his awful cover of Light My Fire from his teenage years - let's just pretend that song never existed, and move on). Okay, the other dud track is Do Like You, which is just a pathetic sequel to Isn't She Lovely, which is MUCH better.
So right, no more negativity, becuase this is a cool album, you know? Outside of the four "backbone" songs, my favorite is probably Happy Birthday. Cheesy as all hell, but a TON of fun. That and it's about Martin Luther King Jr., so it gets even more brownie points (MLK being a personal hero of mine, see?) Oh, and the melody's good. Another strong song is the disco (yes, that's right, Stevie does disco - quite well, too) Did I Hear You Say You Loved Me. The angry political commentary Cash in Your Face took quite a long time to grow on me, but I like the song's lyrics and its piano/string riff. Good song, though not spectacular. Then there's As If You Read My Mind, another one that I thought was a total waste at first - now I enjoy it a lot. Very funky!!
So there you have it. A very respectable follow-up to Songs in the Key of Life. Not quite as good. A personal favorite, though. And I like the cover image, too.

You HAVE to be crazy not to love this album.......2007-06-14

Let me put it plainly. I have purchased this album in every medium-Vinyl, cassette, and CD just so I would NOT be without it. I will admit that I am a long time Stevie fan, but this release is just hot! Whenever I'm out and I see this compilation in the juke box, I immediately put something from it on, usually "All I Do", never a groan when the intro comes on, always "yes", "alright", or "that's what I'm talking about". I won't say it has something for everybody, but I believe it has something for most.

I Love It! And I'm not that much of a Stevie Wonder fan!.......2007-04-21

...and with a title like THAT, I'd better tread lightly. OK; the old Playboy Magazine/ancient hippies' phrase, a "mixed bag" comes to mind when reviewing this album. It is a "given" that Stevie is simply one of America's greatest national resources, musically, so very, very versitile. And on "July," he displays his natural prowess, creating a field of sound just by himself with keyboards, synths, and let not forget that he's a heckuva harmonica player and a drummer, too! Three songs really bear mentioning, though: A) "Happy Birthday," a tribute to Dr. King; B) "Master Blaster/Jammin'" - please forgive an old hippie for inquiring, but did Stevie or da Rasta Mon, Bob Marley, do this first? Nevertheless, "jamming," it IS, and if you're a musician, you know what I mean by THAT... And MY fave track is C) "Ain't Gonna Stand For It" - Stevie's doing Country here! A MARVELOUS, simply incredible track! A true Rastamon buddy of my guitar player and me played this for us one Saturday while we were...(ahem!) "doing other business," or something, and dared us, "OK: Play THIS!" After about 30 minutes, we HAD it, even to our Rasta buddy's scrutinization - and that evening, we had a gig at a COUNTRY place, and with only "minor alterations," we, the band, and the crowd LOVED it. And that's what GOOD MUSIC IS, folks: not some tunnel-visioned excess that only inner-city gangstas or (on the other end of the spectrum...like Ian Hunter said, "or is it only a few blocks away?") whiny, syrupy goons wearing cowboy hats can dig: it appealed(s!) to both crowds! I was there that weekend, I know! Here's to You, Stevie!

So much HOTTER THAN JULY you'll need flame retardant clothing !!!.......2007-03-29

Stevie Wonder scored a coup with his 1980 album entitled Hotter Than July. Hotter Than July gives us Stevie at his best with a distinctly early 80's flavor to his music that still rocks well and sways today! Just one listen to this CD proves it.

The CD opens with "Did I Hear You Say You Love Me;" this number has Stevie asking his woman to prove her love to him. The music rocks hard and I love those guitars! Stevie's voice is in excellent form, too! "All I Do" has a more R&B flavor as Stevie sings that he is falling deep and hard for his woman. It will charm you--for sure! The backup chorus enhances the beauty of this number, too. "Rocket Man" lets Stevie tell the story of a love gone awry; he uses the image of the two lovers rocketing toward the sky of love and then he falls suddenly back to earth as he expresses his chagrin over losing his woman. The drums and percussion do a great job on this number; and the strings add a lot to the musical arrangement as well.

"Master Blaster (Jammin')" has a catchy reggae beat as Stevie sings about peace coming to Zimbabwe. Sounds like a great reason to celebrate this song to me! Stevie's voice remains in excellent form and I liked the background vocals, too.

"Do Like You" tells the sweet story of a young boy who surprises everyone by being a naturally talented dancer; the beat rocks hard and the background vocals shine on in this number once again.

"Lately" is a rather sad but stunningly beautiful number about a love gone awry; and even though I hadn't listened to this album in years before yesterday I remembered the melody exactly the way I first heard it. "Lately" has a certain poignancy and beauty that I rarely hear in any song about love; the piano and Stevie's voice are sublime on this number! You feel truly sorry for Stevie's character as he sings this to perfection. "Lately" is a masterpiece that has been rather overlooked, in my opinion. Check this track out!

"Happy Birthday" opens with a great musical intro and this song stands as Stevie's solid gold Happy Birthday wish to the legendary Martin Luther King, Jr. Unfortunately, at the time this album was released Dr. King's birthday was not yet a national holiday; one can only imagine the joy Stevie must have felt when Dr. King got his holiday--this number is stunning as Stevie and the backup chorus harmonize to perfection. You will remember this joyous and relentless upbeat number for ages to come; it's that good. It received a good amount of air time when it was first released, too.

The liner notes give you the complete lyrics to the songs on this CD; and you get the song credits, too. The art work reflects great judgment and the digital remastering by Kevin Reeves leaves nothing to be desired! Great!

I recommend this CD as a "must have" for Stevie Wonder fans; and people who enjoy music from this time period will love this CD also.

Great job, Stevie Wonder! You're a genius! Thank you for everything!

Iconic Stevie.......2006-10-11

There's been a lot of debate over the years as to whether this is one of Stevie's best albums or one of his worst. I suppose it depends on one's point of view but even I have to admit I was taken slightly aback when I first listened to it.

But that was many years ago and it's grown on me, taking its rightful place as one of my favourite albums of all time. Stevie did go against a lot of what he had done before but he was just breaking new ground. I think it was a brave move on his part and personally, I think history has proved him right.

It's a solid set of ten songs and Stevie seems to try a different idea, a different approach with each of them. This is what attracted the criticism of the album being all over the place but while it's eclectic all right, the songs all fit together. Stevie ensures they do with the way he times one song to start immediately after the end of the one before it with no break - something he's done on many of his albums.

"All I Do" is notable for having Michael Jackson peforming background vocals, alongside Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, Jamil Raheem and Betty Wright. That might not mean anything now but this was back in 1980 just after Jackson's "Off The Wall". (Michaelmania hadn't quite taken off but it was definitely on its launch pad). The only other person who was able to snag Jackson for backing vocal duties back then (apart from Quincy Jones, that is), was Kenny Rogers, for a song on his "Share My World" album.

"All I Do" has also been covered by many r&b singers in the intervening years but not as much as "Lately". This is easily one of Stevie's most beautiful songs and it's just him, his piano and bass synthesizer. The line "Lately I've been staring in the mirror" didn't really register until years later, when I was like, hang on, this man is blind.

Another of my favourites is "Do Like You", a funky dance tune featuring the voices of Stevie's (then young) children, Aisha and Keita. I had this album on cassette until recently when I got the CD. The first time I heard the sound of glass breaking at the end of the song, it sounded so real, I actually looked up to see what had broken. Bizarre.

The other songs of mention are "Master Blaster (Jammin')", which I didn't get then and still don't get now. I can see where Stevie is coming from but I really think reggae is best left to the experts.

"Cash In Your Face" deals with the unpleasant but undenialble issue of racism. The song tells the story of a young black family man looking for an apartment and being stonewalled by the landlord or real estate agent. The prospective tenant's voice is pleading and desperate, while the landlord's is cold and unmoving. I'd been listening to the album for several months before I realised that Stevie was singing both parts - one an octave lower than the other. Brilliant.

And then, finally, there's "Happy Birthday" and the only use I've found for it over the years is, as a DJ, playing it at birthday parties and getting the guests to dance around the celebrant. It works a treat every time. That said, this song was the vocalisation of the campaign Stevie started to get Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday recognised. Given that it's now a public holiday in the US, I'd say that all on its own makes this entire album pretty iconic. I'm not sure it's his best; "Songs In The Key Of Life" wins that honour hands down, but it's definitely (one of) his most culturally influential.

Average customer rating:

Happy Birthday!!!
A warmer place for all
wonder into the 80's
Very good, one of Stevie's best!
Beautifully caps Wonder's 70's output.

Hotter Than July
Stevie Wonder
Manufacturer: Motown
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic R&B | R&B | Styles | Music

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Motown | R&B | Styles | Music

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General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

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Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Fulfillingness' First Finale
Talking Book
Innervisions
Songs in the Key of Life

ASIN: B000001AJO
Release Date: 1992-05-11

Tracks:

Did I Hear You Say You Love Me
All I Do
Rocket Love
I Ain't Gonna Stand For It
As If You Read My Mind
Master Blaster (Jammin')
Do Like You
Cash In Your Face
Lately
Happy Birthday

Amazon.com essential recording

Not as great as Innervisions (what is?), but quite probably better than Fulfillingness' First Finale, Hotter Than July is the last of the string of classic albums that included those milestones. While going for big statements only a couple of times during its 46 minutes--the celebratory reggae rocker "Master Blaster (Jammin')" and the Martin Luther King Jr. tribute "Happy Birthday"--the disc shows off a lot more than the expected high-level craftsmanship. Like humor: "I Ain't Gonna Stand for It" merges an affectionate burlesque of country music ("Somebody's been rubbin' on my good-luck charm," he sings of a two-timing girlfriend) with a funk backbeat. And humanity: "Do Like You" celebrates family ties in an especially nice way, while "Rocket Love" and "All I Do" are among Wonder's most underappreciated love songs. This is worth buying for the deathless "Master Blaster" alone, but after you do, you'll be glad you own it all. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Happy Birthday!!!.......2004-03-25

This albums concluding track is the definitive Stevie Wonder
song of the 80's in the minds of many-"Happy Birthday" being the
synth-funk tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. that played a giant
part in making the human rights hero's birthday a national holiday.Horray for Wonder AND horray for delivering yet another
diverse and ear-catching album.From Stevie's sweaty,cornrowed
hair on the cover and burning piano on the back "Hotter Then July" revels in Stevie's wonderous 70's eclecticism from the
rocking lead-off "Did You Have To Say You Love Me",the smooth and
catchy dance-R&B of "All I Do" and the VERY sensual ballad
"Rocket Love"-great start but that's not the HALF of it.From the
counrty pop of "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It",the reggae-ish Bob
Marley tribute hit "Master Blaster" and the typical deeply funky
clavinet-dominated pieces "Do Like You" and the topical "Cash In
Your Face".Do ALL slow declines sound this good?AGHHHHH!!!Wrong-
Stevie Wonder NEVER declined-he just had a new beginning and here
it's a beginning well worth investigating!

A warmer place for all.......2000-02-07

After the brilliant,yet bewildered "Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants",Stevie rushed out(by his standards) with Hotter Than July,the true follow-up to Songs In The Key Of Life.The fact that it isn't up to the standards of the Talking Book or Innervisions is already a constant,but it brings a closure to a winning streak of albums that began with 1972's Music Of My Mind(or 71's Where I'm Coming From according to true Stevie fans).Every cut is a stand-out especially Master Blaster,All I Do,I Ain't Gonna Stand For It(a country tinged tune worthy of a Garth Brooks cover),and the much interpretated classic Lately.The final cut,the MLK-tribute Happy Birthday brings the album to a glorious open-ended finish as well as beautifully closes the book on this Wonder-ful chapter of his career.

wonder into the 80's.......1999-09-21

my last fave Stevie record all the way thru though he's had moments since this release. he helped with Dr. king's holiday being passed and the song happy birthday was a song that replaced the traditional one. Stevie did it with so much soul. all i do with Michael jackson and the Ojays in the back ground still sounds great.i ain't gonna stand for it with Charlie Wilson from the gap band in country mode. again many styles and again Stevie pulls it off.lately is a solid slow-jam.as is the case with stevie so many great songs that didn't even hit.how many artist can claim that?

Very good, one of Stevie's best!.......1999-08-06

This probably is his last consistently great album, though future works such as "In Square Circle" and "Characters" certainly had their moments. Hotter Than July features not only the hits "Master Blaster" and "I Ain't Stand for it," but other classics that have since become Wonder staples such as "Rocket Love" and one of his greatest ballads, "Lately." Defenitely worth picking up if you're a Stevie Wonder fan.

Beautifully caps Wonder's 70's output........1998-11-19

This work is indeed Wonder's last 'great' work. There is not a weak link here.

Average customer rating:

Hotter Than July
Stevie Wonder
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

R&B | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00007KKXK
Release Date: 2003-02-03

Tracks:

Did I Hear You Say You Love Me
All I Do
Rocket Love
I Aint Gonaa Stand For It
As If You Read My Mind
Master Blaster
Do Like You
Cash In Your Face
Lately
Happy Birthday

Album Description

Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. Universal. 2006.

Album Details

Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.

Average customer rating:

Hotter Than July
Stevie Wonder
Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic R&B | R&B | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

Motown | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004T0CK
Release Date: 2000-05-02

Tracks:

Did i Hear Your Say You Love Me
All I Do
Rocket Love
I Ain't Gonna Stand For It
As If You Read My Mind
Master Blaster (Jammin')
Do Like You
Cash in Your Face
Lately
Happy Birthday

Hotter Than July: Famous Barbados Artistes

Average customer rating:

TRACK LISTING FOR HOTTER THAN JULY BY FAMOUS BARBADOS ARTISTES!

Hotter Than July: Famous Barbados Artistes
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Musicrama
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000003Q77
Release Date: 1997-12-23

Customer Reviews:

TRACK LISTING FOR HOTTER THAN JULY BY FAMOUS BARBADOS ARTISTES!.......2005-11-12

TRACKS:

1) Hand Brake - Zulu Lightning
2) Ride Ya Bicylce - Speedy
3) Slow Boat - Stiletto
4) Landship - Kid Site
5) One Foot Any Where - Daddy Screw
6) De Iron - Daddy - I - Roy
7) Judgement Day - Roy Cape All Star ( Vocals. Nigel Lewis)
8) Rude Boys - EmileStraker ( Chant - Peter Ram)
9) Gym Jam - Burning Flames
10) Stop Coming And Come - Supa. D
11) Bumpers Rolling - Bumba
12) Sheila - Burga
13) Girls, Girls - Willie b. And Kid Site
14) Rub De Belly ( The Sequel) - 1000 LBS. (Biggu Irie, Mighty Whitey, Fat Man)

Average customer rating:

Hotter Than July
Stevie Wonder
Manufacturer: Motown
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00008FFAP
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks: