Simultaneously great fun and greatly annoying, it’s difficult to know what to think about this one; it moves the story of Stevie Wonder forward not one jot, and it’s at least six months past its sell-by date, but you can definitely dance to it and it’ll get stuck in your head given half a chance. (6)
In spite of some great work on the mouth-organ, there’s an argument to say it’s as embarrassing as Stevie makes out; it’s just that it’s not Stevie who should feel bad about this, but rather the label that was forcing him to jump through this particular set of hoops. (4)
The lyrical “twist ending” makes this a lot less fun; still listenable and everything, but somehow it all now seems so much sappier, so much less interesting. (4)
If you were to suggest this was a piece of throwaway novelty fluff there’s not much I could say in its defence, but nonetheless I think when it’s over, the good just about outweighs the bad. (5)
Definitely an improvement on the A-side; ironically given the title and Stevie’s jokey opening spiel, this is actually one of the more mature records he’d been associated with so far, and all the better for it. (6)
A strange miscalculation – the first of a great many such miscalculations for Little Stevie over the next two years – it’s difficult to know who would be satisfied by this. (4)
It really is remarkable, just a huge amount of fun. Simple and straightforward, sure, but sometimes that’s the best approach, especially if you’ve got Stevie Wonder in your corner; wind him up and watch him go. You might conceivably get tired of listening to Part 1; you’ll never get tired of listening to this. (9)
This is the weaker of the two sides, and when the single was reissued it found itself relegated to the B-side, but it’s unfair to judge it too harshly when it’s really just being taken out of context. The real fun, though, is to be had on Part 2. (7)
A striking statement of intent from a young man determined even then to be taken seriously as an artist, and a fine note on which to end Motown’s fourth year. (7)
An enjoyable record, hardly a classic single but a vast improvement on what had come before. It was still very early days for both writers and singer, and there was much better to come from both, but this was at least a step in the right direction. (6)
A virtually instrumental dancer, not much more than a glorified jam session, but plenty of fun, and even if it’s not really all that strong on its own merits, the context makes it a highly likeable breath of fresh air. (5)
Motown Junkies 