A column dedicated to great songs, old and new.
July 26, 2005
Music by Stevie Wonder, Lyrics by Yvonne Wright
From Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants, Motown Records,
1979
At a party recently, a musician dude asked me who my favorite drummer is, and I had to say... Stevie Wonder. He's got an impeccable pocket, righteously funky fills, and a very organic, distinctive way around the kit. In Stevie-land, hi-hat parts suddenly disappear, snare hits may or may not be there, the entire drumkit may drop out for awhile... all without interrupting the pace of the song. You can hear his drumming on most of his hit singles, as well as more obscure cuts like "Black Orchid."
Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants
Stevie Wonder
"Black Orchid" is Track 3 on Disc 2 of Stevie's most controversial album, Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants. It's this odd thing, ostensibly the soundtrack to a film about flowers and plants which never came to be. It's also an important document of his compositional growth (around this time he reportedly took a sabbatical to formally study music composition). The breadth of musical styles and instrumental touches on this album is comparable to Stevie's 1976 masterwork Songs in the Key of Life, though most listeners find the more pop-oriented Songs... a lot more accessible. Personally, I find Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants to be aurally stimulating, surprising, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Whether you understand the lyrics to "Black Orchid" to be a literal paean to the fabled flower in the title, or a metaphorical celebration of Black feminine beauty, the overall effect of the song, centered by Stevie's vocal, is somehow both stately and highly emotional. This excerpt from the first verse is a good example of the potential double-meaning in the lyric:
"Draped in sparkling morning dew
She expresses life anew,
From the earth beneath her feet
She is a a flower that grows
In love ability
She's femininity..."
The words in the verses and the chorus variations (written by Stevie's former sister-in-law Yvonne Wright) all contain layered images along these lines. An archetypal Wonder hook-figure also appears in this song; it's a catchy phrase that manages to be funk and classical at the same time. Stevie's (keyboard) bass work is also particularly deep on "Black Orchid"; he incorporates lots of munchy low-end flourishes throughout the song. Every time I hear "Black Orchid" I'm reminded that many, many people haven't heard this beautiful record, because of its relative lack of obvious commercial appeal. Personally, I'm always thrilled to discover a neglected gem, by any kind of artist. It's part of the joy of truly appreciating the creative spirit. That spirit is all over Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants, from the unique arrangements and sounds, to the unusual vocal approach on some of the tunes, to the (of course) always-soulful drum tracks.
Earlier this year I had the good fortune of seeing Stevie play (electronic) drums live at the NAMM show in Anaheim.
He was funky, tight, laid-back, sorta bossy, and cool-as-you-think-he'd-be.
Definitely my favorite drummer.
pcm
Purchase:
Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants
at Amazon.com
Note: This CD is currently available only as a fairly expensive import on Amazon. Check eBay or your local cool record store for a used copy.