Mastered from Original Master Tapes by Legendary Engineers Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray

Ranked 90th Greatest Album of All Time by Rolling Stone

Includes a Bevy of Pop Standards: "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," "Superstition," "I Believe (We Can Fall In Love Together)"

Released in 1972, Talking Book is Stevie Wonder's fifteenth album and the second of five consecutive albums issued in the span referred to as his "classic period." Arguably his greatest and most influential album, it displays the perfect blend of funk, rock, soft-rock, soul, gospel and smooth jazz. It also finds Wonder making the personal political, as his songwriting addresses social ills, heartbreak, political malaise, and empowerment in staggeringly emotional fashion.

Due to its crossover success with audiences of all types, the popular appeal of the record helped destroy the myth that R&B artists were incapable of creating music that could be appreciated by rock audiences. Jeff Beck, Buzzy Feton, and Ray Parker Jr. are among the first-rate guests that appear. Not that Wonder, who makes the complex sound simple throughout, needed much help.

Talking Book finds Stevie Wonder in complete control by writing, producing, and performing most of the memorable emotion-packed music himself. Not surprisingly, Wonder won three Grammy Awards for this pop standard: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," and both Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for "Superstition." 

Featuring stellar mastering from the original master tapes by iconic engineers Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray, Audio Fidelity's 24K + Gold edition of Talking Book bests all prior editions. The audiophile label specializes in deluxe packaging with see-through slip cases and beautifully reproduced original graphics. As always, the original master tape was played back on a specially constructed vintage tube playback deck, with the analog masters put through the new "Kensei Audio Transformer," a process that adds even more life to the music. You've never heard Talking Book sound so vivid, transparent, or necessary.