hidden treat
The entire package is great but there's something special about the final four tracks on the first disk: all are gorgeous love songs strung together without gaps or breaks and Sunshine of my Life has a delicious horn track that even seems to bring up the rhythm track. Like a fine bottle of wine everytime I hear that set. I like it so much I had to pick it up in vinyl, too!

LIVING FOR THE STEVIE!!!!!!!!
This album is beyond GREAT! This is (well in my opinion)HIS
WONDER at his best!The very first time I ever heard him was
on the radio and it was the song LIVING FOR THE CITY...
I was just a child,but still could feel the beat and rythems
and although could not make out the lyrics,I can remember
driving my mom crazy at 4 yrs. old trying to sing/hum.....
DA,DA,DA=DUM,DA,DA,DUM-DUM,DUM,DUM,DUM,DUM,DA,DUM-DA-DA-DA=DUM
DUM-DUM-DUM=DUM....I think my mom thought I was dumb! A year
goes by and I am at the drive in it's a double feature the
movies were Black Sunday(Robert Shaw)and It's Alive(John Ryan)
While waiting for It's Alive to come on those crappy speakers
you had to mount on your window started playing another tune
my 5 yr.old mouth could'nt stop humming.Dun,dun,dun,dunt,dala,dala
dala,dunt,dala,dala,dala,dun,dunt.It was SIR DUKE, and I can still
smell the popcorn and picture the SUPERFRIENDS colorforms in my
hands in the backseat of the car.Not intil many years from than
did I really hear his WONDERful music again...The likes of HIGHER
GROUND,SUPERSTITION(one of JEFF BECK'S FAV.)MASTER BLASTER
and the immortal BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN! I have read other reviews
for this album("ALBUM? JEWEL!")and they are right if you love
great music and are comfortable with $$$ than buy HIS CATALOG!
But seriously if you can buy only one! It should be this and really
that is NOT debatable. You have 16 tracks of music that anyone I
mean anyone can enjoy!If you love country(you will love this album)
you love punk(you will love this album)classical,heavy metal and
yes I will go so far as too say POLKA!!!You will love this album!
So buy MUSIQARIUM it is truly WONDERful(sic)
JUST ENOUGH...JUST ENOUGH....FOR THE CITYYYYEEEAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

It's good, but why not buy the original albums?
Seriously, each studio album from Music of My Mind to Hotter Than July's a classic, and this collection, while a serviceable roundup of them, misses out on quite a few good songs. What missed the boat, you ask? Love Having You Around and Evil (from Music of My Mind), Big Brother, You & I and Blame it On the Sun (from Talking Book), Golden Lady, Too High and He's Misstra Know-It-All (from Innervisions), Smile Please, Heaven is Ten Zillion Light Years Away and They Won't Go When I Go (from Fullingness' First Finale), Pasttime Paradise, Knocks Me Off My Feet, As, Another Star and Ebony Eyes (from Songs in the Key of Life - only three songs from a classic double-album is NOT a good idea), and All I Do, Lately (a total classic) and Happy Birthday from Hotter Than July. Still, you get most the classic hits (pretty much the whole album), there isn't a single weak track on the listing, in fact not even anything remotely questionable, and the new songs are all awesome - wrenching ballad Ribbon in the Sky, with an amazing melody; the infinitely funky That Girl, war protest Front Line and especially the joyous, ten-minute big-band stomper Do I Do, with a Mr. Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet - Stevie's improvised vocals over the last couple minutes are hilarious, too. So you can't go wrong with Musiquarium, and it's certainly a fine place to start for those who are looking for an accessible jumping-off point, but don't stop here.

Upgrade This Essential Collection ASAP!
Stevie Wonder's 'Original Musiquarium I' has been an essential compilation for MANY years, but for some reason, Motown never expanded it with additional tracks. Most fans like myself aren't interested in toting around huge multi disc box sets, and we don't like mini single disc collections, which feature short versions of songs ('The Definitive Stevie Wonder' for example!!). To make this 2 CD set even better, consider adding the following extra music for an enhanced Stevie Wonder jamfest...
AN ULTIMATE MUSIQUARIUM!!!

CD One..
9. As
10. Visions
11. Golden Lady
12. All In Love Is Fair
13. Rocket Love
14. Lately
15. Overjoyed
16. You Will Know

CD Two...
9. Love Light In Flight
10. Part Time Lover
11. Skeletons
12. Gotta Have You
13. These Three Words
14. For Your Love

All of these extra tracks are full length versions and not short edits, so fans can make this ULTIMATE MUSICQUARIUM at home (or try waiting for Motown to do the right thing!).
Peace, SD
(of 'Chaka's World')

Essential Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder's "Original Musiquarium I" goes beyond the traditional greatest hits package by offering 16 songs of rhythmic unity. A few tracks - notably "Isn't She Lovely" and "Do I Do" - are uncut versions that never reached the Top 40 airwaves. "Superstition," "Boogie On Reggae Woman," "Master Blaster (Jammin')" and "Sir Duke" remain essentials in this timeless collection.