Well this is a wonderful oddity from Little Stevie - a double CD as well, something that I’m always in favour of.
Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants is WAY OUT of the usual Stevie narrative around this time. Released in 1979, it’s the polar opposite of that glorious run of five albums, starting with Music of My Mind in 1972, and closing with Songs in the Key of Life four years later.
That’s not to say that Plants is crap. It’s just different. VERY different.
I had no understanding or even knowledge of this album until recently. Apologies, Stevie obsessives.
It got name checked by Gawd knows who in a podcast I heard, or an interview I read. I get through so much online content these days that I can’t keep track of where all the heads up come from.
But something must have pricked my interest to add it to the ebay Watch List.
Daily CD’s were served up - £10 to £15. Which sounds about right for a double album release.
And then last week this copy landed at £4.
Blimey. BUY NOW etc.
ChatGPT tells me:
“Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants was an experimental, mostly instrumental album intended to accompany the visuals of a nature documentary exploring the idea that plants are sentient and can respond to human emotion.”
Which is all very King Charles.
First play, first impressions: it’s a soulful companion piece for Brian Eno releases around this time. It’s still Stevie, with the harmonica dropping across different tracks.
I still love the idea of taking a punt on the unknown. Sure, I could have streamed this. But for a £4 gamble, I’ve now got a new double album that keeps me going for the next month or so.
We need more environmental music btw. What’s Going On, World Party’s Goodbye Jumbo, and now Journey Through the Life of Plants.
I hope over time, Stevie gets the same high esteem from me as the other two albums on this list.
