Say the name to yourself and try to claim that the idea isn't inspired: Stevie Wonder's Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants. It is what it claims to be; tackling a range of plant-centric subject matter, from the last moments of an insect duped by a Venus Fly Trap to a wish-song about being reincarnated as a flower (in order to "spread the sweetness of love.")The idea is especially hilarious because it was released after a three year gap, following 1976's extraordinary Songs in the Key of Life. Songs may have been ambitious, but it was a quantum leap from there to a largely-instrumental floral-centred double LP. So what's the story?
It is in fact a soundtrack album, with music specially recorded for the documentary The Secret Life of Plants. That film features fantastic time lapse footage of plants growing and flowers blooming, posited alongside out-there theories about sentient plant life and the benefits of playing soothing music to aid the growth of flowers and vegetables. The eccentric subject matter is matched by the coup of getting Stevie Wonder to compose an entire soundtrack around the idea.
While this article may seem mocking in tone, on the contrary I actually enjoy this album greatly. The idea behind it is wonderfully strange, but also interesting in execution. The music is inoffensive (you wouldn't want your houseplants to wither away, would you?) but very odd, containing experimental synthesizers and subtle nuances that make repeat listens worthwhile. See it as the kind of library music that sounds fine in the background, but a bit unsettling when listened to closely. Charming in both idea and realisation.
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