Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
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Free Music Notes for What's Going On
Free Music Review: Believe the Hype
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm not too familiar with R&B studio albums (other than a couple Stevie Wonder records), but this is the best I've heard so far. The title track was the biggest hit, and justly so - it's one of the man's best songs, everything just falls into place on this one. Marvin's vocals and especially his yearning, pro-peace lyrics especially stand out. I also love Save the Children, him pretty much saying that, although the world is screwed, we should live life for the children. Mercy Mercy Me is a haunting ode to the environment, the first time I heard the choir part at the end it was chilling. Next up is the seven-and-a-half minute Latin-funk Right On, a longer song that's downright captivating, and the most un-Narvin Gaye-sounding song on this album. But he pulls it off, in fact it's one of the best. The album closes out with my favorite Marvin track, Inner City Blues, a haunting pseudo-rap which deals with the bad parts of urban life. There are a couple of other great songs (What's Happening Brother, Flyin' High) on here too, but these are the ones that stand out to me especially. Plus the album has a wonderful flow to it. There's not a bad song here, either!
A couple bonus tracks were thrown on: an alternate version of this release: an alternate God Is Love and Sad Tomorrows, an early version of Flyin' High (in the Friendly Sky). This is a must-have in any record collection. It's that simple.
Free Music Review: Some of the best music ever recorded
Hit: 5 Stars
And that comes from a metalhead who generally prefers bands like Iron Maiden or Metallica. But I try to expand a bit into other genres, and i'm happy I do so, because otherwise, I never would have heard what I consider to be one of the best albums ever made - "What's Going On", by soul legend Marvin Gaye.
I was persuaded to buy the album after hearing the title track on the radio one day. Yes, it's that good, and the rest of the album is just as awesome. Gaye is one of the best singers to ever grace the Earth with his presence, and his incredible talent to pour out his soul without seeming even remotely campy is showcased here. The sheer emotion of this album is mind-blowing, and I doubt that ANYONE else could have pulled it off.
The main theme of this album is simple - peace. Love, peace, and hope for the future. Naive, you say? No, you wouldn't understand unless you've actually listened to the album, all the way through. And I don't mean "put it on while you chat on AIM" or something like that - as an earlier reviewer said, LISTEN to it! Gaye's message was so simple, and yet so many people don't get it.
What else is there to say? This is one of those classic albums that comes along only once or twice in a generation, and will never lose its relevance. Highly recommended for ANYONE, no matter what genres of music you listen to.
Free Music Review: still great after all these years... but
Hit: 5 Stars
From the first time i purchased this music in record form when it was originally released, i have loved it... The message and the music have remained true to the times and successfully traveled into the 21st century. Now for the bad news. Why must CD editors of old recordings find it necessary to add out-takes... they are out-takes... or shall we say--take it out. The artists, editors, and producers knew what they were doing, and worked within time constants to make masterpieces. On this project, they have added, what appears to be "ideas" and musical concepts for many of the songs. Very interesting if those cuts were on a separate disc--jarring when it follows what is suppose to be the last cut. Editors: everything you find in a dusty vault is not gold, And... just because there is space on the CD, one does not have to fill it. Typically, a full heady description of what went on is added into the liner notes. More often than not, these new bright ideas insights appear to be inflected on artists that are now among the dead and can't complain. On concept albums, which is What's Going On is, it is simply bad judgment and taste. So, to everyone that purchases this CD, and has never heard the music before, please make sure you can stop you player before the bad old stuff appears. Otherwise, you will not have a clue as to what's going on with this music.Free Music Review: A true work of art.
Hit: 5 Stars
This album is so truly brilliant, I hardly know where to begin. Beautifully melodic and lyrically pained, WHAT'S GOING ON is as timely and as surprising today as it was when originally released more than thirty years ago. It single-handedly broke down doors and allowed recording artists to write and sing about issues that were close to their heart, no matter how controversial.
Musically, the album is nothing short of breathtaking. Every single song is a classic, and they combine to form a master work. Three smash hits were scored from the album - the gorgeous title track (#2 Pop, #1 R&B), "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" (#4 Pop, #1 R&B), and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" (#9 Pop, #1 R&B) - and as exceptional as they are, any other track here is just as terrific.
The eerily post-modern "Flyin' High," the light funk of "Right On," and the tender sentiments of "God Is Love" and "Wholly Holy" are all brilliant, as is the entire record. All of Gaye's fans have their personal favorite among the tracks (the one that always speaks to them the most) and mine is easily the heartbreaking "Save The Children." The reverent qualities of that pulsating, ethereal track are present throughout the entire disc. WHAT'S GOING ON is not only a masterpiece of music, it is a masterpiece of art in any media.
Free Music Review: What's Happening Brother?
Hit: 5 Stars
Often referred to as the greatest soul album of all time, "What's Going On" was not only Gaye's magnum opus, it was also the most important record he had ever released. Needless to say, it was far different from the Motown hit machine of the time. Gaye went from R&B sex symbol to a true recording artist with the release of "What's Going On", and was rightly hailed as one of pop music's best and most important artists. There is a concept to the album. From the viewpoint of his brother Frankie, a Vietnam vet (returned in 1967), the phrase "What's Going On" was not only a question of a distraught soldier returning from war (there's a reason why their isn't a question mark), it was to educate the listener on urban deterioration, police brutality, drug addiction, poverty, riots, and abandoned children among many other topical concerns. These performances were among Gaye's most creative and ambitious. "What's Going On", "Save the Children", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", "Right On", and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" are notable cuts, even though the album is best as a single listen. This is the first Soul/R&B album I've ever bought, and I cannot imagine a more perfect introduction to Gaye or the genre as a whole. Essential listening for any collection. Highly recommended.