Marvin Gaye Let's Get It On (CD, Motown, 1973) *****
Marvin Gaye I Want You (CD, Motown, 1976) ****
Marvin Gaye Here My Dear (CD, Motown, 1978) ****
Let's Get It On is pretty steamy still and was also against the grain for Motown big wigs at the time. The musicianship is first class - interesting that the credits lead off with the two bass players!
Here My Dear is his famous divorce album (the 'My Dear' of the title is his former wife Anna Gordy Gaye). Anna got half the proceeds of the album, hence the title, but Marvin poured his heart and soul into the songs never-the-less. BTW - one star deducted for length - this is a looooong album!
Genre: Soul
Places I remember: Mixture of places - Real Groovy, Warehouse Cambridge, HMV London
Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: You Sure Love To Ball
Gear costume: Keep Gettin' It On
Active compensatory factors: Marvin's story is ultimately tragic but also a heroic one as well.
Places I remember: Mixture of places - Real Groovy, Warehouse Cambridge, HMV London
Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: You Sure Love To Ball
Gear costume: Keep Gettin' It On
The story of how What's Going On came about is well known and the album has become bigger and bigger over the years - nearly fifty years now and the messages are still current - more tragedy!
It regularly turns up, along with Here My Dear and Let's Get It On on best of album countdowns, and rightly so.
His perseverance is to be commended, as it's a brave album looking squarely at social injustice and was at variance with Motown's well established love themes.
I Want You is more of the same really - smooth and funky grooves, Marvin's laid back creamy vocals, and the sexual themes from Let's Get It On are continued. There's a hint of disco about the album and the instrumentation has a high sheen polish (in a good way). Sophisticated is the word. BTW one star comes off for the instrumental After The Dance. Track three on an album is a dangerous position.
It's one of my favourites in the divorce album sub-genre, Dylan's Blood On The Tracks being the all time champ. There's something weirdly voyeuristic in their appeal. Marvin's direct address to Anna throughout the album puts the listener front and centre in their divorce proceedings.
Where do they all belong? All of these albums have become bigger soul album signposts since he was shot dead by his father after an argument.
Where do they all belong? All of these albums have become bigger soul album signposts since he was shot dead by his father after an argument.
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