Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On

Amazon Review

Sly & The Family Stone might have psychedelics soul music, but Marvin Gaye personalised it. Although the powers-that-were Motown didn’t even want to release the record, the unexpected success of What’s Going On, issued in 1971, inspired Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and just about every other black artist on the planet to take greater responsibility for their music and its meaning. Gaye co-wrote the songs and produced the album, flavouring it with layer upon layer of his own multi-tracked vocals, oceans of hand percussion, strings, flutes and jazzy horn solos. Spacy and loose as a spliff-fuelled Sunday afternoon jam in the park, the nine songs all played like hit singles. The title track– inspired by his brother’s return from the Vietnam War–and the obvious social commentary of “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” and “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” actually were hit singles. Two other tracks (“Wholly Holy” and “Save the Children”) would inspire hit covers by Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross, respectively. Nevertheless, What’s Going On sounds as fresh today as it did the week that it came out. –Don Waller – click here to read original article

My Little Empire Review

I don’t usually listen to soul music but this is great stuff altogether. So it is sunny outside and you are looking for something to listen to and you don’t know what to put on. Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On always putts a smile on my face. Track after track flowing into each other seamlessly. Looped with bongos and bass and electric guitar through out. But it is the soulful voice of Marvin Gaye that stands out on front of this album. If you aint got you shoulders moving movin by the end of this album you aint got soul.

Stand Out Tracks: 

What’s Going On
Save the Children
What’s Happening Brother
Inner City Blues (make me want to holler)

<- Back To Album Selection Page