What’s Going On (Review)
Hi, Hey, Hello. ItzSonny and welcome back my peeps. ALBUM REVIEWSSS, let's jump back into it and discuss a classic banger all-timer album. What's a good pick? I honestly don't know, there's so many banger albums. How about an album that included a song from my "Best of the Best" experiment (which you can watch that video on my main YouTube, "Why Music Matters") and what better yet than a song I really enjoyed whose album also just so happens to share the same exact name: "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye. I've never really crossed paths with the main man's music before in my life, though had I grown up with it, I would've loved his music as I really enjoyed that song, listened to it like 50 times upon first listen, so why not delve into the album proper and see whether or not the rest of the experience delivers the same amount of quality as its opener.
Let's just see What's Going On, god, I am fucking corny, I excuse my cringe.
BACKGROUND
During the end of the 1960s, Marvin Gaye had fallen into a deep depression due to his singing partner, (Tammi Tarrell) having a brain tumor diagnosis, the failure of his marriage to Anna Gordy, a growing dependency on cocaine, troubles with the IRS, and struggles with Motown Records. He almost attempted suicide before being stopped by Anna's father. He started receiving international success, both as a solo artist and collaborative with Tammi, yet stated he didn't deserve his success as he felt like a puppet and wasn't really utilizing his creative mindset to his work. In March 1970, his singing partner passed away. He refused to perform onstage for years, until eventually his record label would release his album "That's the Way Love Is", despite Gaye refusing to promote it. While traveling on a tour bus with musical act, the Four Tops, member (Renaldo "Obie" Brenson) witnessed an act of police brutality on anti-war protestors, pondering the question:
“I saw this and started wondering ‘what was going on, what is happening here?’”
Benson eventually created a song of the scenario with his Motown songwriter and pitched it to the Four Tops, though was rejected. He then pitched it to Gaye and both created the song, working up the sound and overall concept of narrative about it. Gaye would re-connect with his brother from the Vietnam War and both agreed on how they were both affected emotionally by the social ills plaguing the United States, with Gaye being told not to make an album that "went too far" with such ideas, yet deciding he wanted to fight in the efforts through his gift of music and thus...the album was born, leaving me to review it today.
REVIEW
"What's Going On"
God, this song goes so hard. What a fantastic song overall, still got to be one of, if not, the best opener to an album ever. Everything about it from the soul instrumentation, incredibly vocals from the man himself, and the sheer brilliance within It's writing detailing how love conquers hate and the sorrow of police brutality, it's just a song for the ages that never gets old.
"What's Happening Brother"
I'll be honest on first listen, I thought this track was pretty alright. Yet on a re-listen, this is actually quite enjoyable. I guess before it's that it clearly has the same melody as the prior track, yet now I appreciate how much it adds to the rhythm with an even further soul push and the lyricism of just checking up on a friend really hits.
"Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky)"
A more steady and slow-down tone that really emotionally hits in a highly effective manner, especially with this one detailing the sorrow of seeing just how much the world has gone downhill and man, this album knows how to really get you into the mood it conveys.
"Save The Children"
A great follow-up, this one does a great job of blending both the tones of this album, starting off with a more sorrowful production and yearn for the world to improve and for the children of tomorrow to be protected with passionate singing from Gaye for the backup, and moderately effective front from Gaye himself (so talented), and then for the latter half to be more optimistic and upbeat in spirit within sound.
"God Is Love"
A much more up-tempo and cheery song detailing love for all of those around you and though simplistic, it's generally catchy and greatly adds to the album's overall flow and structure.
"Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)"
This is easily one of the best tracks off the LP, the overall latter half just being this nicely steady and large melody of different soul-empowering instruments and arrangement is just MUSIC TO MY EARS, POP OFF.
"Right On"
This track is just so damn mesmerizing, just the overall rhythm and just instrumentation as a whole is downright heavenly and human incredible the way it progresses onto itself and feels like such a musical experience, like fuck, this is just a BANGER, RIGHT ON MY DUDES.
"Wholy Holy"
HOLYYYYYY damn this song is fire. This is the perfect middle ground of this album, blending a bit of the sorrow with a bit of the joy, inspiring us to want to get up and believe in love because it can conquer hate, it truly does feel heavenly, righteous, and joyous in how Marvin uses music to empower our beliefs and feelings.
"Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)"
Wow, there's no other way this album could've closed than this way. Barely any writing and when it's there it hits, those final words, just letting the power of music, the soul, just letting it all out into this beautiful combination of sound and voice into one big beautiful love letter to kindness and just letting it sync with you even after the album finishes...just...beauty. Pure...beauty.
CONCLUSION
You know still being a music newbie, it's been really fun exploring the power of music and discovering all these classic records for the very first time and yet so far, despite how the works I've come to appreciate and downright love, there hasn't been one of these releases I've listened to that really sets my standard for what is truly a 10/10 like...THE MUSIC...and now this album fits that because this is generally worthy of being so highly-acclaimed with it's incredible progression from track to track into one tightly knit package of a work with Marvin Gaye's clearly sheer and passionate utilization of not just the beauty of soul music, yet the power of music overall, not just in sound and voice, yet in meaning by portraying this beautifully sweet and righteous story of how important love is to life and how it can conquer all hate that I think we all need more of a reminder of as the world keeps spinning and this album, no matter how old it gets day by day, it's beauty never does for this is a timeless release that I love, that everyone loves, that we shall forever love. All I have to say is...right on, man. It's been Sonny and so long, farewell, and goodbye, my brothers and sisters.
“Who are they to judge us, simply cause we wear our hair long.”
