What's Going On (Deluxe Edition)

Marvin Gaye

Universal/Motown, 2001

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Gaye

REVIEW BY: Kenny S. McGuane

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 04/07/2008

Marvin Gaye was a genius. But despite the consistently good quality of his artistic output, listening to his catalog can often be puzzling. He was lyrically schizophrenic: the over-sexed content of records like Let’s Get It On and I Want You are an unfavorable contrast to the messages contained in his powerful record, 1971’s What’s Going On. Soulful or not, anyone singing the line “Let’s get it on” runs the risk of sounding pretty silly, even idiotic. Truthfully, Marvin Gaye might have been the only artist ever who could have gotten away with a lyric like that – had anyone else been singing, it’s doubtful the song would have been as popular as it was and still is.

The fact that Let’s Get It On, released in 1973, was Gaye’s first proper studio album following the seminal What’s Going On (Trouble Man, an almost entirely instrumental soundtrack album, was released the year before Let’s Get It On), speaks to the lyrical and poetic contrasts in his work. Indeed, What’s Going On is Gaye’s most important artistic statement, one which stands out among the early Motown singles with which he was so dissatisfied and also his later self-produced, more gimmick-oriented work (“Let’s Get It On,” “Sexual Healing,” etc.). Make no mistake, both the early Motown work and Gaye’s post-1971 records are phenomenal showcases of the singer’s extraordinary vocal capabilities and musical vision, but this album is undoubtedly his best and it overshadows every other Gaye album in content, structure, meaning, and composition. What’s Going On is a masterpiece, and it’s one of the most important artistic achievements, not only of American popular culture, but of 20th century art in general.

It’s no surprise that in 2001, the 30th anniversary of the album’s release, What’s Going On was given the “deluxe” treatment. For the most part, these deluxe reissues of classic albums are just a way to convince consumers to buy a second, sometimes third or fourth, copy of an album they already own. The extras are rarely of any value and the cost is always astronomically high, twice the cost of a standard issue disc.

Motown Records, now just a trademarked household name of Universal Music Company, has re-issued this disc for two reasons: first, the most obvious and aforementioned reason, to move more copies of a 30-year-old album for twice the cost; secondly, What’s Going On deserves a closer look. The mystery and status of the album – and Marvin Gaye himself – indicates that there is more to be heard, more to be experienced, more to fall in love with. This reissue delivers on all those fronts, perhaps more than any other release in the “deluxe edition” series of discs. The album’s artwork is fully restored along with its original liner notes, including Gaye’s own message to the listener. Extended notes are included by music historian and critic Ben Edmonds, who wrote the definitive book on the album, What’s Going On: Marvin Gaye and the Last Days of the Motown Sound (also recommended). The set includes the original May 21, 1971 LP release, the April 5, 1971 Detroit mix, a fascinating “rhythm and strings mix” of the album’s legendary title track, the complete Kennedy Center concert from May 1, 1972, the original single versions of “What’s Going On,” “God Is Love,” and “Sad Tomorrows,” and the single “Head Title AKA Distant Lover,” which Gaye had been crafting for years but that would not be released until Let’s Get It On. Of course, all of this audio is gloriously restored and remastered; it’s a shame Gaye won’t ever be able to hear it this way.

What’s Going On is one of the most distinctive sounding records in pop music history. Marvin Gaye had longed to be in creative control with respect to composition and production since the very beginning of his Motown days. Even as the single most successful Motown artist, The Prince of Motown had to battle his way into a position that would allow him to create and produce in the style he wanted. Motown was wary of this album; they weren’t especially interested in releasing a political record, one which might upset the production and image of their well-oiled pop-making machine.

Naturally, Gaye found this unsatisfactory and negotiated the release of “What’s Going On” as a single by refusing to make any more music for Motown until they agreed to give it a try. The single shot up the charts and made the record label buckets of money, and so naturally they wanted an album to accompany it. What’s Going On was recorded in ten days at Motown’s Detroit Studios. It’s hard to imagine that anyone, even Gaye himself, could have been totally aware of how important this work was. To say the least, Marvin Gaye couldn’t have known that he was making one of the greatest records of all time, although he was known to be pretty arrogant. my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

This album doesn’t flow like a typical pop album. The tracks come across more like musical movements as opposed to individual songs, each segueing into the next. The album opener and title track moves effortlessly into the next track, “What’s Happening Brother.” It’s easy to hear the musical similarities between the two, and of course this is by design. The lyrical content is similar, perhaps asking the same question, but from two different perspectives: one from the protester and one from the veteran who has just returned home.

“Flyin’ High (In The Friendly Sky),” Gaye’s psychedelic exploration, and “Save The Children” gorgeously bridge the album’s two main musical movements: the first movement being “What’s Going On”/“What’s Happening Brother” and the second being “God Is Love”/“Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology).” “God Is Love” is Gaye’s heartbreaking plead to spread the love of God to every corner of the earth, while “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” is his achingly beautiful observation on the state of the natural world (also one of the most beautiful songs ever written). Here, the album switches musical gears with the bluesy “Right On” and then slows briefly for “Wholy Holy,” another statement on the religion of Marvin Gaye: spread love, to everyone, everywhere.

The album concludes with the third and final single, “Inner City Blues,” which explores America’s ghettos and the social responses of their residents. The final moments of “Inner City Blues” feature a reprise of “What’s Going On,” bringing the album to a close perfectly.

What’s Going On speaks for itself, with or without this deluxe treatment. But, the best component of this reissue is the inclusion of the original Detroit mix. According to Ben Edmunds, having completed the record, Marvin went to Los Angeles to do some screen acting in an unmemorable film. While on the West Coast, he requested to have the master tapes be sent to him. He then added some more vocals and instrumentation and remixed the entire record in Los Angeles, the final product of which is the album everyone has heard. The two mixes vary greatly in their aesthetic and texture, and the final Los Angeles mix is a complete redecoration of the version done in Detroit; it’s fascinating to compare the two. Gaye’s vocals on the Detroit version are pushed so deliciously high in the mix that you can hear every single detail and nuance of his voice, every harmony, every breath. The Detroit mix seems to emphasize each musical component of the record more than the Los Angeles mix. Every instrument can be heard perfectly on the first version; it sounds more “live” than anything else, whereas the final version seems to have a sort of consistent texture applied to every track, making it sound more like a record. It’s difficult to argue for one over the other, but the Detroit mix is incredibly interesting to listen to given most listeners’ familiarity with the final product.

As is the case with most live recordings from this era, the 1972 concert from the Kennedy Center is pretty muddy. It’s valuable, though, because this was one of the only times What’s Going On was performed live in its entirety. The concert begins with a Motown medley (“Heard It Through The Grapevine,” “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing,” etc.) and carries the listener through a delightful live application of an out-of-sequence What’s Going On. The show is masterfully executed, despite a frustrating omission of “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology).”

Marvin Gaye was a tortured soul. He had a colorful and altogether undesirable childhood, something made obvious when considering the tragic circumstances surrounding his death. Gaye’s private life stands in stark contrast to the content of his music. Writing almost entirely about love, both in general and with regard to intimacy and romance, Gaye’s message was always clear: peace can and will be maintained so long as God’s love and the love for one another is spread to every human being on earth. What’s Going On as a statement remains just as potent today as it ever was, and this undoubtedly contributes to its long-lasting appeal for music lovers young and old. The current state of affairs begs for more musical statements like Gaye’s. Many thought that 9/11, the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq would inspire a musical response in the same way similar circumstances did in the sixties. In some ways, the post 9/11 artistic community has responded, but nothing like What’s Going On had come before it or has come since. It’s an entirely reliable record, one that demands repeated listens because it’s just that important and it’s just that good.

Smokey Robinson said that What’s Going On is not only his favorite album of all time, but it’s the greatest album of all time. A strong case could be made for Robinson’s assessment, but of course those kinds of statements are never verifiable, even if they’re coming from a credible source like the legendary Smokey Robinson. What is verifiable is how incredibly important this disc is. It’s a record of extraordinary depth conceived, produced, and performed by one of the most soulful, passionate and gifted artists of the last hundred years. Even though his life was cut so criminally short, Marvin Gaye has left a permanent mark on music, culture, and history. This might be the greatest album of all time, it might not be, that’s for you to decide. Regardless of whether or not it’s the best, What’s Going On is ranked among the best and this reissue somehow managed to breathe new life into a record that’s been alive and kicking for over thirty years.

Rating: A

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© 2008 Kenny S. McGuane and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Universal/Motown, and is used for informational purposes only.