|
What's Going On | 
 enlarge | Artist: Marvin Gaye
Label: Motown
Category: Music
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $5.49
You Save: $4.49 (45%)
New (12) Used (7) from $5.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 39874
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.8 x 0.3
UPC: 602517805224
EAN: 0602517805224
ASIN: B001DZDTNQ
Release Date: September 16, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Tracks:
| • | What's Going On - Marvin Gaye, Cleveland, Al | | • | What's Happening Brother - Marvin Gaye, Gaye, Marvin | | • | Flyin' High (In the Friendly Sky) - Marvin Gaye, Gaye, Marvin | | • | Save the Children - Marvin Gaye, Cleveland, Al | | • | God Is Love - Marvin Gaye, Gaye, Marvin | | • | Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Marvin Gaye, Gaye, Marvin | | • | Right On - Marvin Gaye, DeRouen, Earl | | • | Wholy Holy - Marvin Gaye, Cleveland, Al | | • | Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) - Marvin Gaye, Gaye, Marvin |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
2008 release of What's Going On. Originally released in 1971, this album is widely considered to be Marvin Gaye's master work. A social commentary on American life that remains poignant 30 + years later. However, executives were initially dead set against its release, calling the single "uncommercial". Thankfully the executives eventually relented and the song soon became a huge hit, going down in history as one of the greatest R&B songs of all time. Includes two bonus tracks and gatefold jacket.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Danger: Massive Hyperlobe Ahead August 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Don't just listen to this one. No, immerse yourself. This is one of those albums that you have to listen to in a situation where you have no distractions whatsoever, so you can pick up on all the brilliant arranging specifics. If you're playing it in the background for some sort of social event, it's just fine, a nice album with three really great songs. But when you're actually listening, and picking up on the stylistic blends and compositional ingenuity... then it clicks. Everyone talks about the lyrics here above all else, and while I like them, I think the real reason why this has endured as a milestone is because of the musical approach. For one, it's pretty much just one smooth, flowing, thirty-five minute song. I think it's that way by design, which would explain how similar every song is, and how there's no break between "Save the Children" and "God is Love" or "Right On" and "Wholly Holy". And the arrangements are gorgeous, lush, and beautiful. Never sappy, no matter what all the strings, soprano saxes, keyboards, overdubbed vocals, and lack of anything that someone may consider "musically offensive" implies. They're just fantastic, mixing elements of R&B, jazz, classical, and Latin. If it was just a flowing, well-arranged, stylistic mocha with no real melodies, I'd still have to give it 3.5 stars or something for atmosphere alone. But I love these melodies! All of them. And every song has several interesting things going on it. Examples? Well, everything on the title track, which is justly one of the most famous songs in history and so over-discussed there's nothing new I can say about it. You also have the choruses and soprano saxes on "What's Happening Brother"; the strings and melody on "Flying High (in the Friendly Skies)", the overdubbed vocals on "Save the Children", featuring one of the earliest examples of the Choir of the First Church of Marvin Gaye; the melody on "God is Love"; the creepy ending and unconventional structure of "Mercy Mercy Me"; the Latin-jazz styling and piano hooks of "Right On"; the soprano sax noodling on "Wholly Holy"; and pretty much every element of "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)", a haunting jazz-rap. It's hard to pick "favorite song" here - I could argue any song here, except for "God Is Love" (because it's not even two minutes long) and "Wholly Holy" (because, besides the soprano sax noodling, it's boring) as best. So maybe I'll call this whole thing "even". Oh yeah, and the lyrics! Almost forgot about those. They're about the Vietnam War, religion, environmental issues, religion, the gap between the rich and the poor, religion, drug abuse, religion, the end of the world, and religion.
one of the greatest albums ever June 3, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
marvin gaye was a musical genius and this album cemented that. marvin made a album that spoke socially and the songs also were huge hits. the title song alone still speaks to so many to this day.the musicianship, production, arrangements and overall presentation are timeless. a must have album.
|
|
|
|
