Post by timmy84 on Feb 8, 2006 14:26:00 GMT -5
Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we got to find a way
To bring some loving here today...
- "What's Going On" (1971), Marvin Gaye[/i]
With the opening lyrics of one of his most beloved songs in his long 2-decade career catalog, Marvin Gaye had already mapped out a new role in his career as a social commentator. But this is where things get grimy. Lots of people seem to overlook the fact that Marvin had covered a lot of ground on all types of subjects on his legendary What's Going On[/i] album. It's like historians and revionists to overlook details and material to say that Marvin or whoever didn't deserve the merit for being a "social commentator" because immediately afterwards, what do they go into? Marvin doing Let's Get It On[/i] and they always say he didn't do much social commentary afterwards...
Excuse me!?! Uh, Mr. or Mrs. Rock Historian, who are you to say that Marvin Gaye isn't less of a musical activist and voice for the healing than say Bob Dylan or a John Lennon or a Bob Marley. Three guys who deserved to be called what they called but mainly these guys covered one ground while Marvin went all over the board. This is the guy who inspired[/u] Stevie Wonder to get in touch with his inner Black self. It would seem that to the historian, Marvin Gaye only did three songs that resemble social awareness and moved on. Nothing can be further from the truth.
In fact, Marvin Gaye covered a lot of social conscious work in between 1971 and 1982. People just weren't paying attention. Marvin may have said it all with the entire What's Going On[/i] album (which came out on May 21, 1971). In fact, let's recap:
"What's Going On", the title track, talked about the Vietnam War and protesting. The second track, "What's Happening, Brotha?", was of course the Vietnam vet's journey back to a different home than he knew before he was drafted to fight. The third track, "Flying High", covered drug abuse that affects many people and it affected Vietnam vets who came home and got high on heroin. "Save the Children" took the focus out of the vet and into the world's best resources: children. And how will this world be saved if children keep on living in filth and sadness. Sounds familiar? Does Katrina ring a bell? "Who really cares? Who's willing to try to save a world that's destined to die?" And then he took it home with "save the babies" and it's true, children do need us to help them live a better world. Marvin Gaye said that best than even John, Bob M. and Bob D. could ever tell you. "God is Love" was a rare retreat into telling the world 'God is here on Earth and he loves you' before solemnly going into "Mercy, Mercy Me", which talked about environmental confusion and ecologic problems. "Right On" was a double-edged sword dedicating one side to egotistical b.s., pain on the other side and then the other side telling the listener 'if you let me, I'll take you to live where Love is King'. And this sets up brilliantly for "Wholy Holy" which brings out a social message with coming together through God. "Inner City Blues" was a five and a half-minute account of things in the place.
And they say What's Going On[/i] was a social conscious album. It was more than that. It was a racial, political and social statement. That one album blurred the lines that those like 2Pac, Bono of U2, Michael Jackson and Nas have tried to convey ever since.
Then we move into 1972 and Marvin was still working on socially conscious work. That year brought out the very funky "You're the Man", which was an anti-Nixon statement and which scared Motown execs (who had to hear more Nixon bashing again from Stevie a year later - "Misstra Know It All" and "You Haven't Done Nothin'" a year after that). The same year, these songs were recorded:
"The World is Rated X" (about the world's madness, of course)
"Piece of Clay" (about family problems)
"Where Are We Going" (another view of the place through song)
"I Want to Come Home for Christmas" (a socially conscious song around Christmas time that had Marvin voice a Vietnam vet who's fighting during Christmas time)
Then came Marvin's next social statement - the soundtrack to the blaxplotation flick, "Trouble Man". The movie was about a hitman who seeks out for revenge but the soundtrack, though related to the film, was another rapid look at the place through an instrumental concept. "T Stands For Trouble" and "T Plays It Cool" are equivalent to learning about the school of hard knocks. Even the one vocal track for "Trouble Man" was a social comment of the times and so true since there is one man or woman who have lived their lives on the edge as did Marvin and the guy on the film.
Even with Let's Get It On[/i], there was a social underlying even with the sexual overtones. There was also a spiritual awakening creeping, especially in the title track. "Keep Gettin' It On" could be seen as a social statement too: "won't you rather make love, children/as opposed to war?"
Flash forward to 1978 with the Here, My Dear[/i] and you have songs like "Anger" and "Everybody Needs Love" and "Time to Get it Together", which were also socially awaring songs IMHO. I mean, even under the personal turmoil that was ever present in Marvin's life at this point. Marvin never stopped being socially aware throughout his career as he had never stopped being spiritually connected.
There were always more sides to the man and the fact that he's overlooked in that gives him an underrated factor despite his legendary fame and acclaim. He wasn't just a singer of love songs and if you followed his career, you'll see why many artists and fans hold Marvin to the degree of a John Lennon, a Bob Dylan, a Bob Marley and a 2Pac. Marvin Gaye changed the way artists did their music and he inspired two generations of performers in the process.
Let's all heed his message and live by his musical example for that's why Marvin will be celebrated. Not just for him being one of the greatest balladeers of all time but also one of the greatest socially conscious voices of all time too.
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we got to find a way
To bring some loving here today...
- "What's Going On" (1971), Marvin Gaye[/i]
With the opening lyrics of one of his most beloved songs in his long 2-decade career catalog, Marvin Gaye had already mapped out a new role in his career as a social commentator. But this is where things get grimy. Lots of people seem to overlook the fact that Marvin had covered a lot of ground on all types of subjects on his legendary What's Going On[/i] album. It's like historians and revionists to overlook details and material to say that Marvin or whoever didn't deserve the merit for being a "social commentator" because immediately afterwards, what do they go into? Marvin doing Let's Get It On[/i] and they always say he didn't do much social commentary afterwards...
Excuse me!?! Uh, Mr. or Mrs. Rock Historian, who are you to say that Marvin Gaye isn't less of a musical activist and voice for the healing than say Bob Dylan or a John Lennon or a Bob Marley. Three guys who deserved to be called what they called but mainly these guys covered one ground while Marvin went all over the board. This is the guy who inspired[/u] Stevie Wonder to get in touch with his inner Black self. It would seem that to the historian, Marvin Gaye only did three songs that resemble social awareness and moved on. Nothing can be further from the truth.
In fact, Marvin Gaye covered a lot of social conscious work in between 1971 and 1982. People just weren't paying attention. Marvin may have said it all with the entire What's Going On[/i] album (which came out on May 21, 1971). In fact, let's recap:
"What's Going On", the title track, talked about the Vietnam War and protesting. The second track, "What's Happening, Brotha?", was of course the Vietnam vet's journey back to a different home than he knew before he was drafted to fight. The third track, "Flying High", covered drug abuse that affects many people and it affected Vietnam vets who came home and got high on heroin. "Save the Children" took the focus out of the vet and into the world's best resources: children. And how will this world be saved if children keep on living in filth and sadness. Sounds familiar? Does Katrina ring a bell? "Who really cares? Who's willing to try to save a world that's destined to die?" And then he took it home with "save the babies" and it's true, children do need us to help them live a better world. Marvin Gaye said that best than even John, Bob M. and Bob D. could ever tell you. "God is Love" was a rare retreat into telling the world 'God is here on Earth and he loves you' before solemnly going into "Mercy, Mercy Me", which talked about environmental confusion and ecologic problems. "Right On" was a double-edged sword dedicating one side to egotistical b.s., pain on the other side and then the other side telling the listener 'if you let me, I'll take you to live where Love is King'. And this sets up brilliantly for "Wholy Holy" which brings out a social message with coming together through God. "Inner City Blues" was a five and a half-minute account of things in the place.
And they say What's Going On[/i] was a social conscious album. It was more than that. It was a racial, political and social statement. That one album blurred the lines that those like 2Pac, Bono of U2, Michael Jackson and Nas have tried to convey ever since.
Then we move into 1972 and Marvin was still working on socially conscious work. That year brought out the very funky "You're the Man", which was an anti-Nixon statement and which scared Motown execs (who had to hear more Nixon bashing again from Stevie a year later - "Misstra Know It All" and "You Haven't Done Nothin'" a year after that). The same year, these songs were recorded:
"The World is Rated X" (about the world's madness, of course)
"Piece of Clay" (about family problems)
"Where Are We Going" (another view of the place through song)
"I Want to Come Home for Christmas" (a socially conscious song around Christmas time that had Marvin voice a Vietnam vet who's fighting during Christmas time)
Then came Marvin's next social statement - the soundtrack to the blaxplotation flick, "Trouble Man". The movie was about a hitman who seeks out for revenge but the soundtrack, though related to the film, was another rapid look at the place through an instrumental concept. "T Stands For Trouble" and "T Plays It Cool" are equivalent to learning about the school of hard knocks. Even the one vocal track for "Trouble Man" was a social comment of the times and so true since there is one man or woman who have lived their lives on the edge as did Marvin and the guy on the film.
Even with Let's Get It On[/i], there was a social underlying even with the sexual overtones. There was also a spiritual awakening creeping, especially in the title track. "Keep Gettin' It On" could be seen as a social statement too: "won't you rather make love, children/as opposed to war?"
Flash forward to 1978 with the Here, My Dear[/i] and you have songs like "Anger" and "Everybody Needs Love" and "Time to Get it Together", which were also socially awaring songs IMHO. I mean, even under the personal turmoil that was ever present in Marvin's life at this point. Marvin never stopped being socially aware throughout his career as he had never stopped being spiritually connected.
There were always more sides to the man and the fact that he's overlooked in that gives him an underrated factor despite his legendary fame and acclaim. He wasn't just a singer of love songs and if you followed his career, you'll see why many artists and fans hold Marvin to the degree of a John Lennon, a Bob Dylan, a Bob Marley and a 2Pac. Marvin Gaye changed the way artists did their music and he inspired two generations of performers in the process.
Let's all heed his message and live by his musical example for that's why Marvin will be celebrated. Not just for him being one of the greatest balladeers of all time but also one of the greatest socially conscious voices of all time too.