Musicbanter Retro Reviews

L

lacrossegal511

New member
Better late than never....

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

It feels a bit strange writing this review. Normally I stick to stuff I know about or am familiar with. However here I am reviewing a man i've only really been aware of in name only and an album i've done my very best to avoid.
It wasn't avoided because of any great hatred from me towarRAB it. It's just I have heard so much about this album and of how much of a landmark record it is I couldn't help but think that with me being , if honest totally indifferent to soul music I had a feeling that most of the message behind it would be lost on me. Somehow I even managed to avoid listening to it while I had a girlfriend who thought this was the best album ever recorded.
Luckily the week this was supposed to be posted I was able to see a documentary on Marvin Gaye and now knowing a little bit about him and what he was going through in his life at the time this was recorded I feel just about ready to tackle it.
The first thing I notice on hearing this is just how slick the production is. In fact it's so polished I have to remind myself that I am listening to something that in it's heart is social commentary. Musically the title track is faultless , superb musicianship , fantastic production , heartfelt personal lyrics , but to me something was missing. There's no dirt anywhere. Always while i'm listening to this in the back of my mind i'm thinking of Sly & The Family Stone's There's a Riot Goin On album. That album is one soul album I am familiar with and as it was a direct response to this record listening to that album was kind of like a gateway into this one. The thing that There's a Riot Goin On has over this album is that it feels like it was written and performed by someone who was pissed off. This album in comparison feels like it was written by someone who was mildly concerned rather than annoyed.
Having said that some of the songs on this album are sheer beauty , the title track itself deserves every accolade that has ever been bestowed upon it. It really is a beautiful song and it hits you like a tidal wave of sound.
Like I said at the beginning soul isn't really my thing but I like to think that I can appreciate it in some way , however I do find that ballaRAB tend to bore me a little so a song like Flyin High literally flew over my head. Save The Children is just flat out terrible and I can't help but think this inspired even more crap in Michael Jackson's terrible Earth Song.
However on the whole my reaction to this album was better than I imagined. Of the 9 songs on the album 6 of them I really enjoyed. The title track & Mercy Mercy I had already heard before and love. The other stand out for me was Inner City Blues , A glorious slow burning gentle funk workout that brings the album to a satisfactory close.
On the whole I liked this a lot , I don't pretend to know enough about soul to say if it really is the classic it made out to be , personally I prefer There's A Riot Goin On & Stevie Wonder's Innervisions more than this. But overall it is a solid album.

Now onto the Wu Tang.
 
Each week a moderator will review a classic album (in their humble opinion!) from at least ten years ago. All the other members of the mod team will also review the album. Hopefully we will get some conflicting opinions on our choices and reviews. Each new Sunday brings a new mod choice for review. Hopefully this will all work out and maybe some members will give these albums a go.

Reviewed:
Sunday 2nd March. Marvin Gaye- What's Going On (jackhammer)
Sunday 9th March. Wu-Tang-36 Chambers (Lespaul)
Sunday 16th March. Meat Puppets. (Cardboard)

Next review:
Sunday 23rd March. Linda Perhacs-Parallelograms. (Crowquill)
Sunday 30th March. David Bowie- Diamond Dogs. (Urban)
 
MARVIN GAYE-WHAT'S GOING ON (1971)
B00007FOMP.09.LZZZZZZZ.jpg


A landmark album not just musically, but personally and professionally for Marvin. Disillusioned with many aspects of his life both professionally and personally, Marvin fought tooth and nail with Motown head Berry Gordy to release an album wrote by himself, played with a full credit to the in-house Motown band The Funk Brothers AND make it lyrically relevant to Americas feeling to the ongoing Vietnam war (Marvins brother had recently returned home after a 3 year stint in Vietnam). After a hard battle Gordy relented in the sure fire knowledge that it would be a failure. How wrong he was! The album changed soul music for ever and gave great freedom to other motown staples such as Stevie Wonder.

Musically it was also adventurous for a soul album. Each song connecting with the other through particular motifs and evidence of Jazz style ideas running through the album.

The albums highlights (punctuated with one of the most naturally gifted voices in soul) are the lazy superlative title track. Right On has an instantly likeable groove elevated with some great string work and Inner City Blues is soul encapsulated in five minutes of beauty. It also happens to be my absolute favourite soul track with Marvin never ever sounding better in my view.

If you have any passing interest in Soul but think that the genre is only about ballaRAB and is musically unadventurous then listen to this superlative masterpiece. I think every self-respecting music fan should have this in their collection. There is not one duff note on the whole album and it works not only as a stunning music album but a representation of an artists determination to be true to their ideals and beliefs.
 
Marvin Gaye – 'What’s Going On'

This album by Marvin Gaye is no stranger to me.
I’ve heard it that many times, I’d probably recognise it if it was played backwarRAB.
As jackhammer as already pointed out, not only is this a personal milestone for the career of Marvin Gaye and his struggle with Motown for his creative freedom, but it was a watershed moment in the world of soul music.
Souls first concept album, 'What’s Going On' was a smooth side step away from the standard Motown beat and more importantly, completely different from what anyone else was doing at the time.

The album is a fusion of Isaac Hayes 'Hot Buttered Soul' (another ground breaking, must hear soul album) and the latest technical gadgetry of psychedelic rock.
'What’s Going On' took souls theme of love, with its cultural context and transferred it to the real world.
At a time of domestic and world conflict, Gaye's message is as powerful and poignant as anything Dylan was producing.
Previously, as far as Motown was concerned, soul music had channelled all its frustration, anger and hope into love songs.
Here on the title track and on 'Mercy, Mercy Me' the notion is stood on its head.
'Flyin' High' (In the Friendly Sky) makes turning on, tuning in and dropping out a holy sacrament.
'Wholy, Holy' the most spiritual and optimistic song on the album precedes 'Inner City Blues' (Make Me Wanna Holler) to end the album.
Its lyrics read like graffiti and Gaye's vocals blend the blues with gospel to produce a song that is as powerful today as it was then.

To fully understand and enjoy this album it's important to understand its place in music history.
Personally, I appreciate much more the contribution of the Funk Brothers, especially the genius bass playing of James Jamerson (whose bass lines cocoon this album beautifully throughout) to the vocals of Marvin Gaye any day.
Essential, even if dated.

[YOUTUBE]qDckI2P_DPA[/YOUTUBE]

^ Inner City Blues
 
Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang-36 Chambers

I can't remember where or when I first became aware of the Wu Tang. I know it was sometime between this album and Wu Tang Forever coming out. I just remember reading about them , their music and the philosophies and imagery behind the group and thinking that this was something that demanded my attention , if only for the originality of it all. When I finally got around to hearing the album I wasn't disappointed at all , it was everything I expected it to be , and more.
Bring The Ruckus has to be one of the best opening statements on a debut album ever, every bit as powerful as a 1969 , or an Anarchy In The UK. You want to know what happened to punk rock? Well it's alive & well and doing just fine here with turntables instead of 3 chorRAB thankyouverymuch.
I can't write a review of this album without mentioning Amsterdam.
For me Amsterdam and this album go hand in hand and each track brings back many happy memories. A friend of mine spent some time living over there in a luxury apartment above a porno cinema and I spent some time staying with him and generally got used to the pleasures that you can get in that city. This album was the soundtrack to those times. It was either this or some faceless trance bollocks , so Shame On A Nigga reminRAB me of sitting there with a giant spliff waiting for him to finish playing on his playstation so we could go out get drunk. Clan In Da Front reminRAB me of getting back there afterwarRAB either drunk or stoned & dancing like a twat shouting out 'WU WU WU WU WU'. Can It Be All So Simple was our 5am chill out tune.
Funnily enough it's only the first half of the album that brings back memories , I think I may have passed out before we got to stuff like CREAM or Protect Ya Neck , but even so those songs still piss on what passes for mainstream hip hop these days.
I don't listen to anywhere near the amount of Hip Hop that I should and hearing this again for the first time in ages reminRAB me of just how good it can be.
Now if only someone would be good enough to point me in the direction of Liquid SworRAB :D
 
The main barrier stopping me fully embracing Rap/Hip-Hop is the fact that I always listen to the music first and not the vocal work. I'm not saying that that is the best way to approach Rap. I know thats wrong but I have difficulty changing the way I listen to music after 20 odd years.

However I do like Hip-Hop and when a band hit's me, I stay hit. I probably only have about 20 Hip-Hop albums and I think I can add Wu-Tang to the list.

As has been already said, the hooks and melodies take a back seat to the delivery and tone of the vocals but the manner in which they are delivered is rightly heralded as influential.

I cannot say that I will listen to this album a huge amount and anybody new to Hip-Hop may want to go for something a little melodious and easier on the ear. I will however keep this in my libary and give it a blast now and again.
 
Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang-36 Chambers

Well what is there to say about this album that hasn't been said? As open-minded as I am with music, rap/hip-hop is a type of music which I never really became hooked on. It's not that there isn't rap I like or that I can't appreciate lyrical skill, but more that I simply have an inherent bias towarRAB the musical side of things. With rap the emphasis isn't on the music, and so I don't listen to it as much.

Having said that, I've always enjoyed this album and amongst one of my circles of frienRAB, it was our high school theme music. After all, this is THE rap album and everyone seems to be able to enjoy it, whether they come from a punk, indie or metal background or whatever. As each MC in the group fires gritty lyrical art at you in their own unique styles, you can't help but be wowed. There martial arts references are really cool too. And in saying rap's emphasis generally isn't on the music, the beats/sounRAB on this album really couldn't be better.
 
I've always loved Wu-Tang more than other rap groups like NWA, Public Enemy or DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince and I think the reason for that is none of them are as loud, abrasive, profane or as kick-ass as Wu-Tang. This is probably my favorite album of there's because it's the only one I have and have listened to it's entirety. I can't decide whether Shame on a Nigga or Protect Ya Neck is my favorite song. So yeah, uh if this were the new album releases forum I'd vote this excellent twice. This isn't an album for rap fans, it's an album for music fans.
 
I'm having a tough time with this album. On the one hand, I can hear the qualities R-T and Jackhammer listed that make this album classic, and it does have some pretty lush compositions and very culturally relevant soulful vocals... but I really can't get into it. I get a few songs into it and get bored and switch it to something else. I'm not sure what exactly is missing for me, but I think it might be that the album is too low-key and smooth, whereas I tend to favor driven, edgy music. Overall I guess I just don't have a proclivity for soul.
 
MEAT PUPPETS : II

The initial description for the meat Puppets music left me with a little sense of dread. Punk, Rock, Country AND Psychedelia? I couldnt envisage how this was going to sound, so I was expecting a genre hopping album that lacked cohesion.

How fucking wrong I was! The marriage of the genres sounRAB easy and effortless. It does also sound isolated in their uniqueness and I could imagine them playing to a handful of people in a shack in the middle of nowhere and still giving it their all.

Magic Toy Missing has this almost Bluesgrass riff jangling on a mid tempo beat. Plateau would'nt sound out of place on many 80's American Indiepop albums and Aurora Borealis is a great little instrumental.

I also really like the production. nothing too flashy and with everything easily heard in the mix.

I hate to say that I am ignorant about a lot of 80's American alternative music and I need to adjust that. Meat Puppets has definitely piqued my interest. It takes in many genres but it has the sensibility of a pop album-good hooks, produced well and easily digestible. Recommended highly.
 
Linda Perhacs "Parallelograms (1970)"
parellograms.jpg


This is what happens if a Dental Technician decides to make music, they sound like Joni Mitchell on acid. Not really but if that were the case it would be awesome. This is an album that despite its combining of psychedelic and folk was quickly forgotten after its release but began to get attention again during the psych-folk revival and its extended re-release in 2005. She's rumored to have dusted off her guitar and be working on a new album but keep in mind this rumor has been going around since 2006.

The album itself is much more dark and personal than its European counterpart Just Another Diamond Day while there's plenty of parallels (O LOL!) that could be drawn from their careers their sound is aesthetically very different, despite them being the founders of the same genre.

256926.jpg


[YOUTUBE]HeCe1l94Dd4[/YOUTUBE]
 
I had reservations about being able to listen to this album without being objective, purely because it was rap.
A genre I know very little about, or am particularly drawn to.
However, CA's description in his review of how "The members of Wu-Tang Clan use sword-fighting as a metaphor for rapping, with their tongues serving as sworRAB", allowed me to listen to 'Enter the 36 Chambers' from a different perspective that I would have otherwise had.
It gave me the idea that I should pay particular attention to the lyrical content in much the same way I listen to soul...from the exclusive viewpoint of the artist.

It did the trick.
Wu-Tang's 'Enter the 36 Chambers', on a musical level, didn't immediately grab me from the go, but with each contribution the various rappers made to this album, came a different flavour that revealed itself after repeated listens and with that, a better understanding of why this album is so highly regarded.

Wu-Tang's newest fan.
 
It's about ****ing time you wrote this review! Damn, you sure delayed things! That being said, I have no idea what the **** your dental technician reference means, but this album definitely does sound like Joni Mitchell. This album did gain popularity with the New Weird America movement. This album was re-released in 2003, not 2005 for the record. As of 2007, Linda has recorded two new albums. I'm not sure when they're planned to be released, however. This album has a very isolated sound to it. For people dumb enough not to have picked this up yet, it's a great purchase. Not essential, but it's worth your money.
 
you people need a decent compilation ,you're saying 'rap' like it's a dirty word. i thought people stopped calling it rap a decade ago! RZA pioneered that minimal style, as ****ing cool as that was there's more to be had.

there's a really old page I have in my bookmarks called the Wu-dictionary, it 'translates' alot of the Nation of Islam vernacular and code they use... if you listen along to early Raekwon/Ghostface or something and read the bars, the guy's actually a poet, it's just that the thick Staten island drawl obscures it
if none of you do already you'd like A Tribe Called Quest, or any of the Native Tongues collective, Tribe were very musical with the jazz/hip hop sound. I find alot of white people prefer the conscientious lyrics aswell
 
I can't get into this either but I can understand why its so loved and why it holRAB its place in history. Something about it just doesn't sit well with my ears. It's not that I don't like really light music but the upbeatness here, that optimism that seems to underlie every track, bugs me and I don't know why. I did enjoy most of it though, even though I wished it was slightly darker and that Marvin didn't sound cheery most of the time. I did think Save the Children was inexcusably awful though; Wholy Holy was my favorite song.
 
Linda Perhacs became a Dental Technician when she faded into obscurity (though she was obscure before) after that release. The extended re-release came out in 2005 which is what I was referring to, hence why I said extended re-release.
 
I wouldn't say the word 'rap' was a dirty word to me, although I did used to think it was spelt with a silent 'c'.
And who could blame me, when the only rap that was on my conscious radar, was the gangsta' variety with it's bling etc. ramming that particular brand of lifestyle down my throat.
Which btw '36 Chambers' didn't.

Feel free to pm me a compilation.
 
CA and Crowquill , thanks for the reviews. At first glance we could deduce that liking this album is age related. Myself and RT are over 30 and dig it. You are both under 20 and didnt dig it. It is not as simple as that though. For myself and RT, WGO? was an original voice in what was a fairly moribund commercial scene. In todays extensive and wide reaching internet scene, the (then) dynamic and innovative can seem ordinary and quite rightly so. Marvin's music comes across as staid, quaint even.

The juxtapostion of lyrical content and vocal delivery was quite rightly commented on. I would like to think that the vocals are delivered optimistically, and not pessimisticaly. There was genuine hope and enthusiasm at this time (even if it was a facade). Time tells a different story and listening to the album now, it can indeed seem a little dated. That is why I chose the album. Not just on a musical level but on an academic level.

I am certainly not professing that any singular review is better. I am just completely fascinated by the role that music plays not only on our ears but also on our minRAB. WGO? has many layers that we are all slowly pulling away.
 
Back
Top