Marvin Gaye | ||
| Allmusic Biography : One of the most gifted, visionary, and enduring talents ever launched into orbit by the Motown hit machine, Marvin Gaye blazed the trail for the continued evolution of popular black music. Moving from lean, powerful R&B; to stylish, sophisticated soul to finally arrive at an intensely political and personal form of artistic self-expression, his work not only redefined soul music as a creative force but also expanded its impact as an agent for social change. Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. (in the style of his hero Sam Cooke, he added the "e" to his surname as an adult) was born April 2, 1939, in Washington, D.C. The second of three children born to the Reverend Marvin Gay, Sr., an ordained minister in the House of God -- a conservative Christian sect that fuses elements of orthodox Judaism and Pentecostalism, imposes strict codes of conduct, and observes no holidays -- he began singing in church at the age of three, quickly becoming a soloist in the choir. Gaye later took up piano and drums, and music became his escape from the nightmarish realities of his home life -- throughout his childhood, his father beat him on an almost daily basis. After graduating from high school, Gaye enlisted in the U.S. Air Force; upon his discharge, he returned to Washington and began singing in a number of street-corner doo wop groups, eventually joining the Rainbows, a top local attraction. With the help of mentor Bo Diddley, the Rainbows cut "Wyatt Earp," a single for the OKeh label that brought them to the attention of singer Harvey Fuqua, who in 1958 recruited the group to become the latest edition of his backing ensemble, the Moonglows. After relocating to Chicago, the Moonglows recorded a series of singles for Chess, including 1959s "Mama Loocie." While touring the Midwest, the group performed in Detroit, where Gayes graceful tenor and three-octave vocal range won the interest of fledgling impresario Berry Gordy, Jr., who signed him to the Motown label in 1961. While first working at Motown as a session drummer and playing on early hits by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, he met Gordys sister Anna, and married her in late 1961. Upon mounting a solo career, Gaye struggled to find his voice, and early singles failed. Finally, his fourth effort, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow," became a minor hit in 1962, and his next two singles -- the 1963 dance efforts "Hitch Hike" and "Can I Get a Witness" -- both reached the Top 30. With 1963s "Pride and Joy," Gaye scored his first Top Ten smash, but often found his role as a hitmaker stifling -- his desire to become a crooner of lush romantic ballads ran in direct opposition to Motowns all-important emphasis on chart success, and the ongoing battle between his artistic ambitions and the labels demands for commercial product continued throughout Gayes long tenure with the company. With 1964s Together, a collection of duets with Mary Wells, Gaye scored his first charting album; the duo also notched a number of hit singles together, including "Once Upon a Time" and "Whats the Matter With You, Baby?" As a solo performer, Gaye continued to enjoy great success, scoring three superb Top Ten hits -- "Aint That Peculiar," "Ill Be Doggone," and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" -- in 1965. In total, he scored some 39 Top 40 singles for Motown, many of which he also wrote and arranged. With Kim Weston, the second of his crucial vocal partners, he also established himself as one of the eras dominant duet singers with the stunning "It Takes Two." However, Gayes greatest duets were with Tammi Terrell, with whom he scored a series of massive hits penned by the team of Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, including 1967s "Aint No Mountain High Enough" and "Your Precious Love," followed by 1968s "Aint Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "Youre All I Need to Get By." The teams success was tragically cut short in 1967 when, during a concert appearance in Virginia, Terrell collapsed into Gayes arms on-stage, the first evidence of a brain tumor that abruptly ended her performing career and finally killed her on March 16, 1970. Her illness and eventual loss left Gaye deeply shaken, marring the chart-topping 1968 success of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," his biggest hit and arguably the pinnacle of the Motown sound. At the same time, Gaye was forced to cope with a number of other personal problems, not the least of which was his crumbling marriage. He also found the material he recorded for Motown to be increasingly irrelevant in the face of the tremendous social changes sweeping the nation, and after scoring a pair of 1969 Top Ten hits with "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" and "Thats the Way Love Is," he spent the majority of 1970 in seclusion, resurfacing early the next year with the self-produced Whats Going On, a landmark effort heralding a dramatic shift in both content and style that forever altered the face of black music. A highly percussive album that incorporated jazz and classical elements to forge a remarkably sophisticated and fluid soul sound, Whats Going On was a conceptual masterpiece that brought Gayes deeply held spiritual beliefs to the fore to explore issues ranging from poverty and discrimination to the environment, drug abuse, and political corruption; chief among the records concerns was the conflict in Vietnam, as Gaye structured the songs around the point of view of his brother Frankie, himself a soldier recently returned from combat. The ambitions and complexity of Whats Going On baffled Berry Gordy, who initially refused to release the LP; he finally relented, although he maintained that he never understood the records full scope. Gaye was vindicated when the majestic title track reached the number two spot in 1971, and both of the follow-ups, "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)," also reached the Top Ten. The albums success guaranteed Gaye continued artistic control over his work and helped loosen the reins for other Motown artists, most notably Stevie Wonder, to also take command of their own destinies. Consequently, in 1972, Gaye changed directions again, agreeing to score the blaxploitation thriller Trouble Man; the resulting soundtrack was a primarily instrumental effort showcasing his increasing interest in jazz, although a vocal turn on the moody, minimalist title track scored another Top Ten smash. The long-simmering eroticism implicit in much of Gayes work reached its boiling point with 1973s Lets Get It On, one of the most sexually charged albums ever recorded; a work of intense lust and longing, it became the most commercially successful effort of his career, and the title cut became his second number one hit. Lets Get It On also marked another significant shift in Gayes lyrical outlook, moving him from the political arena to a deeply personal, even insular stance that continued to define his subsequent work. After teaming with Diana Ross for the 1973 duet collection Marvin and Diana, he returned to work on his next solo effort, I Want You; however, the records completion was delayed by his 1975 divorce from Anna Gordy. The dissolution of his marriage threw Gaye into a tailspin, and he spent much of the mid-70s in divorce court. To combat Gayes absence from the studio, Motown released the 1977 stopgap Live at the London Palladium, which spawned the single "Got to Give It Up, Pt. 1," his final number one hit. As a result of a 1976 court settlement, Gaye was ordered to make good on missed alimony payments by recording a new album, with the intention that all royalties earned from its sales would then be awarded to his ex-wife. The 1978 record, a two-LP set sardonically titled Here, My Dear, bitterly explored the couples relationship in such intimate detail that Anna Gordy briefly considered suing Gaye for invasion of privacy. In the interim, he had remarried and begun work on another album, Lover Man, but scrapped the project when the "Ego Tripping Out" lead single -- a telling personal commentary presented as a duet between the spiritual and sexual halves of his identity, which biographer David Ritz later dubbed the singers "divided soul" -- failed to chart. As his drug problems increased and his marriage to new wife Janis also began to fail, he relocated to Hawaii in an attempt to sort out his personal affairs. In 1981, longstanding tax difficulties and renewed pressures from the IRS forced Gaye to flee to Europe, where he began work on the ambitious In Our Lifetime, a deeply philosophical record that ultimately severed his longstanding relationship with Motown after he claimed the label had remixed and edited the album without his consent. Additionally, Gaye stated that the finished artwork parodied his original intent, and that even the title had been changed to drop an all-important question mark. Upon signing with Columbia in 1982, he battled stories of erratic behavior and a consuming addiction to cocaine to emerge triumphant with Midnight Love, an assured comeback highlighted by the luminous Top Three hit "Sexual Healing." The record made Gaye a star yet again, and in 1983 he made peace with Berry Gordy by appearing on a television special celebrating Motowns silver anniversary. That same year, he also sang a soulful and idiosyncratic rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the NBA All-Star Game; it instantly became one of the most controversial and legendary interpretations of the anthem ever performed. And it was to be his final public appearance. Gayes career resurgence brought with it an increased reliance on cocaine; finally, his personal demons forced him back to the U.S., where he moved in with his parents in an attempt to regain control of his life. Tragically, the return home only exacerbated his spiral into depression; he and his father quarrelled bitterly, and Gaye threatened suicide on a number of occasions. Finally, on the afternoon of April 1, 1984 -- one day before his 45th birthday -- Gaye was shot and killed by Marvin Sr. in the aftermath of a heated argument. In the wake of his death, Motown and Columbia teamed up to issue two 1985 collections of outtakes, Dream of a Lifetime -- a compilation of erotic funk workouts teamed with spiritual ballads -- and the big band-inspired Romantically Yours. (Vulnerable, a collection of ballads that took over 12 years to complete, finally saw release in 1996.) With Gayes death also came a critical re-evaluation of his work, which deemed Whats Going On to be one of the landmark albums in pop history, and his 1987 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame permanently enshrined him among the pantheon of musical greats. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 42 Title: That Stubborn Kinda Fellow Released: 1963-01-31 Tracks: 10 Duration: 24:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Stubborn Kind of Fellow (02:44) 2 Pride and Joy (02:07) 3 Hitch Hike (02:32) 4 Get My Hands on Some Lovin (02:26) 5 Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home) (02:14) 6 Soldiers Plea (02:45) 7 It Hurt Me Too (02:45) 8 Taking My Time (02:28) 9 Hello There Angel (02:46) 10 Im Yours, Youre Mine (01:53) |
| That Stubborn Kinda' Fellow : Allmusic album Review : Vintage Gaye and Motown, following all the formulas that made the label the 60s finest record company. The title track was an instant classic, among his finest 60s uptempo tunes. The other cuts are just as fantastic, and any doubts anyone might have had about Gaye were immediately and forever quashed with this album. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 42 Title: When Im Alone I Cry Released: 1964-04-01 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:15:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Youve Changed (Mono) (03:34) 2 I Was Telling Her About You (Mono) (04:50) 3 I Wonder (Mono) (03:46) 4 Ill Be Around (Mono) (04:11) 5 Because of You (Mono) (03:35) 6 I Dont Know Why (Mono) (02:48) 7 Ive Grown Accustomed to Her Face (Mono) (03:33) 8 When Your Lover Has Gone (Mono) (04:42) 9 When Im Alone I Cry (Mono) (02:49) 10 If My Heart Could Sing (Mono) (03:30) 11 Youve Changed (Stereo) (03:36) 12 I Was Telling Her About You (Stereo) (04:50) 13 I Wonder (Stereo) (03:45) 14 Ill Be Around (Stereo) (04:11) 15 Because of You (Stereo) (03:35) 16 I Dont Know Why (Stereo) (02:48) 17 Ive Grown Accustomed to Her Face (Stereo) (03:33) 18 When Your Lover Has Gone (Stereo) (04:41) 19 When Im Alone I Cry (Stereo) (03:49) 20 If My Heart Could Sing (Stereo) (03:23) |
| When I'm Alone I Cry : Allmusic album Review : Hard as it may be to believe today, at the beginning of his career, Gaye was far more interested in crooning jazz standards than singing soul music, and took every opportunity to vent his jazz pipes in the studio. However much he may have wished otherwise, just about every listener agrees that he was a great soul singer, but a mediocre jazz vocalist. This album, cut at a time when he was already a rising soul star, consists of ten pop-jazz standards and is really only of interest to collectors. Certainly its competently done, but its supper-club fare, in which Gaye comes off as a sub-Nat King Cole rather than his own man. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 42 Title: Together Released: 1964-04-15 Tracks: 10 Duration: 27:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Once Upon a Time (02:31) 2 Deed I Do (02:59) 3 Until I Met You (Corner Pocket) (03:21) 4 Together (02:44) 5 (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons (02:35) 6 The Late Late Show (02:42) 7 After the Lights Go Down Low (02:53) 8 Just Squeeze Me (But Dont Tease Me) (02:32) 9 Whats the Matter With You Baby (02:24) 10 You Come a Long Way From St. Louis (02:51) |
| Together : Allmusic album Review : Motown mogul Berry Gordy, Jr. decided to increase his chances for sales by recording his male and female stars together, and the public went for it. Together trekked up the pop charts, finally stopping at number 42, a good showing for an R&B; album in 1964. A two-sided hit and the only single released, "Once Upon a Time" and "Whats the Matter with You Baby," helped the cause by charting in the upper echelons of the R&B; and pop charts. The former is a slow, floating ballad, while the latter is an accusing jump-beat number. A rendition of Sam Cookes "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" doesnt measure up to their talents or the song involved, while "Deed I Do" fits the mold of songs done by male/female duos of the early 60s. For the most part, the material is different than what Mary or Marvin normally cut; Marvin probably felt more comfortable with these songs than Mary, since they were closer to the MOR tunes that he preferred doing -- at the time -- anyway. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 42 Title: Hello Broadway Released: 1964-11-12 Tracks: 11 Duration: 32:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hello Broadway (03:13) 2 People (03:15) 3 The Partys Over (03:05) 4 On the Street Where You Live (02:26) 5 What Kind of Fool Am I? (03:43) 6 My Kind of Town (02:39) 7 Days of Wine and Roses (03:38) 8 This Is the Life (02:39) 9 My Way (02:55) 10 Hello, Dolly! (02:55) 11 Walk on the Wild Side (02:18) |
| Hello Broadway : Allmusic album Review : Much to the chagrin of Motown executives and soul fans, Marvin Gaye had a penchant for wanting to record soft, sentimental ballads over the formula that made Motown the juggernaut that it was. Hello Broadway is one of several compilations of sessions recorded in the early- to mid-60s that finds Gayes smooth, seductive voice covering a wide range of material. But Hello Broadway is Gaye singing standards from Broadway musicals, and for diehard fans this is a real treat. And while there are moments where Gaye simply emulates Nat King Cole rather than being himself, this is nonetheless an enjoyable listen. Diehard fans will most likely already have this in their collection, along with When Im Alone I Cry and Romantically Yours, but casual fans would be better served starting off with the much more accessible Vulnerable, which compiles the highlights from the aforementioned recordings. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 42 Title: How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You Released: 1965 Tracks: 12 Duration: 32:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Youre a Wonderful One (02:45) 2 How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (02:59) 3 Try It Baby (02:54) 4 Baby Dont You Do It (02:39) 5 Need Your Lovin (Want You Back) (02:22) 6 One of These Days (02:56) 7 No Good Without You (02:37) 8 Stepping Closer to Your Heart (02:46) 9 Need Somebody (02:50) 10 Me and My Lonely Room (02:50) 11 Now That Youve Won Me (02:33) 12 Forever (02:22) |
 | Album: 6 of 42 Title: A Tribute to the Great Nat King Cole Released: 1965-11-01 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Nature Boy (02:52) 2 Ramblin Rose (02:54) 3 Too Young (03:50) 4 Pretend (02:51) 5 Straighten Up and Fly Right (02:25) 6 Mona Lisa (03:04) 7 Unforgettable (03:43) 8 To the Ends of the Earth (02:21) 9 Sweet Lorraine (02:50) 10 Its Only a Paper Moon (02:28) 11 Send for Me (03:00) 12 Calypso Blues (04:04) |
| A Tribute to the Great Nat King Cole : Allmusic album Review : A wonderful album that got buried when it was initially released. Nat "King" Cole was a primary influence on Marvin Gaye for Gayes entire career, and he got a chance on this album to display his affection for sentimental, romantic fare and his skill in singing it. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 42 Title: Take Two Released: 1966 Tracks: 12 Duration: 33:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 It Takes Two (02:58) 2 I Love You, Yes I Do (02:20) 3 Baby I Need Your Loving (03:09) 4 Its Got to Be a Miracle (This Thing Called Love) (03:29) 5 Baby Say Yes (03:13) 6 What Good Am I Without You (02:51) 7 Till There Was You (02:24) 8 Love Fell on Me (02:25) 9 Secret Love (02:44) 10 I Want You round (02:25) 11 Heaven Sent You I Know (03:03) 12 When Were Together (02:36) |
| Take Two : Allmusic album Review : Although they werent as great a team as Gaye and Tammi Terrell, the Gaye/Weston duo turned out a few solid numbers. The finest was "It Takes Two," a steamy bit of uptempo soul that came close to equaling any fast duet number Gaye ever made at Motown. The rest was well done, but not quite on the same level. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 42 Title: Moods of Marvin Gaye Released: 1966-05-23 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I’ll Be Doggone (02:48) 2 Little Darling (I Need You) (02:34) 3 Take This Heart of Mine (02:49) 4 Hey Diddle Diddle (02:30) 5 One More Heartache (02:41) 6 Ain’t That Peculiar (02:59) 7 Night Life (03:05) 8 You’ve Been a Long Time Coming (02:13) 9 Your Unchanging Love (03:13) 10 You’re the One for Me (03:25) 11 I Worry ’Bout You (03:23) 12 One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) (04:28) |
| Moods of Marvin Gaye : Allmusic album Review : After Marvin Gaye recorded tributes to Broadway and Nat King Cole in the previous two years, Motown fans may have had their suspicions raised by an LP titled Moods of Marvin Gaye. Yes, there are a few supper-club standards to be found here, but Gaye moves smoothly between good-time soul and adult pop. Most important are his first two R&B number ones, "Ill Be Doggone" and "Aint That Particular," both from 1965 and both produced by Smokey Robinson. Berry Gordys right-hand man also helmed "Take This Heart of Mine" and "One More Heartache," another pair of big R&B scores, and just as good as the better-known hits. As for the copyrights not owned by Jobete, the chestnut "One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)" certainly didnt need another reading, but Gayes take on Willie Nelsons after-hours classic "Night Life" was inspired. Marvin Gaye was improving with every record, gaining in character and strength of performance, and Moods of Marvin Gaye is a radically better record than its predecessors. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 42 Title: Greatest Hits Vol. 2 Released: 1967 Tracks: 12 Duration: 32:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) (02:51) 2 One More Heartache (02:40) 3 Your Unchanging Love (02:58) 4 Ill Be Doggone (02:48) 5 Little Darling (I Need You) (02:35) 6 Pretty Little Baby (02:37) 7 Aint That Peculiar (02:58) 8 Baby Dont You Do It (02:33) 9 Try It Baby (02:49) 10 Take This Heart Of Mine (02:48) 11 Hey Diddle Diddle (02:30) 12 Forever (02:23) |
 | Album: 10 of 42 Title: United Released: 1967-08-29 Tracks: 12 Duration: 33:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (02:28) 2 Youve Got What It Takes (02:59) 3 If I Could Build My Whole World Around You (02:26) 4 Somethin’ Stupid (02:45) 5 Your Precious Love (03:03) 6 Hold Me, Oh My Darling (02:44) 7 Two Can Have a Party (02:13) 8 Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl (02:46) 9 If This World Were Mine (02:46) 10 Sad Wedding (03:26) 11 Give a Little Love (03:01) 12 Oh How Id Miss You (02:31) |
| United : Allmusic album Review : United was the first of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrells three LPs, and quite possibly the best of the lot. Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol handled the productions and gave the photogenic duo a slightly harder edge than subsequent productions by Valerie Simpson and Nickolas Ashford. Three blockbusters -- "Aint No Mountain High Enough," "If I Could Build My World Around You," and "Your Precious Love" -- propelled the album to number 29 on the pop charts, the highest rating of any of the duos LPs. Plus, you had treats like "Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl," a remake of Loe & Joes little-known release on Fuquas Harvey Records in 1962. "Two Can Have a Party" grooves from start to finish and could have been the fourth hit, but Motown thought otherwise. I like the duos rendition of "Hold Me Oh My Darling," a song Tammi first recorded on her solo album; the stuttering chorus and bass backing voice makes it unique. You wont find two better ballads than "Give a Little Love" or the often-recorded "If This World Were Mine"; written by Marvin Gaye, the starry-eyed proclamation has become an R&B; standard, and rightfully so. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 42 Title: In the Groove Released: 1968-08-26 Tracks: 12 Duration: 32:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You (02:27) 2 Tear It On Down (02:37) 3 Chained (02:41) 4 I Heard It Through the Grapevine (03:14) 5 At Last (I Found a Love) (02:40) 6 Some Kind of Wonderful (02:21) 7 Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever (02:46) 8 Change What You Can (02:40) 9 It’s Love I Need (02:57) 10 Every Now and Then (03:08) 11 You’re What’s Happening in the World Today (02:22) 12 There Goes My Baby (02:24) |
 | Album: 12 of 42 Title: Marvin Gaye and His Girls Released: 1969-04-02 Tracks: 12 Duration: 33:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Once Upon a Time (02:34) 2 Whats the Matter With You Baby (02:30) 3 Its Got to Be a Miracle (This Thing Called Love) (03:29) 4 It Takes Two (02:58) 5 Your Precious Love (03:03) 6 Good Lovin Aint That Easy to Come By (02:28) 7 Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl (02:42) 8 I Cant Help but Love You (02:46) 9 What Good Am I Without You (02:51) 10 I Want You Round (02:24) 11 Deed I Do (02:59) 12 Together (02:44) |
 | Album: 13 of 42 Title: Easy Released: 1969-09-16 Tracks: 12 Duration: 32:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Good Lovin Aint That Easy to Come By (02:28) 2 California Soul (02:43) 3 Love Woke Me Up This Morning (02:29) 4 This Poor Heart of Mine (02:39) 5 Im Your Puppet (02:56) 6 The Onion Song (02:58) 7 What You Gave Me (02:40) 8 Baby I Need Your Loving (02:59) 9 I Cant Believe You Love Me (02:42) 10 How You Gonna Keep It (After You Get It) (02:49) 11 More, More, More (02:29) 12 Satisfied Feeling (02:50) |
| Easy : Allmusic album Review : Not as arresting as two previous albums. It only produced one bonafide hit, "Good Lovin Aint Easy to Come By," while the others spawned three each. Tammi became ill before this record was completed, and Valerie Simpson had to perform many of the tracks. Simpson is a good singer but doesnt have the charm, charisma, or sexy Southern drawl that Tammi was blessed with. A remake of Terrells solo outing "I Cant Believe You Love Me" adds nothing to the original; likewise for lackluster renditions of "California Soul," "Im Your Puppet," and "Baby, I Need Your Loving." "The Onion Song" has to be Ashford and Simpsons silliest composition despite its positive social message. Along with the hit, the best songs here are "This Poor Heart of Mine," an uptempo number and good workout for the duo, and "Love Woke Me Up This Morning," an endearing exercise in romanticism. Fans werent awestruck by this release, its highest rating was #184 on Billboards pop album chart. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 42 Title: Thats the Way Love Is Released: 1970-01-08 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gonna Give Her All the Love Ive Got (03:23) 2 Yesterday (03:26) 3 Groovin (02:58) 4 I Wish It Would Rain (02:51) 5 Thats the Way Love Is (03:36) 6 How Can I Forget (02:05) 7 Abraham, Martin and John (04:33) 8 Gonna Keep on Tryin Till I Win Your Love (02:48) 9 No Time for Tears (02:21) 10 Cloud Nine (03:21) 11 Dont You Miss Me a Little Bit Baby (02:17) 12 So Long (02:26) |
| That's the Way Love Is : Allmusic album Review : The title cut was another Gaye classic, while much of the other material was equally impressive. Gaye was beginning to become disillusioned with Motown, but that hadnt affected his album output or his singing. Anyone hearing this wouldnt have suspected that Gaye was about to unleash Whats Going On. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 42 Title: Marvin Gaye Super Hits Released: 1970-09 Tracks: 16 Duration: 45:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Heard It Through the Grapevine (03:19) 2 Pride and Joy (02:12) 3 The End of Our Road (02:56) 4 Aint That Peculiar (03:03) 5 Stubborn Kind of Fellow (02:52) 6 Can I Get a Witness (02:46) 7 How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (02:59) 8 That’s the Way Love Is (03:43) 9 Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (02:56) 10 Chained (02:43) 11 You’re a Wonderful One (02:48) 12 Try It Baby (03:02) 13 Ill Be Doggone (02:53) 14 Hitch Hike (02:32) 15 You (02:30) 16 Baby Dont You Do It (02:35) |
 | Album: 16 of 42 Title: What’s Going On Released: 1971-05-20 Tracks: 35 Duration: 2:32:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 What’s Going On (03:53) 2 What’s Happening Brother (02:43) 3 Flyin’ High (in the Friendly Sky) (03:49) 4 Save the Children (04:02) 5 God Is Love (01:41) 6 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (03:15) 7 Right On (07:31) 8 Wholy Holy (03:07) 9 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (05:38) 10 What’s Going On (original Detroit mix) (04:07) 11 What’s Happening Brother (original Detroit mix) (02:43) 12 Flyin’ High (in the Friendly Sky) (original Detroit mix) (03:48) 13 Save the Children (original Detroit mix) (04:01) 14 God Is Love (original Detroit mix) (01:46) 15 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (original Detroit mix) (03:07) 16 Right On (original Detroit mix) (07:31) 17 Wholy Holy (original Detroit mix) (03:07) 18 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (original Detroit mix) (05:45) 19 What’s Going On (Rhythm & Strings mix) (03:50) 1 Sixties Medley: That’s the Way Love Is / You / I Heard It Through the Grapevine / Little Darling (I Need You) / You’re All I Need to Get By / Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing / Your Precious Love / Pride and Joy / Stubborn Kind of Fellow (live) (13:23) 2 Right On (live) (07:33) 3 Wholy Holy (live) (03:32) 4 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (live) (09:05) 5 What’s Going On (live) (05:42) 6 What’s Happening Brother (live) (02:54) 7 Flyin’ High (in the Friendly Sky) (live) (03:51) 8 Save the Children (live) (04:22) 9 God Is Love (live) (01:43) 10 Stage Dialogue (live) (02:34) 11 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (reprise) (live) (05:12) 12 Whats Going On (reprise) (live) (04:07) 13 Whats Going On (single version - Stereo) (03:56) 14 God Is Love (original single version) (02:50) 15 Sad Tomorrows (original single version) (02:25) 16 “Head Title” aka Distant Lover (04:07) |
| What’s Going On : Allmusic album Review : Whats Going On is not only Marvin Gayes masterpiece, its the most important and passionate record to come out of soul music, delivered by one of its finest voices, a man finally free to speak his mind and so move from R&B sex symbol to true recording artist. With Whats Going On, Gaye meditated on what had happened to the American dream of the past -- as it related to urban decay, environmental woes, military turbulence, police brutality, unemployment, and poverty. These feelings had been bubbling up between 1967 and 1970, during which he felt increasingly caged by Motowns behind-the-times hit machine and restrained from expressing himself seriously through his music. Finally, late in 1970, Gaye decided to record a song that the Four Tops Obie Benson had brought him, "Whats Going On." When Berry Gordy decided not to issue the single, deeming it uncommercial, Gaye refused to record any more material until he relented. Confirmed by its tremendous commercial success in January 1971, he recorded the rest of the album over ten days in March, and Motown released it in late May. Besides cementing Marvin Gaye as one of the most important artists in pop music, Whats Going On was far and away the best full-length to issue from the singles-dominated Motown factory, and arguably the best soul album of all time. Conceived as a statement from the viewpoint of a Vietnam veteran (Gayes brother Frankie had returned from a three-year hitch in 1967), Whats Going On isnt just the question of a baffled soldier returning home to a strange place, but a promise that listeners would be informed by what they heard (that missing question mark in the title certainly wasnt a typo). Instead of releasing listeners from their troubles, as so many of his singles had in the past, Gaye used the album to reflect on the climate of the early 70s, rife with civil unrest, drug abuse, abandoned children, and the spectre of riots in the near past. Alternately depressed and hopeful, angry and jubilant, Gaye saved the most sublime, deeply inspired performances of his career for "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)," "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)," and "Save the Children." The songs and performances, however, furnished only half of a revolution; little couldve been accomplished with the Motown sound of previous Marvin Gaye hits like "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" and "Hitch Hike" or even "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." Whats Going On, as he conceived and produced it, was like no other record heard before it: languid, dark, and jazzy, a series of relaxed grooves with a heavy bottom, filled by thick basslines along with bongos, conga, and other percussion. Fortunately, this aesthetic fit in perfectly with the style of longtime Motown session men like bassist James Jamerson and guitarist Joe Messina. When the Funk Brothers were, for once, allowed the opportunity to work in relaxed, open proceedings, they produced the best work of their careers (and indeed, they recognized its importance before any of the Motown executives). Bob Babbitts playing on "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" functions as the low-end foundation but also its melodic hook, while an improvisatory jam by Eli Fountain on alto sax furnished the albums opening flourish. (Much credit goes to Gaye himself for seizing on these often tossed-off lines as precious; indeed, he spent more time down in the Snakepit than he did in the control room.) Just as hed hoped it would be, Whats Going On was Marvin Gayes masterwork, the most perfect expression of an artists hope, anger, and concern ever recorded. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 42 Title: Diana & Marvin Released: 1972 Tracks: 14 Duration: 47:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You Are Everything (03:06) 2 Love Twins (03:32) 3 Dont Knock My Love (02:22) 4 Youre a Special Part of Me (03:40) 5 Pledging My Love (03:36) 6 Just Say, Just Say (04:15) 7 Stop, Look, Listen (to Your Heart) (02:53) 8 Im Falling in Love With You (02:43) 9 My Mistake (Was to Love You) (03:00) 10 Include Me in Your Life (03:12) 11 Alone (03:48) 12 The Things I Will Not Miss (03:01) 13 Ive Come to Love You So Much (03:49) 14 Ill Keep My Light in My Window (04:27) |
| Diana & Marvin : Allmusic album Review : By the early 70s, Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye were in completely different creative territories. Ross was settling down as a professional diva, while Gaye was pushing his art forward with Whats Going On, Trouble Man, and Lets Get It On. What they shared, apart from a mutual admiration, was that they were two of the biggest artists on Motown and that their voices sounded terrific together. So it wasnt entirely surprising that the duo teamed up in 1973 for the Diana & Marvin album. Although the album didnt produce any timeless classics, the results were still very good -- good enough for the record to be one of Ross best efforts of the era. The highlights are the three singles ("Youre a Special Part of Me," "My Mistake (Was to Love You)," "Dont Knock My Love"), but even the weaker tunes are redeemed by the duos indelible chemistry, and thats the reason why its worth a listen. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 42 Title: Let’s Get It On Released: 1973-08-28 Tracks: 37 Duration: 2:27:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Let’s Get It On (04:52) 2 Please Stay (Once You Go Away) (03:30) 3 If I Should Die Tonight (03:59) 4 Keep Gettin’ It On (03:13) 5 Come Get to This (02:41) 6 Distant Lover (04:16) 7 You Sure Love to Ball (04:44) 8 Just to Keep You Satisfied (04:30) 9 Song #3 (instrumental) (05:28) 10 My Love Is Growing (04:20) 11 Cakes (instrumental) (03:14) 12 Symphony (undubbed version) (02:51) 13 Id Give My Life for You (alternate mix) (03:29) 14 I Love You Secretly (04:18) 15 Youre the Man (alternate version 1) (07:24) 16 Youre the Man (alternate version 2) (04:44) 17 Symphony (demo vocal) (02:48) 1 Lets Get It On (demo) (05:12) 2 Lets Get It On, Part II A.K.A. Keep Gettin It On (complete) (03:13) 3 Please Stay (Once You Go Away) (alternate mix) (03:52) 4 If I Should Die Tonight (demo) (04:13) 5 Come Get to This (alternate mix) (03:07) 6 Distant Lover (alternate mix) (04:32) 7 You Sure Love to Ball (alternate mix with alternate vocal) (05:06) 8 Just to Keep You Satisfied (a cappella with alternate vocal) (04:38) 9 Just to Keep You Satisfied (04:00) 10 Just to Keep You Satisfied (03:10) 11 Where Are We Going? (alternate mix) (03:56) 12 The World Is Rated X (alternate mix) (03:52) 13 Im Gonna Give You Respect (02:56) 14 Try It, Youll Like It (03:57) 15 You Are That Special One (03:38) 16 We Can Make It Baby (03:22) 17 Running From Love (instrumental) (version 1) (03:47) 18 Mandota (instrumental) (03:26) 19 Running From Love (instrumental) (version 2) (03:54) 20 Come Get to This (live) (03:00) |
| Let’s Get It On : Allmusic album Review : After brilliantly surveying the social, political, and spiritual landscape with Whats Going On, Marvin Gaye turned to more intimate matters with Lets Get It On, a record unparalleled in its sheer sensuality and carnal energy. Always a sexually charged performer, Gayes passions reach their boiling point on tracks like the magnificent title hit (a number one smash) and "You Sure Love to Ball"; silky and shimmering, the music is seductive in the most literal sense, its fluid grooves so perfectly designed for romance as to border on parody. With each performance laced with innuendo, each lyric a come-on, and each rhythm throbbing with lust, perhaps no other record has ever achieved the kind of sheer erotic force of Lets Get It On, and it remains the blueprint for all of the slow jams to follow decades later -- much copied, but never imitated. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 42 Title: I Want You Released: 1976 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:53:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Want You (vocal) (04:36) 2 Come Live With Me Angel (06:30) 3 After the Dance (instrumental) (04:25) 4 Feel All My Love Inside (03:22) 5 I Wanna Be Where You Are (01:18) 6 I Want You (intro jam) (00:19) 7 All the Way Around (03:50) 8 Since I Had You (04:05) 9 Soon Ill Be Loving You Again (03:15) 10 I Want You (intro jam) (01:40) 11 After the Dance (vocal) (04:39) 12 I Want You (vocal, promo only version) (03:38) 13 I Want You (instrumental) (04:39) 14 Strange Love (Feel All My Love Inside) (instrumental) (02:57) 1 I Want You (Vocal & Rhythm) (05:05) 2 Come Live With Me Angel (unedited) (07:37) 3 After the Dance (instrumental) (05:33) 4 Feel All My Love Inside (alternate) (03:52) 5 I Wanna Be Where You Are (unedited demo) (06:07) 6 I Want You (Guitar Jam) (00:29) 7 All the Way Around (alternate) (03:52) 8 Since I Had You (Long Time No See) (04:16) 9 Soon Ill Be Loving You Again (alternate) (04:30) 10 I Want You (undubbed Instrumental) (04:52) 11 After the Dance (05:14) 12 I Wanna Be Where You Are (After the Dance demo) (04:01) 13 You Are the Way You Are (instrumental) (04:26) 14 Is Anybody Thinking About Their Living (04:23) |
| I Want You : Allmusic album Review : I Want You, while it a Top Ten smash for Marvin Gaye in 1976, is not as generally as well-known as its predecessors for several reasons. First, it marked a sharp change in direction, leaving his trademark Motown soul for lush, funky, breezy disco. Secondly, its subject matter is as close to explicit as pop records got in 1976. Third, Gaye hadnt recorded in nearly three years and critics were onto something else -- exactly what, in retrospect is anybodys guess. From the amazing Ernie Barnes cover painting "Back to Sugar Shack" to the Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson string and horn arrangements to Leon Wares exotic production that relied on keyboards as well as drums and basses as rhythm instruments, I Want You was a giant leap for Gaye. The feel of the album was one of late-night parties in basements and small clubs, and the intimacy of the music evokes the image of people getting closer as every hour of a steamy night wears on. But the most astonishing things about I Want You are its intimacy (it was dedicated to and recorded in front of Gayes future second wife, Jan), silky elegance, and seamless textures. Gaye worked with producer Leon Ware, who wrote all of the original songs on the album and worked with Gaye to revise them, thus lending Gaye a co-writing credit. The title track is a monster two-step groover with hand percussion playing counterpoint to the strings and horns layered in against a spare electric guitar solo, all before Gaye begins to sing on top of the funky backbeat. Its a party anthem to be sure, and one that evokes the vulnerability that a man in love displays when the object of his affection is in plain sight. Art Stewarts engineering rounds off all the edges and makes Gayes already sweet crooning instrument into the true grain in the voice of seductive need. "Feel All My Love Inside" and "I Want to Be Where You Are" are anthems to sensuality with strings creeping up under Gayes voice as the guitars move through a series of chunky changes and drums punctuate his every syllable. In all, the original album is a suite to the bedroom, one in which a man tells his woman all of his sexual aspirations because of his love for her. The entire album has been referenced by everyone from Mary J. Blige to DAngelo to Chico DeBarge and even Todd Rundgren, who performed the title track live regularly. By the time it is over, the listener should be a blissed-out, brimming container for amorous hunger. I Want You and its companion, Wares Musical Massage, are the pre-eminent early disco concept albums. They are adult albums about intimacy, sensuality, and commitment, and decades later they still reverberate with class, sincerity, grace, intense focus, and astonishingly good taste. I Want You is as necessary as anything Gaye ever recorded. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 42 Title: Marvin Gayes Greatest Hits Released: 1976 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Let’s Get It On (04:01) 2 I Want You (03:57) 3 How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (02:59) 4 I Heard It Through the Grapevine (03:14) 5 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (03:15) 6 What’s Going On (03:53) 7 After the Dance (03:30) 8 Can I Get a Witness (02:49) 9 Trouble Man (03:50) 10 Distant Lover (live) (06:01) |
| Marvin Gaye's Greatest Hits : Allmusic album Review : A good, if unessential, collection that recycles many songs available on many other packages. This is strictly for budget-conscious buyers and casual Gaye listeners; the CD version is pretty well mastered. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 42 Title: Here, My Dear Released: 1978 Tracks: 28 Duration: 2:33:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Here, My Dear (02:48) 2 I Met a Little Girl (05:02) 3 When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You? (06:17) 4 Anger (04:03) 5 Is That Enough? (07:46) 6 Everybody Needs Love (05:48) 7 Time to Get It Together (03:54) 8 Sparrow (06:12) 9 Annas Song (05:56) 10 When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You (instrumental) (06:03) 11 A Funky Space Reincarnation (08:18) 12 You Can Leave, but It’s Going to Cost You (05:32) 13 Falling in Love Again (04:38) 14 When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You (reprise) (00:47) 15 Ain’t It Funny (How Things Turn Around) (04:04) 1 Here, My Dear (Mocean Worker mix alternate take) (02:48) 2 I Met a Little Girl (Easy Mo Bee mix alternate take) (05:04) 3 When Did You Stop Loving, Me When Did I Stop Loving You (Leon Ware and Gerry the Gov Brown mix) (06:56) 4 Anger (extended mix alternate take) (05:51) 5 Is That Enough (Montez Payton mix alternate take instrumental) (04:06) 6 Everybody Needs Love (Prince Paul mix alternate take) (06:09) 7 Time to Get It Together (extended mix alternate take) (06:48) 8 Sparrow (Questlove mix alternate take) (06:07) 9 Anna’s Song (John Rhone mix alternate take instrumental) (02:09) 10 A Funky Space Reincarnation (extended mix alternate take) (09:10) 11 You Can Leave but Its Going to Cost You (extended mix alternate take) (06:42) 12 Falling in Love Again (Salaam Remi mix alternate take) (06:26) 13 A Funky Space Reincarnation (instrumental original 12″) (08:19) |
| Here, My Dear : Allmusic album Review : Pre-dating the voyeuristic tendencies of reality television by 20 years, Here, My Dear is the sound of divorce on record -- exposed in all of its tender-nerve glory for the world to consume. During the amazing success of I Want You and his stellar Live at the London Palladium album, Marvin Gaye was served with divorce papers from his then-wife Anna Gordy Gaye (sister of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy). One of the conditions of the settlement was that Gordy Gaye would receive an extensive percentage of royalties as well as a portion of the advance for his next album. Initially, Gaye was contemplating giving less than his best effort, as he wouldnt stand to receive any money, but then reconsidered at the last moment. The result is a two-disc-long confessional on the deterioration of their marriage; starting from the opening notes of the title track, Gaye viciously cuts with every lyric deeper into an explanation of why the relationship died the way it did. Gaye uses the album, right down to its packaging, to exorcise his personal demons with subtle visual digs and less-than-subtle lyrical attacks. The inner sleeve had a pseudo-board-game-like illustration entitled "Judgment," in which a mans hand passes a record to a womans. One side of the sleeve has Gayes music and recording equipment, while the other side of the board included jewelry and other luxurious amenities. Musically the album retains the high standards Gaye set in the early 70s, but you can hear the agonizing strain of recent events in his voice, to the point where even several vocal overdubs cant save his delivery. Stripped to its bare essence, Here, My Dear is no less than brilliantly unsettling and a perfect cauterization to a decade filled with personal turmoil. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 42 Title: In Our Lifetime Released: 1981-01-15 Tracks: 28 Duration: 2:24:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Praise (04:51) 2 Life Is for Learning (03:39) 3 Love Party (04:58) 4 Funk Me (05:34) 5 Far Cry (04:28) 6 Love Me Now or Love Me Later (04:59) 7 Heavy Love Affair (03:45) 8 In Our Lifetime (06:57) 9 Nuclear Juice (instrumental) (05:46) 10 Ego Tripping Out (LP mix) (04:55) 11 Far Cry (Unedited) (06:21) 12 Ego Tripping Out (05:11) 13 Ego Tripping Out (instrumental) (03:43) 1 Praise (Odyssey Studios mix) (05:09) 2 Life Is for Learning (Odyssey Studios mix) (03:53) 3 Heavy Love Affair (Odyssey Studios mix) (04:40) 4 Love Me Now or Love Me Later (Odyssey Studios mix) (05:43) 5 Ego Tripping Out (Odyssey Studios mix) (04:37) 6 Funk Me (Odyssey Studios mix) (05:12) 7 In Our Lifetime (Odyssey Studios mix) (05:51) 8 Love Party (Odyssey Studios mix) (05:18) 9 Lifes a Game of Give and Take (04:57) 10 Life Is Now in Session (04:04) 11 I Offer You Nothing but Love (06:03) 12 Just Because Youre So Pretty (05:06) 13 Dance n Be Happy (06:49) 14 Funk Me, Funk Me, Funk Me (05:49) 15 A Lovers Plea (06:10) |
| In Our Lifetime : Allmusic album Review : Marvin Gayes In Our Lifetime came after 1978s confessional and meandering double album Here, My Dear. Although this better set does seem effortlessly conceived, it wasnt that simple. Gaye originally envisioned a "party" album and almost released one called Love Man. After some consideration, Gaye nixed the idea and aimed for an effort that would spotlight his religious concerns. Thankfully, In Our Lifetime splits the difference between the two mindsets. The first single from the aborted Love Man shows up here. "Ego Tripping Out" works as both a parody of the "love man" with a few autobiographical flourishes as he sings, "Got a sweet tooth/For the chick on the floor." Slowly but surely the religious matters do surface here. The buoyant "Praise" has a blithe riff inspired and/or lifted from Stevie Wonder and has Gaye getting his message across without being preachy. Although no song is especially brilliant here, the level of Gayes musical sense and his vocal prowess carry him throughout. The unfinished and non-Gaye-approved "Far Cry" has lyrics that are steam-of-conscious and are barely decipherable. The mesmerizing "Love Me Now or Love Me Later" has Gaye examining both good and evil with equal skill. The last track, the title song, has Gaye back in the party frame of mind and has great horn charts and a propulsive beat. In Our Lifetime is one of his finest later albums and captures him as his craft was maturing and becoming more multifaceted. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 42 Title: Midnight Love Released: 1982 Tracks: 8 Duration: 39:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Midnight Lady (05:17) 2 Sexual Healing (03:59) 3 Rockin After Midnight (06:03) 4 Til Tomorrow (04:58) 5 Turn On Some Music (05:08) 6 Third World Girl (04:35) 7 Joy (04:23) 8 My Love Is Waiting (05:08) |
| Midnight Love : Allmusic album Review : Larkin Arnold, former CBS Records (Sony Music) senior executive VP, convinced Marvin Gaye to leave his flat in Belgium and sign with Columbia Records; the result would become the soul singers last album before his untimely death. Of all his number one songs, this albums first release, "Sexual Healing," became his longest running number one single on the Billboard R&B charts (ten straight weeks). With the exception of the guitar, the Washington, D.C. native performed every instrument on this classic hit. Gaye concocted a pioneering percussive sound that was balladic in taste but stimulating in feel. As this project may not be an absolute erotic expression or a socially challenging plea from Gaye like on some of his previous albums, nonetheless, Midnight Love is a classic Marvin Gaye effort. In addition to this project thriving with Gayes enthusiastic spirit, it has his harmonious background vocals, his stunning vocal arrangements and his creative penmanship, as he wrote all the selections. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 42 Title: Night Life Released: 1982 Tracks: 13 Duration: 39:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Night Life (03:03) 2 I’ll Be Doggone (02:48) 3 Little Darling (I Need You) (02:34) 4 Take This Heart of Mine (02:49) 5 Hey Diddle Diddle (02:30) 6 One More Heartache (02:41) 7 Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (02:56) 8 How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (02:59) 9 You’ve Been a Long Time Coming (02:13) 10 Your Unchanging Love (03:13) 11 You’re the One for Me (03:25) 12 I Worry ’Bout You (03:23) 13 One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) (04:28) |
 | Album: 25 of 42 Title: Greatest Hits Released: 1983 Tracks: 16 Duration: 57:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Heard It Through the Grapevine (03:14) 2 Let’s Get It On (04:52) 3 Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (02:58) 4 How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (02:59) 5 Youre All I Need to Get By (02:55) 6 Got to Give It Up, Part 1 (04:12) 7 You Are Everything (03:06) 8 Midnight Lady (05:17) 9 Sexual Healing (03:59) 10 What’s Going On (03:53) 11 Abraham, Martin and John (04:16) 12 It Takes Two (02:58) 13 Stop, Look, Listen (to Your Heart) (02:53) 14 My Love Is Waiting (05:08) 15 The Onion Song (02:58) 16 Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home) (02:14) |
 | Album: 26 of 42 Title: Compact Command Performances: 15 Greatest Hits Released: 1983 Tracks: 15 Duration: 58:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (02:59) 2 Ain’t That Peculiar (02:59) 3 I Heard It Through the Grapevine (03:14) 4 You’re All I Need to Get By (02:50) 5 Your Precious Love (03:03) 6 Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (02:56) 7 Thats the Way Love Is (03:38) 8 What’s Going On (03:53) 9 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (03:15) 10 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (03:07) 11 Trouble Man (03:50) 12 My Mistake (Was to Love You) (02:56) 13 Let’s Get It On (04:01) 14 I Want You (03:57) 15 Got to Give It Up (11:53) |
| Compact Command Performances: 15 Greatest Hits : Allmusic album Review : Although every cut on this anthology is fantastic, Motown has put all of them out on better album and CD packages. Theres little reason for this anthology except that Motown keeps recycling its great classics every few years. If you cant find the three-disc Marvin Gaye anthology (the best Gaye greatest hits set), the boxed set, or either of the Super Hits releases on vinyl, then this one will do. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 42 Title: Romantically Yours Released: 1985 Tracks: 11 Duration: 33:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 More (02:42) 2 Why Did I Choose You? (02:38) 3 Maria (03:07) 4 The Shadow of Your Smile (03:03) 5 Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) (03:19) 6 I Wont Cry Anymore (02:44) 7 Just Like (04:07) 8 Walkin in the Rain (02:55) 9 I Live for You (02:41) 10 Stranger in My Life (03:42) 11 Happy Go Lucky (02:34) |
| Romantically Yours : Allmusic album Review : Romantically Yours, much like When Im Alone I Cry, compiles the quieter moments of Marvin Gayes earlier works. Much to the chagrin of Motown executives, Gaye always wanted to release an album of vocal standards in the stylings of one of his musical heroes, Nat King Cole. The results are a bit uneven, and those wishing to hear Gaye at his finest when performing in this vein should check out the recently issued Vulnerable for a better survey of his work from this time. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 42 Title: Marvin Gaye & His Women: 21 Classic Duets Released: 1985 Tracks: 21 Duration: 57:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Youre a Special Part of Me (03:40) 2 My Mistake (Was to Love You) (02:56) 3 Once Upon a Time (02:31) 4 Whats the Matter With You Baby (02:29) 5 What Good Am I Without You (Opus 1) (02:50) 6 It Takes Two (02:58) 7 Its Got to Be a Miracle (This Thing Called Love) (03:29) 8 I Want You round (02:25) 9 Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (02:28) 10 Your Precious Love (03:03) 11 If I Could Build My Whole World Around You (02:22) 12 Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing (02:15) 13 You’re All I Need to Get By (02:50) 14 Keep on Lovin’ Me Honey (02:31) 15 Good Lovin Aint That Easy to Come By (02:28) 16 What You Gave Me (02:43) 17 If This World Were Mine (02:44) 18 California Soul (02:50) 19 The Onion Song (03:00) 20 Two Can Have a Party (02:13) 21 Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl (02:42) |
 | Album: 29 of 42 Title: Motown Legends Released: 1985 Tracks: 11 Duration: 35:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (03:15) 2 No Time for Tears (02:10) 3 Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (02:56) 4 There Goes My Baby (02:24) 5 Ego Tripping Out (05:11) 6 Thats the Way Love Is (03:45) 7 If My Heart Could Sing (03:25) 8 Memories (02:48) 9 Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever (02:46) 10 Trouble Man (03:50) 11 Cloud Nine (03:14) |
 | Album: 30 of 42 Title: Dream of a Lifetime Released: 1985 Tracks: 8 Duration: 36:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sanctified Lady (05:26) 2 Savage in the Sack (03:21) 3 Masochistic Beauty (04:41) 4 Its Madness (03:22) 5 Aint It Funny (How Things Turn Around) (04:53) 6 Symphony (02:52) 7 Lifes Opera (07:42) 8 Dream of a Lifetime (03:49) |
| Dream of a Lifetime : Allmusic album Review : The commercially revitalized Gaye, who was back in the grips of psychosis and cocaine addiction, was planning a follow-up to 1982s Midnight Love. That, of course, was aborted when his father murdered him. Dream of a Lifetime is a mish-mash of tracks that range from bare-bones newer work as well as early-70s Motown throwaways. The big hit, the percolating "Sanctified Lady," picks up where Midnight Love left off. Gaye originally sung another word instead of "lady"; part of it is still audible and its still shocking, but not surprising. "Savage in the Sack" has Gaye playing on old-aged myths and having the time of his life. Despite the ready laughs, Gayes sexual fantasies are often on the dark side here. "Masochistic Beauty" showcases a pedestrian rhythm as Gaye sings in the worlds worst English accent as he says, "If you do it right, youll get the pipe." For some its unsettling, but its also hilarious especially as he employs a vocoder as his lewd partner in crime. The Motown-era tracks come from various sessions from the 70s. While that fact would denote quality if not "treasures," there are few to be found here. "Lifes Opera" and the title track are both heavy-handed with their overwrought sentiments. Only "Its Madness" with its patently early-70s production style rises above the muck. Unlike many of Gayes posthumous releases, Dream of a Lifetime offers a fair amount of dispensable work. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 42 Title: Anthology Released: 1986 Tracks: 47 Duration: 2:18:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Stubborn Kind of Fellow (02:50) 2 Hitch Hike (02:32) 3 Pride and Joy (02:07) 4 Once Upon a Time (02:34) 5 Can I Get a Witness (02:49) 6 Whats the Matter With You Baby (02:28) 7 Youre a Wonderful One (02:45) 8 Try It Baby (02:54) 9 Baby Dont You Do It (02:39) 10 What Good Am I Without You (02:48) 11 Forever (02:22) 12 How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (02:59) 13 It Takes Two (02:59) 14 I’ll Be Doggone (02:48) 15 Pretty Little Baby (02:36) 16 Ain’t That Peculiar (02:59) 17 Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (02:28) 18 One More Heartache (02:41) 19 Take This Heart of Mine (02:49) 20 Your Precious Love (03:03) 21 Little Darling (I Need You) (02:34) 22 Your Unchanging Love (03:13) 23 If This World Were Mine (02:44) 24 You (02:27) 25 If I Could Build My Whole World Around You (02:18) 1 Chained (02:41) 2 Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing (02:15) 3 How Can I Forget (01:57) 4 Heaven Sent You I Know (03:02) 5 I Heard It Through the Grapevine (03:14) 6 Good Lovin Aint That Easy to Come By (02:28) 7 Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (02:58) 8 Thats the Way Love Is (03:45) 9 You’re All I Need to Get By (02:50) 10 The End of Our Road (02:51) 11 What’s Going On (03:53) 12 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (03:15) 13 Inner City Blues (03:04) 14 Save the Children (03:13) 15 Youre the Man (03:14) 16 Trouble Man (03:50) 17 Let’s Get It On (04:01) 18 Come Get to This (02:41) 19 Distant Lover (live) (03:56) 20 I Want You (03:57) 21 Got to Give It Up (04:04) 22 After the Dance (03:30) |
 | Album: 32 of 42 Title: I Heard It Through the Grapevine / I Want You Released: 1986 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:10:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You (02:27) 2 Tear It on Down (02:38) 3 Chained (02:41) 4 I Heard It Through the Grapevine (03:14) 5 At Last (I Found a Love) (02:40) 6 Some Kind of Wonderful (02:21) 7 Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever (02:46) 8 Change What You Can (02:40) 9 It’s Love I Need (02:57) 10 Every Now and Then (03:08) 11 You’re What’s Happening in the World Today (02:22) 12 There Goes My Baby (02:24) 13 I Want You (vocal) (04:34) 14 Come Live With Me Angel (06:30) 15 After the Dance (instrumental) (04:25) 16 Feel All My Love Inside (03:22) 17 I Wanna Be Where You Are (01:18) 18 I Want You (intro jam) (00:19) 19 All the Way round (03:51) 20 Since I Had You (04:05) 21 Soon Ill Be Loving You Again (03:15) 22 I Want You (intro jam) (01:40) 23 After the Dance (vocal) (04:32) |
 | Album: 33 of 42 Title: Motown Remembers Marvin Gaye Released: 1986 Tracks: 12 Duration: 40:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The World Is Rated X (06:27) 2 Lonely Lover (02:37) 3 Just Like a Man (03:06) 4 Im Going Home (03:41) 5 No Greater Love (03:38) 6 Dark Side of the World (03:34) 7 Loving and Affection (02:34) 8 Im in Love with You (03:00) 9 Thats the Way It Goes (03:06) 10 I Gotta Have Your Lovin (02:50) 11 Baby Im Glad That Things Worked Out So Well (03:04) 12 Baby (Dont You Leave Me) (02:27) |
| Motown Remembers Marvin Gaye : Allmusic album Review : An odd collection of vault items, alternate takes, B-sides, and leftovers that the label issued in response to numerous bootleg sets that were running rampant in 1985, in the wake of Gayes tragic death the year before at his fathers hands. Many of these songs are quite flawed, yet Gayes vocal treatments are seldom less than compelling, and sometimes unforgettable. | ||
 | Album: 34 of 42 Title: Whats Going On / Lets Get It On Released: 1986 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:06:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 What’s Going On (03:53) 2 What’s Happening Brother (02:43) 3 Flyin’ High (in the Friendly Sky) (03:49) 4 Save the Children (04:02) 5 God Is Love (01:41) 6 Mercy Mercy Me (03:13) 7 Right On (07:31) 8 Wholy Holy (03:07) 9 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (05:27) 10 Let’s Get It On (04:52) 11 Please Dont Stay (Once You Go Away) (03:27) 12 If I Should Die Tonight (03:03) 13 Keep Gettin It On (03:09) 14 Come Get to This (02:41) 15 Distant Lover (04:16) 16 You Sure Love to Ball (04:44) 17 Just Keep You Satisfied (04:27) |
| What's Going On / Let's Get It On : Allmusic album Review : Motowns 1980 double-LP, Whats Going On/Lets Get It On combined Marvin Gayes two best-known albums in one set. Although the moods of the two albums arent necessarily compatible -- the first is a reflective social protest piece, the second, well, the title is self-explanatory -- it was an excellent bargain to have the two classic albums together. | ||
 | Album: 35 of 42 Title: A Musical Testament 1964–1984 Released: 1988 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:12:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Right On (05:34) 2 After the Dance (03:53) 3 Try It Baby (02:45) 4 I Heard It Through the Grapevine (03:14) 5 Loving and Affection (02:37) 6 Just to Keep You Satisfied (04:26) 7 When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You (03:53) 8 Distant Lover (04:08) 9 Anger (04:01) 10 Baby Don’t You Do It (02:39) 11 Little Darling (I Need You) (02:34) 12 Lonely Lover (02:37) 13 That’s the Way Love Is (03:43) 14 Dark Side of the Moon (03:36) 15 The End of Our Road (02:44) 16 The Star-Spangled Banner (03:11) 17 Save the Children (04:04) 18 Wholy Holy (mono single version) (03:09) 19 His Eye Is on the Sparrow (03:53) 20 Live Is a Gamble (02:30) 21 If I Should Die Tonight (03:03) |
 | Album: 36 of 42 Title: Love Songs Released: 1989 Tracks: 9 Duration: 36:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sexual Healing (03:59) 2 Midnight Lady (05:17) 3 Til Tomorrow (04:58) 4 Sanctified Lady (04:21) 5 Symphony (02:51) 6 I Live for You (02:41) 7 Third World Girl (04:35) 8 Walkin in the Rain (02:55) 9 Aint It Funny (How Things Turn Around) (04:42) |
| Love Songs : Allmusic album Review : The fact that theres a Marvin Gaye compilation called Love Songs seems rather silly, especially since most of the albums he released throughout his career could have been subtitled "Love Songs." That a handful of these songs also appeared on a 1985 compilation of previously unreleased material called Romantically Yours makes the disc seem even more redundant. And then theres flat-out confusion: This disc shouldnt be confused with Motowns 2002 compilation Love Songs: Bedroom Ballads, nor should it be confused with the identically titled 1997 BMG International compilation, which is almost identical to this disc in track selection. At any rate, this Love Songs, released by Columbia/Legacy in 2003, is a Valentines Day tie-in that includes "Turn on Some Music," "Sexual Healing," "Rockin After Midnight," "Aint It Funny (How Things Turn Around)," and "Happy Go Lucky." Die-hard Gaye fans have all this material, and casual fans would do better with just about any other compilation. | ||
 | Album: 37 of 42 Title: Soul Collection Released: 1990 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:07:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Want You (03:59) 2 Abraham, Martin and John (04:16) 3 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (03:06) 4 Trouble Man (03:50) 5 You Are Everything (02:54) 6 What’s Going On (03:53) 7 Let’s Get It On (04:01) 8 How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (02:59) 9 Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (02:58) 10 Wherever I Lay My Hat (Thats My Home) (02:18) 11 Got to Give It Up, Part 1 (04:12) 12 Can I Get a Witness (02:49) 13 It Takes Two (02:58) 14 I Heard It Through the Grapevine (03:14) 15 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (03:15) 16 Sexual Healing (04:00) 17 Distant Lover (03:58) 18 After the Dance (03:30) 19 Ain’t That Peculiar (03:01) 20 Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (02:28) |
 | Album: 38 of 42 Title: Trouble Man / M.P.G. Released: 1990 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:09:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Main Theme From Trouble Man (02:32) 2 "T" Plays It Cool (04:26) 3 Poor Abbey Walsh (02:39) 4 The Break In (Police Shoot Big) (01:57) 5 Cleos Apartment (02:09) 6 Trouble Man (03:50) 7 Theme From Trouble Man (02:01) 8 T Stands for Trouble (01:39) 9 Trouble Man (03:50) 10 Life Is a Gamble (02:32) 11 Deep-In-It (01:24) 12 Dont Mess With Mister T (02:42) 13 There Goes Mister T (01:38) 14 Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (02:56) 15 This Magic Moment (02:42) 16 That’s the Way Love Is (03:43) 17 The End of Our Road (02:47) 18 Seek and You Shall Find (03:40) 19 Memories (02:48) 20 Only a Lonely Man Would Know (03:03) 21 Its a Bitter Pill to Swallow (03:13) 22 More Than a Heart Can Stand (02:57) 23 Try My True Love (02:57) 24 I Got to Get to California (02:53) 25 It Dont Take Too Much to Keep Me (02:39) |
 | Album: 39 of 42 Title: Missing You - The Best Of Released: 1990 Tracks: 18 Duration: 57:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Sexual Healing (04:00) 2 I Heard It Through the Grapevine (03:14) 3 You Are Everything (03:06) 4 What’s Going On (03:53) 5 Let’s Get It On (04:01) 6 Got to Give It Up (04:01) 7 Pops, We Love You (03:26) 8 Mercy, Mercy Me (03:14) 9 Whats the Matter With You Baby (02:25) 10 How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (02:59) 11 It Takes Two (02:58) 12 Your Precious Love (03:01) 13 Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing (02:15) 14 You’re All I Need to Get By (02:50) 15 Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (02:56) 16 Thats the Way Love Is (03:45) 17 Stubborn Kind of Fellow (02:44) 18 Innercity Blues (03:01) |
 | Album: 40 of 42 Title: Collection Gold Released: 1990 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:03:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Sexual Healing (long version) (04:50) 2 Sanctified Lady (05:29) 3 Rockin After Midnight (06:02) 4 Just Like (04:03) 5 I Live for You (02:40) 6 Joy, Parts 1 & 2 (06:41) 7 Masochistic Beauty (04:40) 8 Stranger in My Life (03:40) 9 Happy Go Lucky (02:35) 10 Aint It Funny (How Things Turn Around) (04:53) 11 The Shadow of Your Smile (03:01) 12 My Love Is Waiting (05:07) 13 Savage in the Sack (03:21) 14 Dream of a Lifetime (03:49) 15 Walkin in the Rain (02:55) |
 | Album: 41 of 42 Title: The Marvin Gaye Collection Released: 1990-09 Tracks: 81 Duration: 4:14:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Stubborn Kind of Fellow (02:48) 2 Hitch Hike (02:32) 3 Pride and Joy (02:30) 4 Can I Get a Witness (02:49) 5 You’re a Wonderful One (02:48) 6 Try It Baby (03:00) 7 How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (02:59) 8 I’ll Be Doggone (02:48) 9 Ain’t That Peculiar (02:59) 10 I Heard It Through the Grapevine (03:14) 11 Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (02:56) 12 Thats the Way Love Is (03:38) 13 What’s Going On (03:53) 14 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (03:15) 15 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (03:06) 16 Trouble Man (03:50) 17 Let’s Get It On (04:01) 18 I Want You (03:57) 19 Got to Give It Up, Part 1 (04:12) 20 Sexual Healing (04:00) 1 Once Upon a Time (02:34) 2 Whats the Matter With You Baby (02:23) 3 Im Yours, Youre Mine (02:12) 4 All I Got (03:16) 5 You Can Dance (02:21) 6 Rilleh (02:35) 7 So Good to Be Loved by You (02:27) 8 Was It a Dream (03:15) 9 Steadies (02:28) 10 It Takes Two (02:58) 11 Exactly Like You (02:45) 12 Teach Me Tonight (03:17) 13 Lets Do It (Lets Fall in Love) (02:24) 14 Its Me (02:52) 15 Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (02:28) 16 Your Precious Love (03:03) 17 If I Could Build My Whole World Around You (02:22) 18 If This World Were Mine (02:46) 19 Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing (02:15) 20 You’re All I Need to Get By (02:50) 21 You Are Everything (03:06) 22 Youre a Special Part of Me (04:39) 23 My Mistake (Was to Love You) (03:06) 24 Don’t Knock My Love (02:22) 25 Pops, We Love You (03:51) 1 Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide (03:04) 2 Never Let You Go (Sha-Lu-Bop) (02:44) 3 Its Party Time (02:39) 4 The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) (live) (02:24) 5 Down and Under When You Limbo (02:45) 6 My Girl (02:42) 7 Its Not Unusual (02:22) 8 Sunny (02:56) 9 Sweeter as the Days Go By (02:51) 10 Sweet Thing (03:11) 11 I Love You Secretly (aka My Last Chance) (04:35) 12 I Want to Come Home for Christmas (04:43) 13 5, 10, 15, 20 Years of Love (02:42) 14 Youre My Everything (aka Id Give My Life for You) (03:31) 15 Come Get to This (live) (02:56) 16 Distant Lover (live) (06:15) 17 Jan (live) (03:11) 18 60s Hits Medley (live) (08:52) 19 Star Spangled Banner (live) (03:11) 1 Ive Grown Accustomed to Her Face (03:31) 2 Straighten Up and Fly Right (02:25) 3 Too Young (03:48) 4 Mona Lisa (03:04) 5 Its Only a Paper Moon (02:26) 6 What Kind of Fool Am I (03:42) 7 The Days of Wine and Roses (03:37) 8 Mack the Knife (02:58) 9 Hello Young Lovers (02:36) 10 Happy Days Are Here Again (02:50) 11 Why Did I Choose You? (02:38) 12 She Needs Me (03:26) 13 Funny (02:45) 14 This Will Make You Laugh (02:54) 15 The Shadow of Your Smile (03:03) 16 I Wish I Didnt Love You So (02:29) 17 I Wont Cry Anymore (02:51) |
 | Album: 42 of 42 Title: Vulnerable Released: 1997-04-22 Tracks: 10 Duration: 28:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Why Did I Choose You? (02:38) 2 She Needs Me (03:26) 3 Funny, Not Much (02:44) 4 This Will Make You Laugh (02:54) 5 The Shadow of Your Smile (03:07) 6 I Wish I Didnt Love You So (02:35) 7 I Wont Cry Anymore (03:00) 8 Why Did I Choose You (alternate vocal performance) (02:37) 9 I Wish I Didnt Love You So (alternate vocal performance) (02:36) 10 I Wont Cry Anymore (alternate vocal performance) (02:53) |
| Vulnerable : Allmusic album Review : Vulnerable is the end result of a project entitled The Ballads that Marvin Gaye began in 1966. Gaye intended the project as a showcase for his crooning, as well as a way to pay tribute to the pop and jazz standards he loved. It was a labor of love that took him 12 years to complete, and even after it was finished, the record wasnt released until 1997. Was it worth the wait? For dedicated fans, it certainly was, since Gayes voice is as beautiful and soulful as ever. However, anyone who is not a dedicated fan will find Vulnerable intriguing but significantly flawed, especially since several of the songs seem ill-suited for Gayes seductive vocals. Which means that even though Vulnerable is a nice addendum to his catalog, its little more than a curiosity. | ||