Tracks
- Let's Get It On
- Please Stay (Once You Go Away)
- If I Should Die Tonight
- Keep Gettin' It On
- Come Get to This
- Distant Lover
- You Sure Love to Ball
- Just to Keep You Satisfied
Let's Get It On is an amorous album. The music is funk and soul. It's really a funky soul album. The funk is ever-present but measured while the soul rides on top. Marvin Gaye switches between his normal mellow, honey-dripping singing voice and an orgasmic, falsetto one.
This is music that can't be meant to actually listen to. For men, this album certainly isn't meant for anything but background music to seduction. And certainly, with this album, Marvin Gaye has given more women weaker knees than any other soul singer.
I think this is a good album. It certainly creates a romantic mood, which isn't really what I'm looking for when listening to music alone. No matter what, the music is really good, especially the bass and there are some good drum fills. I think it's worth listening to once. It's a must for any bachelor and for serious music collectors. It deserves to be on the 1001 Albums list because this is the work that many far-inferior soul singers have ripped off.
All the songs are good. The stand outs are Let's Get It On, Please Stay (Once You Go Away), If I Should Die Tonight, Keep Gettin' It On, You Sure Love to Ball and Just to Keep You Satisfied.
★★★★★★★★★★
Tracks
- What's Going On
- What's Happening Brother
- Flyin' High (In the Friendly Sky)
- Save the Children
- God Is Love
- Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
- Right On
- Wholy Holy
- Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
What's Going On is a passionate album. The music is soul. It's a combination of bass, congas, strings, vocals. The music doesn't seem to have much structure. The bass moves the music from one place to another and Marvin Gaye's vocals follow along.
It's disappointing that the 1001 Albums list isn't listed chronologically within each year. Sly and the Family Stone's There's a Riot Goin' On is listed before What's Going On, but the latter was released before the former. In fact, Sly had another name in mind for Riot, but he renamed the album as a response to What's Going On.
It's disappointing because the bass style is similar and mentioning the style as first and attributing to Sly makes sense in context in the context of the list, but it makes little sense historically.
Besides the music, which is really good, the songs are significant for the message in the lyrics. There are songs about the Viet Nam war, poverty, unemployment, the environment, children, drug abuse, the haves and have nots and religion. There's hope in these songs, but there's frustration, anger and bewilderment. It's just as relevant today as it was in 1971.
I think this album is fantastic. It's definitely one of the best I've ever heard. It is definitely a different kind of soul—a more socially aware soul. The music is just as energetic, but it's more conservative. This album is worth listening to and I think any serious collector would be hard pressed not to include it in his collection. It certainly also deserves to be on the 1001 Albums list.
All of the songs are excellent. The stand outs for me are: What's Going On, What's Happening Brother, Save the Children, Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology), Right On and Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).
★★★★★★★★★★
