It's the 40th anniversary of two albums. 40 years ago, Marvin Gaye asked What's Goin' On? Sly Stone replied There's A Riot Goin' On. I'm focusing on the Marvin Gaye album, folks.

“War is not the answer, because only love can conquer hate. ”
- Marvin Gaye

The first Marvin Gaye album credited as produced solely by the artist himself, What's Going On is a unified concept album consisting of nine songs, most of which lead into the next. It has also been categorized as a song cycle, since the album ends on a reprise to the album's opening theme. The album is told from the point of view of a Vietnam War veteran returning to the country he had been fighting for, and seeing nothing but injustice, suffering and hatred.

What's Going On was the first album on which Motown Records' main studio band, the group of session musicians known as the Funk Brothers, received an official credit. The album features introspective lyrics and socially-conscious themes about drug abuse, poverty, and the Vietnam War. What's Going On was both an immediate commercial and critical success and has endured as a classic of early-1970s soul. A deluxe edition set of the album was released on February 27, 2001, and featured a rare live concert shot at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center where the singer was given the key to the city.

In worldwide critics', artists' and public surveys, it has been voted one of the landmark recordings in pop music history and is considered to be one of the greatest albums ever made. In 2003, the album was ranked number 6 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

In late March 1970, Marvin Gaye had fallen into a deep depression following the death of his singing partner and fellow Motown artist Tammi Terrell, who had died of a brain tumor earlier that month. Gaye refused to record or perform, going as far as to attempt an athletic career in football with the Detroit Lions of the NFL. After an unsuccessful tryout for the team, Gaye came in contact with musician Al Cleveland and the Four Tops' Renaldo "Obie" Benson, who were working on a politically conscious song called "What's Going On". Gaye assisted Cleveland and Benson in completing the composition, and planned to produce the song as a recording for the Motown act The Originals. However, Cleveland and Benson persuaded Gaye to record the song himself.

In June 1970, Gaye recorded "What's Going On" and his own composition, "God Is Love", which further expanded his inclusion of his spirituality in his music. Recording such material was a different direction for Gaye, who had previously performed and recorded radio-formatted and contemporary songs that were more representative of the Gordy-produced Motown Sound rather than politically or socially conscious music. When Gaye delivered the songs as the sides for his next 45-rpm single, his brother-in-law, Motown Records CEO Berry Gordy, Jr., objected to the material and refused to release the recordings. Though he had already permitted other Motown artists to record and release material that hinted at social and political themes – Edwin Starr's "War", The Temptations' "Ball of Confusion", both released earlier in 1970, and Stevie Wonder's "Heaven Help Us All", released later in the year – Gordy considered "What's Going On" far too political to be promoted on radio and too unusual compared with the popular music sound of that time to be commercially successful. Gaye, however, stood his ground and continued to lobby his case to label executives and to Gordy, as he did not want to be bound by Gordy's or Motown's version of music.

In an interview for Rolling Stone magazine, Marvin Gaye discussed what had shaped his view on more socially conscious themes in music and the conception of his eleventh full-length, non-duets studio album:

In 1969 or 1970, I began to re-evaluate my whole concept of what I wanted my music to say... I was very much affected by letters my brother was sending me from Vietnam, as well as the social situation here at home. I realized that I had to put my own fantasies behind me if I wanted to write songs that would reach the souls of people. I wanted them to take a look at what was happening in the world.

—Marvin Gaye

Gordy eventually gave in, certain that the record would flop. Upon its release in January 1971, "What's Going On" became Motown's fastest selling single at that point, going to the number-one spot on the R&B charts for five weeks and number-two for three weeks on the Pop listings, with "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night retaining the top spot.

After this success, Berry Gordy requested an entire accompanying album. Gaye began recording the tracks that would eventually comprise his best-known work, the What's Going On album, handling all of his own production and some of his own songwriting. The entire album was originally mixed in Detroit, with Marvin Gaye out of town and not present. This mix, dubbed "The Detroit Mix", was scrapped and redone, with Gaye present, in Los Angeles.

The content of What's Going On was that of a politically charged and deeply personal Motown album, and was notable for including elements of jazz and classical music instrumentation and arrangements. The record was among the first soul albums to place heavy emphasis on political and social concerns such as environmentalism, political corruption, drug abuse, and the Vietnam War, in which Gaye's brother, Frankie Gaye, had served for three years for the U.S. Army.^[3] However, after hearing a preliminary mix of the record, Berry Gordy was not offended by Gaye's embrace of countercultural politics, but was bothered by the album's format, which had each song leading to the next.This flow of sound was unconventional and not suited for radio airplay, conflicting with Gordy's main focus - the commercial aspect. The album's stylistic use of a song cycle gave it a cohesive feel and led What's Going On to become known as the first soul music concept album.

we'll can really answer about 40 yrs ago...can tell u now...music scene blows...US governement blows...economy blows....unemployment blows...

i hope that helps....

All I'm gonna say about this album (because I've already said a lot of things about it already) is Marvin was a fucking prophet. The end.

Timmy84 said:

All I'm gonna say about this album (because I've already said a lot of things about it already) is Marvin was a fucking prophet. The end.

Second that! This album will never die. They say this is our last year on earth, but if that is true...this album will live. Put it up there with Kind of Blue, Songs In The Key of Life, Revolver, Thriller, and all the rest of them.

And I would say "40 years ago, Marvin Gaye declared "What's Going On"...that's a fucking statement, not an ideal question.

silverchild said:

Timmy84 said:

All I'm gonna say about this album (because I've already said a lot of things about it already) is Marvin was a fucking prophet. The end.

Second that! This album will never die. They say this is our last year on earth, but if that is true...this album will live. Put it up there with Kind of Blue, Songs In The Key of Life, Revolver, Thriller, and all the rest of them.

And I would say "40 years ago, Marvin Gaye declared "What's Going On"...that's a fucking statement, not an ideal question.

Timmy84 said:

All I'm gonna say about this album (because I've already said a lot of things about it already) is Marvin was a fucking prophet. The end.

Second that! This album will never die. They say this is our last year on earth, but if that is true...this album will live. Put it up there with Kind of Blue, Songs In The Key of Life, Revolver, Thriller, and all the rest of them.

And I would say "40 years ago, Marvin Gaye declared "What's Going On"...that's a fucking statement, not an ideal question.

a couple of months back, my mother said she didn't think this album had stood the test of time, like songs in the key of life.

i was like stan talking to cartman: 'cartman, what the hell are you talkin' about?'

i couldn't even form a reply, 'cause i was so perplexed. . .

kibbles said:

a couple of months back, my mother said she didn't think this album had stood the test of time, like songs in the key of life.

i was like stan talking to cartman: 'cartman, what the hell are you talkin' about?'

i couldn't even form a reply, 'cause i was so perplexed. . .

lol I don't get why people always compare those albums. That's just belittles their "favorite" album IMHO

[Edited 9/19/11 16:56pm]

Kim Weston put this masterstroke of an album in such a perfect and downright sad perspective: "Probably the greatest sermon Marvin's father never preached!"

silverchild said:

Kim Weston put this masterstroke of an album in such a perfect and downright sad perspective: "Probably the greatest sermon Marvin's father never preached!"

David Ritz about said the same thing.

Timmy84 said:

silverchild said:

Kim Weston put this masterstroke of an album in such a perfect and downright sad perspective: "Probably the greatest sermon Marvin's father never preached!"

David Ritz about said the same thing.

Yes he did. I believe that is the tragic part of this impactful suite of songs. That quote might seem a bit mythical and long-winded for some, but it is true.

silverchild said:

Timmy84 said:

David Ritz about said the same thing.

Yes he did. I believe that is the tragic part of this impactful suite of songs. That quote might seem a bit mythical and long-winded for some, but it is true.

Marvin Sr. couldn't get over the fact that his son was reaching more people with this album than he had reached in his sermons. He never really respected his son, which is sad.

[Edited 9/19/11 17:10pm]

Timmy84 said:

silverchild said:

Yes he did. I believe that is the tragic part of this impactful suite of songs. That quote might seem a bit mythical and long-winded for some, but it is true.

Marvin Sr. couldn't get over the fact that his son was reaching more people with this album than he had reached in his sermons. He never really respected his son, which is sad.

[Edited 9/19/11 17:10pm]

Yep.

#masterpiece

If your album starts with "What's Going On" and ends with "Inner City Blues," it almost doesn't matter what's in the middle. But when what's in the middle is also brilliant... well, that's What's Going On. It's a beautiful, timeless record the likes of which we'll probably never see again.