I'm a big Marvin fan and I was wondering what people thought was his best pre-What's Going on. I only have Take Two (With Kim Weston) and The Complete Duets (With Tammi Terrell) BTW

At the risk of being predictable, I'd have to go with M.P.G. over I Heard It Through the Grapevine (a.k.a. In the Groove).

Get these albums when you can:

That Stubborn Kinda Fellow (includes the early hits like "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" and "Hitch Hike" and also a different version of "Pride & Joy", and also includes the great junts like "Got to Get My Hands on Some Lovin'", "Wherever I Lay My Hat, That's My Home", "Soldier's Plea", "Hello There Angel" and "I'm Yours, You're Mine")

Moods of Marvin Gaye (all the Smokey/Miracles penned tunes on there from "Ain't That Peculiar", "I'll Be Doggone", "One More Heartache", "Take This Heart of Mine", also "One of These Days", his version of Willie Nelson's "Nightlife", "Hey Diddle Diddle", "Little Darling I Need You", which is a different version from the single version due to Motown adding the Detroit Symphony strings; "Your Unchanging Love")

United (probably the best duet album of all time; their funky cover of Marv Johnson's "You Got What It Takes" is worth the admission so is "Sad Wedding", probably one of the top ten greatest duets I ever heard; all the early hits, and some slow-draggers like "Give a Little Love")

In the Groove (some great tracks on here including "Grapevine", "You", "Chained"; my personal favorite from this one has always been "At Last I Found a Love")

M.P.G. (probably his BEST '60s album besides Stubborn; no fillers in that one; includes "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" and "That's the Way Love Is" and includes some of my favorite late sixties Marvin cuts like "Bitter Pill to Swallow" and "I Got to Get to California")

Notable album bonuses would include the Marvin and Mary Wells album, Together; the second M&T album, You're All I Need and When I'm Alone I Cry.

Timmy84 said:

United (probably the best duet album of all time; their funky cover of Marv Johnson's "You Got What It Takes" is worth the admission so is "Sad Wedding", probably one of the top ten greatest duets I ever heard; all the early hits, and some slow-draggers like "Give a Little Love")

Well I already have every song on the Complete Duets and I don't think there's a CD version. Speaking of which are any of the other albums mentioned on CD?

aardvark15 said:

Timmy84 said:

United (probably the best duet album of all time; their funky cover of Marv Johnson's "You Got What It Takes" is worth the admission so is "Sad Wedding", probably one of the top ten greatest duets I ever heard; all the early hits, and some slow-draggers like "Give a Little Love")

Well I already have every song on the Complete Duets and I don't think there's a CD version. Speaking of which are any of the other albums mentioned on CD?

I have no idea. I forgot you did say you have the Complete Duets. In your opinion, what's your best side? The United side? The YAIN side? Or the Easy side?

Timmy84 said:

aardvark15 said:

Well I already have every song on the Complete Duets and I don't think there's a CD version. Speaking of which are any of the other albums mentioned on CD?

I have no idea. I forgot you did say you have the Complete Duets. In your opinion, what's your best side? The United side? The YAIN side? Or the Easy side?

United. Definetly my favorite duet album out of the one's I've heard

aardvark15 said:

Timmy84 said:

I have no idea. I forgot you did say you have the Complete Duets. In your opinion, what's your best side? The United side? The YAIN side? Or the Easy side?

United. Definetly my favorite duet album out of the one's I've heard

I agree. I couldn't listen to the last one because of the issue with Tammi's illness and I'm sure Marvin wouldn't want us to hear the last one. And with good reason. *coughValerieSimpsonlyingcough*

[Edited 6/29/12 14:54pm]

off topic since its after whats going on era :diana and marvin , is it a good album ? i absolutly love you are everything

motownlover said:

off topic since its after whats going on era :diana and marvin , is it a good album ? i absolutly love you are everything

I would recommend it. The ballads (which command the entire album) are some of the most serene I ever heard from the both of them in the duet setting.

motownlover said:

off topic since its after whats going on era :diana and marvin , is it a good album ? i absolutly love you are everything

I love that album! It's not on the level of his biggest albums that decade, but it's certainly worth owning.

motownlover said:

off topic since its after whats going on era :diana and marvin , is it a good album ? i absolutly love you are everything

The weakest post-What's Going On CD he made while alive but its still a great CD.

AlexdeParis said:

motownlover said:

off topic since its after whats going on era :diana and marvin , is it a good album ? i absolutly love you are everything

I love that album! It's not on the level of his biggest albums that decade, but it's certainly worth owning.

Weak as far as Marvin albums go but strong as far as Diana's went, which kinda works out. It actually benefited them both. "Love Twins", "Just Say, Just Say" and "Include Me In Your Life" are probably my favorites from it.

Timmy84 said:

AlexdeParis said:

I love that album! It's not on the level of his biggest albums that decade, but it's certainly worth owning.

Weak as far as Marvin albums go but strong as far as Diana's went, which kinda works out. It actually benefited them both. "Love Twins", "Just Say, Just Say" and "Include Me In Your Life" are probably my favorites from it.

Ever listened to When I'm Alone I Cry?

The shit he did with Tammi Terrell is pretty dope.

aardvark15 said:

motownlover said:

off topic since its after whats going on era :diana and marvin , is it a good album ? i absolutly love you are everything

The weakest post-What's Going On CD he made while alive but its still a great CD.

I don't know... I probably like it more than Trouble Man, In Our Lifetime, and Midnight Love.

AlexdeParis said:

aardvark15 said:

The weakest post-What's Going On CD he made while alive but its still a great CD.

I don't know... I probably like it more than Trouble Man, In Our Lifetime, and Midnight Love.

Nah homie, those albums trump over D&M.

Timmy84 said:

AlexdeParis said:

I love that album! It's not on the level of his biggest albums that decade, but it's certainly worth owning.

Weak as far as Marvin albums go but strong as far as Diana's went, which kinda works out. It actually benefited them both. "Love Twins", "Just Say, Just Say" and "Include Me In Your Life" are probably my favorites from it.

"Include Me in Your Life" is definitely one of my favorites. I adore the Stylistics covers as well. "My Mistake" is one of those songs I have to sing along to whenever I hear it. "You're a Special Part of Me" is another favorite. Of the bonus tracks, I love the playful "The Things I Will Not Miss" and "I'll Keep My Light in My Window."

AlexdeParis said:

Timmy84 said:

Weak as far as Marvin albums go but strong as far as Diana's went, which kinda works out. It actually benefited them both. "Love Twins", "Just Say, Just Say" and "Include Me In Your Life" are probably my favorites from it.

"Include Me in Your Life" is definitely one of my favorites. I adore the Stylistics covers as well. "My Mistake" is one of those songs I have to sing along to whenever I hear it. "You're a Special Part of Me" is another favorite. Of the bonus tracks, I love the playful "The Things I Will Not Miss" and "I'll Keep My Light in My Window."

"Alone" and "I've Come to Love You So Much" are the best of the bonus cuts. Especially "Alone". They brought it with that one.

Timmy84 said:

AlexdeParis said:

I don't know... I probably like it more than Trouble Man, In Our Lifetime, and Midnight Love.

Nah homie, those albums trump over D&M.

Diana & Marvin has a "feel good" quality that makes it more than the sum of its parts. It's like a nice cozy blanket.

But I love the post-disco funk of "I'll Keep My Light" since it was recorded in '78 and shit.

AlexdeParis said:

Timmy84 said:

Nah homie, those albums trump over D&M.

Diana & Marvin has a "feel good" quality that makes it more than the sum of its parts. It's like a nice cozy blanket.

In terms of their albums, I think it was one of Diana's best. Marvin only did it as a favor for both Diana and Motown and also to boost his own popularity (which worked). It was a Motown contractual obligation, not necessarily Tamla but even if he sounded half-hearted (in a way), he still brought it. That's how great he was. Diana stepped up her A-game with this one. You could tell she was just excited to sing with Marvin. She kept whispering his name throughout the album.

"I love you Marvin... oh Marvin... Marvin Marvin Marvin..."

Timmy84 said:

AlexdeParis said:

Diana & Marvin has a "feel good" quality that makes it more than the sum of its parts. It's like a nice cozy blanket.

In terms of their albums, I think it was one of Diana's best. Marvin only did it as a favor for both Diana and Motown and also to boost his own popularity (which worked). It was a Motown contractual obligation, not necessarily Tamla but even if he sounded half-hearted (in a way), he still brought it. That's how great he was. Diana stepped up her A-game with this one. You could tell she was just excited to sing with Marvin. She kept whispering his name throughout the album.

"I love you Marvin... oh Marvin... Marvin Marvin Marvin..."

That's part of why it's so awesome! Who wouldn't be excited to sing with Marvin?

AlexdeParis said:

Timmy84 said:

In terms of their albums, I think it was one of Diana's best. Marvin only did it as a favor for both Diana and Motown and also to boost his own popularity (which worked). It was a Motown contractual obligation, not necessarily Tamla but even if he sounded half-hearted (in a way), he still brought it. That's how great he was. Diana stepped up her A-game with this one. You could tell she was just excited to sing with Marvin. She kept whispering his name throughout the album.

"I love you Marvin... oh Marvin... Marvin Marvin Marvin..."

That's part of why it's so awesome! Who wouldn't be excited to sing with Marvin?

TRUE! Diana had been wanting to sing anything with Marvin for 15 years beforehand. And just about every female solo artist in Motown when Marvin was there got their share of him in the studio.

Cinny said:

Ever listened to When I'm Alone I Cry?

[img:$uid]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qMlKL6v2DKE/TKoJaa4cUpI/AAAAAAAAAg4/c59ESAucYnQ/s1600/Marvin+Gaye+(1964)+-+When+I%27m+Alone+I+Cry.jpg[/img:$uid]

HuMpThAnG said:

Cinny said:

Ever listened to When I'm Alone I Cry?

[img:$uid]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qMlKL6v2DKE/TKoJaa4cUpI/AAAAAAAAAg4/c59ESAucYnQ/s1600/Marvin+Gaye+(1964)+-+When+I%27m+Alone+I+Cry.jpg[/img:$uid]

Of the jazz-oriented albums he did, this and Vulnerable are tops...