Features Disc of the day
Marvin Gaye
Here, My Dear
(Motown, 1978)
Mrs Gaye, your decree nisi has arrived.
Forcibly confined together in the family’s bosom over the Christmas and New Year holidays, tempers fuelled by strong drink, rich food, sloth and boredom, is it any wonder that rates for separation and divorce soar at this festive time of year? What better record, then, to end the holidays than Gaye’s classic kiss-off to Anna Gordy, the boss’s sister whom he married in 1964 and almost immediately regretted it. The marriage tottered along until the mid-’70s when they divorced and destitute Marvin was ordered to render the proceeds of his next album unto the former Mrs Gaye. Coming on the back of What’s Going On and Let’s Get It On, a commercial whopper was anticipated but Here, My Dear, a double, stiffed. History has been a better judge. In fact, Gaye portrays the marriage and its subsequent disintegration in one of soul’s outstanding personal statements, acid and angry, sweet and loving, sentimental and sour. Among the many highlights: I Met A Little Girl, Anger, Sparrow, Anna’s Song, and a barbed You Can Leave, But It’s Going To Cost You. An icepick presented on a velvet cushion, it’s as succinct as a Raymond Carver short story.
Geoff Brown
Posted by Danny_Eccleston at 6:00 AM GMT 02/01/2008
Further Listening
Gladys Knight & The Pips – Neither One Of Us (Motown, 1973)
Bob Dylan – Blood On The Tracks (Columbia, 1974)
Dolly Parton – Just Because I’m A Woman (RCA, 1968)
Previous Disc of the day
-
Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts
“Acquired taste” prog diabolists take up stakes, gather kindling, terrify all-comers.
6:00 AM GMT 17/06/2008
-
Chris Smither - Don’t It Drag On
26-year-old Crescent City native decamps to Woodstock for growly folk-blues radiance.
6:00 AM GMT 16/06/2008
-
-
Luther Ingram - I Don’t Want To Be Right: The Ko Ko Singles Volume 2
A treasure trove of soul gems by the late, undervalued singer from Jackson, Tennessee.
6:00 AM GMT 14/06/2008
-
Killing Joke - Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell
End-time claustrophobia punctuates the last Killing Joke song cycle to feature late bassist Paul Rav
6:00 AM GMT 13/06/2008
-
Merchandise
end of body content back to top
Footer
© Copyright Bauer - all rights reserved. Reproduction of this website, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Bauer is prohibited.
All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
|
|
Comments
Comment on this post
didn't they collaborate on songs for what's going on?
Posted by Becka at 7:55 PM GMT 02/01/2008 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
Comment on this post