The Very Best Of Marvin Gaye [Double CD, Original recording remastered]

Marvin Gayes' recording career spans back to the dawn of the swinging sixties when Motown Records was beginning to make its mark in the world by becoming commonly known as "the sound of young America". The fantastic Stubborn Kind Of Fellow was one of his very best early hits. The formulaic though enduring Motown sound is fully at work on this classic with Gayes' distinctive vocals seamlessly surfboarding along the somwhat complex musical arrangements.

Hitch Hike, Can I Get A Witness? and Too Busy Thinking About My Baby also encapsulates that familiar and distinct Motown sound of its golden era in the 1960's and all three are instantly contagious from the musical arrangements to gayes rocketing vocal performances that was in a class and style of its own.

During Motowns golden era of the 1960's, Gaye worked with many of the labels most talented female singers. His phenomenal duet with the underated Kim Weston on the sparse, It Takes Two, sounds just as fresh and as vibrant as it was back then. But it was the divine Tammi Terrell (who was married to David Ruffin, one-time lead singer of The Temptations) that he found his perfect duet partner.

Gaye and Terrell cut many albums and succesful hit singles together with their diverse blend of harmonies gelling neatly into the sexually sizzling productions. Some of their greatest duets include You're All I Need To Get By, Ain't No Mountain High Enough ( the latter being a total contrast to the more famous version Diana Ross took to the top of the charts in 1970), You Ain't Livin Till Your Lovin' and The Onion Song.

Gayes recording work in the late 60's vastly matured growing much more unique and phenomenal. He really hits his stride on the masterpiece, chart-topping mega-classic, I Hear It Through The Grapevine. The compelling opening interlude leads into a rocking and sparse production with Gayes stirring, soulful delivery complimenting the startling arrangements. Gaye really carries off I Heard It Through The Grapevine with style and finesse and this was but a mere taste of things to come.

Whilst his recording work progressed the sound of his music became more refined and stylized. He delivered what was possibly his greatest ever album in 1971 with What's Going On. That album neraly didn't happen as Motown boss Berry Gordy was unsure as to how his buying public might react to Gayes new, creative force. Well, if anything, this merely fuelled Gayes record sales and critics alike joined in to praise the genius. What's Going On completely shook off his more familiar sound of the 60's, exploring relevant environmental issues that also made some form of political comment as well as profound social commentary.

Gaye is put more in touch with his spiritual side on the timeless and poignant Mercy,Mercy Me which, with its rolling arrangements that has a really sharp, soulful edge, conveys Gayes vocal power which was simply going from strength to strength.

In 1973 he recorded a successful album of duets with the queen of Motown, Diana Ross. The highlight of this project was the breathtaking, You Are Everything. From that magical, exotic opening intro to the fittingly refined vocal delivery of Ross to Gayes more forceful, aggressive delivery, You Are Everything is THE ultimate love duet!

The evocative Lets Get It On taken from the excellent album of the same name, is one of my own personal favourite tracks. Gaye is in full romantic mood here with his exuberant delivery sounding highly sexually charged. This merley coats the smooth arrangements that features glorious saxophone interludes played at various points on the recording.

Gaye moved into funkier terriotry in the late 70's and reached its pinnacle on tracks such as the startlingly effective Got To Give It Up. With its multi-layered musical arrangements, dubbed crowd noises that sounds as though it was recorded live in a nightclub to Gayes impeccable delivery, it perfectly demenonstrated Gayes wonderful craft of versatlity.

One of Gayes last signature tunes had to be the timeless, sensual and utterly divine Sexual Healing. Gayes raw, earthy delivery rides along the state-of-the-art production and this was featured on his last studio album, Midnight Love which was his first (and last) for CBS Records following his departure from Motown records.

This two Cd collection collects together all of these classics that are all compelling musically and really give you an understanding as to why his work has remained unparralled and such an inspiration to todays new generation of wannabe soul/r&b singers. ESSENTIAL!

Ian Phillips

The classic American hits (not all of which charted in Britain) are all here including Can I get a witness, How sweet it is, I'll be doggone, Ain't that peculiar, I heard it through the grapevine, Too busy thinking about my baby, That's the way love is. What's going on, Mercy mercy me, Trouble man, Let's get it on and Got to give it up. Some of his duets are here, too, including Ain't no mountain high enough, Your precious love, If I could build my whole world around you, Ain't nothing like the real thing, You're all I need to get by (all with Tammi Terrell) and It takes two (with Kim Weston).

Marvin always considered himself a balladeer like Frank Sinatra or Nat King Cole rather than a typical R+B singer, but his early attempts to establish himself in this role were not a success. Eventually, he did gain acceptance as a balladeer after proving that he could do the R+B material - compare his definitive version of I heard it through the grapevine with the Gladys Knight version, released a year earlier. Marvin actually recorded the song before Gladys but Berry Gordy initially rejected his version. It shows what perseverance can do.

Marvin once again had Berry Gordy worried when he completed his anti-Vietnam album, What's going on. Motown had always been primarily a singles label so this album was completely alien to the marketing department, although it appears that many people at Motown loved it. Once again, Marvin was right. The album was a huge success and three of its tracks are here - they are the first three on CD 2.

This double-CD is a nice introduction to the music of Marvin Gaye, one of the finest soul singers of the twentieth century.