“I’ve been really trying” – Marvin Gaye, “Let’s Get It On”
It’s just so easy to think you’ve got the gist of something. You see a few movies with a few sex scenes, and you “get” Marvin Gaye. You don’t learn about how Marvin was physically abused by his conservative Christian father, and grew up with an extremely warped view of sex. You don’t get all the context about Marvin equating sexual epiphany with religious epiphany—which, having also grown up in conservative Christian culture, I understand to mean “Marvin prayed and worshipped and read Scripture when he was supposed to and felt God’s love; later, Marvin enjoyed sex. Possibly before marriage.” As I’ve said before, I never wanna be the writer who talks too much or too little about sex. It does make me a touch uncomfortable to write about it, which is stupid, because I haven’t really felt uncomfortable about the existence of sex since I was a teenager. So let’s just accept two related facts: 1) sex is normal and human, and 2) soul music is undeniable.
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Naked Raygun | Pure Hell | Big Joanie | The Beatles | The Beatles | Black Sabbath | Hüsker Dü | Fleetwood Mac
HOW I CAME ACROSS THIS ALBUM
Not every “how I came across this album” can begin with “I have ears and am alive.” Most do, though. To attempt more detail: In high school jazz/marching/rock band (we had guitars where most marching bands have xylophones), we played a lot of 70s stuff. We played “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” I knew who Marvin Gaye was. I still love soul and R&B, it’s probably my second- or third-most listened-to genre behind “generalized rock.” But what cemented this track into my consciousness was probably High Fidelity.
Anyway, sometime around last summer, I listened to What’s Going On and the Troubleman soundtrack all the way through on a lark. They’re both great albums! What’s Going On remains in the rotation. But I suppose I have been afraid to play this one in the car with my eight-year-old.
TRACK BY TRACK
Do I also put a YouTube video of Marvin Gaye’s version of “Let’s Get It On?” It will surely annihilate School Of Rock up there. Somehow, I think Jack Black will recover. He’s fanning himself with Minecraft money.
LET’S GET IT ON
Obvious banger. One of the best side one track ones of all time, to bring High Fidelity back. I love love love this chord progression. That I – iii – IV – V is gorgeous no matter what you do with it. Playing it slow is nice.
PLEASE DON’T STAY
Another song that leads with the vocals! Why not, when you’ve got Marvin Gaye. It’s not too much of a tempo shift, even if it’s a markedly more mellow song. Feels like I’ve been listening to (80s and 70s) stuff lately where they throw a ballad in as track two, and that’s just an atrocious move. Keep the energy up. Do whatever the guitar is doing at 1:12 here, that cutoff thing that Marvin mimics slightly with his vocals. That’s the minimum energy for a track two. Of course, Marvin coursing through with more electricity than a power line helps the energy, no matter what the tempo is.
IF I SHOULD DIE TONIGHT
If you’ve never felt this way about another person then I feel sorry for you.
KEEP GETTIN’ IT ON
YEAH BRING IT BACK! MORE SAX THIS TIME!
COME GET TO THIS
Really vocal-foward album, and I’m so into it. You know yr man the shipwrecked sailor likes plenty of cool guitar riffs and such, but I’m fine with Marvin Gaye announcing himself within the first two bars of every song. I think the chord progressions—always surprising—do a lot to scratch the musical itches in my brain. The bass lines are so good, too. This one just steady walks you.
DISTANT LOVER
How can you not love bass guitar if you listen to this song?
YOU SURE LOVE TO BALL
Okay, as sex-positive as this column is, one thing I’ll never be able to shake is being uncomfortable when women are orgasming over songs. Guns N Roses, Outkast, Marvin—it just never feels like the right move. Then again, Wikipedia is telling me that “ball” is slang for “to have sex.” I uh, grew up with a more Rasheed Wallace definition of the word “ball.” That all said, love the music on this track.
JUST TO KEEP YOU SATISFIED
Phenomenal closer. Just great. I am satisfied, thank you, Marvin.
WHAT DO I THINK?
It goes, man. Who doesn’t love Motown? The production is relatively minimalist ~~by Motown standards~~, and the songs are just good. I think Marvin got put on one of those “100 Greatest Songwriter” lists recently, and he deserved it. Guy was not just a sex symbol, guy was spiritual and a thinker and an artist. Sex is good, sex is human, sex shouldn’t be feared. I mean, be safe, do whatever you’re comfortable with and nothing you’re not, consent is a thing. Yes, religion is often about self-denial, and that can often be a good thing. But not to the point where whole swaths of people are just afraid of sex. That’s stupid. Listen to Marvin Gaye.
Sorry you got an email,
Chris