What's Going On Belleville IL

Originally written in a time where there was something to rebel against, a time of radical changes so deep that most of the participants didn't e ...

Local Companies

Rexel United
(618) 233-4424
48 Empire Dr
Belleville, IL
Ace Hardware-Home-Brite
(618) 233-4466
400 E Illinois St
Belleville, IL
Peerless Premire Appliance Co
(618) 233-0475
119 S 14th St
Belleville, IL
Crescent Electric Supply Co
(815) 747-3145
7750 Timmerman Dr
East Dubuque, IL
Troy Electrical Supply
(618) 667-3411
819 Industrial Dr
Troy, IL
First Supply Inc
(618) 664-1890
928 E Harris Ave
Greenville, IL
Alliance Lighting Inc
(847) 368-1395
5400 Newport Dr Ste 4
Rolling Meadows, IL
Wesco Distribution Inc
(309) 673-0707
915 NE Adams St
Peoria, IL
G & W Electric Co
(708) 388-5010
3500 Burr Oak Ave
Blue Island, IL
Inter-Pacific Inc
(847) 205-1682
3012 Commercial Ave
Northbrook, IL

Provided by: 

Provided By:The Daily Vault

What's Going On

Marvin Gaye

Motown, 1971

REVIEW BY: Benjamin Ray

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 12/02/2006

What's Going On is the finest record to come out of Motown and perhaps one of the best protest records of all time.

Originally written in a time where there was something to rebel against, a time of radical changes so deep that most of the participants didn't even know what they were causing, Gaye's masterpiece immediately spoke for an entire generation, the first record by a black artist that spoke for the entire country.

It works so well because the protests are human and intensely personal. Dylan could write a protest album, sure, but he did not suffer nearly the kind of injustice Gaye went though during this time in his life. Sick of the Motown hit factory that robbed artists of their integrity and creativity, fueled by sadness from his own disintegrating marriage and the death of Tammi Terrell, his duet partner, Gaye isolated himself and created this record.

Its genius is in its air of hope, the underlying optimism that undercuts Gaye's soaring voice, one that is equal parts sadness, hope and romance. The title track is the most recognized masterpiece, as it should be; Gaye's brother Frankie had just returned from the war, and in a way this record uses him as the narrator to address a country torn apart by war and social strife. Starting with some happy studio banter, the song uses a sensual sax beat and sparse production, putting the emphasis strongly on Gaye's lyrics, which are simple but direct: "Picket lines and picket signs / Don't punish me with brutality / Come on talk to me / So you can see what's going on." The background vocals (courtesy of two Detroit Lions) and the occasional handclaps and scat singing just bring the point home, as does the soul underpinning.


Click here to read complete Review
Related Articles
- "Hours..." Belleville IL
From beginning to end, Hours… is a masterful blend of spacey pop rock filled with great hooks. When I first listened to it, I thought the albu ...
- "Hours..." Belleville IL
- () Belleville IL
- (818) Belleville IL
- "Weird Al" Yankovic Belleville IL
- #1's Belleville IL
- #3 Belleville IL
- '89 Live In Japan Belleville IL
- #447 Belleville IL
- '74 Jailbreak Belleville IL
Related Articles
- #447 Belleville IL
The title of pop-rock singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw's latest CD, #447, is a tongue and cheek exaggeration on the number of recordings he has r ...
- '89 Live In Japan Belleville IL
- "Hours..." Belleville IL
- #1's Belleville IL
- "Weird Al" Yankovic Belleville IL
- "Hours..." Belleville IL
- '74 Jailbreak Belleville IL
- (818) Belleville IL
- #3 Belleville IL
- () Belleville IL

Rss   Delicious   Digg   Add To My Yahoo   Add To My Google   Bookmark   Search Plugin

Topics:
Advertising Family Home Services Real Estate Resources
Business Services Fashion Industrial Goods & Services Retail & Consumer Services
Career Financial Services Insurance Software
Cars Food & Beverage Internet Technology
Computer Hardware Franchise Legal Telecommunications
Construction Health Miscellaneous Trade Shows
Education Holidays Nightlife Travel
Entertainment Home Appliances Online Database Weddings
Environmental Home Electronics Pets World History