Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On stands today as one of the most important records in the history of recorded music in the United States. This is due to a variety of reasons, the primary one being it’s statements and reflections on American society during the 60’s and 70’s, which was fraught with social upheaval that spanned race relations, overseas military entanglements, environmental destruction, and economic conditions of the working class.
What’s Going On is a concept album, told from the perspective of a Vietnam veteran who is returning to the United States to witness hatred, suffering, and injustice plaguing the country he just fought for. This narrative was inspired in part by Marvin Gaye’s brother Frankie, whose letters from the front-lines of Vietnam deeply impacted Marvin, and whose perspective directly led to the song and lyrics in “What’s Happening Brother”.
In the build up to the album’s recording Gaye was experiencing a crisis of faith in both his personal and professional life. After achieving international success with Motown classics like “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”, Gaye felt constrained by the machine of Motown music and the pressure to continue to write love songs. In addition, his long-time singing partner Tammi Terrell passed away due to a brain tumor in 1970. Along with the social unrest plaguing the United States during that time, Gaye took a self-imposed hiatus from performing live and entered a period of seclusion that saw him grow a beard and eschew his traditional wardrobe of dress suits. As he recalled to Rolling Stone years later:
In 1969 or 1970, I began to re-evaluate my whole concept of what I wanted my music to say … I was very much affected by letters my brother was sending me from Vietnam, as well as the social situation here at home. I realized that I had to put my own fantasies behind me if I wanted to write songs that would reach the souls of people. I wanted them to take a look at what was happening in the world.
– Marvin Gaye via Rolling Stone
What followed from that period of self-reflection was nothing short of a masterpiece that has transcended the era in which it was created, a timeless album that still feels as fresh today as it did in 1971. Listening to this record 50 years after its release I was struck not only by its sonic beauty, but also by its bravery. This was an artist who not only was approaching the height of commercial success and decided to deviate from the hit-making machine that helped make him popular (Motown founder Berry Gordy said at the time that “What’s Going On” was the worst song he had ever heard and applied significant pressure on Gaye to not release the album), but also decided to reach deep into his soul and tell the world the reality of what was happening in America at the time. It didn’t whether or not the country was ready to hear that story. Gaye was hellbent on telling it.
The fact these themes are just as relevant today as they were 50 years ago is disheartening of course, but there exists a simple solace in the fact that What’s Going On remains a ray of light that can help guide us in its own way towards a better world.
It’s now up to us to really listen.
Standout Songs: “What’s Going On?”, “Right On”, “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)”, “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)”
