Customer Reviews

Dream of a Lifetime

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Critically, this album has been bashed, thrashed and rehashed over the years.Considering it was made out of the unreleased, remaining scraps of his last recording sessions, I think it is a decent posthumous affair, better than say John Lennon's "Milk and Honey". I would go as far as to say that "Sanctified Lady" is one of his best jams, done in the funky style of "Sexual Healing" or "Got To Give It Up". Also of note, "Ain't It Funny(How Things Turn Around), which is a catchy tune that I play a lot and could have been written about his recent commercial comeback with the Midnight Love album. I also like "Savage In The Sack" and "Masochistic Beauty". I think, obviously, if Marvin had lived, these sessions would be more polished and stronger material along the lines of "Sanctified Lady" would have come along and lifted this album to the level of Midnight Love, but I feel it is pure musical snobbery to turn up your nose at these recordings, as many have for years, when actually they are quite good, and let's face it, Marvin's s#*t was other people's diamonds.

I have been a huge fan of Marvin since 6th grade, when I was just 12 years old. Now I am 17 and every day i am still touched by his music and his legacy. I purchased this CD about 3 years, and like most of Marvins music, it took a while for it to grow on me. However, this is not an actual cd, but a collection of work recorded on CBS after 'Midnight Love'; as well as work such as Symphony and I Live For You which were recorded during the same time as the 'Let's Get It On' album (outtakes of the aforementioned songs appear on the deluxe edition of 'Lets Get It On). Since this is not a real album, it doesnt flow consistently...and since the material ranges from the early 70's to the early 80's, the musical style (the change from congas to synthesized drum beats) can sometimes only be an unfortunate reminder of why the stuff shouldnt have even been released. However, when the songs are viewed individually, its not half as bad as it could be (this is MARVIN we are talking about!) Masochistic Beauty is diffently a funk filled jam, as is Sanctified Lady (which was actually a number 2 hit in 1985). . . and the '70s stuff ranks right up there with his classic albums This may not be an 'I Want You' or 'Whats Going On', but viewed on its own merits, it still makes the listener wish Marvin had lived his Dream of a Liftime to its fullest extent!
Max

The first three songs demonstrate Marvin Gaye's genius. "Sanctified Lady" is worth the price of the CD. It's as brilliantly secular as it is simultaneously sacred. "Savage in the Sack" is comical and poignant. "Masochistic Beauty" reveals a very interesting point of view from a man who's life was as rich in variety and texture as it was complex as the musical compositions that he gave to the world. In my estimation all three of these songs are even better than "Sexual Healing".

Owned the LP since 1985 ... surprised to find you carry this CD ("regular" stores don't, of course!). I wouldn't say this was Marvin's BEST work, but it certainly is a UNIQUE one! And well worth adding to your collection if you're already a Marvin Gaye fan ... "newcomers" might be frightened.

this disc is very Raw&unpolished.for people who only like the hits don't come near it.Sanctified Lady is a cool Raw Gem.this disc has many sides to it. just like the Genius of the Man.

Music critics often dismiss this album as being uneven, unpolished and unfocused as the songs were pulled from the can and some of the material sound more like demos than polished tracks. I think, though that they're so hung up on mechanics that they're missing the point...
I especially dig this release and give this album four stars, because I believe that this album, unploished though it may be, gives you rare candid insight into the mind and heart of Marvin Gaye -- the man. Some of the tracks were songs meant to be released for his next album, while others were songs that remained in the can....but they all seem to show a deeper and perhaps somewhat tortured side of Marvin that you didn't see in earlier releases (not even Here, My Dear).
You hear the spiritual side, (Life's Opera, Dream of a Lifetime), the scandalous, yet humourous side (Masochistic Beauty, Savage in the Sack, Santified Lady), and the tortured, emotional side(those would be his Motown tracks, It's Madness and Symphony). My only complaint about this release is that the producers censored some of the content and took away from the genuineness of the material (e.g. Savage in the Sack was originally meant to be called "Them Niggers are Savages in the Sack" and Sanctified Lady was to be "Santified Pussy" clearly both were overdubbed for political correctness.).
Be it as it may, this album should have been a greater classic than allowed...because it showcased the man...the true genius and mind of Marvin Gaye

This is a Marvin Gaye album?! Taken from unreleased demos made shortly before his death and released posthumously a year after it, this album is surely one of the worst albums ever made by a truly legendary artist. His ballads are the weakest of any album in his career, others like "Sanctified Lady" are too robotic to be good for somebody like him, and "Masochistic Beauty" is such an unforgivable atrocity that sometimes I can't help but wonder if it was what Marvin and his father were arguing about when he was killed.

Listening to this album is a sad experience, and not the good kind of sad. Basically, this joint release from Columbia and Motown finds both studios attempting to clear out their vaults of some of the previously unreleased material from Marvin. The graphic cuts "Savage In the Sack" and "Masochistic Beauty" are almost uncomfortably lewd, and some claim that Marvin never even intended them for release (they say he just liked to shock visitor to the studio by playing them). The semi-hit "Sanctified Lady" (which strongly peaked at #2 on the R&B chart, but failed to scrape the Hot 100) is less pornographic (even though it's obvious that "lady" was dubbed over "p***y" at the last minute), however, it's also melodically less engaging. There are couple more tracks that are just average ("Symphony," the title track), and one where Marvin rambles on and on but never really says much ("Life's Opera"). The best track is easily the perceptive "It's Madness" (#55 R&B), although "Ain't It Funny" is also a nice groove. However, these tracks could have easily been issued on a better compilation (of which there have been plenty). But the worst thing about DREAM OF A LIFETIME is not the relative poor quality of tracks, but the fact that Columbia and Motown went ahead and released tracks that Marvin had not approved for release - all so they could make a profit off of his death.

The songs I like the most on this cd are so melancholy. The title track, "It's Madness" and "Life's Opera" just really make me ponder and wish MG were still alive. They are so sad yet give us a glimpse into the man himself, his feeling, emotions, beliefs, hopes and dreams.

IF M GAY HAD TO0 HAVE A LAST CD, THIS ONE, DREAM OF A LIFE TIME, IS THE BEST THAT HE, OR ANY ONE COULD HOPE FOR. IF I COULD HAVE ONLY ONE M GAY CD, THIS IS THE ONE I WOULD HAVE. IT HAS NOT ONLY THE FAST SOUND, THAT ARE GOOD FOR DANCE OR " GROOVING TO', BUT END WITH TWO SONGS THAT ARE GOOD FOR RELAXING AND MEDITATION. AS MUCH AS I LIKE M GAY, THIS IS HIS ONLY CD OF WHICH I LIKE EVERY SONG. TRY WORKING OUT WITH THIS CD AND THEN RELAXING AT THE END WITH A COOL DRINK.