Customer Reviews

Live at the London Palladium

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Much has been written about Gaye's stage fright: He was TERRIFIED of performing live on stage. Some of that nervousness is evident when he is talking to the audience between songs on this disc. When Gaye starts singing, though, all traces of fear disappear, and he is in his element. Gaye is at his best on this disc when he is performing his '70s hits: "Come Get To This," "Let's Get It On," "Trouble Man" and "Distant Lover." Gaye performs two medleys of his '60s hits and one consisting of songs from his "What's Going On" album. He turns in good performances on these medleys, although I wish he hadn't moved so quickly from one song to the next. My vote for best live rendition on this disc goes to "Let's Get It On." He has the crowd in the palm of his hand on this one, and at the end, with the band playing this song's groove at a low level behind him, he turns on the charm for a female audience member. I'd love to see a video of this! The CD concludes with the classic studio recording of "Got To Give It Up." Gaye wrote this song because he only had enough live material to fill three LP sides, and he didn't want to edit the material down to fit onto a single LP. What he gave us on side four was simply one of the best songs of the '70s.

This remastered CD presents a more complete version of the concert. A number of tracks are significantly longer than they were on previous vinyl and CD releases. The CD booklet restores credits and photos that were dropped from the previous CD version, and adds some interesting liner notes on the making of this album. A photo viewable through the clear CD tray was originally slated to appear on the inner gatefold of the vinyl LP, before they went with an alternate design.

Forget all of the many poor-quality live bootlegs and budget releases, this is the live album that features Marvin performing at his peak. The disc is at it's most amazing with Gaye's performances of his then-recent hits. Marvin's live renditions of "Since I Had You," "Trouble Man," "Come Get To Get To This," and especially his extended performance of "Let's Get It On" are absolutely phenomenal! The obligatory medley of `60s hits has been wisely revamped by rendering the usually chipper numbers in a slower, more melancholy style that gives the numbers a fresh spin.

I don't particularly like having the incomparable WHAT'S GOING ON songs crowded into one slightly rushed medley (these classics definitely deserve equal time), however the "Save The Children" finale does pack an unbeatable punch. The only real negative to the set is the horrendous "duets" medley, with the awful Florence Lyles butchering some truly great songs. PALLADIUM also contains the full-length 11 minute version of the hit "Got To Give It Up" (#1 Pop, #1 R&B), which is one of the greatest dance anthems to emerge from the disco area. The success of the single helped propel this disc all the way to #3 on the Hot 200, making it Marvin's second most commercially successful album behind LET'S GET IT ON..

The original release of this album was a double affair and the live songs are very good. One complaint is that he repeats alot of the songs that appeared on his Live album from just a few years before. That being said, you can't complain about hearing "Let's Get It On", "Distant Lover" or the songs included in the medleys too many times. On the original double album he only had enough material to fill up three sides, so for the fourth side he went into the studio for another track. What resulted is one of the best jams in music history. Jumping on the disco sounds of the day, "Got To Give It Up" was sixteen minutes of pure pumping dance floor grooves. The song exudes a funky attitude that is propelled by a popping sound created by someone banging on a Coke bottle. The song is a party and we are all invited. A shortened version of the song was released and it became Mr. Gaye's third and last number one song.

i listen to this record alot and it pours so much soul.the music goes from his 60's material and happy go lucky time to the 70's and his current frame of mind.his voice sounds powerful live.the arrangements are on point.how many of today's artist would you want to hear live? and i'm talking if they gave it to you for free.this is a must have.and the bonus is the long version of got to give it up.what a voice and the brother got soul.

folks now in the business don't know what live really means.listen to this classic and you can go to school on it.the genius of Marvin Gaye from the 60's&70's is well represented on this disc.all of the great duets and songs that he did up to the point of this release are done really well.not to mention the jam Got to give it up.if you want to hear someone rock a stage then this is one of the best places ever to start.

Again, it's your boy Tim, on the 411 about Mr. Marvin Gaye again (you know I had to do it)...

I was meaning to post something about this great live album some time ago but didn't get a chance to and now that I got a chance to, lemme just say that if it came to great live albums, Marvin definitely gets an A+ for his accomplishments in 1977's "Live at the London Palladium".

Recorded during a tour at the Palladium at London in 1976, a 37-year-old Marvin reportedly still a victim of stage fright managed to make the most confident performer seem chummy and tame. Marvin's emotions always take over in anything he does - be it on a song or on an album or live onstage, where he was considered to be one of the greatest live performers of his generation. Is there no question why?

It's a shame though because people always look up to Michael Jackson for his stage dynamics and yet he always rely on "The Moonwalk" or any dance move so he can't sing. Marvin was definitely the anthesis (sp?) of all of that. Unlike Ashlee Simpson and Lindsey Lohan and other "lip-synchers" out there, Marvin Gaye was an actual SINGER. He didn't have to rely on no back track to prove he was GREAT. And back then if you couldn't sing to save your life, you would be yanked off the stage so how come they're not doing it now?

And it's another shame that this album or any other Marvin Gaye album pre-1982 didn't get Grammy recognition! Again, it goes to show you how critics can be so shady.

Anyway, Marvin shines through this emotionally-charged performance. Whether he turns it out in "Let's Get It On" or he takes us on a trip down memory lane on some joints back in the '60s or if he lets us remember how great "What's Going On" was or his great period of making duets or the fabulous show-stopping rendition of "Distant Lover", you know that no other artist in soul or pop music or rock music can come close to his magic.

And just when he's done, he comes even harder with "Got to Give It Up". Off the record, it's one of the greatest dance/funk records of all time. Without this joint, Michael Jackson's adult solo career probably wouldn't have happened (i.e., "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough", "Shake Your Body Down to the Ground")... and it wasn't just James or Sammy who gave Michael a little help. Marvin needs his respect, y'all.

This is a good concert. Worth getting just for the version of "Lets get it on"(for the breakdown at the end), and all 12 minutes of the stankfoot, booty-bouncin', floor bumpin, grooves of "Got to give it up". Will not dissapoint. Ain't nothin' but a party!...

and get on the dance floor. Highlighting his work from the "I Want You" album on the live tracks, is the perfect intro to how Marvin finishes it, with one of the BEST dance songs of all time. You hear the people talking and then the first note comes on, hyponitizing you and making you move. In Marvin's own words, you get over being "too nervous to really get down" on this one. This track alone garners this work five stars. It's just simply Marvin at his sensuous best. A MUST FOR MARVIN FANS!

Marvin Gaye had more talent and soul than most singers could hope to have. He could have sung the listings in a telephone directory and made it sound sweet. Despite his infamous fear of live performances, he doesn't disappoint here in London. The only complaint is his Medley format - Marvin was too scared of taking in any applause according to biographer David Ritz and just kept going. You do get that impression the way the set has been compiled - it's almost like he wanted to get in, do his thing and get out. Live at the London Palladium, like his earlier Marvin Gaye Live set - is only about 50 minutes long! That element makes one feel like Marvin was a little like a Vegas act, but the music and Gaye's effortless vocals show how connected he was with the music and able to weave his way around.

This CD has some good liner notes which will give the audience some insight into Marvin's situation at the time. A tremendous talent.

I REALLY LOVE MARVIN GAYE I HAVE A BIG COLLECTION OF HIS SONG AND WAS GLAD TO ADD THIS CD BELIEVE ME IT WAS WORTH IT