Arguably the greatest soul album ever made, "What's Going On" established Motown star Marvin Gaye as a unique and maverick musical talent, whose determination and vision resulted not only in inspirational, pioneering grooves but, in the era of Vietnam and Civil Rights protests, an album that challenged America to take a long hard look at itself. In this book, the author examines in detail the making of this legendary work - initially rejected by Motown's quality control department - interviewing many of the artists and record company employees closest to the singer, to arrive at a deeper understanding of what the album means.
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"There's as much pungent detail herer as you'd find in most fulllength Motown homages."
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not only for Marvin fanatics...,
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This review is from: Marvin Gaye: What's Going On and the Last Days of the Motown Sound (Hardcover)
I've read all of the books written about Marvin and picked this up to add to the collection, expecting it to be little more than expanded liner notes for the album. Wow. Very wrong. The book ends up encompassing Marvin's entire life through the scope of his most acclaimed work. It's beautifully written, unfolding more like a novel than you'd ever expect. It's a genuinely moving look at a true artist taking the boldest step of his...and arguably any other musician's...life. I can't recommend this highly enough, both as an admirer of Marvin's and as someone who just likes to read a great book.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Art on art,
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This review is from: Marvin Gaye: What's Going On and the Last Days of the Motown Sound (Paperback)
This looks like a biography but isn't. This is my favorite music biz book ever. Great story, great writing. Mercy me. The record will never sound the same after you read this book.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How Motown worked...and then didn't,
This review is from: Marvin Gaye: What's Going On and the Last Days of the Motown Sound (Hardcover)
The subtitle to this book is the key to its success. Author Edmonds spins a novelistic story about how Marvin Gaye had to fight every aspect of Motown's mighty production line to get this album made, from breaking out of the "rock 'n' roll singer" mode that the label tried to force him into, to his reinventing himself as a songwriter/producer, to insisting on the single's release over Berry Gordy's objections by going "on strike" until it was done, to completing the album's month-long time limit on recording by trying to win a bet with Gordy. By doing all that, and winning financially and creatively, he started to break down the production line that made Motown run so efficiently and led to the end of the label's glory days. So it's a bittersweet tale, but one so compellingly told it becomes one of the most valuable books on the Motown system, why it was great, and why it wasn't.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
IN 1968 NELSON MANDELA WAS CONFINED TO a tiny cell on Robben Island, a hellish penal colony off the coast of South Africa. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Berry Gordy, Marvin Gaye, Van De Pitte, Elgie Stover, Los Angeles, Tammi Terrell, Norman Whitfield, Funk Brothers, Hank Cosby, Harvey Fuqua, Inner City Blues, Obie Benson, Quality Control, Stevie Wonder, Outer Drive, Richard Morris, Steve Smith, Baby I'm For Real, Golden World, Jack Ashford, Joe Schaffner, The Bells, Motor City, Four Tops, West Grand Boulevard New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
IN 1968 NELSON MANDELA WAS CONFINED TO a tiny cell on Robben Island, a hellish penal colony off the coast of South Africa. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Berry Gordy, Marvin Gaye, Van De Pitte, Elgie Stover, Los Angeles, Tammi Terrell, Norman Whitfield, Funk Brothers, Hank Cosby, Harvey Fuqua, Inner City Blues, Obie Benson, Quality Control, Stevie Wonder, Outer Drive, Richard Morris, Steve Smith, Baby I'm For Real, Golden World, Jack Ashford, Joe Schaffner, The Bells, Motor City, Four Tops, West Grand Boulevard New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 20
books:
See all 20 books this book cites
- Love Child (Nanny Wanted) (Harlequin Presents) by Kathryn Ross on page 30, and page 243
- Through the Grapevine: The Business of Wine in America by Jay Stuller on page 116, and Back Matter
- Marvin Gaye by Sharon Davis on page 96, and Back Matter
- Van Morrison: Astral Weeks by Van Morrison on page 208
- Nowhere To Run: The Story Of Soul Music by Gerri Hirshey in Back Matter
See all 20 books this book cites
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