Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves, and Demons of Marvin Gaye [Hardcover]

Michael Eric Dyson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2004

Twenty years after his murder at the hands of his own father, Marvin Gaye continues to define the hopes and shattered dreams of the Motown generation. A performer whose career spanned the history of rhythm and blues, from doo-wop to the sultriest of soul music, Gaye's artistry magnified the contradictions that defined America's coming of age in the tumultuous 1970s. In his most searching and ambitious work to date, acclaimed critic Michael Eric Dyson illuminates both Marvin Gaye's stellar achievements and stunning personal decline--and offers an unparalleled assessment of the cultural and political legacy of R&B on American culture.Through interviews with those close to Gaye--from his musical beginnings in a black church in Washington, D.C., to his days as a "ladies' man" in Motown's stable of young singers, from the artistic heights of the landmark album What's Going On? to his struggles with addiction and domestic violence--Dyson draws an indelible portrait of the tensions that shaped contemporary urban America: economic adversity, the drug industry, racism, and the long legacy of hardship.Published to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of Gaye's death in 1984, and infused with the soulful prose that has become Michael Eric Dyson's trademark, Mercy, Mercy Me is at once a celebration of an American icon whose work continues to inspire, and a revelatory and incisive look at how a lost generation's moods, music, and moral vision continue to resonate today.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dyson, a leading figure in black studies who is as comfortable discussing Tupac as Malcolm and Martin, offers a "biocriticism" that reflects on the themes of Marvin Gaye's music and personal life. Too much of the analysis, however, relies on nitpicking earlier critics, often reduced to accusing 1970s record reviewers of not getting Gaye's genius. While his examination of the cultural significance of What's Going On and follow-up albums is somewhat stronger, if not exactly revelatory, Dyson's ruminations hit shaky ground when he declares Gaye's shooting death at the hands of his father a suicidal acting out of an "Afroedipal" family drama. This queasy mixture of psychoanalytic theory and celebrity gossip undermines his narrative. Breaking with previous biographies, Dyson takes dubious assertions by a second-string Motown vocalist (contradicted by just about every reliable source) as proof Gaye had a sexual relationship with singing partner Tammi Terrell. At times, the writing is simply sloppy, contradicting itself from chapter to chapter and stretching out interviews until they trickle into irrelevancies. Dyson's personal fascination with the turbulent blend of spirituality and sexuality in Gaye's life and music is obvious, but it can't sustain an entire book. Though the mashing together of pop culture with gender and race studies is sure to score some points with academics and public intellectuals, it adds little of substance to Gaye's legacy as a musician.
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Review

"A major American thinker and cultural critic." -- Philadelphia Inquirer

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Basic Civitas Books; 2nd ptg edition (March 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 046501769X
• ISBN-13: 978-0465017690
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,030,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Composers & Musicians > Rhythm & Blues

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A biography and social criticism combined, July 2, 2004

By 

Reginald D. Garrard "the G-man" (Camilla, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves, and Demons of Marvin Gaye (Hardcover)

"In his guttural cries, his hectic moans, his elliptical ejaculations, and his plaintive whispers, Marvin explores the healing and redemptive dimensions of black romantic love."
- From page 132 of "Mercy, Mercy Me"

Man, does Dyson have a way with words!

I guess that I am one of those "public intellectuals" that finds Dyson's analyses of both Gaye's life and the social ills plaguing the black community so intriguing. Dyson, a minister himself, contrasts Gaye's life as a popular secular singer with his strict Pentacostal upbringing at the hands of his stern minister-father. The struggle that the singer endured played an important part in his music and the book dissects four of the artist's most challenging and enigmatic works: the classic and legendary "What's Going On", "Let's Get It On", "I Want You" and the controversial "Here, My Dear".

The author cuts down each album, layer by layer, revealing Gaye as a man in constant turmoil with the battle between his religious teachings and his desires as a man. Dyson also introduces the reader to many lost versions of Gaye's work, now coming to light in "deluxe editions" available for purchase.

Unlike most "men of the cloth", Dyson's approach is destined to draw criticism from traditional Christians for he suggests a greater openness in sexual matters, as well as less dependency on corporal punishment as a means of child-rearing. He implies that stiff and unbending Church doctrine may have contributed to Marvin's death at the hands of his preacher father.

The final chapter of the book compares Gaye's music and approach to life with the contemporary singer R. Kelly, an admirer of Gaye himself. This provides some interesting food for thought, as the two singers seem to share a bond transcending death and decades.

Dyson could've spent a little less time on social/culture commentary and more on the life of the singer at hand; however, the book is still a worthwhile read into the soul of a soul singer and the society that both uplifted and condemned him.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For the musicologist or sociologist, but not the rest of us, January 20, 2005

By 

Jason Cooper (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves, and Demons of Marvin Gaye (Hardcover)

Dyson has written a fascinating analysis of the life and career of the late Marvin Gaye, a book that will appeal even to readers who don't know Gaye's music all that well. That having been said, this is a weighty tome, which touches on the religious, cultural and social influences of the black community and how they shaped the singer.

For example, in examining the effect of childhood abuse on Gaye, Dyson traces the problem of domestic violence in the black family to slavery. While this is an interesting discussion, it sways quite a bit from the book's star. Some readers will find these diversions tedious.

Because Gaye's relationship with Motown founder Berry Gordy is discussed at length, anyone who has studied the studio and its music will find something of interest here. References to the black church and family will ensure this book's place in programs of African-American study. Finally, the last chapter is in large part about present-day soul star R. Kelly. Dyson's discussion of how both men merged concepts of spirituality and sexuality within their music is interesting. In short, this book is a real find for a musicologist or sociologist, but it's not a biography "for the rest of us."

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Props to Brother Dyson, April 4, 2004

By 

A customer "mistermaxxx" (usa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves, and Demons of Marvin Gaye (Hardcover)

this Book truly captures the Genius&complexites that were Marvin Gaye.hard for me to believe it's been 20 years since His death.it seems just like yesterday.this Book touches on all aspects of Marvin Gaye&adds so much more in terms of detail&depth.this is a Must read&it keeps you reading all the way through.a Must Have.