'What's Going On Live,' Marvin Gaye, 2019

Few soul singers of the Motown era of the 1960s and ’70 gave us a voice as smooth and bombastic as the icon Marvin Gaye, and like many artists his sound was most powerful live on stage.

In 1971, Gaye released the legendary album “What’s Going On,” which launched his stardom on Detroit’s Motown Records, crafting a concept album of the social upheaval and civil unrest that characterized the decade. Gaye’s songs on that record told the story of a Vietnam veteran returning home to the U.S., critical of what his home had become.

The success of the album did not encourage Gaye to take his revolutionary music on the road in the aftermath of the release of “What’s Going On.” Gaye truthfully did not enjoy performing live, opting to stick with the level of control afforded by the studio. He was reluctant to record “What’s Going On Live” in 1972, as he still grieving the death of his duet partner and close friend who died of cancer in 1970. Many have speculated the mature, darker themes of “What’s Going On” were inspired by the death. For these reasons, live performances of the landmark album were rare at the time of its release, and this set wasn't put out until 2019.

But none of that sorrow is apparent on the opening side of the live album, as Gaye gleefully takes us through a medley of ‘60s soul songs, including classics like “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” and “Pride and Joy.” Gaye’s piano playing accents the tight rhythms the band cranks out as songs blend into one another, and his voice is passionate and animated if slightly tragic – reminiscent of the depth of feeling he conveyed on the earlier record even on the upbeat pop songs.  

Side 2 and the rest of the album sees Gaye and his band perform songs from “What’s Going On” to gleeful and excitable audience that reacts with high-pitched cheers and applause at the opening notes of almost every song. “Right On” opens Side 2 with a driving drumbeat, and piano line that perfectly accents the rhythm as Gaye’s falsetto glides above the tight pace cut by the musicians. In “Inner City Blues,” Gaye calls on the audience to clap along with the beat, and they oblige readily.

The songs of Side 2, like many from “What’s Going On” achieve a level of introspection rare in most of love- and emotion-themed soul music of the time. The deepness goes even beyond Gaye’s socially conscious lyrics and etches into the music itself with melodies that feel as tragic as they are catchy.

Enthusiastic fans cheer on Marvin Gaye as he drives by in this photo included in the liner notes of "What's Going On Live."

It isn’t until the second disk is laid on the turntable and Side 3 is starting up that Gaye’s true genius comes out with the title track from “What’s Going On.” This song is 5 minutes and 42 seconds of masterfully smooth, yet urgent soul music. It is a song that will make you think but also echoes in your brain for days after listening.

The lyrics were inspired by an incident in 1969 when Robbie Benson, a singer in another Motown group the Four Tops, witnessed police brutality during an anti-war protest in Berkely, California during a tour stop. Gaye crafts a tale of tragic oppression of African Americans in the U.S., expanding to criticize the myriad contemporary social problems facing the U.S. at the time of the song’s writing. Through its descriptions of various topics like war and poverty, flowing into the chorus that repeats the song’s title, the song questions those in power asking why young people are sent overseas to die or why others are beaten by law enforcement.

The energy of the concert, coupled with the power of the subject matter, sets “What’s Going On Live” apart from many of soul recordings of the time – the same depth and strength that set Marvin Gaye apart from the rest of the human race.