what's going on
| Marvin Gaye
what's going on
What's Going On is the eleventh studio album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released May 21, 1971, on the Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records. Recording sessions took place in June 1970 and March May 1971 at Hitsville U.S.A., Golden World and United Sound Studios in Detroit and at The Sound Factory in West Hollywood, California. What's Going On was the first Marvin Gaye album for which Gaye is credited as producer and Motown Records' main studio band, the session musicians known as the Funk Brothers, received a credit. -wikipedia
Critic Reviews
Show All-
Robert Christgau
Gaye keeps getting more subtle vocally and rhythmically
-
Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews
Justly considered a masterpiece, addressing current events that are still current today
-
OO Cities
This deeply moving record certainly did its part in making the world a better place.
-
Starling
it's Gaye's unquestionable artistic peak; never again would he take chances and completely reinvent himself as he does here
-
All Music
What's Going On is not only Marvin Gaye's masterpiece, it's the most important and passionate record to come out of soul music, delivered by one of its finest voices, a man finally free to speak his mind and so move from R&B sex symbol to true recording artist.
-
Rolling Stone
1971 - A simple, subdued tone is held throughout, pillowed by a densely-textured instrumental and vocal backing.
-
BBC
2011 - One of the greatest albums of all time, and nothing short of a masterpiece.
-
Slant Magazine
2003 - If What’s Going On remains immortal and untouched in the canon of great pop albums, it’s probably because Gaye managed to make political consciousness (a theme usually conveyed via crunching guitar and unabashed vocal howling) feel as intimate as a night in his boudoir.
-
NPR
2011 - Gaye's songs are filled with sophisticated yet instantly recognizable hooks and languid, jazz-inflected funk grooves that would keep anyone dancing and singing along.
-
Jazz Wise Magazine
2015 - Marvin’s masterpiece is possibly to soul music what Miles’ Kind Of Blue is to jazz. Both are works of great sophistication and ambition that opened new pathways in their respective genres.
-
Independent
2011 - Gaye's symphonic ambitions are still evident, particularly in the meticulously segued side-one suite, with its recurrent themes and echoes tying together the songs into one cohesive, powerful expression of social concern
-
Yorkshire Magazine
Undeterred, Gaye records a whole album in the same style – subtle orchestral enhancements, masterfully fluid bass, sublimely odd arrangements – and then underpins everything by multi-tracking his own supernaturally expressive voice.
-
Daily Vault
What’s Going On is one of the most distinctive sounding records in pop music history.
-
Mental FLoss
2012 - What’s Going On remains his most lasting achievement—the moment when he fused social consciousness with soul
-
The Burg
2018 - It was fresh and hip, soulful and soaring, daring in its dissent. ... And 48 years after its release, it is still relevant. We are living, once again, in the age of the protest.
-
Albumism
2016 - a masterpiece. ... Not many albums give you a snapshot of the world at the time of its release and still remain very relevant decades later. What’s Going On most certainly does.
-
Jazz Music Archives
2015 - A classic album that still sounds modern and relevant today
-
Billboard
2017 - Affected by the social upheaval of the late '60s, the soul icon won a battle of wills with Motown to release his classic album.
-
World Is Africa
2016 What’s Going On is not only Marvin Gaye’s masterwork, it’s the most vital and ardent record to come out of soul music, brought by one of its finest voices, a man finally free to speak his mind and so move from R&B sex symbol to true recording artist.
-
Treblezine
It taught the listeners what they as people could do to make society better and to help one another and love each other. The message of this album is still as relevant today as it was when it was released.
-
Concrete
2013 - What’s Goin On is simply a masterpiece of soulful, dream-like rhythm and blues and bass- driven funk, able to convey ideas just as relevant today as they were in 1971, with the sound becoming ever more revered.
-
My Little Empire
Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On always putts a smile on my face.
-
Super Deluxe Edition
2011 - Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On works on a few levels. As a straightforward R&B/pop record with it’s multi-layered vocals, string arrangements and smooth melodies, it’s a joy.
-
The Second Disk
2011 - What’s Going On, in its original album form, is an unassailable classic. It’s as full of darkness, confusion, faith and introspection in 2011 as it was upon its original release in 1971.
-
The Absolute Sound
2012 - Those rare funk jams are interesting, but the real gem is the earthy Detroit Mix—the original version of the album minus vocal layering, keyboard overdubs, and other production techniques added in L.A. just two weeks before the album’s release.
-
Icon Fetch
2010 - Marvin Gaye actually did the impossible: he made a listenable protest album.
-
The Top 100
2018 - This is a masterpiece of an album: nine songs that freely float into one another, recall motifs of previous tracks, and the most interesting story arc in concept album story telling.
-
Pitchfork
2011 - And not only was the album a coming-out party for Gaye as a producer and songwriter, he found his signature voice-- soft, floating, airy
-
Classic Rock Review
utilizing deep talents not before discovered, he produces an extraordinary work of art, well ahead of its time
-
Clash Music
2011 - Nothing short of a masterpiece
-
No Rip Cord
It’s difficult to overestimate the quality and impact of Marvin Gaye’s 1971 masterpiece
Rate This Album and Leave Your Comments