Timeless is timeless: Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On'

Perhaps the best type of thrill we can experience is when we stumble across something fantastic that we had forgotten and get to experience that thrill of discovery again.

Recently, I was going through some old boxes when I came across Marvin Gaye's wonderful CD What's Going On. If I were ever stranded on a deserted island and could have only 10 albums, this would be one of them.

To understand how big a departure What's Going On was for Marvin Gaye, a person only has to listen to the songs he had recorded up to that point in his career. Gaye was perhaps the most successful male singer at Motown Records prior to this album, but most of his songs were lightweight.

If Motown had an assembly line approach to making records, Gaye was the voice of the assembly line. Motown staff members wrote and produced his songs, and Gaye used his soulful vocal ability to entertain the masses.

However, by the early 1970s, Gaye was ready to use his clout to get more artistic freedom. The result of this power struggle was this album. On What's Going On, gone was the lightweight two or three minute singles mostly associated with Gaye. When listening to these songs, a person can literally hear this man's heart bleeding.

What's Going On is a deceptive record on first listening. The songs have a seductive groove enhanced by full orchestration and hints of jazz and gospel music that seem more soothing than anything else.

However, even a casual listen to each song's words show an artist in conflict with the world around him. The world's problems overtake everybody at some point, and this was one of those times for Gaye. He surveyed his world on this album, and he hated what he saw.

War, poverty, unemployment, drug abuse, failed relationships, tax problems and more swirled around him. But the album's tone is not accusatory like somebody waving a finger in a person's face. Sorrow and heartbreak for a world gone wrong is the heart of this album.

The title track set the tone for what followed. The song's melancholy words are swept along by a fluid groove. As the old Disney song said "a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down." The likeable musical arrangement allowed Gaye to reflect on society's problems without alienating the listener, and the album's title track became a major hit.

'What's Happening Brother' was a reflection of his brother Frankie's experiences in Vietnam. 'Inner City Blues (Make Me Want to Holler)' communicated the despair of ghetto life. 'Mercy Mercy Me (the Ecology)' detailed environmental abuse, while 'Save the Children' wondered about the neglect of young people.

However, Gaye found comfort and refuge in his faith on songs like 'Wholly Holy' and 'God Is Love.' An undeniable spiritual element enveloped this album, even on the songs that dealt with bleak subjects. Compassion is a central ingredient that runs throughout all these songs, which is at the heart of Christianity. Gaye revealed himself to be a very tenderhearted person on this album.

Some artists embrace causes only to appear relevant, but genuineness graces each song here. Taking a risk is a very difficult thing to do for all people. It requires making yourself vulnerable, and since it is human nature to want to be in control, people often shy away from doing it.

However, Gaye rose above those concerns on this album. Part of being a visionary is being willing to pursue truth regardless of the consequences.