Back to the world of soul and R&B today, for another evolving and significant release from Marvin Gaye. Moving from social conscience to sexual awakening, today’s album is “Let’s Get It On”. This record is rated #422 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Obviously, any album that features Marvin Gaye on vocals is going to have its high points, and this record is no exception. For me, there is an unusual difference in my level of appreciation for the title track and its reprisal “Keep Getting’ It On”, and the rest of the album. In total, I don’t rate the rest of this album as high as some of his other works, and that appears consistent with some of the other sources I reference for compiling this list. I do like the second track “Please Stay (Once You Go Away)” and “Come Get To This”, but I find a lot of the rest of the album lacks the hooks I really seek in a song, regardless of genre. I do find it intriguing and rewarding to see how Marvin continued to shape himself as a performer and songwriter to address themes and issues meaningful to him personally.
However, before we wrap up, let’s come back to the title track to end this on a high note. This song is absolutely perfect, a true high point for Marvin Gaye. The initial intro and overall melody are as appealing as I’m sure he intended, and the rest of the song is, in my opinion, on an entirely different level than the rest of this record. Ideally, this song is one you can share with your significant one, as it was intended. Love and passion are amazing gifts in this world, and so is this song.
A Lifetime-Plus of Music 