What's Going On/In Our Lifetime

構成数 : 2枚
合計収録時間 : 01:22:13
Undoubtedly a peculiar paring of Gaye's work, this two-fer compilation serves as a bookend for the most important and revered phase of Gaye's career: his tenure at Motown during the '70s, when he and Stevie Wonder wrestled away control from the good-time, sugar shack pop factory Berry Gordy constructed and began to compose some of the most important albums in the soul music canon. The first half of the disc is without a doubt one of the most important R&B recordings ever made, What's Going On. It's juxtaposed with the last album he recorded for Motown, In Our Lifetime. It's interesting to listen to them in sequence, as What's Going On deals with Gaye's unrest with the condition of the world circa 1971, tied in with his personal existential demons. He went on to deal with such material, making stops along the way to record several party records as well as the most seething divorce record ever committed to wax, but eventually returned full circle with In Our Lifetime. Much of the material on In Our Lifetime deals with the same issues, but Gaye's burnout here is evident at times. His vocal style matured and his focus was unwavering, but most of the album feels unfinished when compared to What's Going On. Not exactly the best two-fer combination out there, but an interesting study in contrast nonetheless. ~ Rob Theakston
録音 : ステレオ (Studio)