How sweet it is!

This is a CD from the very earliest days of digital technology. It's long out of print, but it shouldn't be too hard to find a cheap used copy. It's a decent enough overview of Marvin Gaye's career, but there are some glaring omissions. Top Ten hits "Pride and Joy" and "I'll Be Doggone" are missing, along with some of his hit duets with Tammi Terrell. But all the songs that are here are great, and if you find a cheap copy of this, it might be worth picking up. Although some better Marvin Gaye compilations are now available.

Mercy, Marvin...

This is an outstanding basic collection of Marvin Gaye's recordings from the early 1960's into the late 1970's. While an overview of his complete catalog reveals a number of significant omissions, this CD will indulge a novice level of Gaye curiosity, especially at the price for a used copy here at Amazon. Do be aware that these recordings are not digitally remastered, but "Transferred directly to digital from the original masters". They sound fine, especially if you grew up in the company of a transistor radio held up to your ear and scratchy vinyl discs.

The recordings are presented, for the most part, in chronological sequence of their release dates with only two slight juxtapositions. All of the tunes were Top-40 hits, three reaching the number one slot ('I Heard It Through the Grapevine', 'Let's Get It On', and 'Got To Give It Up'), and most reaching the Top-10. The Gaye agenda begins with the Holland-Dozier-Holland classic from 1963, 'How Sweet It Is'. Gaye's early recordings are in the classic mold of 1960's Motown, mixing an upbeat tempo with an optimistic attitude. Nearly every song will be readily identifiable to anyone who lived through the era. Next up is 'Ain't That Peculiar', 'Grapevine', and two Ashford & Simpson compositions, performed as duets with Tammi Terrell, 'You're All I Need To Get By' and 'Your Precious Love'. One other duet, with Diana Ross, 'My Mistake', appears later in the collection. 'Too Busy Thinking About My Baby' and 'That's the Way Love Is' lead the way to the summit of the collection.

In 1971 Gaye released his seminal, groundbreaking album, 'What's Going On'. For the first time, Marvin does his own writing and production, and most significantly changes focus from romantic to brotherly love. Compact Command Performances features the 3 most influential numbers from that disc, the title track, 'Mercy Mercy Me' and 'Inner City Blues'. These three songs, while dark in disposition, provide a healthy contrast to the 'pop' mood dominating the rest of the disc. Marvin is still in a soulful groove, but the lyrics of these three numbers, as well as the subsequent 'Trouble Man', address the compelling social ills of this turbulent era, many of which we remain saddled with in some form today. These songs have not lost their social relevance, and their musical appeal is timeless as well. Despite their despondant mood, the songs manage to convey a glimmer of hope that mankind and society can rise above these challenges.

The last three songs on the disc return to the pop flavor of Gaye's earlier works, but with a twist of mid-70's funk of the Curtis Mayfield variety. 'Let's Get It On', and the nearly 12 minutes of 'Got To Give It Up' elicit the requisite toe tapping, finger snapping, and an intoxicated, ridiculous grin on your face. Sandwiched between is 'I Want You', perhaps the only number which could have been omitted from the list, given it's rather indistinct melody and lyrics. You will have to wade through it to finish out your Gaye experience on the bouncy, evolving and expanding notes of 'Got To Give It Up'...

I paid fifty cents for my copy. It may well be the best four bits I ever spent.