What's Going On [Bonus Tracks] (CD) by Marvin Gaye

What's Going On [Bonus Tracks] (CD) by Marvin Gaye
Arguably, the greatest R&B record ever made, WHAT'S GOING ON was only reluctantly released by the storied Motown label. The recording marked an extreme departure from the label's usual method of tightly controlled collections of singles. Instead, Gaye, inspired by the return of his brother from Vietnam, created a 35 minute suite of lushly detailed pieces that blended social commentary and spirituality. Rather than the slick, driving sound of Motown singles, WHAT'S GOING ON featured subdued basslines and a languorous groove that would later become a staple in jazz-funk. The recording produced three major hits, "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)", the title track, and "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)"; in addition, Diana Ross covered "Save the Children" and Aretha Franklin did "Wholy Holy." The album inspired other R&B artists to take a similar approach to producing their own work and creating more substantial documents. Gaye went on to create both hit singles and great extended works, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was both a hitmaker and an artist. Martin Johnson, Barnes & Noble