'Mother, mother, there's too many of you crying'
Political albums.
Either there's something wrong with my hearing, or I'm receiving an almost unanimous sigh from all who have just read those two words. Why? Because the sad truth of the matter is that people are pretty uninterested in listening to pop stars talk about....anything, really.
The reality is that it doesn't matter how well meaning Bono's intentions are, his rambling social commentary will never enthral us while we continue to wonder how much was spent on this particular pair of sunglasses.
Musicians are too rich, too artificial for their words to have any gravity.
Well, I must admit that I do carry some sympathy for the socially conscious pop star, however common he may be. I mean, just look at all the prejudice he has to overcome before he's even got his guitar out of its leather Louis Vuitton case.
Joking aside, if people aren't interested in listening to Bono, then why on earth would they want to listen to U2 recreate Bloody Sunday in a stadium rock format? Short answer: They don't, and any deeper significance the music may have had is lost.
But, is there a long answer? Or has the pop consuming public had enough of artistic hypocrisy?
Well, I can't claim to speak for everyone, but for me at least, there are a few conditions that, if met, can create political pop perfection...
- The musician/musicians in question must not be painfully separate from the issues that are dutifully commented on.
- Preferably, a social or political comment must be expressed in a relatively original format, not one suffering from a ridiculous level of overuse (rock, folk).
- The message must be integral, but not more important than the music.
- Most obviously, the music must be fantastic.
What can I say about one of the most acclaimed records in pop history? Not much that hasn't been said already. On paper at least, the mix is an eclectic one. It's a concept album for a start, and one with a 'cyclical structure'.
The calibre of pretentiousness seems more appropriate to prog-rock than motown. And it gets worse, Gaye displays more swagger in this album than Oasis manage in their entire discography, believing as he does, in his untapped ability to right all of America's social ills. Which, by the way, is a large list, and includes: the Vietnam war, poverty, drug addiction, urban decay, and police brutality to name a few.
And he does all this while tirelessly strutting to the beat of the Funk Brothers – Motown's massive collection of session musicians.
To demonstrate this 'confidence', let me quote Gaye in the opening lines of the LP's sleeve notes:
'After some several days of reflecting and pondering and general thought (which is very unusual), I still can't think of any non complimentary things to say about myself. And I ain't gonna write no general information type stuff either, so I guess I'll just give credit to some good people who, without their help, I could have completed this project a lot faster'.
Yes, modesty is not a quality which Marvin possessed an abundant amount of.
But overwhelming arrogance aside, it's fair to say that Gaye was qualified to comment on the issues he tackled in 'What's Going On'.
He grew up in a segregated area of D.C, and did serve in the army (though not in Vietnam, as that became the unfortunate responsibility of his younger brother) and as one of Motown's greatest stars, Gaye became very familiar with the perils of drug addiction and the unhappiness it brought.
But most importantly of all, the music itself is the most wonderfully genuine you are ever likely to hear. Gaye's famously warm vocal is charged with emotion following the recent death of Tammi Tarell (a close friend and early collaborator), and ties the album together far more successfully than the questionable reprise at the end.
The album flows so well, each track waltzing ironically into the next while Gaye's protagonist struggles against another social bond.
The title track is the most lovely little contemplation you'll ever hear - A mass of string infused harmonies, coupled with a gorgeous jazzy groove - There's a reason it's topped countless best-of lists.
Take nothing for granted though, the mood changes more than your teenage sister while she's watching Dirty Dancing: thoughtful initially, then down to a despairing low, entering a contemplative center and peaking at an angry high.
Though I must admit that the pretty self explanatory 'God is Love' does far exceed my own appetite for religious preachy-ness.
I can't claim to have a wide experience of motown, but that didn't matter - this is one of the most accessible, not to mention important pieces of music I have ever listened to.
It's probably going for a fiver in Fopp or HMV. Highly recommended.
Hey Jack! This is a pretty good article - moving from what feels like a general opinion piece into a specific review works really well, especially as the 'general opinion' bit is on a very interesting topic (and one I have read little on).
ReplyDeleteBut please, don't use smilies - in just two characters you went from intellectual music reviewer to random internet guy whose opinion isn't worth much. For me, at least, it just broke my immersion in the article.
Maybe it's just me being picky. Anyway, I also came across this article, which you might find interesting - http://www.cracked.com/article_17268_p2.html