Marvin Gaye & Donny Hathaway
I was sitting around thinking albums that spoke about what was going on in our black neighborhoods. The two albums that came to mind were "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye & "Everything Is Everything" by Donny Hathaway. I feel that these albums spoke to the African America communities back in the 1970's and lot of the issues they both addressed can be used in today's world.
Going to start with Marvin's "What's Going On" album
Marvin Gaye recorded this masterpiece back in the 60's but record executive of Motown, Berry Gordy felt that the world wasn't ready for something this dark. During that time, Gordy was about making music that would cross over to a mainstream audience. When Marvin entered "What's Going On" in the mid sixties, Gordy denied it. After so much forcefulness from Marvin, Gordy finally released it in 1971. This album became on of the greatest albums of all time.
With this album Marvin was singing about issues were that African American male has to death with after the Vietman War. After a shameless war, these men had to come back to their neighborhoods dealing with poverty and drugs. Marvin spoke about this issues head on, what songs like 'What's Happening Brother', the lyrics said "What else is new my friend, besides what I read/Can't find no work/can't find no job my friend/Money is tighter than it's ever been"....Listen to Marvin spoke for the brothers.
Adding to the not finding a job, the men get into drugs which causes some comfort but after the high comes down, the problems are still there. In song 'Flying High(In The Friendly Skies)', Marvin sings "I go to the place where danger awaits me". On this song Marvin takes you there, check it out. Marvin sounds so DAMN soulful...
On this album, Marvin really talks about the issues. Then he talks about the children of the world how they need to be to be saved from all this poverty and depression. 'Save The Children' is very inspirational to children that need guidance...listen to how Marvin says our children are our future.
In the African American community, GOD is the strength of our lives. Marvin understood that he had songs like 'GOD is Love' and 'Wholy Holy'. GOD is love is one of my favorite gospel songs of all time. When Marvin songs this these lyrics it sends chills through me "Oh don't go and talk about my father/God is my friend/Jesus is my friend/He made this world for us to live in, and gave us everything". Listen to this GOSPEL
Lastly from this masterpiece, Marvin really spoke about the inner cities and how they have changed. Songs like 'Mercy Mercy Mercy (The Ecology)' & 'Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)'. These songs are soul classics, but you don't understand the depth of these songs. Marvin was trying to convey a message that things should for the better, to make this world a better place. Even though I love both, 'Inner City Blues' seemed to touch me a little more. The production is dark but gives you light. Marvin wanted you to get a feel what the inner cities felt like. This song gives you soul to the max. Feel the soul when Marvin says
"Hang ups, let downs/Bad breaks, set backs/Natural fact is/I can't pay my taxes/Oh, make me wanna holler/And throw up both my hands"
When you listen to this songs, you can understand why this album is one of the best albums of all time. And to think that Berry Gordy though that "What's Going On" was one of the worse albums he has ever heard. This album is a masterpiece because of the message that Marvin was giving.
Now to Donny Hathaway "Everything Is Everything"
I was introduced to Donny Hathaway in my teenage years. I knew he did duets with Roberta Flack but I didn't know his music until I got into college. In addition, the only solo songs I knew from Donny was 'This Christmas' & 'A Song For You'. So, when I heard, 'The Ghetto' for the first time, I listened to it over 100 times. From that time, I knew I had to listen to the album that 'The Ghetto' on. I was introduced to the "Everything Is Everything". This album in my opinion explained to the mainstream world, what the inner cities were all about.
Donny Hathaway on "Everything On Everything" in the beginning is talk about how the guys in the inner city wanted a good woman behind him while he goes to the trails of the world. The song 'I Love You' he sings "Mmm, times haven't always been so very good for us baby, no, no/You stood by my side/Yes you did, whoa and that makes me love you/And baby, darlin, the road was mighty rough, mighty rough sometimes/(You held onto my hand)/But you held onto my hand/Whoa, that makes me love you, oh"...Check it out
To add this album's production is awesome, most of the time Donny didn't have to sing he could just like the piano speak for it's self. Like this song, 'I Believe it In My Soul', the piano break in this song is legendary
Now Donny is done with talking about the love, he wants the mainstream world to understand how the inner cities are tough but his people manage to get buy in the faith of the GOD.
'Sugar Lee' in my opinion is 2nd to 'The Ghetto'. What I get from this song, is Donny is trying to use our faith in GOD and what you hear when you walk through "the hood". The hands claps give me church kind of feel, but through out the song you are hearing people talking, but this is what you hear in the inner cities. The production of this song is awesome. Feel yourself in that place. Catch Don Cornelius coming down the Soul Train Line.
'Trying Times' is just like Marvin Gaye's 'What's Happening Brother' & 'What's Going On'. In this lyrics he sings Tryin' times, what the world is talkin' about/You got confusion all over the land, yeah/You got mother against daughter, you got father against son/You know the whole thing is getting out of hand". Donny's vocals are incredible, you hear the soul out of his voice how he wants the world to change.
Donny's 'Thank You Master (For My Soul)' is so inspirational. This is just a prayer song that everyonen should understand. He is explaining this song, that even that people in the inner cities got through hard times but we know how to pray. The arrangement of this song is so dark but beautiful. I love when Donny sings, "Lord, thank Ya, thank Ya, Master, thank Ya for my soul/cause you didn't have to hear my moanin/.Lord, You didn't have to hear my groanin'/but You kept me, yeah/you put shoes on my feet, you kept food for me to eat, yeah". Feel the Holy Spirit, listen to the vocal run from 2:41 to 2:48, it sends chills up your spine.
If you wanted to know what "the hood" feels like, listen to 'The Ghetto', this song is one of my favorite songs of all time. Like I said Donny Hathaway was more for the music than lyrics, and this song was no exception. Just feel this 7 mins of excellence.
I feel with "What's Going On" & "Everything Is Everything" brought the inner city to mainstream. Marvin and Donny gave the mainstream world a light into the dark world of the inner cities and how we dealt with it. And the number one way was the faith in GOD.
THANK YOU MARVIN & DONNY FOR THE HONESTLY IN YOUR MUSIC!!!
