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25-21
Although he had a bucketload of classic soul singles, all of them very beloved songs and quite a few of them my favorites too, admittedly in terms of albums his career was uneven. Of course that doesn't matter because "What's Going On" is maybe the greatest confession of a single artist in one album, a chance to get to know his inner world and passions better and altogether the most important disc soul music ever created. Above everything else, the political, social and ecological statements expressed through every song (simplicity is the key word and the power of the record too, not "naive") it's the beauty of the music itself that's so breathtaking in the point of heartbreak. Gaye was without a doubt one of the greatest voices ever lived on planet Earth, and with the company of such carefully composed and beautiful melodies gives his masterpiece which I'm happy to see that high since the cynicism of nowadays doesn't leave much for appreciation. "Right On" and "Wholy Holy" are my favorites.
"Remain In Light" is one of the cases where I don't dig a genre a band represents, yet I find the album surprisingly enjoyable and with a playful tendency towards experimentation. It's just that I don't find it that good and that it lacks a certain weight in terms of importance: it never felt as groundbreaking to me as for others and it's too homogenised, making it difficult for some tracks to be separated from others as standouts. That said, it's a very interesting experience, especially when hearing to it for the first time and it's probably their finest achievement.
The biggest surprise of them all is here. An album heard by only a few people by a band considered by the most an one-hit-60's-wonder for "She's Not There". To me it's what Public Enemy had wisely said: Don't believe the hype. Way too dated, lacking a necessary sophistication in lyrics for standing the test of time and only two truly worthy tracks on the whole LP ("Maybe After He's Gone", "Time Of The Season" which I swear I had heard some time ago as a sampler in an awful contemporary song I can't remember its name right now).
I'm not the man with a taste for Neil Young either. In terms of songwriting and vocals the men for folk to me were always and will forever be Bruce and Bob. "Harvest" and "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" are very good, but nothing else excites me that much, including this. Especially the way he sings in some parts as in the s/t track is unbearable. Anyway it has its moments and a gift for creating a special atmosphere.
In contrast, I always liked The Smiths and "The Queen Is Dead" is the point where they have mastered their abilities and pretty much conquer a part of their own in the history of british music. Their sinister, dark but also strangely affectionate sound had always a powerful effect on me and in here they are more confident than ever in terms of handling it. Also having a singer like Morissey couldn't be less of a tremendous benefit for any band that could have him. They dare to play blues too ("I Know It's Over") but they are better when they are improving their characteristic way of making music not leaving the fun aside ("Bigmouth Strikes Again") but also not forgetting they have some serious business to do in here, so they better compose something totally masterful and incredibly pitch-perfect ("Cemetary Gates", the legendary "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"). A fantastic British album.