The temptation was great to revert to my old habits and just turn on NPR for the ride to work this morning. However, I reached into the cd case and pulled out "Marvin Gaye's Greatest Hits". The first song, "Let's get it on" made me realize that I had made the right choice. Other great classics such as "How sweet it is" and "Heard it through the grapevine" cemented the deal.
However, I was especially struck by "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and "What's going on?" These songs from the '70's are as relevant today as they were back then. With my news-junkie days still in my head I contrasted the songs against the current state of affairs: oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, wars, stagnant economy, and racial tensions. These songs definitely hit the mark all these years later.
The last songs on the disk, including "Distant Lover" are really slower love songs seemingly meant to showcase Marvin's range and performance talents. They are alright, but I don't think that they stand up like the fantastic first half of the CD.
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