Day 42: Marvin, Lenny, Liz and some German Electronica

Album 136/1031

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (1971)

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"What's Going On"	Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye, Renaldo "Obie" Benson	3:53
2.	"What's Happening Brother"	Gaye, James Nyx Jr.	2:43
3.	"Flyin' High (In the Friendly Sky)"	Gaye, Anna Gordy Gaye, Elgie Stover	3:49
4.	"Save the Children"	Cleveland, Benson, Gaye	4:03
5.	"God Is Love"	Gaye, A. Gaye, Stover, Nyx	1:41
6.	"Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)"	Gaye	3:16

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"Right On"	Earl DeRouen, Gaye	7:31
8.	"Wholy Holy"	Benson, Cleveland, Gaye	3:08
9.	"Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)"	Gaye, Nyx	5:26

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What's_Going_On_(Marvin_Gaye_album)

Golf's verdict: Hardly a hidden gem - this is one of the '70s most famous albums. But if it's escaped you so far then seek it out. A protest album of sorts, certainly it's most famous tracks are calls to action: 'What's Going On' and 'Mercy Mercy Me'.

Maire's verdict: Pretty much perfect.


Album 137/1031

Lenny Kravitz - Let Love Rule (1989)

All songs written by Lenny Kravitz, except "Fear" lyrics by Lisa Bonet, and "Rosemary" lyrics by Kravitz and Bonet.

1. "Sittin' on Top of the World" – 3:16
2. "Let Love Rule" – 5:42
3. "Freedom Train" – 2:50
4. "My Precious Love" – 5:15
5. "I Build This Garden for Us" – 6:16
6. "Fear" – 5:25
7. "Does Anybody Out There Even Care" – 3:42
8. "Mr. Cab Driver" – 3:49
9. "Rosemary" – 5:27
10. "Be" – 3:16

CD bonus tracks

11. "Blues for Sister Someone" – 2:51

12. "Empty Hands" – 4:42

13. "Flower Child" – 2:56

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_Love_Rule

Golf's verdict: This shows the promise that Lenny had when he initially broke out, but it's not as strong a group of songs as "Mama Said", the follow up. 'Let Love Rule', 'I Build This Garden for Us' and 'Mr Cab Driver' are the highlights. Ultimately, I think he has not quite fulfilled the promise everyone expected. He's certainly no 'new Jimi Hendrix', but that may have been a lazy and vaguely racist tag in the first place.

Maire's verdict: I assumed this was 'Mama Said' (didn't listen to the title when Golf told me) so was rather disappointed, to be honest.

Album 138/1031

Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville (1993)

All tracks written by Liz Phair.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"6′1″"	3:05
2.	"Help Me Mary"	2:16
3.	"Glory"	1:29
4.	"Dance of the Seven Veils"	2:29
5.	"Never Said"	3:16
6.	"Soap Star Joe"	2:44
7.	"Explain It to Me"	3:11
8.	"Canary"	3:19
9.	"Mesmerizing"	3:55
10.	"Fuck and Run"	3:07
11.	"Girls! Girls! Girls!"	2:20
12.	"Divorce Song"	3:20
13.	"Shatter"	5:28
14.	"Flower"	2:03
15.	"Johnny Sunshine"	3:27
16.	"Gunshy"	3:15
17.	"Stratford-On-Guy"	2:59
18.	"Strange Loop"	3:57

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exile_in_Guyville

Golf's verdict: I think with a few more listens I would get to really like this. It's relatively lo-fi in its production and the first impressions I made were that the lyrics are superior to the tunes, but I may be being hasty. It has a forthright and unvarnished lyrical focus that was probably described as ground-breaking at the time (girl talking about about enjoying and also NOT enjoying sex, shocker!), but these days would not raise a hair.

Maire's verdict: All ran into one - boring.

Album 139/1031

Tangerine Dream - Phaedra (1974)

Side A
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Phaedra"	Froese, Franke, Baumann	17:39

Side B
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares"	Froese	9:55
2.	"Movements of a Visionary"	Froese, Franke, Baumann	7:56
3.	"Sequent C'"	Baumann	2:13

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaedra_(album)

Golf's verdict: There are much, much better 1970s electronic albums than this. In fact, there are better 1970s Tangerine Dream albums than this. Otherwise it is as you would expect from a group of professionally trained Germans, most well known for writing film soundtracks.

Maire's verdict: Hmm, I was convinced - for some unknown reason - that I was going to hear 'Together in Electric Dreams'. No idea why, but was incredibly hacked off when I realised what I was listening to. Things improved when we moved on to the Bladerunner soundtrack ;0). Not really an endorsement, I realise.