jazzbo Posted January 22, 2005 Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 (edited) I have to thank Jim Sangrey for getting me to listen to this one. . . it has slowly woven a spell from my cd player. Released way way too long after it was conceived, this is a deeply emotional presentation of romantic hindsight or something like that. . . . The arrangements and playing are just right, Gaye's singing is just so on target and his extra special personal harmonizations with himself so right, and the tone just smack there where it should be; this is just a masterwork. I get the sense of a lonely evening of soul searching (probably with a bottle. . . I mean I never have a bottle around, and I didn't when I've gone through dark nights like this in the past, but I am sure that were this to hit me now and in the future, if my Helen were ever to leave me, there WOULD BE A BOTTLE and many dark long nights). The ebb and flow of the arrangements and the songs and the sentiments all lead up to an awareness in the end of "Why did I Choose You" and then a resignation. . . . Yeah. Thanks Jim. Edited January 22, 2005 by jazzbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted January 22, 2005 Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 Wow...thank YOU, sir! Just curious, are you listening to the "official" album, or the compilation of all the various takes of the material issued over the years that I made for you? In general, I prefer the things on the official album, but the Columbia-issued "Shadow of Your Smile", is really, REALLY special, I think. And speaking of bottles (and other ingestables), the take of "Shadow: that didn't get released until 2003 is one of the most beautifully disturbing examples of near-incoherency triumphing over itself that I've ever heard. That song must have really stirred up a lot of stuff in him. In the interest of having a "jazz" connection for the unconvined, it should probably should be noted that the orchestral arrangements were done by Bobby Scott. The story of Marvin's decades-long obsession with these tunes and these charts, and how he came to seek solace from perfecting his performances to them in a time of deep depression and despair, is told in the biography Divided Soul by David Ritz. A great book, fwiw. No matter, it's some deep stuff, I think. Hell, MARVIN was deep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted January 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 Yeah. He was very deep. I have to thank you for making me listen to his stuff again and mining new veins. I listen sometimes to the offiical version, sometimes to your custom version, most often to that one truth be told! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted January 22, 2005 Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 Well, sir, if I've done you some good with some music, consider it a favor returned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted January 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 Mutually this has been going on a long time and here's hoping it doesn't stop! B-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted January 23, 2005 Report Share Posted January 23, 2005 Will you two get a room!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubleM Posted January 23, 2005 Report Share Posted January 23, 2005 They could call it "Marvin's Room" B-). But seriously, I love this cd, too. It's very short....but so nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheldonm Posted January 23, 2005 Report Share Posted January 23, 2005 I've been listening to this one for a few years as I'm a big Marvin Gaye fan. My better half refers to it as "show tunes" . Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted January 23, 2005 Report Share Posted January 23, 2005 Will you two get a room!? Ain't one big enough to handle both collections, I'm afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted January 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted January 23, 2005 Report Share Posted January 23, 2005 JSngry Posted on Jan 22 2005, 09:56 PM QUOTE (b3-er @ Jan 22 2005, 07:52 PM) Will you two get a room!? Ain't one big enough to handle both collections, I'm afraid. I thought size didn't matter... -_- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted January 23, 2005 Report Share Posted January 23, 2005 It doesn't. Unless you can't fit it all in. Then there's a problem for all concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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