Smokey

[danasgoodstuff]

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7564784/aloe-blacc-joe-walsh-smokey-robinson-gershwin-prize-pbs

 

I love Smokey, even though I'd have to say his period of really great writing lasted only about 5-6 years. Discuss...

[randyhersom]

Nah, mature Smokey has plenty of gems.  Cruising, Tell Me Tomorrow, One Heartbeat ...  there's comparative duds on both sides also,but plenty of dud free albums too.  He had a special skill for the smaller worldview that early to mid-60s Motown inhabited, but he grew right along with Stevie and Marvin as they broadened the art form and threw off some of the shackles and inhibitions.  Never a revolutionary but always an artist.

[duaneiac]

The man certainly deserves this honor for his songwriting.  "The Tracks of My Tears" is as magnificent a pop music gem as one could ask for.  In the 1960's he was just as influential a songwriter as Lennon-McCartney, although many music fans may not have realized it at the time since many of his compositions were recorded by other Motown artists instead of his own group.

Plus he went on to write a song which became the standard for a new (at the time) radio format -- "Quiet Storm".

Even his late period songs like "Being With You" and "One Heartbeat" are pretty darn good pop songs.  His writing genius may not have been consistent over the later decades, but he did have his bouts of rewarding creativity.  That's more than satisfactory.  How much latter day writing by Paul McCartney or Van Morrison or Stevie Wonder is consistently good?

[danasgoodstuff]

I'm glad someone is sticking up for the later work, but IMHO "Being With You", "Cruising", etc. are barely songs at all (neither is "Ooh Baby Baby"), however well sung they are.  And yes, songwriting still matters to me, now, today, always.

[randyhersom]

I would think that view is not widely shared.

[felser]

I hold parts of all of the opinions here.  To me, the truly magic Smokey was the really early stuff, like "I'll Try Something New" and "Way Over There", but I get plenty of enjoyment out of his recordings through "Quiet Storm", and do love "Being With You" (which I think is awesome writing myself).

[soulpope]

Smokey Robinson`s crossover into the 70`s sounds (still) good to my ears ....