By Nathan Simpson

BBC Sounds documentary   Marvin Gaye : What’s going on now

As this ground-breaking creative work turns 50, staff member Nathan Simpson reflects on his favourite album from the soul legend, Marvin Gaye.

This seems to be a question that we have been waiting to be answered for the last 50 years. An album so far ahead of its time musically, morally and politically. I don’t really need to carry out a review for this album, but this is about spreading awareness, especially in the times we are living in.  

The music we play, the music we review, the music we love derives from black culture. It has been created, crafted, and performed through some of the most oppressive and cruel circumstances you can ever imagine and yet the results are the most inspiring, influential and important pieces of music ever to be produced. Today we are reviewing Marvin Gaye’s 1971 classic – ‘What’s Going On’

The word ‘classic’ gets thrown about a lot in today’s generation but this is truly one of those. The album opens with Marvin questioning the morals and values within a 1971 society, a theme that is scattered throughout the album. Marvin was well ahead of time in terms of his thought processes, he comments on the state of the world and questions whether the children of tomorrow will suffer due to the mistreatment of the planet in the 70’s on ‘Save The Children’. Looking back retrospectively, has much changed since then?

The album is beautifully composed with harmonious backing vocals that complement the sweet and soulful voice of Mr Gaye. The composition of the album is fantastic and each song rolls into the next perfectly. Before you know it, the album is nearly finished, and you are reaching for the play button to restart it.

‘Mercy Mercy Me (Ecology)’ is a wonderful song that makes you truly consider the power that Marvin Gaye could have held in his hands in today’s society. The man was a modern-day genius and used his position in music to push a very important message in almost every song he composed. Commenting on environmental pollution and humans’ mistreatment of the planet, it makes you really think where we have gone wrong for the last 50 years… all of the warning signs have been in front of us…. what have we been doing?

Marvin Gaye’s message of anti-racism, education and spreading awareness was something that is more relevant now than ever. ‘Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)’ is one of my favourite tracks of all time. The music within the song is so beautiful but it has a politically charged message of peace, anti-war and in particular anti-Vietnam war. In a time where it was dangerous to be a black man, Marvin Gaye was willing to publicly declare his condemnation of the American government and their decision to send young American men to fight in a war that wasn’t theirs and in particular young black men to fight for a country that – hated them. Can you imagine being sent to hell to die for people that racially discriminate, victimise and marginalise you every single day because of the colour of your skin?

If you do anything this Sunday, put this on your record player and let the words resonate, listen to the message. Educate yourselves through the medium of music. It’s a beautiful and timeless piece of music that relates to today’s situation in a number of ways.

Listen via Spotify to What’s Going On