Here, My Dear

This album is fucking boring. I don't care what it's about. He can whine about his divorce all he wants, it's not a good album. Pretty telling that no one cared about it until he died. More proof that posthumous acclaim is pretty much always unwarranted. And it goes FOREVER, fucking hell. 2/5.

Bro was IN HIS FEELINGS about that divorce, huh?

This is my first time listening to this album.The late 70's is such an interesting time for music. The big legacy acts were putting out their most unusual and experimental albums. Either due to their ability to flex creativity control, their bordom with their old style or in this case, Marvin needed to finalize his divorce and he was gonna make just the album he felt like. Fuck you bitch is a simple concept but effective at bringing something out of Marvin. Marvin's funk is a light funk and I dig it. It feels slow and gentile comparied to the heavy funk or Parliament or James Brown. Like every good concept album, this album is meant to be enjoyed as a whole. It would be perfect to own on vinyl and enjoy on a lazy afternoon. The first two tracks start things off slowly. Lacking much of a hook or a resolution to the melody, its sounds like they are asking you to chill. But from there it builds, getting funking and faster but still remaining gentile with Marvin's sweet voice leading the way. I'd let Marvin slow funk me again anytime. Especially if its leads to "Time to get together" and "A Funky Space Reincarnation".

If you are a millennial like me, you either 1.) know that Marvin Gaye's music is synonymous with sexy times, or 2.) know someone who was conceived to said music. This album, 'Here, My Dear', does little to break the stereotype. From start to finish, the album features gentle soul/funk to make love to. Not fuck. Not chains-and-whips and edible undies type sex. No. We're talking sweet, sweet slow missionary style boom chikka wow wows. The instrumentations, from the gentle snare-and-high-hat drums to the gentle percussive guitars, lays the groundwork for Mr Gaye's reproduction-encouraging vocal stylings. Punctuated by the occasional sax lines, the music tends to be a bit one-note (says the guy who would listen to a Ramones album end to end). Overall, this album was not one I enjoyed. Not to say that it is bad. Maybe one day, I will meet a nice lady at my retirement home on Mars, and we will make out to the timeless sexy sounds of Marvin Gaye. But for now, I will just leave the record here, my dear.

So... I've never been into the smooth smooth stylin's of Mr. Gaye. But this album is really interesting. It's got the smooth sound you'd expect but, if you take a moment to listen to the lyrics, they're REALLY raw. Apparently, half of the earnings of this album were forfeited to his ex-wife even before he wrote it... so he wrote it about her. And damn. He put it all out there. Lyrics like, "You don't have the right to use the son of mine/To keep me in line/One thing I can't do without/Is the boy whom God gave to both of us" are balanced in the same song with "May love ever protect you/May peace come into your life." It's a really fascinating record, honestly. Not something I foresee myself listening to again but an album that I ended up enjoying while I listened to it.

Dude needs to move on.

I have no objection to personal songs or emotional connections, but this is self-indulgent, overblown and interminable. ‘When did I stop loving you?’ Round about song three. Two many low points, and not much to praise except the Motown production. And Marvin Gaye does have a good voice. Really not one of his best.

It’s like eating chocolate in a Cialis commercial.

A guy complaining about his divorce over boring funk beats. Should be called “I got a divorce (sax outro)” Seriously you just got a divorce bro. She doesn’t need a song named after her. Maybe focus on paying that alimony broke boy

"Let's turn the saxophone up to 10 and put an echo effect on all the vocals!" I know Marvin Gaye is a legend but this was not a good album.

I loved the hell out of this. Screw buckcherry, this is the real divorce music. Super groovy stuff. Bro's mad over a divorce settlement, then pivots to a space opera where he's talking to me about having sex on the moon & the plutonian droids lmao, all while there's horns out the wazoo. I'm floating.

If you’re going through it, this is the album for you. Considering the other concept albums on this list, this has to be among the best. Setting a song about attorney fees to a sexy slow jam, is the chef’s kiss of pettiness.

No one man personified 1970s turbulence more than Marvin Gaye. Such soul seeking, inward reflections of the self that he inhabited gave us some of the greatest albums of not just Marvin's career but of all time and it capped off with Here, My Dear, perhaps the most fascinating album of his. What Marvin once envisioned as chicken shit would soon give way to chicken salad as he did not shy away from the painful and hellacious breakup with his (much older) wife Anna. Rather, he wallows and revels in the grandiose nature of the music within as the disco flavoring mingles uneasily with the supposedly private topics dished out on wax. No wonder fans of his were put off. He was supposed to uplift them, give a voice to issues at hand and supply them with feel good jams when necessary. No one was ready to hear songs about paying attorney fees and the cost of leaving a relationship behind in 1978 but that was what Marvin was doing. We'd be wrong and he'd be right in due time. Exhausting, explorative, emotive, expressive and epic, Here, My Dear is Marvin at his most honest.

He came on this bitch mad as hell!

Absolutely phenomenal looking forward to listening to this with my girlfriend.

As an art piece, this album falls very close to perfection. I love the album setup. You feel like youre along Marvin and his wife (Anna) as they met and got married. Things are pure and promises are made. Eventually, you find yourself reminiscing over a relationship youve never been in 😂 and the over to a new lover. And finally… some vengeance/hate… but wait… more reminiscing 😂 Overall, I really liked this. Again, not full of the tastiest jams ever, but there were great stories and good tunes to accompany them. Is that enough is an incredible track. The jam at the end (sax solo) is stupidly awesome. A funky space reincarnation was solid too. Potentially controversial, im giving a 5/5 for the album as an art piece. 4/5 for music

Man, I'm conflicted on this one. This feels much more like a letter in musical form that got shared with the world than a traditional musical album I love the honesty from Marvin You can feel the pain and disappointment in his voice, but it feels like he has come to terms with what has happened. I'm sure that making and recording this album helped him cope as well. The mix is great Favorite track: Is That Enough

One of the best spite albums of all time. From heartbreaking to humorous at times, this is the work of a genius sending a giant 'fuck you' to his label and ex-partner in the most creative way possible.

Another incredible album by Marvin Gaye. This album takes us through his divorce and the wide ranging emotions that come with that. He oscillates from expressing anger, reconciliation, sadness, defensiveness and finally acceptance. His vocals are tortured and magnificent. I loved the use of thematic grounding around the phrase ‘When did you stop loving me, when did I stop loving you.’ It’s gives the album a sense of unity to persist through the roller coaster of sheer emotion

For an album to be created for the purpose it was to be as good as this one, is amazing.

Still fire. Sparrow is *chefs kiss*

Nice vibes, rlly chill. Not my style, but I could vibe to this anyday for sure.

So not much to say about Marvin Gaye’s “Here, My Dear” album… So Marvin’s going through a divorce, decides to write a bunch of songs about it, and makes an album out of it… I’m sure a big part of it was “…Wow – if Marvin wants to do that – I guess he’s gonna do that, because well – he’s Marvin Gaye…” Now don’t get me wrong, as I truly believe that Marvin was an exceptional talent, but this is nothing more than self-indulgent swill as far as I’m concerned… Sure, its raw, and captured a period in his life – but that does NOT mean it’s good, and it falls woefully short when compared to his best work… Peter Gabriel & Phil Collins both wrote some incredible compositions related to their respective divorces that really connected with their audiences – but Marvin’s effort here is ultimately forgettable… Only decent track on the album was “Is That Enough” – which is really well-done, and his vocals throughout are pretty top-shelf as you’d expect, but musically, as well as lyrically – it’s just not all that interesting or inspiring – sorry…

Pretty underwhelming and not some of his best work. I'll stick with the classic albums and songs of his.

I'm a huge fan of minding your own business. So I don't really meddle in my neighbors' personal lives, nor do I take interest in celebrities' shenanigans, nor take pleasure in afternoon TV shows involving real life love affairs or late night TV shows involving fictional love affairs. So, the vouyeristic nature of Gaye's "Here My Dear" didn't hit me. In other words, I don't care about his divorce. I guess I appreciate the fragility and the sincerity of it. But that doesn't mean that I enjoyed thus one hour messy soul jams. There's a reason why it was panned when it's released, and it's simply because it sucks.

Hey Marvin! Marvin! Why don't you just leave me alone? I'm just trying to make my life better by earning an honest day's wage, but here you are again, trying to talk me in to doing drugs and partake in sordid sex rituals. Just let me be. I hope you die, you creep. Leave my sister alone too. She's already had 4 abortions this year, she doesn't need another.

I admit I went into this album with a bad attitude. There are so many great artists and albums not represented on this list of 1001 albums, why waste a slot on this, which was created out to essentially spite his ex-wife? And after the first two songs I was still pretty bitter about it. And don't get me wrong, I love Marvin Gaye. He might be my favorite singer. But I was not feeling it on those first two songs. Even his singing felt off. But I don't know, by the time the third song came on, the music got interesting and I opened my mind up. Some of these tracks are just plain weird and maybe even bad. But some of them are actually kind of cool. And the musicianship is excellent throughout, as you'd expect from Motown. I don't know how quickly I'll be putting this back on, but it was better than I initially gave it credit for. And maybe if I listen to it more I'll give it a better ranking, but this morning I'm feeling a 2

Je ne comprends pas. Il faut entendre cet album parce qu'il s'agit de la plus mauvaise décision de faire un album double sur son divorce et ça en fait ainsi le plus grand échec commercial? Ça a été une écoute très difficile et pénible. En terme de face d'album, le 2e disque et plus particulièrement la face B est la meilleure. J'aime bien ce que Marvin Gaye fait, mais cet album n'était pas nécessaire.

Top tier divorce album! Worth looking up the story behind this before listening!

I… feel weird giving this a number. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very good 5, but there’s something awkward about rating a man’s ability to air out his grievances. It’s especially awkward because this is my first full Marvin Gaye album – obviously, I know some of the bigger hits, but for my first one, getting a long open letter recapping a failed, chaotic, vindictive, messy & dysfunctional marriage ending in a nasty divorce period is certainly a first impression. I almost feel like I’ve been trauma dumped on, & that’s a lot to take in; I’m just not sure I really want to take it in. With that said, the blend of the raw, honest lyricism & the excellent production here go hand in hand – I truly have no complaints about the musical content itself. Marvin Gaye’s voice glides like silk on a lot of these tracks, & when he means a line, there’s just a hint of extra vitriol, or grief, or whatever emotion each track calls for that makes the delivery feel all the more emphatic. Instrumentally, this thing is funky as hell – lots of great synth work & syncopation that feels heavily influenced by George Clinton & Stevie Wonder. Even with a lot of these tracks going a bit long, there’s something intoxicatingly captivating about the delivery, & it never really feels annoying to listen to. Really, my only knock on the album experience is the entire instrumental reprise of “When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You” taking up 6 minutes of runtime – that was unnecessary. Is it a boring album? It depends – I think if you fully ignore the lyricism here, then a lot of these tracks do end up following a similar archetype & structure that could easily feel like a 74 minute drag “woe is me” album. If you dive into the lyricism, then there’s some really biting lines in here that enhance each track in a very compelling way. To my brain, I see this album as if this is a live look at Marvin Gaye’s psyche over the course of this big divorce trial, hopping in & out of live testimony, sad reminiscing, some daydreaming to ignore some pain, & ultimately, the resolution that there is the ability to love, even after all he’s gone through. Outside of the lyricism, I entered a zen state for a lot of this, so I can’t speak to the extent of musical repetition on the album (save for “Time to Get It Together” being extra with it), but my ears caught it a handful of times. I still managed to ignore a lot of it, just because I found this to be such an interesting album. It’s a great listen, however awkward & messy it feels to listen to it, but much like a guilty pleasure movie, there’s something satisfying about it that’s hard to quantify. It’s why I feel weird giving this a number, because I’d love to just sort of admire it as the open & honest art piece it is. Since I have to give it a number though, it’s a 5, and a highly recommended one.

no skips at all. beautiful

I don't think I've listened to Marvin Gaye before but I'm on the wagon now, this shit god damn rules. Each song seems to have like 3 to 5 melodies, plus intricate bass lines, going on at the same time. If attempted by many, this would sound like a cacophonic mess, but somehow it's all layered into this cohesive, coordinated texture. I imagine on the 100th time listening to this you can still find something new and exciting. I especially liked the songs where the gospel influences showed through, like the titular song and 'When did you stop loving me, when did I stop loving you'. The latter was my favorite and seemed to theme the entire album, but there's no weak points here. Awesome the whole way through.

Marvin The Great! One of the most soulful singers of all time.

After hearing What's Going On, I figured other Marvin Gaye albums were on the list. What I was not expecting to get today was his divorce album. Here, My Dear was recorded to pay off his ex-wife Anna Gordy Gaye during their divorce proceedings. Because this predicament occupied his mind heavily during the sessions, Marvin ultimately decided to write the songs in a perverse dedication to her, airing out a lot of the dirty laundry between them. From the short chronology of their time together on "I Met a Little Girl" to the protective anger over their adoptive son Marvin Gaye III on the title track, to the million dollar divorce settlement on "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You", to the admittance of paying his ex-wife's lawyer fees at the end of "Is That Enough", to the bitter reflection on the lavish lifestyle he provided her on "Anna's Song", Marvin goes all out with the details. In between are moments where he also reflects on himself at this point, including the complexity of volatile emotions running through him on "Anger", his cocaine and sex addiction on "Time to Get It Together", and his desire to be free evoking the image of the sparrow flying and singing its song. This album can be difficult to listen to, dependent on how privy one is to the information regarding Marvin and Anna's split, especially where we understandably could not get Anna's side from this record. At least from what Marvin provided, it's apparent he bled his heart out onto the paper to get this out. The fact that Here, My Dear still sounds amazing in its blend of soul and funk is a testament to Marvin as a song composer and producer, creating the kind of sonic jams to wallow in on the dancefloor. The tenor saxophone solo on the "instrumental" version of "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You", the p-funk space fantasy of "A Funky Space Reincarnation" with the shuffling percussion, other groovy tracks such as "Anger" and "Falling in Love Again" all showcase how the personnel involved in the backbone of this record did a phenomenal job with what they were given while providing some variance in the styles. If this album is too much for you, I get it. Divorces are usually not easy to process, certainly not if one airs out all the details on an album. But Marvin went and made lemonade out of the lemons he was given in his dissolved marriage from Anna, and that's got to be a testament to his tenacity and creative passion.

This is a solid Marvin Gaye album, perhaps his second best after What's Going on. Perhaps the best thing to come out of a divorce settlement, ever. I remember giving one of my exes What's Going On as a present once. I should have given her this CD when we broke up. Thematically, it's really a cinematic album, with the "When did you stop loving me" weaving in and out of the tracklist. Super soulful track too.

Marvin Gaye is the one guy who could make whining about his divorce for an hour sound good.

I loved this, so chill definitely would listen again, already knew a track on the album and enjoyed its reprise. I thoroughly enjoyed the track A funky space reincarnation.

King of R&B IMHO. To me its Thee Sacred Souls' grandfather who's retelling them how he met their grandmother. Fave Songs: - I Met A Little Girl (VERY QUESTIONABLE TITLE) - When Did You Stop Loving Me 💖 - Anger - Is That Enough (HES SO FUNNY?! And that bloody sax 🤰🏻) - Time To Get It Together - A Funky Space Reincarnation

thank fuck for this album, truly has made my week

Can’t believe I’ve never heard anything from this album. Beautiful emotional moving. Loved it

When did you stop loving me is class

the goat

Definitely an album that grows its genius over multiple listens. First go through, it feels like everything is the same. All one note and nothing much else. But each listen pulls back a layer of this incredibly funky yet heartbreaking album. The lyrics really shine and the horn playing is just perfectly placed every song. This may sometimes feel too long, but I quickly remember how good the rest of the album is, so I don't mind the light slog

This album is both a really bizarre look into Marvin Gaye's personal life, and full of really solid tracks. "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You" is simultaneously a scathing rip on his ex and a damn fine bop.

Yes

Absolutely superb. Voice of an angel. Love love love ❤️

Album is a vibe. Kept expecting a Kanye West beat to drop though

Sex in space!

My third Marvin Gaye from the list, and only a couple of days after "Let's Get It On". I've apparently listened to this before, but must have put it on as background music as I didn't have any particular memories of it. I was pretty captivated first play through - none of the preachy stuff that put me off "What's Going On" and not as relentlessly horny as "Let's Get In On" - a mood that intrigued me but was hard to pin down, melancholy, wistful, with, yes, a splash of horniness. Then I read the backstory and it clicked into place! Kinda mad that he coulda phoned in a bunch of standards and covers, or otherwise skimped on the effort, and instead fully artistically engaged with the idea of a divorce album. I'm glad critical appraisal caught up! Fave tracks - the reoccurring "When Did You Stop Loving Me" really ties the album together. "Is That Enough" is probably my pick for stand out track. "A Funky Space Reincarnation" is fun, too!

PURE LOVE

I like this even better than What’s Going On?

Wonderful!

Later album from Marvin. You can really hear him flexing a well used muscle. Well polished songs. Beautiful Melodys, soulful singing with thoughtful lyrics.

ladies & gentlemen dimmet euchi liechter, zündet es paar cherze ah und schmeissed euch ih euches feinste sunntigsgwand… mir hend es meisterwerk zur hand han mi sehr fest müesse zämmerisse dasi nöd churzerhand en sponti sex-playlist im büro erstellt han nöd mal zwingend mis favourite marvin gaye project aber de king of r&b bechunt halt kategorisch direkt 5 saftigi stern id fratze

loved it!

Like butter.

chill

Prachtig album, twijfel heel erg tussen 4 en 5 sterren. Geweldige muziek, mooi concept, maar wel veel van hetzelfde.

"Here, My Dear" is the fifteenth studio album by Marvin Gaye, originally released in 1978. **Warning:** This album will make you think about your ex. It's no mystery to find out why this record was met with criticism upon its release. His previous studio album, 1976's "I Want You" was filled with love and lust-filled tracks that Marvin Gaye had become known for by the mid-1970s. This album is a stark contrast. The lyrical content on here largely revolves around Gaye's divorce with his then-wife, Anna. When I say these lyrics are personal, I mean they're PERSONAL. He calls out Anna by name multiple times throughout these tracks, and even has a whole song dedicated to her! That would immediately be off-putting to even hardcore fans of Gaye's music at the time. It's kinda like when you're hanging out with your friend and he gets drunk then starts venting to you and it's kinda awkward cause you don't know how to react at first. Gaye's raw emotion on this record, and sometimes his bitterness, is out of character for him. But that's why I think this record is so great. It's a complete outlier in his discography. Even the production gets a bit interesting on here. They're starting to experiment a bit more with electronics and synths. I can tell that this record was definitely influential to modern artists, especially Tyler, The Creator (especially his 2019 album "Igor"). Definitely a fun and at times emotional record to listen to.

Very cool!

Some of the most raw emotion you'll hear on an album. That paired with the funk and jazz elements throughout make this one pretty addicting for me. Favorite track: A Funky Space Reincarnation

Marvin Gaye could sing an infectious disease textbook and still make women swoon. Even with the pin and, at some points, bitterness on this album, he’s still incredibly soulful. It was admittedly a little difficult to listen to sometimes having gone through a divorce myself, but that’s a testimony to how honest this album is.

10/10 listening to this album feels like a light has entered my life

Yesssss

De éste disco no conocía ninguna canción.

Marvin Gaye was a gift from God. That voice is so smooth. Iconic. I could listen to Marvin every day-not the same album but all of his songs.

To me, this is hilarious. It’s genuinely very good. Music is beautifully composed, the singing is excellent. And the lyrics really are about the end of a relationship. What tickles me is how on-theme all the songs are. The man was seriously upset by this marriage. He put it all out there. It’s a very cathartic project. If you’re going through it, this is the album for you. Considering the other concept albums on this list, this has to be among the best. Setting a song about attorney fees to a sexy slow jam, is the chef’s kiss of pettiness.

De este disco no conocía ninguna canción.

Soft and smooth, knows where to hit

Okay, I'm going to say it: This album is not only one of Gaye's best works but maybe even better than the well known What's Going On. The music is more interesting (the drums) and Gaye works with many harmonies. Maybe it doesn't win out thematically but it is the better bedroom music.

Marvin Gaye may be the best singer I have ever heard. Along with some great jazz instrumentals this is such a great album. Is That Enough is such a good song I was about to give this album 5 stars just off of that. The intro and outro are just so good.

Angelic

Best Song: Sparrow. Something about the contrast between Marvin's slow, methodical vocals being contrasted with the spastic solos in the background just really worked. Worst Song: Here, My Dear. Wasn't digging the spoken parts. Felt like a too on-the-nose intro for the album. Overall: It's actually a shame that some of Marvin Gaye's name has become synonymous with some of his more outlandish songs (e.g., "Sexual Healing"), because damn if he doesn't have a consistently great catalogue. Each track was funky, or soulful, but always buttery smooth.

A Funky Space Reincarnation blew my tiny little mind.

lovely, nice, cute, amazing. listened to it on repeat the whole day

Great stuff from Marvin

Love it. Such a smooth, silky album. Sounds like background music for when you’re laying on a fur rug in front of the fireplace drinking a glass of red wine with your lover. 5 stars

Really funky. A bit long, with the three versions of the same song, but I liked it. Good for having on in the background. + When Did You Stop Loving Me + Sparrow + Anna's Song

I have always heard the name but didn't think I had ever heard him, but I definitely have. Such an amazing voice.

Masterpiece. I'm only halfway through right now, and picking a favorite track is going to be extremely difficult. Favorite tracks: When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You; Is That Enough

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: I met a little girl, When did you stop loving me, Anger, Is that enough, Everybody needs love, Sparrow, Anna’s song, Falling in love again

Beautiful

perfect.

Loved it

Crazy... I had just put this album on the turntable earlier this evening! Marvin's working through some real shit here and I respect him for being so candid. Yes, this is a sprawling mess of an album, but in the best and weirdest way. Something like "A Funky Space Reincarnation" doesn't even seem to fit the concept of the album, but it's so batshit bonkers that I'm tickled he sandwiched it in there. Just shows you how off the rails he must have been at that point in his life. I think recording in your own studio tends to lend itself to this type of wild self indulgence. I'm glad Marvin had the opportunity to make such an artful and thorough public catharsis.

What a voice and what a set of songs. The ultimate quiet storm for a divorce record. Brutal and beautiful in equal measure. One's fully down with belated reckoning of this one as MG's masterpiece.

so nice, love it love absolutly

Great album. About his divorce.

Marvin Gaye, Marvin Guy, move on up baby let it be.

cool

Romandische jazzige RnB Oldies

Wonderful. Can't remember any of the songs/tunes, but it's just a beautiful noise, from start to finish. In that respect he's a bit like Van Morrison - it doesn't matter what he plays/sings, it's all just great.

No one else has ever made anger sound so beautiful.

Je comprend que l'album n'est pas été un succès instantanné mais une revelation après plusieurs années. Ce n'est pas classique de Marvin Gaye comme je le connais, mais certaine de ces chansons sont empreint d'une grande emotivité et la production est A1. Marvin Gaye est un artiste que j'aime beaucoup et je crois que cet album est un must a écouté pour bien connaitre l'artiste. 5

MARVIN GAYE. One of the best to ever do it and my personal favorite artist of all time. This album, just like all his other work, is amazing. 5/5 there’s not a Marvin Gaye album that’s not a 5 star.

Wonderful Sunday morning record

amazing

Wonderful flow to this album going through the elation of a new relationship, falling in love and heartbreak. Then getting back on the horse. Great stuff.

Pretty damn fantastic. Basically a concept album. Really interesting vibe

Nice Marvin!