Here, My Dear

There are parts of this double album where one track nicely flows into the next ("When Did You Stop Loving Me" - "Anger" - "Is That Enough" on the first side. Or, on the last one, "A Funky Space Reincarnation", "You Can Leave, But It's Going To Cost You" and "Falling In Love Again"). "Time To Get It Together" is an enticing, quite groovy cut as well. Unfortunately, everything else sounds like aimless filler to me. I get that huge fans of Marvin Gaye can feel moved by his somewhat vulnerable vocal performance, here inspired by the painful subject matter driving this whole project along. But frankly, those other songs definitely sound subpar compared to Gaye's more striking songs in his repertoire. To put it in a nutshell, here is a blatant case of a double LP that would have been far more convincing if its performer/musician had stuck to a single disc instead. And I don't think such missed opportunities can be considered as "essential". Number of albums left to review or just listen to: less than 700, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: approximately a half so far Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter (including this one)

Alright, Marvin Gaye is legend. Dude has some amazing songs. But this doesn't really scratch that soul itch for me. It's late enough in the 70s that good soul has been replaced with smooth jazz. Compare this to \"Let's Get it On\" and you can hear the soul slipping away. Still... better than a kick in the balls.

Notes - Marvin gaye’s 15th album - A divorce album - Midtempo soul/funk - Marvin Gaye is another artist that I’ve heard the big hits of but never gone deeper - A lot of the writing of this album was done by improvising multiple takes until something stuck - Very personal and direct lyrics - There’s not a lot of room for subtlety here but that’s kind of a cool aspect - Performed really poorly critically and commercially compared to his other albums Fav - Anger - Fun groove and interesting melody choices OR - Is that enough - Love the vocal delivery and guitar parts, such a deep groove Least fav - When did you stop loving me (instrumental) - Less good version of the earlier instance of this song 3/5

Good

The story behind this album is pretty interesting. The bitterness comes through in a bunch of the songs. There is some really good soul/R&B with great instrumentation. There is some filler here too. Not unusal on a double album.

hatar album covern annars bra

Maldin gaye

Not his best work, although Marvin is Marvin so there are plenty great songs throughout

I enjoyed it but there wasn't any amazing tracks like on "What's Going On" for me that really really grabbed me. 3.5 down to 3 I suppose. Great stuff overall though.

At several points it stops being sexy and veers into naff. Its an era where Marvin fancied himself just a bit too much.

looked at the genius page before listening to the album, seems like a heartfelt album groovy first song funk is always great to hear the bass be hittin angaaa i think this girl might have been too possessive, might be wrong tho martin, that's more than a minute, but it's fine i'm happy waiting

"My father, he needs love" is a tough line to hear from him

Marvin Gaye can elevate any subject through sheer talent which is exactly what he does here. Incredibly boring subject matter, but because it's Marvin singing you don't mind listening.

There's a lot to take in here - a very raw album with some great grooves but not as refined or memorable as some more iconic Gaye records. Also, A Funky Space Reincarnation is a great song but feels woefully out of place with the rest of the album

Not as good as "Whats going on". I guess an album about your divorce is helpful to yourself. But I found it quite boring. The only exception was "Funky Space Reincarnation" it was the funkiest track on the album

Pretty long and boring, but good for family breakfast. 3

It was an okay album for me

its giving boy band and idk why???!!

It’s pretty good - it is Marvin Gaye after all - and obviously deeply personal. But it falls well short of Marvin Gaye at his best.

Hyvä muttei paras! 3/5

Hieno levy, vaikkei artistin parhaita. Vahva 3.

Marvin pistää menee! Ei lemppari artistilta, mut 3/5

Did people think Marvin Gaye was cheesy in 1978? I guess only the first track is kinda cheesy. It’s difficult to listen to. The rest of the songs are good just because of Marvin’s talent, but the topics are a bit depressing. A whole album about the breakdown of a marriage is a bit much after just getting engaged myself. The one good thing about this is it’s very easy listening and has none of his hits which are the only ones I’m familiar with. That’s also the downside. No songs that are really anything special or recognizable.

Mixed feelings on this one. Made for pretty good background music though.

Haven't ever gone down the Marvin Gaye rabbithole but this was funkier than I was expecting. the man has vocal chops but I didn't really expect to be shoulder-shimmying so much to an album about an acrimonious divorce. definitely going to be giving this a 2nd listen.

didn't like as much as the other album we listened to from him

Good, but not my favorite album of his.

Clearly in pain, this album was hard to listen to.

I recently listened to 'Let's get it on' so can't help but compare it to this album. I don't like Here,my dear as much. I miss the sexiness from the get it on album. This one feels more sleek, more soulful but ultimately not my thing. (Best listened to in hot weather.) Having said that, it is very good musically. There are still good songs on this. 'Anna's song' was my favourite track. Pretty solid. The rest seemed to blend into each other and didn't stand out.

I can hear the quality in his music and understand why people enjoy his music. I really like his voice and the way he build up this album, but it’s not something I would put on myself. I enjoyed it and it deserves a place in this list.

I can appreciate the talent but this is not my thing. I hate all the smooth talking bits and the music just feels sleazy to me. Probably my prejudice of the 70s!

My problem with soul is present here but it’s Marvin

This is a lot of Marvin Gaye

This is essentially a breakup album. The music is competent, but the subject matter is really limited to this one theme. 3/5

Soul

It's not really my vibe, and it was a bit much in one listen, but I can appreciate it. It's got a gentle funky vibe, and damn has he got some smoooth vocals! I think I'd appreciate it more in smaller doses. 3

True babymaker

모든 세포가 살아나는 1분55초경 애나를 향한 절규

Yes, I know that it is a "contractual obligations" album (of a sort—settlement for a failed marriage, rather than rounding up a stupid seven-album deal. But then, since the ex-spouse to-be in question was actually the big sister of Mr Gaye's record label boss, there is an overlap, no?) ...but still, and "A Funky Space Reincarnation Aside", it feels like it was phoned in from Bruges. Flip side to this is that Mr Gaye's offcuts score higher than the entire oeuvre of some of his counterparts. So...

I never got the appeal of 'break-up albums'. I get that it may be a therapeutic release for the artist, but it's really a toss-up as to whether it will translate to the listener, since every relationship and hence every break-up is a unique and personal thing. In this case, as in many others, I believe it doesn't work. So we're stuck listening to Marvin airing his grievances and pitying himself and whatnot. Do his smooth, sultry vocals and subtle, groovy instrumentation rescue the work? Somewhat. But there are already 2 excellent albums by him on this list, I think this one sorta taints the man's legacy.

Not as great as I was hoping for so 3*

It was OK. I think there are better Marvin Gaye albums.

'Is That Enough' is an absolute great song, but for the rest it meanders a bit too much for me

I mean definitely very groovy, and a very pleasant sound to have on but i feel like none of the songs really went anywhere, and weren’t very memorable high 3

This album contains some of Gaye's most personal and heartfelt lyrics. It's a shame the music is so comparatively underwhelming. Still, it's worthwhile as a snapshot of a tumultuous moment in Gaye's life and career.

Wasnt bad. Very jazzy but felt very boring and didnt bring anything new to the table. Not as great or influential as other Marvin gaye albums but at least it was listenable.

This has got to be the most mid Marvin Gaye album. While it is smooth, every song is stylistically identical which made it pretty boring to me.

bit long but overall fine

Kind of washed over me but I liked the sounds

It's a Marvin Gaye record. Good soul/R&B. Amazing voice. Social commentary. Good stuff

Far from Martin Gaye's best. 3/5

This comes across as one of the first double albums that I don't think is bad because it is a double album at all. That being said, since it was so symphonic and consistent, it did lead to it being a lot of the same in the song to song experience, which did detract from the enjoyment for me.

You can really sense the late 70s early 80s vibe of this album from production to instrumentation. This album was solidly okay.

Great and everlasting voice. Unfortunately not always the best songwriting on this album. But still a great musician!

Probably sounded quite novel when it was released. Struggled to tell songs apar.

Smooth emotional soul. Nothing too standout to me. Easy listening. This level of softness isn't right for me. Enjoyable listen but it's almost background music.

much of the same

Don't listen to Marvin Gaye that much. I am excited to dive into an artist I'm not familiar with. Excited for this one. I liked When did you stop loving me, When did I stop loving you. It was okay 4/10

Solid Marvin Gaye album. It’s classic R&B: you can’t go wrong.

Was good

Nice and chilled, great for background music

I think it's fair to say that between Marvin Gaye and Barry White, they're probably responsible for a large portion of babies around the world - indirectly. Even if you're not in the mood, you will be by the end of this record. Filth!

Wow, this album was so long. I liked some songs

Typische Marvin Gaye muziek, ook wel te klasseren als slaapkamermuziek. Leuk in z'n context, minder leuk erbuiten

Good album, just not that into the sound of it rn

Q. What does SHARK eat for breakfast? A. Children

Wow. Talk about catharsis. I was not particularly digging the first half of this two-album set. Marvin Gaye is unquestionably in a special, elite league as a vocalist. I marvel at how effortless his delivery is — though he also went for some moments of vocal strain in places on this album. But the opening five tracks were like him singing his sad diary in real time with a divorce (I later read a little about the album and that's pretty much what we're hearing). So, from an artistic, "I'm leaving everything out here on the field" perspective, this is pretty bold and probably groundbreaking when released. But I didn't find it made for a great listen, and I was thinking, "this is the kind of material you might regret having released five years after the fact." Things shifted after that with "Everybody Needs Love" and "Time To Get It Together," and I started feeling differently about the album. Still, it's a little hit and miss, "Sparrow" was a low point, but as the second half of the album wasn't so literally glued to his day-to-day airing of grievances, I thought the material was stronger. It's an uneven record, in my estimation, and the hyper-focus on his personal upheaval at the expense of songwriting on half the material makes this a three in my book.

Better than i thought it would be.

This may be sacrilege, but I'm just not wild about most 60s/70s R&B. Probably the same way my kids cringe every time I play "my" music in the car.

It was just ok. Not really distinguishable from any other r&b/soul from that era. A little disappointing actually.

Not his best work, but you can feel the talent and energy

Bitterness never sounded so sweet! It’s not my favorite Marvin Gaye album, but it’s still a Marvin Gaye album, and you can never go wrong with that.

Easy listening, not groundbreaking

25th July 2022 Listened in the morning and afternoon while in the house in Berrias. Afternoon by the river. Gaye does jazz with lovely results. 3.5 if I could.

Not bad. Seems like standard gaye stuff

Liked it, but didn't love it. Some songs were very good though. I liked Anger a lot, and Is That Enough? 3/5

Is That Enough and Anger were cool but I wasn't blown away by this. Fairly enjoyable but a little too cheesy for my taste.

Some good songs, but this feels better as background music rather than active listening. A few tracks feel unnecessary. Sparrow is a tune that oozes cool.

Liked this one, nice music to chill out to for sure. Three stars because I don't see myself listening to this album again, but respect for making an entire album complaining about your ex wife lol.

fun and groovy

this album isn't bad, it's just not for me. i'm not really into ballads, and that holds consistently across the decades. great voice, heavy lyrics, solid performances all around fave: "when did you stop loving me, when did i stop loving you". reminds me of "options" by pedro the lion. i'm sure this song is a direct influence stellar album art

Nice

It’s not the greatest Marvin Gaye but it still had some good tracks on it. Also kinda tiring since this had similar sexy vibes to the last album I got, just in different eras

- Soothing and calming. - Nothing to spectacular but it doesn't need to be also. - Brought a good message to a lot of the songs containing ideas like just loving each other in the world. - Some of the songs sounded like they were ramping up to more and just never reached it. - Good background music. - Songs were typically all good the just length of the songs made the songs worse typically. - Some songs could've been longer, and some could've been a lot shorter. - Songs became repetitive and boring as they went longer. - Overall mostly soothing and calming with a nice saxophone but also boring and not amazing. Even though most songs were to long or short and became boring it was still good music just not something I'd listen to on a daily basis. Good album though along with most songs containing a good message for the world.

Marvin sings the same about marriage breakup as he does about the state of the world and sexy time. Fine as background but got bored and put the News Quiz on.

There's a fine line between romantic and soppy... I'm not sure where this album falls. It was ok

chill, typical gaye vibe, without hits tho, enjoyable

Not my style, but super chill and good.

"Here, My Dear" is quite the left turn from Marvin Gaye's earlier work. It's framed around his divorce from first wife Anna Gordy (originally intended to be knocked out so she could claim royalties) and sees him laying his cards on the table... for 73 minutes. Right from the off (an opening line of "I guess I'll have to say this album is dedicated to you"), "Here, My Dear" is a deeply personal album for Gaye. Every song is either addressed to Gordy or shows Gaye looking inward to assess where things went wrong in his marriage. The lyrics, though, are oddly non-specific. They're vague enough to speak to just about anybody in a failing relationship, without detail, sharpness or much poeticism (who can't relate to the memories of "love after dark and picnics in parks"?) Conceptually and musically, though, this album is nothing short of compelling. Largely dismissed on release, it apparently gained a new wave of respect and praise in the wake of Gaye's tragic death in 1984. It's easy to see how people might flock to "Here, My Dear" as a misunderstood masterpiece: it's certainly more ambitious in scope than Gaye's other releases. At times, the music calls back to Gaye's classic work: "Here, My Dear" is a tender doo-wop ballad, "Falling in Love Again" regains the optimism of "Let's Get It On". At others it draws from funk and disco breaking out at the time, with the strutting urgency of "Anger" and the bloated but fun "A Funky Space Reincarnation". At others it sounds like a touchstone for the nu-soul movement of the 90s (Maxwell and D'Angelo surely pulled a lot of tricks from this book). "Everybody Needs Love" is one of my highlights: a lovely spiritual take on love which emerges as the most positive song on the record despite the bitterness eating away at its core. If "Here, My Dear" doesn't hit straight away, it's down to the sheer volume of material: great as it is, three versions of "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You" is surely not necessary. Most tracks are over five minutes and many don't need to be so long. As self-critical as Gaye is here, it's also a shame that Gordy's version of events will never be enshrined like this. A quick internet search is enough to reveal Gaye's adulterous and abusive tendencies, somewhat undermining the peaceful messages espoused in this record. I might not have been particularly engaged by this album at first, but even with the above reservations taken into account, many of these songs have the grace and craft to transcend the ugly and bitter circumstances they arose from.

I feel like I was transported to an elevator; a sexy, sexy elevator.

solid 3 or 4. its smooth but a little forgettable. i'm in a pretty low stress place though.

La musica e il sound sono belli e intriganti, la voce molto suadente, calda e bella. Manca qualcosa però.

Not bad. Interesting backstory, but less interesting music.

Not the best of Marvin but enjoyed it!

ha! gaye!

I did not know of this album before. It is something. Sometimes you hear a work is "intensely personal" but this is more like "uncomfortably personal" or even "embarrassingly personal." It was hard to get over the shock at first. All I could hear was a Troy McClure-type voice announcing, "Including such divorce classics as, 'When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You?' 'Anger' and 'You Can Leave, But It's Going to Cost You.'" Could this be real? Has the word "please" ever been rhymed with "attorney fees" in any other song? And let's throw in a sci-fi love song in the middle there for good measure. It's funny, though, that when I had it playing a second time and wasn't paying attention to the lyrics about violating marriage vows, weaponizing child custody, and such, I found that I liked a lot of the music and found it pretty engaging. I liked "When Did You Stop Loving Me" (the instrumental is nice), "Anger," "Is That Enough," "Time to Get it Together"...and well, "A Funky Space Reincarnation" is a pretty amazing piece of work all the way around. That's a pretty good chunk of the album where I really liked the music. I definitely understand why this was an album to hear, and I've gone through a few stages in my appreciation of it (or fascination with it). Whatever rating I end up giving it isn't going to feel quite right.

I didn't really connect to this album. The music was listenable, and there was a theme running through giving a focused experience. Nonetheless, it was easy for me to detach during the listen because the theme was not appealing to me, I guess.

This one was interesting. Definitely benefits a lot from the context of the album and surrounding circumstances.

nije mi ovo njegovo najbolje izdanje

Kuhanje juhe sa noklicama, vani puše jebački vjetar, g točka vino fino izloženo na kuhinjskom stolu. Taman za ovaj album, samo je problem kaj sam sam. 3.5. Is That Enough je jebena stvar.

Have long known the story behind the album. Knew less about the post-script but it's nice that they eventually got along. It's a lot better than I had been led to believe, even as it leans slightly into being a more 1980s sounding soul album. I was under the assumption that it was a much-panned album but looks like has been re-appraised in recent years. Too long though, and the songs are generally too long as well. Would have been better as a single rather than a double.

3/5 for me, this one. Leans pretty heavily into the breakup theme, gets a little wearing after an hour and a quarter. Irritated me that he had three versions of the same song, too. But, it's beautiful, soulful singing with a shitload of emotion. A pleasant listen that is gentle from a pure musical perspective, but harder work from an emotional perspective. I think we'll have better Marvin Gaye albums to come.

Soul. Se me ha hecho bola. Pero bueno, ni fu ni fa.

Seems meandering on the first listen

Smooth

The concept is better than the execution of the album. The songs are tragic and heartbreaking at times, but I struggled to stay invested in the story throughout the whole album. Perhaps it simply needs more listens, and I definitely see myself coming back to this album because it was still a pretty nice listen. 6/10

Nice enough for my first Gaye album. The sort of thing my wife and I could probably listen to together.

Slick. Great voice. 7/10

need to relisten

This is painful. Right from the title, which is what Gaye said to his wife when turning over the agreed upon 50% of the royalties of this album which was negotiated to end the divorce proceedings she brought against him. He'd fallen behind on child support and his spending habits and the long legal proceedings left him broke. Oh yeah, that wife was also the sister of Motown / TAMLA records executive Berry Gordy. Marvin Gaye is a tough listen, his vocal range is spot on. The smooth R&B sound he evolved into from his earlier Northern Soul fame lost some fans as well. Combining the hard R&B and the personal lyrics make this a heart rendingly good album. 3.5/5.

Songs were okay but nothing special for me an average album

Jamais écouter, je connais seulement lets get it on pis what going on de cover. C'etait bon, je devrais essayer d'écouter plus de musique de ce genre

Decent background music. Smooth jazz

Smooth. My top pick is the semi-instrumental of 'When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You' - some great sax

Beautiful album, great voice

Break up albums are usually a massive red flag for me. Only a 'being famous is weally weally hard' album is more of a warning. However, this album does something new with the form (I'd previously thought the Weeknd had started this trend, but was 35 years late!) It is icy, spooky soul music. Rather than comforting, it creeps you out. It's not perfect, without any real hooks, it is a disconcerting experience, and I got tired towards the end of it. But it was a new one on me, and one that tried something new, fairly effectively.

One of the worst album covers ever it has to be said. This definitely feels like Marvin was trying to stick it to the corporate guys and put out an album that contained absolutely zero potential chart hits. It was OK to listen to in the background.

The music and the vocals are pretty good, but the album is too long, so it gets repetitive.

3.6 + Good but kind of a slog. It’s definitely ballsy for Marvin Gaye to have themed an album around his divorce - don’t know of other artists who’ve done that. The same sumptuous arrangements and buttery vocals are here. Songs like “Anger” give a window into his complex emotional state. Despite these strengths, this record is too far deep into his discography for my taste.

More sad than horny

Overall, this album (and Marvin Gaye's music in general) sounds a bit too sleazy for my taste. I did enjoy the more funky tracks, though.

I'm don't have much to say about this album. It's fun, but this "romantic funky" R&B is not exactly a style that I love. The Wikipedia page about the album is worth it because the album's background is pretty more interesting than the album itself.

Let's feel each other's ass and razzmatazz 😉

Smooth as silk crème. Top tracks: when did I stop loving you, when did you stop loving me, Here, my dear,

Mellow music with undercurrent of anger. MG is always smooth, but goddamn his music is just the definition of same-ness.

Meget livsnydelse igen ;)

Fløde. Lidt ensidigt. Lange numre. Meget uh, yeah, ah, baby

6/10

Not my favorite MG wax but is ok.

Slower, mood music. Time and place for it. Let's "Marvin Gaye and get it on" as the kids say

I've suggested a few times that Dua Lipa is the Marvin Gaye of our times. This needed a little more of that half melted chocolate ooze.

same jam over and over

Did you also feel like touching your penis?

Sense estar a l'alçada dels seus millors moments, 'Here, My Dear', un altre d'aquells discos de separació històrics, sobreviu millor el temps del que la seva fama presuposa. Soul suau, punyent, melangiós, taciturn en ocasions, suggestiu en unes altres. Molt llarg i s'ha d'estar en disposició adequada a la seva escolta, però si tot conflueix, resulta en una estona memorable

It was aite, some of the songs dragged on

i feel like if i were to describe romance as a sound, the start of this album would come close. some songs on it are more jazz/ funky but they arent executed as well

not as smooth as his previous albums

It’s a decent album. Funky.

I liked it. Thought it was great sound. Background music that you dont need to pay too much attention to in order to understand. Liked the added funk of it all.

Enjoyable, but probably needs another listen to get full appreciation. Many songs seemed very similar. Really enjoyed “A Funky Space Reincarnstion”.

The Album was a concept about his failed marriage. Sorry about that... (5/10) FT: When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You

So, this wasn't what I expected. I had read about this great \"divorce settlement\" album, that was supposedly a lost masterpiece. Often, I find that wreaks of hipster-obscurantism (cf. the Beach Boys's Vegetables), where \"unrecognised masterpiece\" often equates to self-indulgent, un-edited piffle from a flailing artiste. So, my expectations for Marvin Gaye's double album commercial and (contemporaneously) critical flop, meditating on his divorce would be... flabby, self-indulgent and painful. But, surprisingly, while it has aspects of all those attributes, it does stand up. It is a largely mid-tempo funk/soul album, with touches of disco (unsurprisingly for the era). It is unhurried, with extended soloing (including some, ahem, marginally competent keyboard solos from Mr Gaye himself), but well recorded, with some great playing from his backing band (uncredited. Who ARE they? LA based Motown regulars?). It is certainly not a phoned-in contractual obligation album (Van Morrison could learn a lesson from this). I could see myself listening to this again. It's not \"What's going on?\", but a pretty solid album from a great artist. For once, the hipster revisionism has, actually, winnowed some grain from the chaff. (The one song that is really out of place was the single, \"A Funky Space Reincarnation\",, which is delightfully bonkers.)

i don't care how good the music is, it's fucking sad for you if you're out here writing love songs about your now-ended marriage, to fulfill a contractual obligation to your ex-wife, while you're already remarried. holy shit dude call a shrink or something, i'm gonna listen to one of the other 15 marvin gaye albums

Ja goed maar niet wow

It's 1978, and Marvin Gaye is BACK! After the thoughtful "What's Going On?" and the sexual "Let's Get It On", Gaye gives us the buttersweet "Here, My Dear". It's a divorce album. Funny side note, we're having a bit of a year for divorce albums. Country star Kacey Musgraves, R&B megahit Adele, uh....Kanye West went through a divorce. But he never went made Donda a divorce album. It doesn't matter, the point is that there's a wide array of emotions to explore on a divorce album. Definitively different from a mere breakup album because they're more "adult" for a lack of better words. There's legality involved! There's lawyers for this sort of thing! It's serious stuff. Marvin Gaye is doing the thing he does best on this album: reflection. He wants to explore every emotion, every moment, every facet of his divorce to delivery a truly multi-dimensional album. It's also a double album, so you're getting many dimensions whether you like it or not. It's a pretty mellow album. You get some funky danceable stuff in there, but a lot of it is musing on a topic for about 5 minutes at a time, which might overstay it's welcome a bit. When Marvin Gaye muses, he really stays musing for a while. Specifically the song "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You", already 6 minutes long, gets an instrumental reprise (that's not really all that instrumental) to close out side 3 and then pops up again as a reprise (though only 40 seconds long) to close the album. Man up a lot of stock into that song, huh? It's good. It's not his best, but it's certainly never bad. Of the double albums on this list though, I think this might be one of the weaker ones (but nothing will ever be worse than Space Ritual).

Thought this would be better.

Pretty good

ehhhhh. ZZZZzzzzzzz. ehhhhh 2.6. I enjoy a little more upbeat Marvin

There are some really good tracks here but too much weird stuff for me.

Like a companion piece to What's going on - perhaps a bit dated for 1978? Pleasant musically, painful lyrically. A small number of "essential" tracks. A low 3 out of 5

Soulful and smoother than smooth. Perhaps too smooth at times? Anyhow, this is excellent, quiet storm, late night music.

soulful and funky. good stuff

6/10. A good listen, good vibes, though the songs sound the same and gets a bit repetitive

Refreshing country music...worth a listen

I haven’t heard a lot of Marvin other than “What’s Going On” but this is another great album. I am more likely to listen to more of his stuff. I really like the sax and keys through this album.

Other than the 4 kids I conceived in the last 24 hours listening to this album I could go the rest of my life and not listen to Marvin Gaye again

Smooth, sounds like what you expect from Marvin Gaye, 7/10

Yeah fine. Couple of nice moments

I like Marvin Gaye but I'm not a fan of this album.

Not really my thing. Good for late evening, winding down, drinking scotch. It's def got its place.

I was not familiar with any of the songs, but I don't have any kids so that makes sense.

it was okay. kind of boring and weird ?

C'était ultra sexuel, de souvenir.

Interesting album by Marvin Gaye. An acrimonious divorce leads to some soulful and painfully honest songs.

Liquid smooth. Some real low stakes stuff from Marvin here. Takes care of his business at walking pace. At once admirable but just didn’t get me up outta my seat. Doesn’t hit the lofty heights of What’s Going On for my milky dollar. This album probably deserves a more thoughtful response. What can I say? 1001albums, you’ve created a monster. And that monster is me.

false

eh

Alright Marvin, let’s see what you’ve got. Oh wow, this is smooth. It all just sounds so easy, riding those grooves. Then listening to it with the above info (that this was recorded in the wake of a messy divorce) you can actually hear the heartbreak, the questions, the reflections in the lyrics. I liked it. Not so convinced by the artwork, though.

In the past, me and Marv have not got along (barring a very obvious song or two) but this may have turned the tables. Maybe it's the bit of knowledge I have about the album's creation myth*, maybe it's just that it's beautifully lazy in the kind of way that makes it sound like Gaye's guard is really down. Either way, I boogied. *As I understand it, Gaye was getting divorced and his wife was due a lot of future album royalties, so he set out to make the worst album he could, preparing next to nothing, in the hope the album would flop. However, when he got into the studio he couldn't stop himself making great music. Moral of the story no one needed: by and large, great musicians are A-holes.

fabuleux quel dommage que monsieur se soit cru plus malin que tout le monde a faire un album de 37h

Liked this album…. Another easy listening

I've been enjoying the soul music on the list, It's not a genre I'd heard much before. This one isn't as good as the Isaac Hayes though

As with everyone, definitely looked forward to this. As this is only the 3rd full album that I'm reviewing on here, I'm starting to see how hard it is to rate fairly with only 24 hours. As always, those sexy vibes flow through this album, wah wahing away in the first and title track. I like the vibe of this album (as with most Marvin) but I'm going to have to give a middle 3 here as I haven't listened to it enough really. Feel like I'll regret this in the future but this is the harsh reality of the daily ratings.

false

It grew on me as I listened to it (3 times).

Grand

Definitely the best of R&B . But wished the album was one with a few of his greatest hits🎼 “What’s Going On, Sexual Healing, I heard it through the 🍇” and about 10 more. Album generator missed the mark again. Marvin Gaye lives on through his words of love and living! “Ain’t nothing Like the Real Thing!”

Not one I've heard before and I enjoyed it. Not a patch on What's Going On but then, what is?

Not bad, forgot it was on at times but not bad.

It's not often that I rlly want to listen to a 73 minute album about divorce. Sounded okay but got pretty repetitive. 5/10

It was a solid album, but I feel like as his 15th studio album, it wasn't as innovative as some of his older stuff. I also found the song "I Met a Little Girl" problematic.

Obvi a great musician, but this album was very monotone and super long!

Buena voz de artista americano. Cierto toque blues. Para los muy entusiastas del género. He notado un estilo muy definido, pero un tanto monótono. No es mi estilo

7

Entretenido. No es mi estilo de música pero suena muy bien y como melodia de fondo es genial.

Only liked some songs

pretty groovy, however was kinda depressing

3 düdelt wsl immer noch vor sich hin

Hier stehe ich wieder vor dem selben Problem: ich steh nicht auf Soul. Eigentlich sprechen mich wenige Genres an, die nicht ein leichtes Bluten im Gehörgang auslösen. Nichtsdestotrotz war ich natürlich so happy, dieses Album anzuhören. Ein Album, das man nicht nebenzu hören kann, da es keinerlei Unterschied zwischen den Songs gibt. Immer dieselbe rauchige Stimmung. Wäre ich Vanilla, wärs sicherlich was für sexy times, aber leider nein. Trotzdem sicherlich ein solides Album. Höre ich mir trotzdem nicht mehr an.

Pretty good, not his best though.

It was okay. Better than most of the other albums we’ve heard.

It's a good album, not my favorite type of music, but quality stuff for sure. 3 stars.

Brutally honest lyrics and packaging that leaves little confusion about *exactly* what this album is about. I have no doubt repeated listens would draw out more details, but a double-album worth of mid-tempo R&B started to overstay its welcome for me.

It was aight, not my style, but appreciate the music.

No song really grabbed me, but it was nice and smooth

My man Marvin needs to sort out his love life, the first half of the album felt like he was just whinging about marriage. Second half was more fun and sax filled, loved the Funky Space Reincarnation. Album cover is pretty suspect too

Enjoyed parts, music is good but an hour and half of Marvin complaining about his ex wife was just too much

6

It was fine. It's Marvin Gaye, so it's always enjoyable. Interesting to read that he was going through a divorce at the time. The music is more dark because of it. But it was certainly good.

he's got a great voice but wanted some more funk or drums in there. got bored quickly.

hard from start to finish

At first I wasn't that bothered by this, but it got better.

erinnert mich an Debbie Mama sagt live klingt es vermutlich besser

Needs another listen

Ihan kunneltavaa kamaa ja ukko osaa laulaa

Klart är att Marvin Gaye förtjänar sin plats på denna listan.

I am Gay for Gaye

Smooth and sexy, but not terribly remarkable. Might go back.

Not my thing

Ok. Not great, not bad

Connor: not quite as strong as "What's Going On?", but a few decent grooves. I particularly like the song *Anger*, but overall this genre isn't my favourite

The most egregious thing I can say about this album is it just isn't very interesting. It's overlong, the songs kind of just meander around, and they flow into each other which makes for a really loose ability to tell tracks apart. I dig the two other Marvin Gaye albums I've heard, but this one felt more self-indulgent than anything else and I found myself disinterested very quickly, which didn't lift throughout. "You Can Leave But It's Going to Cost You" is especially a wild idea of a song, extolling how much better his lawyers were in the divorce. Overall I'm just fine not listening to this again.

4/10

Not bad but not his best

Can appreciate it but it’s not really for me

Feel a bit like I've got cornered by a man complaining about his divorce without a single thought of what he also did wrong, uncomfortable. Favourite song: Anger Least: I Met A Little Girl

Really hard to find the album, better luck next time?

Nah

Lots to absorb here in this double lp. Marvin isn't my favorite soul artist by a long shot, but there are some cool grooves here. This record feels very personal to him, it may require more listens.

Mild R&B/Funk.

It might be MFing Marvin Gaye, but it's still a subpar album where he bitches about his ex wife and whines about paying attorney fees. Not exactly top tier.

Just couldn't take to this one I'm afraid. An exercise in boredom

I’m sure this is alright just not really my thing so just felt really long

Marvin, you okay?

I've given this album a couple tries over the years and I just don't get it. It's just okay.

He is pleasant enough in small doses, but this is just too much concentrated Marvin Gaye. Monotonous and boring

Sounds like Marvin went through a pretty rough divorce from Anna Gordy. Being forced to pay 50% of the royalties to her for this album made him get a little spiteful. Here, My Dear is our personal problems for all to listen to. "You Can Leave, But It's Going to Cost You" sums it up. He even rubs it in that he's "Falling in Love Again" with his 2nd wife, Jan. She subsequently sued after the release to no avail. Gets on the list for airing out dirty laundry I think. It's better than the other 2 Gaye entries thus far but songs tend to drag on a little too long. "Is That Enough" and "Time To Get It Together" top tracks. "A Funky Space Reincarnation" is pretty cheeseball but I kinda got down with it. I give this one 2.47 stars.

I imagine Here, My Dear makes this list based on the overarching story of its production. The public friction, divorce and ensuing legal battle regarding child support and album royalties seem like they all contribute to both the subject matter and lore of this album. While Marvin is in standard form with his silky vocals and funk/soul backing I didn't find any of the specific songs stood out. The album is clearly a response to the whole relationship in the best and worst ways. There was very obviously a lot of emotion involved which is evident throughout. It's a touching tribute which gives it some luster, but can't say I would have gone out of my way for anything musically on this album without this list (maybe A Funky Space Reincarnation). While I enjoyed most of the ride, the album is a little too long and sounds too similar at 71 minutes. I'm sure it was cathartic for Marvin to get all of this out, but it might have been wise to trim some of the fat off this one. I haven't seen it physically but I looked it up and I do think Monopoly/Judgement album-fold artwork is a pretty cool touch. A lot of the imagery elsewhere on the album is clearly meant to play into the concept and any time you have stuff like that add to the lore of an album it deserves a bit of a bump. Here, My Dear musically is more of Marvin being Marvin, which ain't bad in its own right I guess. If you are a fan of Marvin or soul music its one of the better entries. I'm not sure I'd consider this a "must hear" before I die but I do understand "why" this album is on the list. Reading about the backstory and concept was just as interesting as the album itself. 2.26 stars

Anger A Funky Space Reincarnation Time To Get It Together When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You You Can Leave, But It's Going To Cost You Is That Enough Falling In Love Again I Met A Little Girl Everybody Needs Love Here, My Dear Sparrow Anna's Song

This was painful. Marvin has a great voice which just about carries this mess. Sounds thrown together with no thought.

I didn’t know any songs on this. This was definitely written after a divorce. His voice is good, but I didn’t particularly enjoy any of the songs. This album was really long (over an hour).

A weird album. The words are off-putting: embarrassingly unfiltered break-up rants mixed with horny pickup lines. The music is sometimes appealing (funky rhythm section), but often over-filled, even bloated - guitars and synths noodle without judgement, some ‘strings’ parts are sadly weak and dated. Where was his head at? "Why do I have to pay attorney fees - this is a joke - I need a smoke". A cautionary tale, and a disappointment. For me, it's Pretty Poor, 3/10.

In spite of his undeniable voice and soulfulness, this album did not move me.

Lovely atmosphere but not very interesting otherwise

The song where he asks why he has to pay his lawyer made me chuckle, but I was not in the mood for this overall. 2.5

Ikke noget for mig. 2.2

Yes, han synger godt. Men det er vist også det eneste positive jeg kan finde på omden utrolige kedelige (og meget lange) omgang skilsmisse-sang.

Jævnt kedeligt

booring

Kinda boring.

So much cheesefest

Not my thing. Didn’t like the other one that showed up on this list much either. Not that it is awful, just find it boring.

Not terrible. Just terribly boring.

Bit a slog to be honest. Also, we’ve already had two Marvin Gaye records and this is another one?! Come on! Completely unnecessary.

baseline well performed but at this point in this exercise i don't think that's enough. this is just a slog, even if it's a groovy one.

Pleasant enough, just a little boring if I'm being honest! Funky Space Reincarnation - lol

Just not my thing at all.

I didn't hate as much as I expected I would given the preliminary information. (Guy goes through bitter divorce and writes one hour long (!) album bitterly accusing the former wife of anything imaginable. No matter how great is the guy in question, this can't bring anything good...) Still, this is not an album I will listen again to.

I'm going to blatantly plagiarize another reviewer, but unlike their five paragraph review, I'll boil it down to this: "[This is] a loose, meandering collection of stream-of-consciousness R&B and funk. Musically, it's neither terrible nor great, and curiously removed of any emotional emphasis for an album that's so emotionally pointed. Angry Marvin, sad Marvin, happy Marvin, he sings everything pretty much the same. "This album has undergone a positive critical reappraisal that it doesn't deserve. It isn't an honest album, and Marvin did not bare his soul. He aired his grievances and attempted to embarrass his ex."

Meh

I’ve seen it happen recently, an artist dies and some of their lackluster work gets praised as a hidden gem. Everyone’s gut reaction to this was correct when it came out. It’s not very good. There’s so much better Marvin Gaye in the world.

She took the kids 💔 literally get a grip. Build a bridge and get over it you know what I mean x Each and every one of these songs sounds the same as all of the others. Far too long. Give us some bops diva

Good album.

I was surprised that this did very little for me. I found it quite boring.

Not his finest

Very peculiar concept album. Horribly kitsch cover. Best title: "A Funky Space Reincarnation"

A double album of 70s mildly funk-flavored soul. Gaye's voice is great as usual, but the music doesn't really do it justice. His other two albums on this list are better and this one is not really very notable or necessary. Or maybe this one just suffers by comparison to Let's Get It On and What's Going On, I'm not sure. Time To Get It Together and Sparrow stand out as being a groove, but the preceding 6 tracks are kind of bland and don't really register. And I'm pretty sure two versions of When Did You Stop Loving Me... is at least one too many. Anna's Song has a terrible synth solo.

Bit bland

Not great work music, somewhat repetitive

Here, My Dear (1978) is the fourteenth studio album by Marvin Gaye. The background to this album is as part of the financial settlement in Marvin’s divorce from Anna Gordy he agreed to give her 50% of the royalties from his next album. His initial plan was to churn out something quickly and move on, but then he had a change of heart and decided to write an album about the divorce. There is something very incongruous about listening to the smooth velvet tones of Gaye’s voice singing songs like ‘You Can Leave, But It’s Going To Cost You’. This is not the music of love, perhaps with the exception of ‘Falling in Love Again’. It turns out that Gaye, despite painting himself as the victim in the divorce had already moved on and was living with his soon to be second wife. This was apparently Gaye’s first foray into lyric writing. It’s hard to judge as it’s so personal but I don’t find them very engaging. His voice is lovely, but there’s not much range of tone across the songs, and although the funky soul is good, again there’s not much variation. To me, this isn’t Marvin Gaye at his best. I read that it didn’t do well on release, but after his death in 1984 it was reassessed more favourably. I’m not sure that’s deserved. Side A: 1. Here, My Dear - 2/5 2. I Met A Little Girl - 2/5 3. When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You - 2/5 4. Anger - 2/5 Side B: 1. Is That Enough - 2/5 2. Everybody Needs Love - 3/5 3. Time To Get It Together - 2/5 Side C: 1. Sparrow - 2/5 2. Anna’s Song - 2/5 3. When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You” (Instrumental) - 2/5 Side D: 1. A Funky Space Reincarnation - 2/5 2. You Can Leave, But It’s Going to Cost You - 2/5 3. Falling in Love Again - 3/5 4. When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You (Reprise) - 2/5

I was excited for a Marvin Gaye album. And, I was intrigued to hear his sound from the late '70s, one of my favorite eras of music it turns out. But this album was such a chore. I don't know if it was the grim subject matter of a divorce, as the Wikipedia and other reviewers point out. Or if it was just a boring album regardless of what he's singing about. I didn't hate it but I was ready for it to be over. It's long, it's drawn out, it's monotonous, and it doesn't grab your attention on pretty much any track. It's still Marvin gaye, so the man can sing, but definitely not his best work, and I'm not sure why it's a must listen album.

Review - it all sounds good, it's Marvin Gaye. But no songs stood out at all, I remember no high nor low points, and I have no interest in listening again. A perfect 5/10 Rating - 5/10 Need to hear? NO

Nothing for me. And repetitive.

An hour and a quarter of someone's marriage falling apart. Fun.

Je l'ai pas écouté au complet car c'est pas du bon Marvin Gaye mais l'histoire qui entoure l'album (Gaye obligé de produire un album car pas capable de payer la pension alimentaire à son ex femme) est marquante. "kin ma chouette, le vlà ton album"

Quite a depressing slog, with few highlights.

Love this dude but gotta get over that divorce

(46/100)

Oftentimes, artists are at their most creative when they go thorugh hard times. You can definetly hear that Marvin Gaye is experiencing a tough divorce here but the creative spirit really didn't catch me. I understand that he wanted to express his anguish but hearing him whine for over an hour just doesn't create a joyful listening experience. In some of these songs, he seems downright vitriolic towards his former wife. I like Marvin Gaye's music, I really do, but this is not the tender singer I've come to like. Best songs are Sparrow and Funky Space Reincarnation. 4/10, he can do so much better.

Definitely a bit weird, and very long. It wasn't too bad, but nothing jumped out and made me think this was anything other than an incredibly long and salty diss-album. Two stars.

These two things just don’t go together. Love the groove but not interested about his divorce. It just clashes for me

This might be the most boring album yet. I don't see the point. It's not very good or even innovative.

I mean, yes, Marvin Gaye has a beautiful voice and could sing the phone book, but this divorce/label revenge record is pretty slapdash except for possibly "Time to Get It Together" and "A Funky Space Reincarnation" which really is a better title than song.

Ooof. Listening to this was like watching a particularly volatile marriage counseling session. I feel like this is the Weezer Pinkerton of R&B: no, its not as bad as it's reputation, but its not essential listening, either.

I was genuinely excited to see Here, My Dear pop up this morning, but it turned out to be a real let-down. The album is long, slow and, frankly, pretty boring. I get it — Marvin is heartbroken — but he really goes on about it, to the point where it becomes a slog rather than something you connect with. This is nowhere near his best work. I normally don’t mind albums steeped in heartbreak and self-indulgence, The Boatman's Call is one of my all-time favourites but this just drags. Track after track blends into the next, circling the same emotions without ever really lifting. The one constant highlight is Marvin Gaye’s voice, which remains absolutely superb and is the album’s main saving grace. Favourite track: Is That Enough is fine, if I had to pick one. Least favourite tracks: Honestly, most of them. They all follow the same flow, story and mood, and it becomes very dull very quickly. Album artwork: A fantastic cover, bold, busy and interesting. Ironically, it’s far more engaging than the music inside.

Eh, not great. This album is mostly complaining about his divorce. I found it to be pretty bitter and self-victimizing. Marvin Gaye is a great singer, but this album was a bit of a slog. I had the “Let’s Get It On” album a few days ago and I liked that better.

not my taste but i know hes a good artist. i like a few of his other songs

"Here, My Dear" by Marvin Gaye was an album I had not heard before, even though I own several Marvin Gaye records. On first listen, it struck me as fairly standard Motown and soul from the late 70s. It is not bad by any means, but it did not feel particularly exciting to me. The album has a well-known and rather unusual backstory. It was recorded as part of Marvin Gaye's divorce settlement with his first wife, Anna Gordy Gaye, with a significant portion of the album's proceeds going to her. That personal context is often cited as a reason why some critics later reassessed the album more positively. I have to admit that I mostly disagree with that reassessment and side more with the original reaction to it as a commercial and critical failure. Musically, it sounds like very generic soul and Motown of that era, similar to many other late-70s releases. Compared to Marvin Gaye classics like "What's Going On" or "Let's Get It On", this album lacks standout moments and does not hold my attention for long. That said, I could imagine listening to it again casually, just letting it play in the background without actively engaging with it.

Very cool voice

I love the vengeance behind this album so much more than the album itself. Marvin Gaye is a genius—this album is an anomaly.

Too ass long

I've never cared less about someone else's divorce than when I had to hear someone sing about theirs for over 70 minutes. Goddamn.

Gaye is wounded, horny, and sincere in this album. It’s the music you chuck on after a few wines at a dinner party and it triggers your mate who got divorced just before Christmas last year who is now absolutely plastered.

We’ll start positively, first time properly listening to Marvin Gaye, bloody brilliant voice. I know he has a couple more on here so I will have some optimism when they come up. This one however, with the exception of a couple of tracks, I just found to be boring. Up until Sparrow it was getting a one star. After that it did pick up a little bit but overall it was just too long and didn’t interest me. Top Track - Sparrow

It’s good but hard to find much that is exceptional (beyond his voice obviously)

Too many meandering melodies over some fairly standard four chord loops. Appalling synthesizer sounds frequently undermines the beauty of the playing and Gaye's voice. Whenever I listen to Marvin Gaye beyond the big soul-pop hits I start to wonder how much I'm able to enjoy his wonderful voice when it's delivering half-baked lyrics and hazy, unfocused tunes. Then he hits you with a 'When Did You Stop... ' and things start to make a bit more sense. Too much slow-tempo divorce jams on this for me to enjoy any of the good stuff.

It was a bit boring for me.

Not my favorite album of his.

Compared to his other work, this seems dull and over polished. The themes aren't anything new (seems to be some sort of breakup) and the tunes aren't emotive or interesting enough to warrant another listen.

2,3/5

Nej. Det är för överävligt tråkigt. Tycker inte det finns en enda låt som jag känner, "fan det här var grymt". Det är ju alltså inte egentligen dåligt. Hatar inte musiken i sig. Men jag hade svårt att lyssna, för jag kände bara en trängande tristess ta över. Kunde inte alls hitta rätt stämning. Tycker det låter rätt likt över hela albumet. Ett samma groove med lite, tråkig soul ovanpå. Helt obrydd om texterna och att det handlar om hans liv och sin fd fru. Läste lite om skivan, och den togs inte emot särskilt väl när den kom heller. Men i efterhand har sen hittat in i värmen. Tycker den hade kunnat stanna utanför i kylan (iaf inte in på denna lista. Det är inte rimligt att Marvin Gaye har tre skivor. Det gäller förstås inte bara MG).

I did not vibe with it. I ain't liking the soul stuff

Jaahas. Semmosta huokailua. Joku kostunee- minä en

Surprisingly lifeless vocal performance

#770. He had the option to not do this, and he did it anyway. 2/5: don't

When break up albums go wrong. I thought I was going to enjoy this one but found it pretty boring and painfully literal (“when did I stop loving you, when did you stop loving me” followed by “anger” - hard to decode the meaning of those titles/lyrics).

1.8 pretty/depressing stuff

I dunno kinda boring sorry, but it'd be nice to have in the background.

So boring. And way too long.

I have a confession to make. I’ve never really gotten into Marvin Gaye. I’m sure he’s as talented as people say, but I’m just not into it. Over an hour of what appears to be a break up album was not my thing.