Here, My Dear

It's just not his best work. Believe it or not, I wouldn't include it in this project.

The smoothest, most mellow Marvin album, but that's not a bad thing - he has the talent to pull it off and he absolutely does. It's very buttery, filled with slow ballads where Marvin really pours his heart out. The performances are standout. It's a concept album about his divorce and the storytelling is really lovely. Marvin is a great writer, because his lyrics are simple but so heartfelt. The album showcases a whole range of emotions and does so in a very appealing way.

It's a great album, really nice to listen to. When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You feels so authentic. It's soulful.

Rate: 7.5/10.

Las primeras canciones muy buenas, el tipico de Marvin Gaye, musica seductora, muy buen ritmo. Después de escuchar tanto tiempo, porque el disco es algo largo, como que ya llega a aburrir, siempre el mismo ritmo. Como en la pista 9 ya cambié de tipo de música.

Starts of strong, but it's waaaaaay too long. 3.5 rounding down

A bit repetitive and samey all the way thru but it's good.

Po čistim ocjenama ispada da mi je ovo ekvivalent What's Going On a zapravo mi je ono jedan od najboljih albuma muzike koje nisam ljubitelj a ovo jedva adekvatan album. Dupli album je teško opravdati svakako a ne treba mi ovoliko detalja o bilo čijoj propaloj vezi stvarno. Muzički neinspirisan isto.

this was a fun album, i liked the vibes, not one song necessarily stood out but i didn't feel the need to skip any either. i'd probably listen to them all if they came out somewhere but not necessarily put them in playlists/seek them out. though his struggle with temptation and mention of God/being Godly were funny to observe in his intimate vibes

Amazing start to finish.

норм, но не зацепило.

It's a bit of a mess both lyrically and musically. With both What's Going On and Let's Get It On on the list, I would much rather see both an earlier Marvin Gaye record such as In The Groove AND a Marvin & Tammi album here.

Music for coffe place.

A very good album, but I think it could have been 15-20 minutes shorter. As the album went on, it got a little to repetitive for me, but I still enjoyed it over all. Having the same song appear 3 times (the last time I can excuse) is definitely a choice. Low 4.

It's Marvin Gaye, it's fine, it's very him, but it's not something I would actively choose to listen to. Good music just not my style. 3.5

groovy

we loved it but the indiv songs too long!

i´m hearing this while I install arduino IDE and prepare for a college proyect :) here, my dear - 9/10 Very good setting song. Instantly caugth my attention. i met a little girl - 9/10 weird title. but the song is very nice. a good continuation from the previous one. when did you stop loving me... - 10/10 it started very good. hope it lasts. anger - 9/10 is that enough - 10/10 we love long songs. damn wtf. who is this guy bruh. oh and it´s a 3 minute instrumental lets goo. everybody needs love - 9/10 well here i started to do some work. but the album sets a fantastic mood and im loving every song.

I actually haven't heard any Marvin Gaye to my knowledge. This will be my first exposure to him! 01. Here, My Dear Really enjoyable singing, but I could do without the proses. 02. I Met A Little Girl Really fuckin' sexy, and really fuckin' romantic. 03. When Did You Stop Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You Really interesting song, with a really interesting story! Great track! 04. Anger Really great lyrics, with a super funky instrumental! 05. Is That Enough Those horns gave me a stank face. Instrumentally the most interesting one so far. 06. Everybody Needs Love A really powerful song, at least for me. Absolutely adore these lyrics. 07. Time To Get It Together Just sort of fine compared to the rest of the tracks. Not bad, just drags on. 08. Sparrow Really sick instrumental, with some great lyrics. Not as impressive as the first six, but still fantastic. 09. Anna's Song Super pretty, with my favorite vocal performance so far! Fantastic instrumentation as well! 10. When Did You Stop Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You (Instrumental) You will NOT believe what this song is. It's really nice, but I'm not sure it was necessary. 11. A Funky Space Reincarnation Honestly pretty meh compared to the rest of the tracks. Still pretty good, but is honestly a bit boring and too long. 12. You Can Leave, But It's Going To Cost You Super funky, and really pleasant! Pretty damn sexy too, despite the lyrics. 13. Falling In Love Again A damn great way to "close" the album. Really great sound, with beautiful lyrics and instrumentation. This shit makes me happy AND horny! 14. When Did You Stop Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You (Reprise) Once again, another random and unnecessary version of WDYSLM, WDISLY. Shouldn't be here. There are definitely some filler tracks here, specifically the instrumental and reprise. Other than that, this fuckin' slaps. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but this is a great love / sex album if I've ever heard one.

not my jazz

Nice

Even when Marvin makes an album just to annoy his wife it's still fantastic

Au début je pensais que l’album serait un easy 5, mais finalement l’album était trop long et manquait de peps par moments

7/10

It is quite an impressive feat to write an album this long—71 minutes to be precise—which doest not have a single minute that could be called boring or superfluous. "Here, My Dear" is a soul masterpiece combined of tracks concerned with the topic of intimate relationship, breaking up and stuff. It's hard to tell how he manages to balance things so that this music is stylistically coherent but also so enterntaining and protean. I personally added more than a half of all songs, and even those that I haven't weren't bad at all. "A Funky Space Reincarnation" was arguably the point of the album where I was already sure about this LP being a superior one. Besides, I won't try to select the best tracks because there are so many great ones here that one just have to listen to the thing in full. So musically, Gaye has a great undertanding of how to bring up a clean and relaxing stuff and make it enjoyable all the way through. Even more than that, there were numerous moment where the music impressed me with some unexpected cool trick, detail or melodic development. Gaye also has a clean voice, pretty much perfectly synchronizing with the instruments and bringing tons of emotion and charisma with it. I liked the way "When did you stop loving me..." was repeated a couple of times in alternate versions, feels fitting for a record of this length. "Here, My Dear" is a great mood setter. In particular, I happened to listen to some of its songs in the rain, and it was a magnificent king of experience. So not to get too wordy, I'll conclude that the album is a remarkable achievement and will likely remain a rare case where I don't complaing about the record being too long. Great soul stuff, utterly soulful, excellence in all the right places.

4.5

Smooth, easy listening. Perfect for a Friday.

é muito chique e lascivo (de um jeito chique). muito bom também. já falei que é chique?

que disco gostoso de ouvir

He's got such a fabulous voice and I really like his ' What's Going On' album. Found this one just a bit average. His music isn't really my thing but I can appreciate his genius. This just didn't grab me.

Actually a really good and underrated soul album that lives up to Marvin Gaye's name, if not falling short of What's Going On because most albums on earth would fall short of such a bar Certified good listening

This Soul / Funk album feels like being stuck listening to someone talk endlessly about a messy divorce at a dinner party I never wanted to attend. Marvin Gaye's smooth vocals float over warm basslines, gentle strings, keyboards and relaxed funk grooves, but the songs keep circling back to the same relationship grievances. The music is polished and pleasant enough, yet the long tracks and similar arrangements make the album blur into one extended monologue. Gaye's voice is undeniably soulful, but I never feel drawn into his story; instead, I find myself glancing at the clock, waiting for a change of subject that never really comes. By the end, I understand that this album is deeply personal, but that doesn't make it engaging for me.

this was awesome, so many great songs

Another great Marvin Gaye album! More of the best!

Overall: 6/10 I've realized that I just don't understand the appeal of Marvin Gaye. It's not that I don't like soul or funk or anything like that. It's not even his voice or lyrical content. I can't put my finger on it, but I just don't get him. I think his music is fine, and I'll never complain if it's put on at a party or something, but it just isn't for me. I like this one more than Let's Get It On though, more variety overall. Fav Song: Is That Enough

An unusually understated performance from Gaye, where normally you'd get something powerful, emotional, and straight from the soul. I guess Gaye and the instrumentalists were tired. And knowing the context of the album's creation, it makes sense. Divorces are rough. But that doesn't really excuse the inclusion of Here, My Dear on a list of the 1001 best/most important albums of all time. And for the most part, other reviewers seem to agree. Here, My Dear launches us off softly and almost weakly; even the violins sound a little out of sorts. Great vocal harmonising and little wah-wah guitar tone. And the texture remains extremely consistent with the following track, I Met a Little Girl, into which we witness a seamless transition. Lovely slow-dance feel, and in a rare turn of events I quite enjoy the little spoken word drop-ins. It takes until track 3, [Long Title], where we get something particularly catchy. And man, is it a clear improvement. The brass, while mixed quite softly, provides just the right amount of gentle punch to the heavily harmonised, expressive vocals. "And I reallly triiied..." Though Anger pales a bit in comparison with the previous song, it has some nice syncopation and backing vocals. Is That Enough might qualify as the most interesting track thus far – again mainly on account of the horns (saxes this time) that softly punctuate the melody. Yeah, Marvin, I reckon that is indeed enough. The instrumental in the latter half is fantastic and easily up there with the likes of Can't You Hear Me Knocking and Hotel California. A gradual build-up in Everybody Needs Love leads to easily one of the album's peaks. Those harmonies, that saxophone... man. Sexy as hell. Disc 1 ends with the Stevie Wonder-esque Time To Get It Together – though I guess, to be fair, all of these tracks have a funky, Wonderful quality to them. Love those disco-era falsettos in the back, the high energy, and the instrumentation – though I wish the song had ended without a sudden board fade in the last five seconds. In Sparrow, we get the first very clear-cut case of bass prowess, and the swung rhythm also adds a lot of colour and (arguably) danceability. Though the saxophone could've been mixed/produced a little more "powerfully", the actual playing is excellent. Listen to those crazed lines behind the vocal just past the song's halfway point. Anna's Song is exceptionally pleasant – another swung piece – but unremarkable in terms of actually containing memorable riffs/hooks/melodies. We get another version of [Long Title], this time featuring (as the title suggests) fewer vocals and a more pronounced instrumental. Cool. The high synth drones give it a lot of distinctive texture. A Funky Space Reincarnation... an homage to Star Wars, and also kind of an anticipation of Prince. Surprisingly groovy, with plenty of Dorian mode tendencies, particularly in that electric keyboard on the left side. The title You Can Leave, But It's Going To Cost You intrigued me, so I decided to check out its lyrics. Yeah. A bit stream-of-consciousness, and not particularly eloquent, but damn, you can tell this guy's not happy. A nice-sounding track, though. Falling In Love Again is exactly the opposite in terms of subject matter, but sounds similarly good (and mostly unmemorable). I'm not convinced that the third iteration of [Long Title] is necessary, much like Another Brick In The Wall. 3/5 Key tracks: [Long Title], Is That Enough, Everybody Needs Love

Some nice music but wouldn’t be among my favorite albums.

Insert *i mean it's alright* meme

De lore achter dit album is crazy, echt een hele leuke read. Het album zelf is helaas wat mid. Een bloated rotzooitje van nummers waarop Marvin klaagt dat z'n vrouw bij hem weg is gegaan. Er zitten wat pareltjes tussen, je moet er alleen wat mij betreft veel te lang op wachten.

2.5

..

Entretenido

Вокал у нього дуже крутий. Як-то кажуть - мед для вух. Мені трохи не вистачало якихось хайлайтів на альбомі для того щоб поставити 5. Дуже рівний і приємний альбом.

Типовий хороший альбом Марвіна Гея. Десь на 3.5-4. Але якось зараз без настрою на мотаун, тому поставлю 3.

loved his voice, def relistening!!

everybody needs love sounds like he sampled lets get it on

idk, executed well, but this just wasn't really my thing

Good vibes and great instrumentation with great vocal performance. But just incredibly boring writing, bros clearly upset about his breakup

Musically, the vibes are there. Lyrically, dude we get it you didn’t like the divorce. It’s honestly a weird juxtaposition to be yapping out your bitterness over funky Motown beats, typically associated with romance and joy. I’m sure there’s a way to do that that’s interesting, but this is not it. Saying stuff like “anger destroys your soul” then proceeding to chastise his ex-wife for 10 more tracks. Also not a lick of humility or responsibility taken. I’m sure the situation was motivating for him to make this album, but I wish it could have come from a better place (and maybe a better person).

I didn't if my man stopped loving someone or was falling in love. Anyways, Marvin is a master of groove.

Marvin Gaye – Here, My Dear (1978) On Day 275, the emotional wreckage of that bitter divorce was palpable across every track. Creatively speaking, it doesn't quite reach the unified, peerless heights of What's Going On, but the musical foundation remains remarkably strong. Even through the heartbreak, resentment, and fatigue, Marvin understood the fundamentals of locking into an elastic, hypnotic soul groove. The warm Rhodes keys, layered vocal harmonies, and steady rhythm section keep the album engaging and deeply human, even when the songwriting leans more into raw venting than tight pop structure. A fascinating, groove-heavy document of personal turmoil. A solid 3.5 - 4.

very alright

En oikeen saanut otetta marvin gayen kuuluisasta flowsta

I loved one of the 2-star review that discussed the background of this album. I got a few songs in and started to realize that this album was not what I think of when it comes to Marvin Gaye. After reading the lengthy review, it made quite a bit of sense. His divorce and that this was kind of a stick-it-to-her by airing our laundry album puts a perspective on the whole thing. But damn, it's kinda boring. His talent still shines through, but the songwriting and arrangements are so very lackluster.

At first, it's overwhelming. Gaye talks, and croons, and falsetto-es and sings, and the instruments oftentimes play some flourishes, some lines going beyond mere arrangement, and it goes from doo-woop to ballad to funk and then back again, conversational and confessional and outright flooding, and it feels more like a single 2-LP track than a collection of songs. Which means it'll take time. Sure, one has to accept and like the way he takes the idea of restraint, chews it and spits it back.

This was new to me. Another serious contender for all time great breakup album.

Sexy time music albums have no business lasting 73 minutes. They should last 10 minutes as God intended sexy time to last.

Very soulful. Goes on a little but the voice keeps it interesting.

Great album and great production.

So apparently I haven't delved into Marvin's catalog much beyond What's Going On - this is just as good, and it's tragic I haven't listened to these songs yet.

Smooth but surprisingly ho-hum for Gaye. Do I hear Gaye's influence on Jamiroquai via "A Funky Space Reincarnation"? This was cool. Otherwise...mmm eh.

I love Marvin Gaye but I didn’t have this album on the radar. I found some songs a little bit cheesy. Great instrumentation and sound though.

Marvin Gaye Is Going Through It, the album. Doesn't really do anything for me until Falling In Love Again, and that is far too late.

My goodness this was dull. Loved "what's going on?", and this was not as interesting.

He's pouring his heart out, and fuck, it's beautiful. It's got its meandering moments. Like a slow dance with a ghost. Spins: 3 Playlist Additions - Here, My Dear - When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You - Is That Enough - A Funky Space Reincarnation

Quite a whiney and obtuse divorce album but some solid bangers

I liked it enough. Solid album. Some better tracks here and there and I'd listen again but didn't stick into the noggin much. Gaye's voice isn't quite as refined as it is on, say, What's Going On, and it can't quite carry the groove I would reckon it. Spectacular work on that Fairchild though. Fav tracks: Is That Enough

not his standout work

It's Marvin so it's very good, but if this is on the list there better be a whole bunch of other albums. I checked and I already gave "Let's Get It On" and "What's Going On" five stars, so fair enough.

LOVE IT ! Marvin is great, not familiar with this album.

I did not enjoy this and I'm usually down for anything Motown.

Soulful, and with a fascinating backstory.

Good funky soul record

Wasn’t really feeling this one.

Velmi dober

The music is genuinely good, but the album was too long. In the end I didn't feel like I had listened to 14 different tracks, but rather one long continuous 72 minute song.

6,7/10

Bien

this album cover is fucking crazy lol. I think it being an album solely dedicated to heartbreak, divorce, anger (there's a song called anger on here), and sour feelings is pretty intense. I think that I'm not super won over by the textures and moods to call this a 5. I think it's somewhere around a 3.8, but I'll round up. The vibes are immaculate, as I've come to expect from Marvin Gaye, who has a nice and smooth vocal palette across this thing. There are some great bass riffs and super silky smooth pads, alongside the funky wah wah guitars. The instrumental palette dances with perc hits everywhere and it's definitely a good album when it finds a faster groove. I'm not so hot about the slower rolls, especially with the topics not being so sexy and loving and rather being rough and bitter. It's a unique blend of lyricism and instrumentation, undoubtedly. Yeah, somewhere around a 4, but not quite a 4.

Not his greatest hits but still the smoothest voice.

The album is not bad, it just isn't that enjoyable. His voice is still Marvin Gaye's voice, which is to say, magnificent, but it wasn't an album that I found that I could connect with

Phenomenal breakup album

Unfortunately, I found this album to be bloated, quite forgettable and boring. They kept pulling back motifs of that weak we're not in love song. Really not great other than his voice. 2/5

Guy just needs to get over himself and move on. Buy a diary. Write in it and leave it there.

This album grew on me as I listened to it. It was the point at which the funk element started featuring more prominently to me than the soul. I then enjoyed it immensely. So much so that I am upgrading it to a four over my previously chosen 3.

the mix is way too watered down. Why can I hear the high hats over the saxophone completely?

Surprisingly good, haven't heard of this album before, and it was great, you can feel everything in each song, and how it was crafted. Very good!

solid album! didn't have anything in particular that stuck out as an OH GREAT SONG, but overall, a good listening experience.

Some beautiful music and singing with some of the most cringe lyrics I've heard. It really makes some of the songs tough to listen to. Maybe it was therapeutic to sing, but I don't think whining about having to pay attorney fees makes for musical poetry. I do think the music pulls the focus enough on some tracks where I can enjoy them. "Is That Enough" is a particularly strong song -- lots of interesting sounds and a nice progression. "A Funky Space Reincarnation" gives the whining about his ex a rest and it's all the better for it. Overall, this album feels too bitter to be truly enjoyable, but I liked the way it sounds enough to where I didn't dislike it either. I'd gladly pull a couple of highlights and skip the rest though.

I don't think I'd ever actually heard a whole Marvin Gaye album until I got What's Going On a while back. That's still the only time I've listened to a whole record of his all the way through until today. I mean I guess everyone deals with life's troubles in their own way. If you're a painter and your dog dies you might paint a portrait or stick him in the background of a few paintings. If you're Marvin Gaye you deal with your divorce by writing an album about it. It would be interesting to hear an album from the perspective of his ex wife.... I wonder how many people bought this record for some baby-making-music like they would expect from Marvin Gaye, got home and opened a bottle of wine, dimmed the lights, threw the record on, and then totally had their evening ruined by an album about getting divorced. Kind of funny thinking about it that way. But really, most people in that situation probably aren't really paying attention to the lyrics much anyway. It's a fine album, not one I would listen to again. I think I'll stick with the known hits from Marvin Gaye and call it a day. 3/5

It’s incredibly sad, but it’s so so good. It’s one of those albums where the lyrics are powerfully emotional but the music is upbeat and funky in the best way. This record is a masterpiece. It captures all the emotions of a failing marriage/relationship perfectly. But not in a deeply depressing way that would make you tire of it. I could go on and on, but you just have to experience this to appreciate the depth and beauty here.

Above average but not quite a 5, love Marvin Gaye but this isn’t his best

Not a great choice for a honeymoon playlist. Favourite tracks Is That Enough, A Funky Space Reincarnation.

After listening to this album, I'm convinced the critics and the audience got it right when it came out. It is a fairly meh album. Not bad, but not great either. I'm not convinced it is essential to anyone's listening experience. Marvin has a great voice but HERE, MY DEAR is way too long and the song arrangements and the endless navel gazing of the subject matter make it a tedious experience than doesn't seem all that revelatory. This is post death acclaim that doesn't deserve it.

Not his best work but another solid album from Marvin. It doesn't have the standout tracks but it's consistently a good vibe, even though its overly long!

Less commercial thanost Marvin Gaye, it's still what you expect.

I was previously familiar with Marvin Gaye but not this album. It's a concept album about his going through a divorce. It's a good album and has a lot of his trademark characteristics. While not on the level of What's Going On or some of his other material, it's still good for what it is. I would listen again.

Miel d'oreille

Eh, I'm not convinced. Goes on for too long with the same subject matter and similar enough instrumentation to my ears that I couldn't really get into it. As far as divorced dad music goes, I'll stick to Creed and Nickelback.

Great album that kept getting better. Some really cool instrumentation all around, not to mention the vocals. Such a great voice and he does great things with it. I liked this more than I thought I would, especially for how long it is. 8/10