The songwriting is indisputable, as is the guitar interplay and vibrant instrumentation. Unfortunately, the aged-not-well hallmarks of 1988 are there: choppy drum machines, saxophone solos (luckily only on one song), DX-7 pianos. Those now distract but luckily the sweetness of the songwriting and the appeal of the lyrics wins me over.
Yes, there is that increasingly problematic singer who remains an annoying elephant in the audio, but can we at least praise the greatness here that's of enduring credit to the other three? The music is majestic and really ahead of its time ("There Is a Light …" is a modern musical masterpiece), and the tonalities that Marr plays with from song to song sound as surprising as they did when this record was new. I should know—I first heard the album, which was my introduction to this band, played in full by a college radio DJ the night of its release. I was mesmerized and, again, putting aside the problematic singer, I still am. It must be noted that side one has its slumps ("Never Had No One Ever" is so forgettable I forgot about it), but side two is pretty much perfect. You may think it's the Morrissey show, but this is undeniably the sound of a band at its prime. Some contributions are bigger (and better) than others.
original track list for Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get It On' album:
1. Let's Get It On
2. Keep Gettin' It On
3. Still Gettin' It On
4. Can't Stop Gettin' It On
5. Took a Break, Now Gettin' It On Again
6. Gettin' It On and On and On and On and On
… etc
Not quite for me — I have an inherited allergy to the '70s rock sound unless Alex Chilton is involved — but I'm not wincing through my listen, either. Like many debut albums, there's an air of trying too hard, but when Tom lets loose the expectation reins, he does offer a good bit of earwormage. "Breakdown" is the one here that I wouldn't mind in a playlist of sorts, and, sure, "American Girl" is undeniable.
I listened to this album a lot when I was like 14. I was really into Yes, though I didn't like anything else that was remotely 'prog.' I'm not sure why that was, or what it was about Yes. But what's important right now is that, listening to this for the first time in at least a couple of decades, I still know every showy tempo change and silly cosmic lyric and virtuosic flourish by heart. I also grudgingly admit, to the delight of my 14 year old self, that this album consists of 100% bangers. Also, someone should make a loop out of that boom-bap beat on "Würm" and rap over it.
When those drums kick in at the 2/3 point of the title track, I do a little freaky dance.
