[Marvin Gaye - Anger (Extended Mix, Alternate Take with Marcus Miller) / 5:55]
There is a bird that sings only when its love is lost. The echo of distress serves as a beacon for the loved one to find its way back.
Edward Hopper, Room In New York, 1932 - Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery
Falling in or falling out, love is such a dangerous feeling that it inevitably causes pain and suffering. While some people will collapse and wallow in self-pity, the artist has this ability to sublimate their break-ups and heartaches.
In 1882, there was a young singer was at the Kassel Operhaus where Gustav Mahler was the director. Her name was Johanna Richter. He fell for her. The same ardour and his penchant for romantic pessimism which doomed their relationship also spurred his creativity. Mahler started to write poems about his love malaise. Poems which became part of his "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen." (Listen to his cry "happiness can never bloom" performed by Fischer-Dieskau YT video-here)
In 1976, Marvin Gaye and Anna (Berry's sister) Gordy got divorced. Because times had changed since the days of imperial opera houses, Mrs Anna demanded not so much poems but one million dollars in settlement. Marvin did clearly not have the means to settle and so instead agreed to a compromise: Anna would get the advance Marvin received for his next album and $295,000 from its future profits. Marvin Gaye came up with "Here, My Dear."
However, what was supposed to be a spiteful collection of songs became a work of redemption. Self-pity and acrimony yielded to music and love of life. Marvin's genius turned the venom of resentment into inspiration and made melodies out of heartaches.
Break-up albums/music mark those times when only darkness will bring out the light. Bob Dylan's Blood On The Tracks (1975) rank among the most accomplished record recounting the end of a love story.
Richard & Linda Thompson's Shoot Out The Lights (1982) is yet another fine example of a couple's wrench. In 1997, Nick Cave released twelve love songs on The Boatman's Call (1997) - falling out with PJ can be ever so inspiring. Beck, the mathematical tune maker, showed that even him was not immune to the straitened ends of love in Sea Changes (2002). Closer to us, Money Mark's Brand New By Tomorrow (2007) showed "that something beautiful can grow from suffering."
In "The End of the Affair," Bendix proclaims: "This is a record of hate far more than of love." --These do not deal with spite but rather with the fragile tenderness which makes up our lives, however. They are records about love far more than about hate.
Edit: Apologies to any potential readers. MOG refuses to display my line breaks and paragraphs - For an easier read may I suggest you peruse my MOG-page
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Please consider this a my post Saint Valentine's music selection.
Here's another alternate take, mix by ?questlove of The Roots
Marvin Gaye - Sparrow (?uestlove Mix, Alternate Take) / 6:10 from "Here, My Dear - Expanded"
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This was my first Marvin Gaye record. It was in the cutouts for about five bucks. What a mind blower for a teenager!
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These are some brilliant tunes thanks Michael. A wonderfully written post as well.
Nick Cave and PJ aye? I never knew.
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This was my first & only Marvin lp as well. I was amazed at how good it was & hadn't heard of it till, like Funoka, I picked it up for a couple of bucks in a cutout bin. Lost love definitely fuels some creative juices.
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Never owned any Marvin Gaye, but this one to put on my list of future purchases! Thanks for the post, a great read. Now I have to get my Venom "Black Metal" CD LOL!
;)
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I had heard the story of "Here My Dear", but never as interesting as your write up. Loved the references(and links), very cool post Michael!!
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I'm curious to know what type of bird it is that sings only when love is lost. Wonderful music selection. Hope you had a nice V-Day :)
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Very interesting read, Michael. Super tune and I love the Hopper painting.
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Gaye is one of the best ever. Love lost, or when people are afraid of losing love, they sure do make some good songs, those emotions. Last year I discovered "About Today" by The National, where a relationship is slowly dwindling down to a halt, and the man asks "How close am I to losing you?" Less angry than this one yeah, but in terms of heartaches one of the best and saddest songs me thinks, as he seems to come to the realization and has to come to terms with the fact that his relationship is about to be over.
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Two stellar tracks - dare one think these the equal of, or even better than, three-quarters of "What's Goin' On"? Or is that blasphemy? Gee, I hope McCartney's post-Heather Mills album is this good.....
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funoka: Many thanks for visiting this humble abode. You were incredibly lucky to stumble upon such bargain. It'll cost you a bit more now.
Marigold: I should be thanking you for taking notice of this little post which I meant an post-modern Valentine's note. -- Yes, Mr Cave was hooked up with Ms Harvey at one time.
Augusts1:Hello there. Serendipitous, isn't it? I think this album ranks among the best ones to have come out of Tamla perhaps even better than Stevie's "Talking Book."
RGM: "Here, My Dear" will certainly agree with your tastes. It's got some wicked bass lines.
Scot: Thanks for the kind comments. There is indeed a tradition of love-pains-inspired music which appeal particularly to this jaded heart.
Lilja: Hallo dear. I'm afraid this bird exists only in my imagination from memories of fairy tales my mother used to tell before she tucked me in bed... Thanks for the kind words - Saint Valentine was decapitated and so was my day on 14th Feb.
FluxC: Thanks for the kudos Colin. I wish it could have been as sprightly as your writing but light-hearted is not my forte.
SA: My favourite stories whether in literature or music are about the breaking point. I find the dynamism it creates whether it be for the better or the worse the most enthralling. The National's "About Today" is one fine example.
Ivy: Thanks for the laughs. What do you think Macca will call his album "Hate Days A Week" or "Blood On The Peg?" -- Seriously, I was my original intention and contention that if you want to pick a "best" album by an artist, the heartache/heartbreak opus is the one to go for. Would you care to contribute to the list above? Re. "What's Going On?" vs "Here, My Dear", I'm undecided... Right now, I'll be blasphemous and proclaim "Here," as superior.
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Great info and tunes Bartleby. I need more Marvin Gaye. I only have "What's Going On?" and a smattering of tracks. He'll always be there though when I want to find him. Lovely post.
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Great poetic post!
I already put my vote in for Here,My Dear over here â—„
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Love, love, love... Not my area of expertise. Nevertheless, I'm glad there are people touched by it and heart-broken... or else we wouldn't have brilliant break-up albums to listen to while experiencing similar feelings (it's so annoyingly funny when people try to establish a connection between the lyric and their crappy failed relationship by absorbing the singer's pain, relief or happiness - some break-ups feel just right, hehe) ... for the good ol' times sake, or just for the kicks of listening to some good music then (if such is the case). For the record I'm not stone-hearted, I do enjoy Marvin Gaye.
Michael, I must confess this post sure opened up my eyes: must find famous musician, nail him down and get (at least) half of his monetary possessions, that or the day I become famous NEVER get married, hah.
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Glad finally to hear "I'm Mad." It seems that writing a song about one's break-up gives one a chance to garner sympathy from listeners. From such selfish an impulse come countless masterpieces, all gifts to society.
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excellent post. like many of the commenters, i need more Marvin Gaye in my life.
P J Harvey exorcized Nick Cave through Is This Desire? and a rumored fling with Vincent Gallo through Uh Huh Her. the two albums share a certain likeness to each other, more than any other of hers. Boys for Pele was Tori Amos's catharsis from producer Eric Rosse and an interrupted romance with Trent Reznor (they played this whole quoting each other's lyrics game). The Afghan Whigs's Gentlemen is the aftermath of frontman Greg Dulli's own failed relationship and subsequent emotional breakdown.
my own breakup song of choice for today is Song for a Blue Guitar by Red House Painters, whose first line breaks my heart everytime i ponder it: "When everything we felt failed..."
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BTW, this was the worst-selling record Marvin Gaye made to that date. It tanked really big time.
In the early 80s I knew the president of Quincy Jones' company and he told me about going to Marvin's studio when he was making it. The building was a brick bunker on Sunset, set in the middle of a lawn. Inside were a bunch of hookers and a mountain of coke besides the mixing desk. Marvin was doing backing vocals and he said it was quite something to watch the man, high as a kite, laying down all those harmonies 1-2-3, all of it in his head and everything in 1 or 2 takes. But he had to get out of there because the atmosphere was just too weird and heavy.
It's my favourite Marvin album.
And isn't McCartney's post Heather album 'Memory Almost Full'? Or is there a further "You only give me your funny papers" one after the settlement? :- )
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Wonderful post! Great examples of albums. I love Sea Changes but is prob the only Beck album I don't own...? I keep mentioning this all over but Rilo Kiley's Under the Blacklight is another that brings beautiful "melodies out of heartaches". (I guess still one of my current obsessions.)
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Nice writing and cool sounds, thanks for bringing Marvin back into my focus