Tough times don’t last, tough people do. And in the world of entertainment, where tough times are often the precursor to generational defining records and moments, Marvin Gaye remains the poster child for everything that was, that is and what could’ve been in a career still ringing bells to this very minute. Read the rest of this entry »

I was listening to my iPod on shuffle while completely being unproductive during the Midwest’s recent blizzard. After about my third hour, I came across this rarity of a song by the king of Motown from his heart-wrenching, slept-on classic Here My Dear. The first fifty seconds gave me a chilling reflection of my first time trying lean (don’t judge) and brought me back to the song that inspired my teenage exploration, “Sippin’ On Some Syrup.”

But then, the song got interesting.

Marvin’s track is a plea to his woman on if he has given her enough. Money, that is. His conceit shows in this song with ease as he smoothly resonates over his own melodies, the horns and deep bass. The highlight of the song comes in when he says, after three minutes of complaining of the divorce judge’s verdict and beseeching his woman, “I need a smoke.” This begins a psychedelic journey that nearly requires you to close your eyes in order to envision it. Scruffy Marvin with a rainbow-colored beanie, a Zig-Zag rolled joint in his left hand and his right hand swaying. The sax weeps a sad tale, as the electric keyboard and drums ride along. Pain-fueled funk at it’s best.

Had Nas listened to this song before…never mind.

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Download — Marvin Gaye – “Is That Enough”