"Songs in the Key of Life" vs. "What's Going On"

[Guy]

On December 20, 2014, I saw Stevie Wonder perform his epic double LP "Songs in The Key of Life" at the Los Angeles Forum. "Mindblowing" would be an understatement. He was accompanied by a huge band, with strings and a gospel choir. I only knew the big ones from SITKOL, but since hearing them live I've really been digging "Black Man", "I Am Singing", "Ordinary Pain", "Saturn" and "Summer Soft" -- which were all unfamiliar to me before the show. I have long been enthralled by "Another Star", "As", "Sir Suke", "I Wish" and "Love's In Need of Love Today." Now, I am marvelling at the musicianship and songcraft of this monumental work.

I was also gifted with the "Motown 25" DVD boxset and I'm slowly making my way through the interviews and featurettes. Most Motown luminaries and other pop culture commentators cite Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" as Motown's crowning artistic achievement.
Personally, I am much more familiar with Marvin Gaye's work. He was a firm family favorite and I've known his music all my life. He is iconic on a level that, unfortunately, only death can confer.

WGO is undoubtedly a masterpiece. However, in terms of artistry and musical content Stevie's SITKOL feels fuller and more dynamic. Since many here at the Soulful Detroit Forum are well-versed in Motown music and history, I am particularly interested in your insight.

As between these two masterworks -- Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and Stevie Wonder's "Songs In The Key Of Life" -- which do you think is Motown's finer moment?

[edafan]

To me they are both equally brilliant

edafan

[thomas96]

Oh man how I'd love to see Marvin Gaye do a concert of the full What's Going On album with all the funk brothers! Closest is the Save the Children concert but only has What's Going On and What's Happening Brother. Can't compare them since they are different styles and I agree equally brilliant. I too saw Stevie here in Boston and he was magnificent.

[jobeterob]

I don't really see comparing Marvin vs. Stevie vs. Michael vs. Diana. They all shine.

What I would say is that Stevie was here for so much longer; it seems to me he had a chance to release so much more music. There are few videos of Marvin Gaye compared to the others.

But SITKOL and WGO ~ both excellent. I would not be so quick to crown WGO as the Rock Magazines have always been; those dudes are in a rut and have been in it since the 70's.

[midnightman]

I'm not even gonna compare... no way... it would be unfair to these legends... not gonna do it!

[soulster]

As far as i'm concerned, neither album have much to do with Motown, aside from some musicians. All the company did was release them.

I have a problem with both albums: WGO falls apart on side two, and SITKOL suffers from songs that are entirely too long, like "Black Man", "Isn't She Lovely", and "Joy Inside My Tears", which I consider filler. I usually doze off during "Black Man" or skip it altogether. If he had just whittled it down a few minutes. It's like he did this fantastic single album, then just kept going and going...but I do like "Another Star", "Ebony Eyes", "As", and "All Day Sucker".

Audiophile warning:
While it's hard to find a really bad mastering of WGO, the Stevie Wonder album is all over the map with various masterings sounding sometimes wildly different from each other, with the worst being the 2000 CVD remaster, and the Speakers Corner vinyl reissue, with the treble boost and compression. That's another story that you guys won't be interested in, though, and will offend one of the people who read this forum.

[RobertZ]

Guy - I envy your seeing the concert; I missed it here in NY. The YouTube clips are amazing. Your question is interesting, and the 2 albums are interesting choices to "compare" as both are "political" by nature, though WGO is concerned with external politics and SITKOL involves internal politics. My choice goes to WGO, simply because of its perfect co-ordination with the time in which it was released. Artistically these are both masterworks that stand the test of time; I believe that if Mr. Gaye had lived he would have done a WGO tour! And cheers to Motown, the label with the foresight and artistic vision to release these challenging pieces of music.

[jobeterob]

I have a problem with both albums: WGO falls apart on side two, and SITKOL suffers from songs that are entirely too long, like "Black Man", "Isn't She Lovely", and "Joy Inside My Tears", which I consider filler. I usually doze off during "Black Man" or skip it altogether. If he had just whittled it down a few minutes. It's like he did this fantastic single album, then just kept going and going...but I do like "Another Star", "Ebony Eyes", "As", and "All Day Sucker".

Regarding this part of Soulster's post ~ this is the traditional weakness in Stevie Wonder, especially the part about "just kept going and going". LOL.

[soulster]

I have a problem with both albums: WGO falls apart on side two, and SITKOL suffers from songs that are entirely too long, like "Black Man", "Isn't She Lovely", and "Joy Inside My Tears", which I consider filler. I usually doze off during "Black Man" or skip it altogether. If he had just whittled it down a few minutes. It's like he did this fantastic single album, then just kept going and going...but I do like "Another Star", "Ebony Eyes", "As", and "All Day Sucker".

Regarding this part of Soulster's post ~ this is the traditional weakness in Stevie Wonder, especially the part about "just kept going and going". LOL. He was just fine up until "Fulfillingness First Finale". Seems he had a bad falling out with his producers Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil. I'm thinking that it was they who kept Stevie from indulging in excess, and why he probably fired them. That is not to say that Stevie isn't a capable producer, just that with no one to tell him no, he could go crazy with the arrangements.

[RossHolloway]

Oh man how I'd love to see Marvin Gaye do a concert of the full What's Going On album with all the funk brothers! Closest is the Save the Children concert but only has What's Going On and What's Happening Brother. Can't compare them since they are different styles and I agree equally brilliant. I too saw Stevie here in Boston and he was magnificent.
On the first expanded edition of WGO included is the full concert performance of the WGO album MG performed in Washington DC in 1972. It's worth checking out if you haven't done so already.

[thomas96]

On the first expanded edition of WGO included is the full concert performance of the WGO album MG performed in Washington DC in 1972. It's worth checking out if you haven't done so already.

I meant video but I'll definitely check that out.