Album: Here, My Dear
Artist: Marvin Gaye
Release Date: December 15, 1978
Genre: Soul/Funk
Length: 1:13:10
Label: Tamla Records
Producer: Marvin Gaye
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2012): #456
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2020): #493
1,001 Album Book: Yes
The most famous baby-making artist causing heartbreak rather than babies...
The album that marked the downfall of Marvin Gaye, Here, My Dear was seen as a failure upon release which led Gaye to stop marketing the record. After Gaye's death however, the record has grown in the hearts of critics and the public and marked it a turning point in Gaye's illustrious career.
The lyrical emotion throughout the record has a strong beginning starting with the title track "Here, My Dear". The entire record, providing a personal look into Gaye's divorce from his first wife Anna Gordy, showcases the struggles Gaye mentally and emotionally went through during this period in his life. After the initial setup this track brings, the songs that follow indicate raw emotion pouring into the microphone that Gaye brings forth to detail his melancholy attitude towards Anna.
The second track on the record "I Met A Little Girl" details the story of his love with Anna Gordy and how they came to be. At the end of the track, the lyrics shift towards the emotion of the divorce and how it affected Gaye. The power Gaye sings with during the song is quickly contrasted by the timid vocals in the final "Hallelujah" outro, indicating he accepted the situation but not the results of the divorce.
A notable reflection on how he acted throughout his divorce is the track "Anger", in which Gaye sings about how strong of an emotion anger is when it comes to how someone acts. "Time To Get It Together" focuses on mortality and the abuse Gaye had towards drugs. The track is seen as a wake-up call for Gaye in order to try and change his life while he still had the opportunity to do so instead of succumbing to a drug overdose. While most of this album is focused on the divorce itself, "Anger" and "Time To Get It Together" allowed Marvin Gaye to look at himself in the mirror and reflect on the things that he did that ultimately lead to the divorce.
While "Anger" focuses on Gaye's self-reflective nature, "Is That Enough" publicly shares intimate details that Anna Gordy was using him to fuel a lavish celebrity lifestyle. The background vocals of Gaye repeating "Too Possessive, Jealous" over and over really emphasizes the feelings that Gaye had towards someone he thought he was giving his everything for.
While a lot of the album is focused on the negative aspects of his relationship with Anna Gordy, "Anna's Song" provides a reminiscent look into the positive aspects of their marriage. Some lyrics do seem to be a little sarcastic or backhanded, which is probably just the fact they are written during a mentally exhaustive period looking back at a happier time about someone he has come to dislike.
One of the most interesting, funky and cheerful songs on an otherwise depressing track list is "A Funky Space Reincarnation". Gaye sings about a time in the distant future where he meets Anna Gordy once again and they don't know each other but they fall in love, indicating Marvin Gaye knows that Anna Gordy is the one he wants to be with, it's just certain situations that caused them to fall apart.
The lyrics in the album are easily the strongest aspect of each track. Each song is essentially the same in terms of content, Gaye just divorced his wife and is now feeling down about it, but he finds a way to keep a unique stylistic approach to every song making the content change even when it doesn't.
While this album is largely focused on Marvin Gaye's soulful singing, majestic lyrical content and the emotions the songs bring you, the instrumentation throughout is something to not look past. The funky guitar licks in "I Met A Girl", the horn parts throughout "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You", the sax solo in "Is That Enough", the sonic horns leading into a complex sax solo in "Sparrow", and then the entire instrumental version of "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You", this album exudes emotion from the surface of each song all the way to the depths of the track.
Marvin Gaye is known for bringing his emotions and projecting them onto the listener. While this is most often seen with a loving, sexual feel, Here, My Dear is completely different in that you feel all the heartache, tribulation and sadness he feels throughout. I recommend listening to this album if you are experiencing heartache, going through a breakup or even just listening to the best albums of all time, this album is sure to excite your ear while ripping your heart to shreds.
Favorite Songs: "I Met A Little Girl", "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You", "Is That Enough"
Least Favorite Songs: "Here, My Dear" (Far from a bad song but definitely far from the strongest on the album"
Production Quality:
Mix = 10/10
Innovation = 8/10 (Common heartbreak album, but not to THIS extent)
Songwriting Quality:
Arrangement = 10/10
Lyricism = 10/10
Instrumentation Quality:
Vocal Timbre = 10/10
Instrumental Timbre = 10/10
Group Chemistry = 10/10 (Syncopated, complex parts all combined into a flawless machine)
Overall Likability:
My Personal Rating = 9.5/10
Overall Rating: 9.7/10
Any confusion on how the rating is weighted/calculated, please look at my "About" page.
Remember this is all my opinion! Let me know if you agree, disagree or have any comments!