For the seasoned fan
Johnny Boy | Hockessin, DE | 08/06/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I'll make this review quick. (See my 'Super Hits' review of Marvin's for the "history report.")
This collection, much like 'Super Hits' spans Marvin's Columbia years. Marvin technically only recorded one album for Columbia (but boy was it a good one!), 1982's 'Midnight Love,' before his untimely assassination at the hands of his father in 1984. However, Columbia and Marvin's longtime former label, Motown, teamed up to create two posthumous releases full of archival material (compilation albums -- I'm not sure why people call them studio albums, because they really aren't, but whatever), 1985's 'Dream of a Lifetime,' which contained some of Marvin's final recordings, as well as some 'Midnight Love' outtakes and some outtakes dating back to 1972 ('Let's Get it On' period roughly) and 1986's 'Romantically Yours,' an album consisting of previously unreleased ballads Marvin recorded from 1965 to 1978.
The point of buying this (if you are a collector) is for the four "rarities": the extended remix of 'Sexual Healing,' the 1983 NBA All-Star rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' which really is stellar (Marvin totally makes our National Anthem his own, as only Marvin could do) and the live versions of 'God is Love' and 'What's Going On,' which are great in their own right but the sound quality is less than stellar on those two performances.
If you are a casual Marvin fan who wants more than his Motown work, 'Playlist: The Very Best of Marvin Gaye' is widely available (I bought a copy of this *really* cheap at my local Best Buy) and it features most of the Marvin songs from this period the casual fans would want. Yeah, there are some personal favorites of mine (most notably 'Savage in the Sack' and his outstanding cover of 'Fly Me to the Moon' which I would love to see here), but all and all, if you are a die-hard fan of Marvin's, buy this for the rare tracks and the outstanding sound (apart from the two live tracks).
Recommended for the curious Gaye fan who wants a change of scenery from Marvin's Motown years."
Great compilation
mistermaxxx@yahoo.com | usa | 01/29/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Marvin Gaye is One of the greatest musical talents ever and this set highlights so many of his biggest hits. his voice has stood the test of time and when you hear him singing/sanging than you know you are hearing what Soul is all about. this is a great overview and worth checking out."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1