Marvin Gaye - Vulnerable

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Music reviews of Vulnerable

Music Review: An Unopened Letter.... Open It
Rating: 5 Stars

That is the reaction to "Vulnerable," this posthumous release of archival ballads that Marvin Gaye had worked on over the years, but never had been ready to release. Each song--even the usually insipid "Shadow of Your Smile"--is filled with the nuances and range that lifted Marvin Gaye so far above the R&B pack. To listen to these new songs is to grieve again not just for the loss of the man but for the void that still has not been filled by any of his legions of imitators.

Be warned that there are only 28 minutes of music on this CD, and that 3 of the 10 selections are "alternate performances" of the other 7--but each is so different as to stand alone. Only 28 minutes? Not to worry: Do as I do, and play it over, and over, and over....

The overall theme is loss... think of Sinatra's "In the Wee Small Hours," and you'll capture the flavor. "She Needs Me" and "Why Did I Choose You?" are two that will shake your soul, and no way can you resist the shattering irony of "I Won't Cry Anymore." The orchestrations tend toward the lush, and the vocal stylings may sometimes be a bit self-conscious...but these are like criticizing Abe Lincoln for being "thin."

"This Will Make You Laugh," he sings. No, not quite. Listen to this CD for the first time alone, at night, as I did, and be transported to your own sorrows and memories, and weep. Marvin, m'man, "I Wish I Didn't Love You So."

Go ahead: It's a letter from an old loved one, who died years ago. Open it.

Description of Vulnerable

Blues CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• R&B