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 Keep It Simple
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Roger McGuinn @ the Huntington IMAC, Long Island, NY - April 4, 2008
Emily Saxe @ the Allen Room/Jazz at Lincoln Center - April 5, 2008
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Get Awkward
Paul McCartney – The McCartney Years (DVD)
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Yes - Their Definitive Story
Day and Night Driving
Seven Mary Three
InterMedia Arts Center 2/2/08
Huntington, NY
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Charted: #1 in July 1973
“OK, Definitive top five. Number one, ‘Let’s Get It On,’ by Marvin Gaye. Number two, ‘This is the House that Jack Built,’ by Aretha Franklin. Number three, ‘Back in the USA,’ by Chuck Berry. Number four, ‘White Man in Hammersmith Palais,’ by the Clash. And, the last one, last but not least, ha ha, ‘So Tired of Being Alone,’ by Al Green.”
- As spoken by Rob, the protagonist of Nick Hornby’s novel, High Fidelity.
…and who could argue with that? Rob and I have a little bit too much in common, I think. Although our top five lists aren’t identical, there is some overlap, at least with the artists concerned. My own list would almost certainly include both Marvin Gaye and Al Green, and depending on my mood, might also include Aretha and the Clash. Heck, maybe even Chuck could figure in to my top five. Too many friends have read High Fidelity (or saw the movie, starring John Cusack as Rob) and found it absolutely hysterical, not only because it’s such a good book (and movie), but also because they kept seeing elements of me in the main character. Rob is a guy who sees life through music, and virtually all of his thoughts are predicated upon some type of musical stimulation. He is a master of anal retention, constantly compiling and revising his own personal ‘Best Of’ lists. “Tom, this guy is almost as bad as you are” is a comment that I have heard repeatedly. It’s true that I am a master compiler of lists – this book is a result of that dementia – but it is a characteristic that I think has served me well over the years. Besides assisting me by organizing my life into manageable bits, it also gives me the chance to make all types of great compilation tapes (another trait that Rob and I have in common). Since Rob and I seem so much alike, I cannot take it too lightly that he chose “Let’s Get It On,” not simply as his favorite Marvin Gaye song (I would have picked ‘What’s Goin’ On”), but as his number one song of all time!
If you were to ask me to compile a list of the top five sexiest songs of all time, Marvin Gaye would probably make that list twice; both “Let’s Get it On” and “Sexual Healing” would qualify. Sitting comfortably with those tracks would be Kate Bush’s “Sensual World,” Frank Sinatra’s slow, sultry version of “Night and Day,” and, last but not least (ha ha), “Wicked Game,” by Chris Isaak. Gaye would probably qualify as the most consistently erotic performer, because his music is direct and languorous, qualities that convey all you need to know while imagination does the rest. For a song to be truly sexy, it can’t sound like it’s in a hurry to get somewhere. It must linger, taking its time as it moves through its changes. It should also sound almost desperately focused. Listen to Gaye’s pleading vocal delivery at the opening strains of “Let’s Get It On”. This is the sound of a man who knows exactly what he wants, and is confident enough to let you know it. Consequences are not an issue here. The emotions exhibited by Gaye override any type of logical thought, leaving nothing but desire to sustain his performance. The song’s structure is built like good sex, too, starting with a seductive passage, then moving slowly but steadily forward in a rhythmic groove until it reaches the climactic bridge.
It’s a shame that Rob is a fictional character, because I think we’d have gotten along quite well. The rest of the world might laugh, but we’d have all types of fun comparing lists and analyzing the implications. Does my predilection for Marvin Gaye mean that I’m sensual, or does it mean that I’m avoiding my own personal issues and living vicariously? Does it mean I’m sexually attuned or does it mean that I’m not even capable of confronting my emotions unless they are filtered through music? I don’t know, but is Marvin Gaye on my top five? Definitely.
 
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