Dream of a Lifetime

by

Marvin Gaye

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Critically, this album has been bashed, thrashed and rehashed over the years.Considering it was made out of the unreleased, remaining scraps of his last recording sessions, I think it is a decent posthumous affair, better than say John Lennon's "Milk and Honey". I would go as far as to say that "Sanctified Lady" is one of his best jams, done in the funky style of "Sexual Healing" or "Got To Give It Up". Also of note, "Ain't It Funny(How Things Turn Around), which is a catchy tune that I play a lot and could have been written about his recent commercial comeback with the Midnight Love album. I also like "Savage In The Sack" and "Masochistic Beauty". I think, obviously, if Marvin had lived, these sessions would be more polished and stronger material along the lines of "Sanctified Lady" would have come along and lifted this album to the level of Midnight Love, but I feel it is pure musical snobbery to turn up your nose at these recordings, as many have for years, when actually they are quite good, and let's face it, Marvin's s#*t was other people's diamonds.

I have been a huge fan of Marvin since 6th grade, when I was just 12 years old. Now I am 17 and every day i am still touched by his music and his legacy. I purchased this CD about 3 years, and like most of Marvins music, it took a while for it to grow on me. However, this is not an actual cd, but a collection of work recorded on CBS after 'Midnight Love'; as well as work such as Symphony and I Live For You which were recorded during the same time as the 'Let's Get It On' album (outtakes of the aforementioned songs appear on the deluxe edition of 'Lets Get It On). Since this is not a real album, it doesnt flow consistently...and since the material ranges from the early 70's to the early 80's, the musical style (the change from congas to synthesized drum beats) can sometimes only be an unfortunate reminder of why the stuff shouldnt have even been released. However, when the songs are viewed individually, its not half as bad as it could be (this is MARVIN we are talking about!) Masochistic Beauty is diffently a funk filled jam, as is Sanctified Lady (which was actually a number 2 hit in 1985). . . and the '70s stuff ranks right up there with his classic albums This may not be an 'I Want You' or 'Whats Going On', but viewed on its own merits, it still makes the listener wish Marvin had lived his Dream of a Liftime to its fullest extent!

Max