They are two different kinds of song, and they can't really be compared.
"The Gambler" is a story-song with a clever message embedded in the chorus. Don Schlitz deserved the Grammy he won for writing it, and Kenny Rogers sings it nicely without bombast.
"What's Going On?", single and album alike, are monsters. The song itself (by Gaye, Al Cleveland and Renaldo Benson) is a barely restrained attack on the evils of the '70s ("Don't punish me with brutality."). It retains a great deal of fervor. As do the other two tracks released as singles: "Mercy Mercy Me" condemns environmental pollution as it was just becoming fashionable, and "Inner City Blues", starkly underlying how powerless many Blacks were to escape the poverty in which they born into ("make me wanna holler/the way they do my life...").
It was such a pessimistic piece that Motown boss Berry Gordy, Jr. didn't want to release it, as it was so at odds with the anodyne public image he had crafted for the label. So Gaye had to go behind his back and personally take it to the DJs to get Gordy to change his mind.
I deeply admire the voice and the musical integrity of Marvin Gaye, and "What's Going On?" is the centerpiece of his emergence as an artist independent of the Motown assembly line. So I have to go with it, obviously.
Great points, David. And I really appreciate the musical history, in addition to calling out the song writers! I think both songs work well because you can sing along to the melodies and surface lyrics and still enjoy it without getting into either song's deep messaging. But when you break down the messaging, both are pretty brilliant, just in different ways.
It's like the cliche: apples to oranges. They're both great songs. It depends on which one speaks more to your personal experience. For me, it's Marvin Gaye, who is a far more expressive artist and the topic is much more poignant because it's about people dying in a war.
So for you, the topic influences your decision? Is there a world where you can judge the song only by the quality of writing? Despite the topic? Like who put the words together in a more effective manner to communicate the theme of the song?
One thing that must be considered is that the more important medium in a song is the music and the expression of it. Gay's artistry evokes a very deep emotion and it's difficult to be so analytical in separating the words from it. The song should be judged on how they meld together. Perhaps someone else singing What's goin on wouldn't create as much feeling. But when it comes down to it, music is mostly feeling. Lyrics without the music are more analytical. Gay's artistry is at a level that Kenny Rogers can't reach and so to me, that's why it's a better song. Maybe if Joe Cocker sang The Gambler, well then you might have something to rival Gay.
Oh, that's such a good perspective, Tom. Spoken like a true artist, yourself LOL. all of it matters when it comes to music so I understand the difficulty in separating lyrics from performance.
They are two different kinds of song, and they can't really be compared.
"The Gambler" is a story-song with a clever message embedded in the chorus. Don Schlitz deserved the Grammy he won for writing it, and Kenny Rogers sings it nicely without bombast.
"What's Going On?", single and album alike, are monsters. The song itself (by Gaye, Al Cleveland and Renaldo Benson) is a barely restrained attack on the evils of the '70s ("Don't punish me with brutality."). It retains a great deal of fervor. As do the other two tracks released as singles: "Mercy Mercy Me" condemns environmental pollution as it was just becoming fashionable, and "Inner City Blues", starkly underlying how powerless many Blacks were to escape the poverty in which they born into ("make me wanna holler/the way they do my life...").
It was such a pessimistic piece that Motown boss Berry Gordy, Jr. didn't want to release it, as it was so at odds with the anodyne public image he had crafted for the label. So Gaye had to go behind his back and personally take it to the DJs to get Gordy to change his mind.
I deeply admire the voice and the musical integrity of Marvin Gaye, and "What's Going On?" is the centerpiece of his emergence as an artist independent of the Motown assembly line. So I have to go with it, obviously.
Great points, David. And I really appreciate the musical history, in addition to calling out the song writers! I think both songs work well because you can sing along to the melodies and surface lyrics and still enjoy it without getting into either song's deep messaging. But when you break down the messaging, both are pretty brilliant, just in different ways.
It's like the cliche: apples to oranges. They're both great songs. It depends on which one speaks more to your personal experience. For me, it's Marvin Gaye, who is a far more expressive artist and the topic is much more poignant because it's about people dying in a war.
So for you, the topic influences your decision? Is there a world where you can judge the song only by the quality of writing? Despite the topic? Like who put the words together in a more effective manner to communicate the theme of the song?
One thing that must be considered is that the more important medium in a song is the music and the expression of it. Gay's artistry evokes a very deep emotion and it's difficult to be so analytical in separating the words from it. The song should be judged on how they meld together. Perhaps someone else singing What's goin on wouldn't create as much feeling. But when it comes down to it, music is mostly feeling. Lyrics without the music are more analytical. Gay's artistry is at a level that Kenny Rogers can't reach and so to me, that's why it's a better song. Maybe if Joe Cocker sang The Gambler, well then you might have something to rival Gay.
Oh, that's such a good perspective, Tom. Spoken like a true artist, yourself LOL. all of it matters when it comes to music so I understand the difficulty in separating lyrics from performance.