What’s Going On?/Every Picture Tells A Story
This weekend, On The Turntable will feature two albums released in 1971 that had a monumental impact in music and have lasted the test of time. We feature “What’s Going On” – the Motown classic from Marvin Gaye and follow that with “Every Picture Tells A Story” from Sir Rod Stewart.
What’s Going On?
‘What’s Going On?’ is the eleventh studio albumMarvin Gaye. It was released this very weekend on the Tamla label by Motown Records. It was Gaye’s first album to credit him as producer and the first to credit the ‘Motown House Band’ as ‘The Funk Brothers’. ‘What’s Going On?’ is a concept album. The narrative is established by the songs as told from the point of view of a Vietnam veteran returning to his home country to witness hatred, suffering, and injustice. Side one showcases two of the three singles released from the LP and begins with the title track that was ranked number four on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The album is not only considered Gaye’s masterpiece, it is also considered one of the most important and passionate albums to come out of soul music. The disc was an immediate commercial and critical success, and came to be viewed by music historians as a classic of 1970s soul. Best Ever Albums Dot Com considers ‘What’s Going On?’ to be the fifth best lp of 1971 and the twentieth best of the decade … and the sixty-seventh of all time … Digital Dream Door Dot Com ranked the album number one on its top 100 of the year list … Rolling Stone Magazine moved the LP to number one on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020 supplanting The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. ‘What’s Going On?’ is listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die… and I hope we help you out with that this weekend.
Notable Tracks – ‘What’s Going On?’ ‘Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)’ ‘Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)’
Every Picture Tells A Story
‘Every Picture Tells a Story’ is the third studio album by Rod Stewart. It was released fifty years ago this coming week. This is one of my favorite LPs of all time … mostly, because it incorporates so many different genres. It includes hard rock, folk, and blues styles. The album went to number one on both the UK and US charts and finished third in the Jazz & Pop critics’ poll for best album of 1971. The album rocks more heavily than Gasoline Alley and is backed by The Faces … Though there are only eight song selections on this disc, every selection is a gem … and, it opens with the title cut.
The album is timeless and has endured critical success … Best Ever Albums Dot Com considers Every Picture to be the 31st best lp of 1971 and the 230th best of the decade … Digital Dream Door Dot com ranked the album 16th on its top 100 list of 1971. Rolling Stone Magazine ranks ‘Every Picture Tells A Story’ as the 172nd best on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. It is also featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die … Side two is one of the best side twos in rock.
Notable Tracks – ‘Every Picture Tells A Story’ ‘I’m Losing You’ ‘Mandolin Wind’ ‘Maggie May’ ‘ Reason To Believe’
You can listen to On The Turntable on 97.7 The Rewind over-the-air, on line @ 977therewind.com and on The Rewind App. Catch the program Saturdays @ 6pm and rewound Sunday morning @ 7am.