Where do you go after delivering a career-defining work?
It was a question said to be gnawing away at Marvin Gaye before he recorded his 1973 album Let’s Get It On.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary with another deluxe edition out on Friday, the original release came two years after his masterpiece, What’s Going On.
That album not only expanded the horizons of soul music with its poignant socio-political lyricism and a game-changing production, where songs were presented as a suite rather than a collection of individual tracks, it also soundtracked a troubled era in US society at odds with itself over the Vietnam War.
More than commercial success, What’s Going On’s ultimate achievement allowed Gaye full artistic control over future projects from Motown, a label notorious for calling its own tune.
This would all have been ideal for the production of his next work, as long as he had something to say, something Gaye was initially unsure of in 1972 while grappling with writer’s block.
Clarity arrived with the decision to focus on the internal rather than the external.
Where What’s Going On is his American state of the union address, the brief 31 minutes of Let’s Get It On has Gaye exploring the inner politics of love, faith and various forms of human connection.
Some of these strands crystallise in the title track, which opens the album.
Accompanied by a sumptuous orchestral arrangement, delicate guitars and slightly off kilter percussion, the original lyrics are said to be more spiritual before taking on a sensual turn.
However, the original sentiments remain.
Among the romantic word play, Gaye still searches for a deeper union, with lyrics such as, "We're all sensitive people with so much to give", grounded in honesty, "Ain't gonna push, won't push you".
This is further accentuated in the second song on the record, Please Stay (Once You Go Away), the kind of melodramatic horn-soaked ballad Motown is famed for, in which a vulnerable Gaye begs his lover to give it another shot.
The dynamism of the song-writing is highlighted in If I Should Die Tonight. Sparse, yet filled with surprising vocal turns, the lyrics are both a goodbye love letter and eulogy.
"If I should die tonight, though it seems far before my time, I won't die blue 'cause I've known you," Gaye begins before asking us if we lived a life well spent.
"How many eyes have seen their dream? How many arms have held their dream? How many hearts have really, really felt their world stand still?"
It is here we appreciate Gaye's battle for creative control.
Where earlier career hits Stubborn Kind of Fellow and It Takes Two were lovable yet cookie-cutter takes on love and heartbreak, If I Should Die Tonight removes the rose-tinted lenses to reflect on love as it often is, open-ended, messy and unpredictable.
Then again, Gaye didn't completely discard his earlier sound.
The summery Come Get to This is a flashback to his1960s commercial era with its exuberant melodic hooks, bobbing basslines and breezy strings.
After a bravura live version of Distant Lover, the album closes with the sultry ambience of You Sure Love to Ball and Just to Keep You Satisfied.
The latter orchestral ballad meditates on the emotional toll of an uninhibited life.
By fleeing an emotionally abusive relationship, Gaye ultimately realises the deep bond he craves cannot be sustained only through physical intimacy.
So he bids her farewell with a faint hope of “maybe we'll meet down the line”.
Now, 50 years on, the legacy of Let’s Get It On endures.
While lacking the heft of What’s Going On, rightfully regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, Let's Get It On pushed the sonic and lyrical boundaries of popular music.
One can even draw a link from Let’s Get It On to a string of potent popular albums in the ensuing decades, such as Madonna’s Erotica (1992) and SZA’s star-making 2022 album SOS.
Gaye’s unbridled view of relationships also inspired generations of future RnB stars to release thought-provoking albums about the body and mind, including D'Angelo's Voodoo (2000) and Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996).
With the new edition of Let's Get It On featuring a new Dolby Atmos mix and 18 previously unreleased tracks from the original recording sessions, fans, future artists and producers will have a lot to dig in to and savour.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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RESULT
Leeds United 1 Manchester City 1
Leeds: Rodrigo (59')
Man City: Sterling (17')
Man of the Match: Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds)
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
F1 2020 calendar
March 15 - Australia, Melbourne; March 22 - Bahrain, Sakhir; April 5 - Vietnam, Hanoi; April 19 - China, Shanghai; May 3 - Netherlands, Zandvoort; May 20 - Spain, Barcelona; May 24 - Monaco, Monaco; June 7 - Azerbaijan, Baku; June 14 - Canada, Montreal; June 28 - France, Le Castellet; July 5 - Austria, Spielberg; July 19 - Great Britain, Silverstone; August 2 - Hungary, Budapest; August 30 - Belgium, Spa; September 6 - Italy, Monza; September 20 - Singapore, Singapore; September 27 - Russia, Sochi; October 11 - Japan, Suzuka; October 25 - United States, Austin; November 1 - Mexico City, Mexico City; November 15 - Brazil, Sao Paulo; November 29 - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi.
Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit
As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
Poacher
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