39. Going To A Go-Go - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
Hello Again! I was looking forward to listening to this album, as I was aware of Smokey Robinson, and his status as a Motown icon, but was not familiar with much of his repertoire. The song I knew best of his was "Being With You" from the Eighties. It isn't a bad song, I guess, but it isn't currently on the playlist on my Iphone. I figured that an artist that is held in such high esteem must have some really good music to offer, and it would likely reside on the album du jour, "Going To A Go-Go". I was about half right.
"The Tracks of My Tears" is a well known song; my first exposure to it was the soundtrack to the movie "The Big Chill". It also features memorably in the movie "Platoon" as the backdrop to half of the platoon blowing off some steam by smoking and drinking up a storm. I recall Forest Whitaker dancing around with a pipe that measured about a foot long, and Rhah swaying while clutching a doll to his chest with his barbed wire club next to him and a pipe in his mouth, and Chris gaining the acceptance of the guys he was on the ground with. Good scene, great movie, excellent song.
"Going To A Go-Go" was also familiar, but I knew the version by the Rolling Stones. The original lacks the swagger brought to the table by Mick Jagger, but it is a good tune with the horn section serving up lots of soul. While listening to this track I realized that this was going to be an artist that fell into the same category as Bob Dylan; I like the songs, but as recorded by other people. The next song proved this fact. "Ooo Baby Baby" is perfectly suited for Robinson's high voice, but it is overshadowed (in my opinion) by the version recorded by Linda Ronstadt.
The rest of the songs are typically in the same vein. There are superb horn arrangements and background vocals, and Smokey can definitely sing. However, I find the remainder of the album is very listenable, but not really anything to get excited about. I think that this sound is the precursor to Micheal Jackson's mega-stardom. The high voice that is difficult to describe as masculine is a telling similarity.
It has taken me a while to get around to posting this, as I was a little bit disappointed by this album. It is a fine recording, but I had really hoped that this was going to be one that I would love and play over and over, and it fell short of my expectations. Again, like Dylan's catalog, I could be missing the impact that this music may have had on its release, since I am more familiar with the music it influenced in it's wake. The number of artists covering these songs is a testament to the musical worth of the album, but it doesn't resonate with me the way I had hoped it would. That's just how it goes I guess. Sorry Smokey.
Rolling Stone magazine placed this album at number 271 on the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
"Going To A Go-Go" was also familiar, but I knew the version by the Rolling Stones. The original lacks the swagger brought to the table by Mick Jagger, but it is a good tune with the horn section serving up lots of soul. While listening to this track I realized that this was going to be an artist that fell into the same category as Bob Dylan; I like the songs, but as recorded by other people. The next song proved this fact. "Ooo Baby Baby" is perfectly suited for Robinson's high voice, but it is overshadowed (in my opinion) by the version recorded by Linda Ronstadt.
The rest of the songs are typically in the same vein. There are superb horn arrangements and background vocals, and Smokey can definitely sing. However, I find the remainder of the album is very listenable, but not really anything to get excited about. I think that this sound is the precursor to Micheal Jackson's mega-stardom. The high voice that is difficult to describe as masculine is a telling similarity.
It has taken me a while to get around to posting this, as I was a little bit disappointed by this album. It is a fine recording, but I had really hoped that this was going to be one that I would love and play over and over, and it fell short of my expectations. Again, like Dylan's catalog, I could be missing the impact that this music may have had on its release, since I am more familiar with the music it influenced in it's wake. The number of artists covering these songs is a testament to the musical worth of the album, but it doesn't resonate with me the way I had hoped it would. That's just how it goes I guess. Sorry Smokey.
Rolling Stone magazine placed this album at number 271 on the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Buy it here.
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