Marvin Gaye "Here, My Dear" (1978) - got it
Possibly one of the more whiny and passive-aggressive break-up albums of all time.
Marvin had divorced his wife, Anna Gordy (the sister of Motown owner
Berry Gordy... in hindsight, not the smartest career move) having met
and fallen for another woman. After failing to pay his alimony, Marvin
was taken to court and reluctantly agreed to pay Anna the advance and
half of the earnings for his next album.
Instead of just making any old record and getting it out of the way,
Marvin set about airing their dirty laundry (with the narrative slanted
firmly in his favour). Lamenting his situation, railing against Anna for
dragging him through court and tarnishing his image with the press, and
then eventually gushing about his new love and how much happier he was.
The album was not loved by critics, fans... or Anna. It is a lengthy
ride, but Marvin's mix of funk, soul, jazz, doowop and some more modern
(at the time) production, would create a sound picked up on by artists
like Michael Jackson, Jamiroquai, Justin Timberlake and other purveyors
of funky RnB.
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