Marvin Gaye's "What Going On" - CD comments

I've been listening to this great album quite a bit lately. I was just curious as to which version people 'round these parts tend to prefer, regarding the original "LA mix" -- the 1994 Gavin Lurssen Mastering Lab version or the 2001 Kevin Reeves Universal version?

Personally, I tend to prefer the former a little more, that is, the '94 Lurssen version. It has a frequency balance that is closer to what I usually like in any given situation -- a tad more of a generous bottom. Whereas, the latter is a little lighter sounding with a bit more "air" on top. Neither is bad, arguably both are actually good in their own respective ways.

I'd be curious to know what others think using their own systems.

 

David, I have the 1994 version (with the enhanced booklet and cardboard slip-case) and I also have a Tamla 'two-fer' from 1986 that pairs up What's Going On with Let's Get It On. To be honest, that's the one I usually play (and I still play it quite often!) I have not heard the 2001 remaster. I've seen it, but I just haven't come up with a good enough rationale to justify a "triple dip" yet.

 

The Best one by FAR is the 1992 UK/Europe only Dan Hersch/Bill inglot mastered version that Motown put out before their umpteenth reissue program regime change. Its pretty hard to find these days and sadly almost no one knows about it.
The Gavin/ mastering lab one has no real top and too much of a bass lump that seems unnatural. The modern day Reeves version seems way too processed to me.

 

We have had discussions about this before.

My favorite VERSION of this album is the original DETROIT mix, found on the Deluxe Edition. It's how Gaye originally envisioned it. And, the tapes sound FANTASTIC! They are clean with NO compression anywhere. The sonic detail is remarkable!

Then there is the usual, familiar version that became the hit. Yeah, I like it, but it in NO WAY compares to the original to MY ears.

As for the sound/mastering of the official released version of the album is concerned, the sound is muddy and blurred, and I have not noticed much, if any, difference in the mastering between the Gavin Lurssen and the Inglot/Hersch version. They are both very good mastering jobs.

 

Motown has only undergone two or three regime changes in the last decade. The first was Amy Herot, Candace Bond, and Carey E. Mansfield. The second one, where things got strange, was under Al Quaglieri, and the current head, Harry Weinger.

 

Grant,

I edited my above post to say the "LA mix" (i.e. the original mix) which is what I actually meant to talk about for the sonic comparison discussion. Sorry for the confusion on my part.

As far as the alternate "Detroit mix" goes, I still prefer the original, released version....musically anyway. The latter, while interesting in a kind of "bootleg" sort of way, doesn't do it for me as much.

Though I'll say one thing...when listening to the "What's Going On" "foundation" mix on a system capable of reproducing stuff in the 40hz region and below, there lies one of the finest examples I've ever heard of a plucked electric bass, playing through an amp cabinet, sounding as it should. Abslolutely bone rattling in realism!

 

I should clarify by saying that when I say "original", I mean the "alternate" mix. To me, the original mix is the alternate mix because it came first.

 

Buy the Deluxe Edition of this title. It is well worth the money, believe me. Just for the bonus stuff alone.

 

I agree... the Deluxe Edition is the best version!

 

Deluxe Edition gets my vote, I play that most often. I agree with Grant on the Detroit Mix, I like that mix a lot. I had a lot of Motown two-fer's when they first came out and I sold them with a bunch of other CD's. I'm still kicking myself for doing that!

 

Deluxe Edition

I too like the detroit mix a lot, it's more sort of muscular, less sweet. The way it does'nt segue after God is Love in to Mercy Me really got me the first time, I love that.
The concert from '72 on the 2nd disk is also superb. I like both versions equally though.
The liner notes seem to suggest, I think, that Marvin took the tapes to LA and remixed it to the released version?.

 

Ken, you recall correctly.

Lets Get It On is the terrible one.

 

I think the Deluxe version sounds miximised and brittle! A co-worker of mine, an audiophile and bass player and "very funky" man agrees with me on this matter.

The alternate mix would be so cool if we could hear a mastering that approaches (what must have been) the original dynamics.

 

Well, there you go, Shawn, you just talked me into it! Man... I'm way too easy when it comes to this stuff.