MIXED MEDIA : Soul Legend in a Vegas-Lounge Mode
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**1/2 MARVIN GAYE “Greatest Hits--Live” SMV Enterprises ( $19.98 ).
Shot in Holland in 1978, this concert doesn’t feature one of the better performances by the great soul man, who died in 1984. It has a Vegas-lounge quality, with Gaye largely going through the motions in a show that includes most of his hits. A cool, subtle performer who relied on a natural sexual magnetism, Gaye clearly wasn’t inspired on most of the numbers--with “Let’s Get It On” being one of the exceptions. There are other problems. By today’s standards, the sound and photography seem crude and amateurish. Also, the band’s horn section is annoyingly tinny. Even with its shortcomings, though, this program--shot on video rather than film--is worth a look since concert footage on this legend is so rare.
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