Soul charts

Review: What's Going On is one of those albums that everyone should own. Rightly regarded as one of the single greatest soul albums of all time, the 1971 set saw Marvin Gaye eschew his pop-soul past in favour of socially and politically conscious lyrics and an imaginative, expansive musical palette that was far removed from the usual, stomp-along Motown sound. It still sounds fresh all these years later, with the Vietnam War inspired 'What's Going On/What's Happening Brother', environmentalist anthem 'Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)', anti-racist 'Right On' and simply sublime 'Inner City Blues' standing out. This reissued edition arrives on translucent green vinyl, making it even more alluring - not that you should need much convincing to grab a copy.