'Thing ain't what they used to be', Marvin Gaye and the making of "What's Going On"

At the end of the 1960s, Marvin Gaye was well-known as Motown's premier sex symbol and singer of hits such as 'Heard it Through the Grapevine' and 'How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).' However, with a brother returning from Vietnam and a burgeoning awareness of the social and political ferment building in the U.S, Gaye conceived What's Going On. This article will consider the album, its conception, reception and legacy.