The best-selling Motown artist of all time; Marvin Gaye defined the hopes and shattered dreams of an entire generation. Twenty years after his tragic death-he was shot by his father-his relevance persists because of the indelible mark his outsized talent left on American culture. A transcendent performer whose career spanned the history of rhythm and blues; from doo-wop to the sultriest of soul music; Gayes artistic scope and emotional range set the soundtrack for Americas tumultuous coming of age in the 1970s. Michael Eric Dysons searching narrative illuminates Marvin Gayes stellar ascendance-from a black church in Washington; D.C.; to the artistic peak of Whats Going On?-and charts his sobering personal decline. Dyson draws from interviews with those closest to Gaye to paint an intimate portrait of the tensions and themes that shaped contemporary urban America: racism; drug abuse; economic adversity; and the long legacy of hardship. Gayes stormy relationships with women; including duet partner Tammi Terrell and wives Anna Gordy and Janis Hunter; are examined in light of the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Dyson also considers family violence in the larger context of the African-American life and how that heartbreaking legacy resulted in Gayes murder. Mercy; Mercy; Me is an unforgettable portrait of a beloved black genius whose art is reflected in the dynamism of contemporary urban America.
#181871 in eBooks 2013-06-19 2013-06-19File Name: B00D0OO3L0
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. "All Thats Left to Know "... and more.By Richie PrimoIf youre someone who; like myself; has read most of the popular literature defining the constitution/designation of true Film Noir - but yearns for a fresh perspective - youll find it among these pages. In the concise summations of his some-200 chosen titles; David Hogan has managed to convey original; thought-provoking insights; while successfully challenging many self-conceived guidelines established by some of the recognized "experts" on the subject. Hogan is able to inform and educate his reader without trying too hard to sound intelligent. Hes quite adept at explaining the process of set design; camera angles; lighting and many other facets. At worst; youll learn some things about Film Noir that you may not have already known.Hogans diverse array of film reviews are grouped within various chapters that concentrate on distinct Noir motifs and/or character archetypes. Some of the chapters I particularly enjoyed are the aptly titled "Victims of Circumstance" - "The Private Dick" and "The Best Laid Plans" - which; including all others throughout the book; uniquely review the films containing their respective; sub-genre elements.Another interesting aspect are the 100s of sidebars filled with detailed (and some unknown; to me) information on Actors; Directors; Producers; Cinematographers; etc.; placed throughout the book (Hogan calls these "Case Files"). I highly recommend this book to any movie fan simply looking to learn about Film Noir; and also to the seasoned Noir buff searching for a somewhat different approach and view. "Film Noir FAQ" is the freshest take on Noir since Eddie Mullers "Dark City."0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Takes a long time to read HahahahahahahBy CustomerI had one problem with the book. Usually I can read a book in two or three days; but this one took me a month to read.The problem was that every movie the book so vividly discribes motivated me to stop reading; and then go to watch the movie on Youtube. And then return to the book; etc. Etc. Lots of great movies.My favorite was the classic Kiss of Death staring Victor Mature andRichard Widmark as Tommy Udo. You might remember the movie from the epic scene when Tommy Udo wrapped a lamp chord around an old lady sitting in a wheel chair and then rolling her into a stairwell and pushing her down the stairs.17 of 19 people found the following review helpful. EXCELLENT ADDITION TO NOIR LIBRARY!By Richard J. OravitzThere have been a lot of books written over the last couple decades covering Film Noir. I have at least 50+ and most of them are quite good; and David Hogans new entry goes right to the top of the list alongside Silver and Ursinis FILM NOIR READER series and Eddie Mullers DARK CITY and NOIR CITY series.Hogans book reeks with Noir style; from the cover photo of Glenn Ford to the entire layout inside. And the text comes in rapid-fire sections like snappy clips of Noir dialogue; each a page or two long; short and sweet; up front and to the point. So you can easily pick up the book and cover a lot of ground in short periods of time; and though I usually like to read for a couple hours a sitting; I found Hogans presentation useful; making the book an easy and fun read.Hogan nails it perfectly right from the beginning in the introduction when he writes about movies from the 1940s and 50s "...that we now call film noir; force us to acknowledge that the presumably solid foundation upon which we base our assumptions and our very lives is temporal and dangerously unstable. Its likely to not merely shift beneath our feet; but give way completely; turning the routine of our lives upside-down and annihilating our expectations. Were plunged into a disorienting place where everything we thought we knew is wrong."And going on about familiarity of Noir themes Hogan continues; "You do not control the circumstances of your life. Choices you agonize over are likely to be bad ones. Choices you make without thinking are likely to be worse. Whatever you love and value can be taken from you at any moment. Forces greater than you; and greater even than your leaders; can conspire to destroy you. Those forces are no smarter than you; but they have the power and you dont. You are not a true participant in events; only an observer. If you are particularly foolish; or just unlucky; you will be a victim.""Fate"; the hapless protagonist of Martin Goldsmith and Edgar G. Ulmers Detour(1945) dourly observes; "can put his finger on you; or on me; for no reason at all."And theres more; much more; but Im already primed for the gutter and were not even out of the introduction yet.Hogans book is divided into seven seperate chapters; covering such topics as Victims of Circumstance and The Unsprung Mind with each chapter containing Case Files on various important directors; actors; actresses; etc. But dont the contents page fool you; this is not a book on biographies. We have a 400 page study of our favorite; dare I say it; "genre"; Film Noir; covering my favorite era; 1940-50s. Bad cops; bad women; bad deals and all in glorious black white.I just received this book a couple days ago and Im about half-way through it and Im totally convinced that this is one of the best books on the subject that Ive ever read. I can recommend it highly as an important work on Film Noir and as a must-have for any film library.And; like I said; its a downright fun read too!