The three later songs are primarily notable for their sexually explicit lyrics. A warning on the jacket states that the record contains lyrical content that… Read More
may be considered offensive by some listeners. Beyond that, the songs offer little of interest. "Sanctified Lady" is a slack reworking of
Midnight Love's synthesized grooves; "Savage in the Sack" and "Masochistic Beauty" are novelty songs, the former a melodically undeveloped love boast, the latter a tale of sadistic triumph with lines as bad as "I love your booty/And it's my duty/To spank your booty."
A few of the older songs are pleasant surprises. The splendid harmonies of "Ain't It Funny (How Things Turn Around)" feature a multitracked Gaye and a funky bass line punctuated by jazzy saxophone. Though dated by sentimental Hollywood string arrangements, the reflective title cut and "It's Madness" – which finds Gaye pleading with his lover to return – remind us of just how tender the singer could be. Dream of a Lifetime also includes "Life's Opera," an autobiographical minisuite that modulates from a secular celebration of getting down to a gospel-tinged affirmation of faith and concludes with the Lord's Prayer.
Were it not for the most recent songs, this collection could stand alongside Gaye's finer works as part of the lasting legacy of a brilliant artist. (RS 451)
ROBERT SEIDENBERG
