All things considered, there was probably never a better time to see Marvin Gaye perform live than in 1976. Already Motown’s largest-selling recording star, Marvin had turned the corner and progressed from hit machine to socially aware soul maestro complete with whispered lyrics, soaring flutes and more wah-wah than feeding time at the local nursery.

Marvin takes the stage resplendent in suit and beanie (only Marvin Gaye could wear a beanie with a suit – albeit a green and yellow one – and still look fine) and begins a high-speed ride through his greatest hits. Most of the listed tracks are featured as part of a medley (that’s how you fit twenty-two tracks into a one hour gig) and, although fans of the man may find their favourite songs somewhat diminished, the show certainly moves along at a nice pace.

At times it can be hard to ignore the poor sound quality (a real and unfortunate drawback with concert films of this vintage) and, given that some of the more complicated instrumentations come across as a little muddled, the slower, blues numbers seem to shine brightest. Although this performance has its own groove, Marvin Gaye comes over as a kind of Minister of Sweet Love more in the mould of Barry White than employing the frenzied soul theatrics of, say, James Brown. Although some of the more romantic moments come across as a little contrived and more than just a bit icky (including one of the clumsiest stripteases ever committed to film), the man’s voice is pure silk and no doubt served him well in the pursuit of lurve.

Given the diminutive nature of many of the tracks, highlights are many, brief and nevertheless satisfying. A slick version of Let’s Get It On makes for a quintessential Gaye moment while a full version of Ain’t That Peculiar is a successful return to his roots and a reminder of his successful tutelage under Berry Gordy Jr. and his formative years in the Motor City. As for What’s Going On? You could listen to that song rolling down the hill in a barrel of marbles and it would still sound magnificent. It’s pure, classic and seemingly effortless.

If Marvin Gaye had a specialty, it was the duet. Teaming with some of Motown’s most cherished songbirds throughout the sixties and seventies, it was almost inconceivable to hear him sing a duet with anyone and not believe that they were truly and utterly in love. Teaming with Florence Lyles for this particular showcase, this section of the performance is by far the most powerful and provides Live in ’76 with its finest moments. Ms Lyles is more than comfortable with the material and, as if indifferent to all that has gone before her, lays waste to each number and makes each song (and Marvin) her own. This stuff is what made Motown great.

Technically, this release is found lacking but, let’s face it, if you are a Marvin Gaye fan and would like to see him perform live, what are your options?

It’s not much, but enjoy it anyway.

OK, we have got some serious quality issues here. It’s hard to know where to begin, really. Live in ’76 displays so many problems with the quality of its picture that it would actually serve well as a training ground for prospective reviewers. Given that the source material dates back more than twenty-five years, however, it is only fair to cut this effort a bit of slack. Microphony (disruption to the picture caused by noise interference – in this case, a music concert) appears often throughout the concert (as light-coloured horizontal lines) and although noticeable, becomes easier to ignore as the show progresses. Low level noise tends to detract from some of the sharper background colours, especially in some of the more simple lighting states and coupled with some pretty severe cross-colouration, picture quality is found wanting. It pains me to say anything derogatory in connection with Marvin Gaye, but these problems are the tip of the visual iceberg and should sort out the fans from those just trying to impress their friends.

If it sometimes seems as though you are watching this disc from the bottom of a swimming pool, the sound quality on this disc will do little to shatter the illusion. The upper levels are virtually non-existent and the entire soundtrack is thick with bass, giving this disc a soupy quality that is sure to annoy. Damn shame that too, considering some of the obvious care that was taken to achieve a rich sound on the night from the complex soul orchestrations onstage.

The most notable and accidental testament to the quality of Marvin Gaye’s voice is the fact that it manages to cut through the fog of poor audio like a knife and still sounds sweeter than a straight shot of Slurpee syrup from the local 7-11.

I’m afraid some of the features boasted on the cover are nowhere to be found. Supposedly featuring trailers from other releases and a random playback feature (one of my personal favourites for music DVD), their absence means that were there any points to give I would have had to deduct them anyway for not delivering on promises. Poor form indeed.

Although somewhat lacking on the technical side, this disc still has one very important and undeniable feature that the others can’t emulate.

The year is 1976 and Marvin Gaye is performing live – that should be all you need to know.