Bee Gees | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Relying on their top-notch songwriting and impeccable vocals, the Bee Gees were able to craft a long-running career that began in the late 50s in Australia. Along the way they became a hit-producing psychedelic pop group in England during the 60s and the biggest disco band in the world in the 70s, and had a late comeback as adult contemporary crooners in the 90s. Their long-reaching influence extended past sales figures and saw their sound and style mirrored in acts as disparate as Justin Timberlake and of Montreal. The group was also musics most successful brother act. Barry Gibb, born on September 1, 1946, in Manchester, England, and his fraternal twin brothers Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb, born on December 22, 1949, on the Isle of Man, were three of five children. The three of them gravitated toward music, encouraged by their father, who saw his sons at first as a diminutive version of the Mills Brothers. The three Gibb brothers made their earliest performances at local movie theaters in Manchester in 1955, singing between shows. The family moved to Australia in 1958, resettling in Brisbane. Now known as the Brothers Gibb -- with Barry writing songs -- they attracted the attention of a local DJ, and eventually got their own local television show. It was around this time that they took on the name the Bee Gees (for Brothers Gibb). The trio was astoundingly popular in the press and on television, but actual hit records eluded them. By late 1966, theyd decided to return to England -- which, thanks to the Beatles, was now the center of the world for rock and popular music. The group had sent demo recordings ahead of them, and "Spicks & Specks" -- which became their first Australian hit while they were in mid-ocean -- had attracted the interest of manager Robert Stigwood. The trio was signed by Stigwood upon their arrival, and began shaping their sound in the environment of Swinging London. Barry and Robin Gibb alternated the lead vocal spot, harmonizing together and with Maurice. Barry played rhythm guitar, while Maurice played bass, piano, organ, and Mellotron, among other instruments. Their first English recording, "New York Mining Disaster 1941," an original by the group with a haunting melody and a strangely surreal, almost psychedelic ambience, was released in mid-1967 and made the Top 20 in England and America. They had successful follow-ups with "Holiday" and "To Love Somebody," the latter actually written for Otis Redding to record, and "Massachusetts," which topped the U.K. charts. After Bee Gees 1st, the Gibb brothers took over producing their own records. It was easy, amid the sheer beauty of their recordings, to overlook the range of influences that went into their sound, which came from a multitude of sources, including American country music and soul music. At this point in their history, they were most comfortable deconstructing elements in the singing and harmonies of black American music and rebuilding them in their style. In 1969, the trio split up in a dispute involving the Odessa album. A lushly orchestrated double LP, it was their most ambitious recording to date, but they were unable to agree on which song would be the single, and Robin walked out. Barry and Maurice held on to the Bee Gees name for one LP, Cucumber Castle, while Robin released Robins Reign. Without a group to promote it, the Odessa album never sold the way it might have, even with a hit, "First of May." Cucumber Castle generated several successful singles in England and Germany, including the gorgeous, African-influenced "I.O.I.O.," while Robin had a hit with "Saved by the Bell." In 1970, almost two years older and a good deal wiser, they decided to get back together. They related to each other better and had also evolved musically, now creating a progressive pop/rock sound similar to the Moody Blues. They came back on a high note with two dazzling songs: the soulful "Lonely Days," the groups first number one hit in America; and the achingly lyrical "Morning of My Life," which proved so popular with fans that the group was still doing it in concert decades later. Their success began to ebb, however, after another huge international hit with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" in 1971. The single "Run to Me" made the Top 20 in 1972, but the album To Whom It May Concern was forgotten almost instantly after a brief chart run. Their fortunes continued in reverse during 1973 with Life in a Tin Can and the single "Saw a New Morning" -- despite a move to America and a heavy promotional push, the song never made the Top 40 and the album stalled out. The trio was falling into a deep creative and commercial hole. Rescue came from a suggestion by Eric Clapton that they try recording at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, where he had just cut an album. The Bee Gees took his advice and came back with Mr. Natural (1974), produced by Arif Mardin. This record was a departure with its heavily Americanized R&B; sound, and the following year they plunged headfirst into the new sound with Main Course -- the emphasis was now on dance rhythms, high harmonies, and a funk beat. And spearheading the new sound was Barry Gibb, who, for the first time, sang falsetto and discovered that he could delight audiences in that register. "Jive Talkin," the first single off the album, became their second American number one single, and was followed up with "Nights on Broadway" and then the album Children of the World, which yielded the hits "You Should Be Dancing" and "Love So Right." Then, in 1977, their featured numbers on the soundtrack to the Robert Stigwood-produced Saturday Night Fever, "Stayin Alive," "How Deep Is Your Love," and "Night Fever," each topped the charts, even as the soundtrack album stayed in the top spot for 24 weeks. In the process, the disco era in America was born -- Saturday Night Fever, as an album and a film, supercharged the phenomenon and broadened its audience by tens of millions, with the Bee Gees at the forefront of the music. It was a profound moment although, ironically, there wasnt that much difference in their sound. Amid the dance numbers, the Bee Gees still did a healthy portion of romantic ballads that each offered memorable hooks. Theyd simply decided, at Arif Mardins urging, to forget the fact that they were white Englishmen and plunged into soul music, emulating, in their own terms, the funkier Philadelphia soul sounds that all three brothers knew and loved. In one fell swoop, the group had managed to meld every influence theyd ever embraced, from the Mills Brothers and the Beatles to early-70s soul, into something of their own that was virtually irresistible. Spirits Having Flown was their crowning commercial triumph, topping 30 million in sales and yielding three more number one singles. By the end of the 70s, however, the disco era was waning from a combination of the bad economy, political chaos domestically and internationally (leading to the election of Ronald Reagan), and a general burnout of the participants from too many drugs and profligate sex (which would precipitate an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases and herald the outbreak of AIDS in the United States). There had already been an ad hoc reaction against the groups dominance of the airwaves, with mass burnings of Bee Gees posters and albums organized by DJs. The Bee Gees themselves helped contribute to the end of the party with their participation (at Stigwoods insistence) in the film Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, "inspired" (if thats the word) by the Beatles album. The movie was a commercial and critical disaster, and an embarrassment to all concerned. In America, the Bee Gees were virtually invisible for most of the 80s. Instead, Barry Gibb pursued work as a producer for other artists, creating hits for Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross. By 1987 and the E.S.P. album, their sales had rebounded everywhere but the United States, yielding a number one single (outside of the U.S.) in "You Win Again." Their 1989 album, One, got a good reception around the world and generated a Top Ten U.S. single. And in the 90s, PolyGram Records released the four-CD anthology Tales from the Brothers Gibb, which sold well around the world. The trios 1997 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame led to a resurgence of interest, which heralded the release of the live album One Night Only (1998), cut at their first American concert in almost a decade. The Bee Gees remained active until the January 2003 death of Maurice from cardiac arrest during surgery. Following his death, Robin and Barry decided to cease performing as the Bee Gees. Their recorded legacy, however, subsequently became more visible than it had been in decades with the move of their catalog to Warner/Reprise. The latter company began the long-awaited upgraded CD reissue of the Bee Gees post-1966 library, including the first-ever release of outtakes and rehearsal versions of songs. Robin was diagnosed with and underwent treatment for cancer in 2011. He died in London in May 2012 due to complications from cancer and intestinal surgery; he was 62 years old. Given the previous deaths of Andy (who had several number one hits and who died of an inflammatory heart virus in 1988) and Maurice Gibb, Robin was the third Gibb brother and second member of the Bee Gees to pass away. In the wake of tragedy, Barry kept working, appearing on other peoples records, playing concerts, and releasing a solo album titled In the Now in 2016. The next year the Bee Gees were honored at the 2017 Grammys; then their music was featured in the star-studded concert Stayin Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees, which was broadcast by CBS in April. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 40 Title: Spicks and Specks Released: 1966-11 Tracks: 16 Duration: 41:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Spicks & Specks (02:51) 2 Follow the Wind (02:12) 3 Every Day I Have to Cry (02:08) 4 Wine and Woman (02:55) 5 I Was a Lover (Leader of Men) (03:37) 6 I Am the World (02:36) 7 Playdown (02:54) 8 I Dont Know Why I Bother With Myself (02:47) 9 To Be or Not to Be (02:16) 10 Second Hand People (02:05) 11 Claustrophobia (02:30) 12 Take Hold of That Star (02:58) 13 Could It Be That Im in Love With You (02:19) 14 Peace of Mind (02:22) 15 Three Kisses of Love (02:04) 16 How Love Was True (02:22) |
 | Album: 2 of 40 Title: Bee Gees 1st Released: 1967-08-09 Tracks: 14 Duration: 37:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Turn of the Century (02:29) 2 Holiday (02:55) 3 Red Chair, Fade Away (02:21) 4 One Minute Woman (02:20) 5 In My Own Time (02:17) 6 Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You (03:40) 7 Craise Finton Kirk Royal Academy of Arts (02:20) 8 New York Mining Disaster 1941 (02:11) 9 Cucumber Castle (02:06) 10 To Love Somebody (03:01) 11 I Close My Eyes (02:25) 12 I Cant See Nobody (03:46) 13 Please Read Me (02:19) 14 Close Another Door (03:28) |
| Bee Gees' 1st : Allmusic album Review : The debut international long-player by the Bee Gees may shock anyone who only remembers them for their mid- to late-70s disco mega-hits, or their quirky early-70s romantic balladry. Up until 1966, theyd shown a penchant for melodic songs and rich, high harmonies, in the process becoming Australias answer to the Everly Brothers. When the Bee Gees arrived in London late in 1966, however, they proved quick studies in absorbing and assimilating the progressive pop and rock sounds around them. In one fell swoop, they became competitors with the likes of veteran rock bands such as the Hollies and the Tremeloes, and this long-player, Bee Gees 1st, is more of a rock album than the group usually got credit for generating. Parts of it do sound very much like the Beatles circa Revolver, but there was far more to their sound than that. The three hits off of Bee Gees 1st, "To Love Somebody," "New York Mining Disaster 1941," and "Holiday," were gorgeous but relatively somber, thus giving Bee Gees 1st a melancholy cast, but much of the rest is relatively upbeat psychedelic pop. "In My Own Time" may echo elements of the Beatles "Dr. Robert" and "Taxman," but its difficult to dislike a song with such delicious rhythm guitars and a great beat, coupled with the trios soaring harmonies; "Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You" was close in spirit to the Moody Blues of this era, opening with a Gregorian chant backed by a Mellotron, before breaking into a strangely spaced-out, psychedelic main song body. Robin Gibbs lead vocals veered toward the melodramatic and poignant, and the orchestra did dress up some of the songs a little sweetly, yet overall the group presented themselves as a proficient rock ensemble whod filled their debut album with a full set of solid, refreshingly original songs. [In 2006, as part of the shift of the groups back catalog to Reprise Records, Bee Gees 1st was reissued in remastered form, with seriously improved sound and expanded to two CDs with a brace of chronologically-related outtakes -- comprising some of the most fascinating material of their history -- initially as part of the collection The Studio Albums 1967-1968.] | ||
 | Album: 3 of 40 Title: Horizontal Released: 1968-01 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 World (03:14) 2 And the Sun Will Shine (03:36) 3 Lemons Never Forget (03:08) 4 Really and Sincerely (03:30) 5 Birdie Told Me (02:27) 6 With the Sun in My Eyes (02:42) 7 Massachusetts (02:25) 8 Harry Braff (03:20) 9 Day Time Girl (02:37) 10 The Earnest of Being George (02:46) 11 The Change Is Made (03:36) 12 Horizontal (03:32) |
| Horizontal : Allmusic album Review : The groups second album, cut late in 1967 amid their first major British success, is less focused than their first, but also presents a more majestic sound than its predecessor. The opening track, "World," is a poignant, even somber yet gorgeous ballad filled with clever lyrics, and highlighted by a quavering Mellotron accompaniment, a very close grand piano sound (anticipating elements of the Odessa album), and twangy fuzz-tone guitar. "And the Sun Will Shine" is an even more serious, regretful ballad that is bearable because it is also prettier than "World." The enigmatically titled "Lemons Never Forget" breaks up the mood with a harder rocking sound, just the group without any orchestra, dominated by a pounding piano and volume-pedal guitar. The most interesting aspect of "Really and Sincerely" -- a song that descends into an even more emotionally melodramatic mood than "And the Sun Will Shine" -- is its opening, which contains a musical phrase that seems to anticipate the groups disco-era "Nights on Broadway." "Birdie Told Me" is another tale of lost love that offers the variety of some leaner and tasteful electric guitar accompaniment. Side two of the original LP was more upbeat, opening with the groups catchy chart-topping British hit, "Massachusetts," followed by the cheerful "Harry Braff." "The Earnest of Being George" and "The Change Is Made" are attempts at a harder rock sound, featuring heavy guitar on both and an attempt at bluesy feel on the latter, while the title track is a trippy psychedelic number that closes the album on an upbeat note. [In 2006, as part of the shift of the groups back catalog to Reprise Records, Horizontal was reissued in remastered form, with seriously improved sound and expanded to two CDs with a brace of chronologically-related outtakes -- comprising some of the most fascinating material of their history -- initially as part of the collection The Studio Albums 1967-1968.] | ||
 | Album: 4 of 40 Title: Idea Released: 1968-09 Tracks: 12 Duration: 31:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Let There Be Love (03:28) 2 Kitty Can (02:31) 3 In the Summer of His Years (03:05) 4 Indian Gin & Whisky Dry (01:55) 5 Down to Earth (02:28) 6 Such a Shame (02:28) 7 Idea (02:51) 8 When the Swallows Fly (02:22) 9 I Have Decided to Join the Airforce (02:06) 10 I Started a Joke (03:03) 11 Kilburn Towers (02:14) 12 Swan Song (02:55) |
| Idea : Allmusic album Review : The Bee Gees third album is something of a departure, with more of a rocking sound and with the orchestra (apart from a few well-placed harp arpeggios) somewhat less prominent in the sound mix than on their first two LPs. The two hits, "Ive Gotta Get a Message to You" and "I Started a Joke," are very much of a piece with their earlier work, but on "Kitty Can," "Indian Gin and Whisky Dry," and "Such a Shame" (the latter written by the groups then lead guitarist, Vince Melouney), among other cuts, they sound much more like a working band with a cohesive group sound, rather than a harmony vocal group with accompaniment. Their writing still has a tendency toward the dramatic and the melodramatic, which would manifest itself prominently again on their next album, Odessa, six months later, but here the group seemed to be trying for a somewhat less moody, dark-toned overall sound, and some less surreal lyrical conceits, though "Kilburn Towers" (despite some pop-jazz inflections) and "Swan Song," as well as "I Started a Joke," retain elements of fantasy and profundity. [In 2006, as part of the shift of the groups back catalog to Reprise Records, Idea was reissued in remastered form, with seriously improved sound and expanded to two CDs with a brace of chronologically-related outtakes -- comprising some of the most fascinating material of their history -- initially as part of the collection The Studio Albums 1967-1968.] | ||
 | Album: 5 of 40 Title: Best of Bee Gees Released: 1969 Tracks: 12 Duration: 37:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Holiday (02:55) 2 Ive Gotta Get a Message to You (02:59) 3 I Cant See Nobody (03:46) 4 Words (03:17) 5 I Started a Joke (03:09) 6 Tomorrow, Tomorrow (03:58) 7 First of May (02:50) 8 World (03:14) 9 Massachusetts (02:25) 10 To Love Somebody (03:01) 11 Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You (03:40) 12 New York Mining Disaster 1941 (02:11) |
| Best of Bee Gees : Allmusic album Review : If anyone needs conclusive proof that the brothers Gibb werent always the chest-medallion-flashing kings of mainstream disco or, since about 1980 on, meaningless AOR washouts, the nearly 40-minute collection of the Bee Gees earliest hits will suffice in spades. At their (perhaps, in hindsight) surprising best, the threesome, along with capable if generally unremarkable rhythm section members Melouney and Colin Peterson, created a slew of tender, affecting, and quite lovely hits. While the Stones/proto-metal crowd of the time probably thought them unbearably wimpy, their songwriting acumen, combined with their harmonies, fine production by Robert Stigwood, and ace orchestral/band arrangements by Bill Shephard, holds up astonishingly well. For all that the band clearly was often following the lead of the more elaborate Beatles songs of the same time -- consider the watery piano line opening "Words" as one example of many -- the Bee Gees didnt so much ape as they did come up with their own flavor. Considering that everyone from Catherine ("Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You") and Jimmy Somerville ("To Love Somebody") to Low ("I Started a Joke") and Jose Feliciano ("Ive Gotta Get a Message to You") has covered something from this collection is testimony to the songs continuing influence. Other times the connections to the future are subtler but still present -- "I Cant See Nobody," sonically and lyrically, has the same deep blue/string-backed feeling as Verves "History." Sometimes the line between emotion and deep schmaltz is pretty fine, admittedly. However, when Robins lead vocal on "I Started a Joke" hits the high notes while his brothers add soft backup as the music swells, its just one example of many why the Bee Gees deserved their long overdue induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 40 Title: Odessa Released: 1969-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Odessa (City on the Black Sea) (07:33) 2 You’ll Never See My Face Again (04:17) 3 Marley Purt Drive (04:26) 4 Melody Fair (03:50) 5 Sound of Love (03:29) 6 Give Your Best (03:28) 7 I Laugh in Your Face (04:10) 8 Never Say Never Again (03:29) 9 First of May (02:50) 10 With All Nations (01:46) |
| Odessa : Allmusic album Review : The group members may disagree for personal reasons, but Odessa is easily the best and most enduring of the Bee Gees albums of the 1960s. It was also their most improbable success, owing to the conflicts behind its making. The project started out as a concept album to be called "Masterpeace" and then "The American Opera," but musical differences between Barry and Robin Gibb that would split the trio in two also forced the abandonment of the underlying concept. Instead, it became a double LP -- largely at the behest of their manager and the record labels; oddly enough, given that the group didnt plan on doing something that ambitious, Odessa is one of perhaps three double albums of the entire decade (the others being Blonde on Blonde and The Beatles) that dont seem stretched, and it also served as the groups most densely orchestrated album. Yet amid the progressive rock sounds of the title track and ethereal ballads such as "Melody Fair" and "Lamplight" were country-flavored tunes like "Marlery Purt Drive" and the vaguely Dylanesque bluegrass number "Give Your Best," delicate pop ballads like "First of May" (which became the single off the album), and strange, offbeat rock numbers like "Edison" (whose introduction sounds like the Bee Gees parodying Creams "White Room"), and "Whisper Whisper" (the latter featuring a drum break, no less), interspersed with three heavily orchestrated instrumentals. Even the seeming "lesser" numbers such as "Suddenly" had catchy hooks and engaging acoustic guitar parts to carry them, all reminiscent of the Moody Blues album cuts of the same era. Moreover, the title track, with its mix of acoustic guitar, solo cello, and full orchestra, was worthy of the Moody Blues at their boldest. The myriad sounds and textures made Odessa the most complex and challenging album in the groups history, and if one accepts the notion of the Bee Gees as successors to the Beatles, then Odessa was arguably their Sgt. Peppers. The album was originally packaged in a red felt cover with gold lettering on front and back and an elaborate background painting for the gatefold interior, which made it a conversation piece. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 40 Title: The Best of Bee Gees, Volume 1 Released: 1969-07 Tracks: 12 Duration: 37:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Holiday (02:55) 2 Ive Gotta Get a Message to You (02:59) 3 I Cant See Nobody (03:46) 4 Words (03:17) 5 I Started a Joke (03:09) 6 Tomorrow, Tomorrow (03:58) 7 First of May (02:50) 8 World (03:14) 9 Massachusetts (02:25) 10 To Love Somebody (03:01) 11 Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You (03:40) 12 New York Mining Disaster 1941 (02:11) |
 | Album: 8 of 40 Title: 2 Years On Released: 1970 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 2 Years On (03:57) 2 Portrait of Louise (02:34) 3 Man for All Seasons (02:59) 4 Sincere Relation (02:45) 5 Back Home (01:51) 6 The 1st Mistake I Made (04:02) 7 Lonely Days (03:47) 8 Alone Again (03:00) 9 Tell Me Why (03:13) 10 Lay It on Me (02:07) 11 Every Second, Every Minute (03:01) 12 Im Weeping (02:44) |
| 2 Years On : Allmusic album Review : The Bee Gees split apart in the wake of a dispute regarding the single to be released from their album Odessa, spent a year with Barry and Maurice Gibb recording together (and doing a television special) while Robin Gibb cut music on his own, and fighting a lawsuit in which their ex-drummer tried to claim the name "the Bee Gees." Finally, they regrouped with 2 Years On and surprised everyone with their biggest selling single to date, "Lonely Days," and a surprisingly hard-edged accompanying album, on which the supposed Beatles influences of their earlier days were pushed aside (it also didnt hurt that the Beatles were now history). The music is somewhat less fey and more progressive here, and at times they sound like a lighter-weight version of the Moody Blues of the same era, with sharper vocals. The surprises on this album, apart from the overall tone and quality, include the sprightly title track, which was one of the first Bee Gees songs to feature surreal lyrics that werent downbeat, and "Back Home," with the loudest guitar ever heard on a Bee Gees record. The quality of the recording itself was also improved over their earlier releases, with a much wider range and less compression, and between that and the song selection, the Bee Gees suddenly found themselves right back in the thick of popular music, and as close to the cutting edge of pop/rock as theyd ever been. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 40 Title: Cucumber Castle Released: 1970-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 35:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 If Only I Had My Mind on Something Else (02:33) 2 I.O.I.O. (02:57) 3 Then You Left Me (03:11) 4 The Lord (02:19) 5 I Was the Child (03:14) 6 I Lay Down and Die (03:35) 7 Sweetheart (03:09) 8 Bury Me Down by the River (03:25) 9 My Thing (02:19) 10 The Chance of Love (02:28) 11 Turning Tide (03:09) 12 Don’t Forget to Remember (03:29) |
| Cucumber Castle : Allmusic album Review : An overlooked work in the Brothers Gibb catalog, Cucumber Castle is an excellent album that plays to the Bee Gees strengths of melody, arrangement, and craftsmanship. Though at times one may miss the distinctive trembling vocals of Robin Gibb (the brothers had split up at this point), Barry and Maurice carry on with 12 cuts that continue in the tradition of their distinctive pop sound. Orchestral arrangements and Mellotrons abound, and the sound tends toward full productions, especially in "Then You Left Me" and "I Lay Down and Die." One can also hear country influences ("Sweetheart"), gospel ("Bury Me Down by the River"), and light jazz ("My Thing"). What sets this album above others is that there is not a bad cut on the album, and Barrys vocals are particularly strong and heartfelt. Although most of the cuts deal with the usual subject of love and particularly love lost, superb eye for detail in the arrangements of the songs give them added life. Adding a few songs with classic singalong melodies ("Sweetheart" and "Dont Forget to Remember") certainly doesnt hurt the cause. All in all, this is a fine album that cements the Brothers Gibbs reputation as superior pop songwriters and craftsmen. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 40 Title: Inception / Nostalgia Released: 1971 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:03:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 In the Morning (02:53) 2 Like Nobody Else (02:39) 3 Daydream (02:23) 4 Lonely Winter (02:33) 5 Youre the Reason (02:23) 6 Coalman (02:53) 7 Butterfly (03:15) 8 Storm (02:32) 9 Lum-De-Loo (02:07) 10 Youre Nobody til Somebody Loves You (01:57) 11 You Wont See Me (03:16) 12 The End (02:58) 13 I Know What You Do (02:21) 14 All by Myself (02:26) 15 Ticket to Ride (03:15) 16 I Love You Because (02:30) 17 Paperback Writer (02:12) 18 Somewhere (From West Side Story) (03:03) 19 The Twelfth of Never (02:45) 20 Forever (02:47) 21 Top Hat (02:16) 22 Hallelujah, I Love Her So (02:15) 23 Terrible Way to Treat Your Baby (02:51) 24 Exit, Stage Right (02:29) |
 | Album: 11 of 40 Title: Trafalgar Released: 1971-09 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (03:58) 2 Israel (03:46) 3 The Greatest Man in the World (04:19) 4 Its Just the Way (02:34) 5 Remembering (04:03) 6 Somebody Stop the Music (03:33) 7 Trafalgar (03:55) 8 Dont Want to Live Inside Myself (05:27) 9 When Do I (04:00) 10 Dearest (03:54) 11 Lion in Winter (04:00) 12 Walking Back to Waterloo (03:49) |
| Trafalgar : Allmusic album Review : The Bee Gees had entered the early 70s with a roaring success in the guise of "Lonely Days" and its accompanying album, which established their sound as a softer pop variant on the Moody Blues brand of progressive rock. Trafalgar, which followed, carried the process further on what was their longest single LP release, clocking in at 47 minutes. The music all sounded meaningful, much of it displaying the same kind of faux-grandeur that the Moody Blues affected on their music of this era, the core group (playing pretty hard) acompanied by either Mellotron-generated orchestra or the real thing, with the groups soaring harmonies and Robin Gibbs quavaring lead vocals all over the place. As with 2 Years Ons "Man for All Seasons," there was also one title ("Lion in Winter," featuring a startling falsetto performance) lifted from a recently popular film and play having to do with English history. It was all very beautifully produced and, propelled into record-store racks by the presence of "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," the groups first No. 1 single, Trafalgar shipped very well initially. Nothing else on the record was remotely as memorable as the single, however, and its sales were limited. Trafalgar was also the handsomest and most elaborately designed of their albums, its cover reprinting Pococks painting "The Battle of Trafalgar" and the interior gatefold containing a shot of the brothers enacting the scene of the death of Lord Nelson. It all imparted the sense of a concept album, though nothing in the music said so, except perhaps the finale, "Walking Back to Waterloo." Despite the hit single, the album showed the limits of the Bee Gees talents as songwriters and of their appeal as album artists. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 40 Title: In the Morning Released: 1971-11 Tracks: 14 Duration: 44:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 In the Morning (03:54) 2 Lonely Days (03:47) 3 Massachusetts (02:20) 4 To Love Somebody (03:01) 5 Turn of the Century (02:25) 6 World (03:08) 7 Country Woman (02:42) 8 Melody Fair (03:50) 9 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (03:58) 10 Two Years On (03:56) 11 I Started a Joke (03:09) 12 Holiday (02:55) 13 Man for All Seasons (02:58) 14 First of May (02:50) |
 | Album: 13 of 40 Title: To Whom It May Concern Released: 1972-10 Tracks: 13 Duration: 43:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Run to Me (03:13) 2 We Lost the Road (03:28) 3 Never Been Alone (03:15) 4 Paper Mache, Cabbages & Kings (05:01) 5 I Can Bring Love (02:07) 6 I Held a Party (02:37) 7 Please Dont Turn Out the Lights (02:01) 8 Sea of Smiling Faces (03:09) 9 Bad Bad Dreams (03:49) 10 You Know Its for You (02:58) 11 Alive (04:04) 12 Road to Alaska (02:41) 13 Sweet Song of Summer (05:05) |
| To Whom It May Concern : Allmusic album Review : The next to last of the Bee Gees "old-style" albums is one of their most fully realized works, with pleasing and memorable songs from beginning to end, and for a change this time, its the single ("Run to Me"), rather than the surrounding tracks, that suffers from predictability. Another in a string of haunting ballads, it has a more plaintive, whining quality, and less of an ethereal feel than its predecessor, "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" -- not that "Run to Me" isnt a lovely song, but it was possible to tire of hearing it on the radio faster than their prior singles. By contrast, the albums other tracks are all intensely melodic and varied enough in tempo and texture to make for very satisfying listening, "You Know Its for You" calling to mind Paul McCartney at his most accessible; the group plunges into relatively hard rock, with a heavy guitar sound, on "Bad Bad Dreams," and a country-ish sound on "Road to Alaska," before returning to a kind of post-psychedelic mode in "Sweet Song of Summer." The Bee Gees were pushing their credibility as a cohesive band more than ever, emphasizing Barry Gibb and Maurice Gibbs contributions to their instrumental sound and retaining guitarist Alan Kendall, who had debuted with them on the Trafalgar album and who would play with them for the next two decades. As it turned out, To Whom It May Concern was also the commercial swan song for the trio in this phase of their career, and the last of their albums to be released by Atlantic Records in the United States, something of an artistic peak before a period of massive change in their sound and future. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 40 Title: Life in a Tin Can Released: 1973-01 Tracks: 8 Duration: 32:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Saw a New Morning (04:13) 2 I Dont Wanna Be the One (04:06) 3 South Dakota Morning (02:27) 4 Living in Chicago (05:41) 5 While I Play (04:30) 6 My Life Has Been a Song (04:22) 7 Come Home Johnny Bridie (03:52) 8 Method to My Madness (03:10) |
| Life in a Tin Can : Allmusic album Review : The Bee Gees moved their base of operations from England to America, specifically to Los Angeles, in the early 70s, and Life in a Tin Can was the result of their first recording sessions out there. This was the album that heralded the groups collapsing fortunes. It seemed to break no new ground for the group, made up of tuneful if not always memorable material. Even some of the better tunes, like "Living in Chicago," ran too long for their own good, and many fans felt like theyd begun to have heard it all before. And for the first time in a long time, the Bee Gees knack for devising hit singles to drive an albums sales failed them -- "Saw a New Morning" was just not exciting or particularly memorable and was overlooked by most listeners despite the groups hitting the talk-show circuit very heavily promoting it, and the rest of the album lacked the sense of emotional urgency that had characterized their best work up to this time. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 40 Title: Mr. Natural Released: 1974-05 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Charade (04:12) 2 Throw a Penny (04:49) 3 Down the Road (03:25) 4 Voices (04:50) 5 Give a Hand, Take a Hand (04:45) 6 Dogs (03:45) 7 Mr. Natural (03:48) 8 Lost in Your Love (04:37) 9 I Can’t Let You Go (03:45) 10 Heavy Breathing (03:26) 11 Had a Lot of Love Last Night (04:08) |
| Mr. Natural : Allmusic album Review : Their previous album having scarcely made a ripple and, now, hitless for two years, the Bee Gees went for a new sound in the hands of producer Arif Mardin. The result was Mr. Natural, the sultriest and most soulful record they had ever delivered up to that time. Shedding their pop sensibilities here and singing in a freer, more soulful idiom (with a strong Philadelphia soul influence) on songs such as "Throw a Penny," and with a funky beat backing them up on a lot of this record, the group is scarcely recognizable in relation to their previous work. Mr. Natural was the liveliest, most invigorating body of music to come from the group since their debut, but it also had moments of extraordinary sensuality, most notably "Charade" and "Had a Lot of Love Last Night." In between those two bookends were the beginnings of the sound that would reach maturity on Main Course, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and Children of the World. Most of it is extraordinarily lively and upbeat, which was also a major change for the group; there are still some ballads here in their old style, such as "Down the Road" (which includes the extensive use of a Mellotron), but even these have a subtlety and freshness that had been lacking in the groups work since their debut. The main virtue throughout is, of course, the singing, which is some of the finest that all three Gibb brothers had ever turned in on a single LP up, mated to some of their loveliest and liveliest songs. Mr. Natural generated no hits, but it was their best original album since Odessa (though also very different from that progressive-oriented double LP. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 40 Title: Main Course Released: 1975-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 40:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Nights on Broadway (04:33) 2 Jive Talkin’ (03:44) 3 Wind of Change (04:54) 4 Songbird (03:36) 5 Fanny (Be Tender With My Love) (04:04) 6 All This Making Love (03:04) 7 Country Lanes (03:28) 8 Come On Over (03:26) 9 Edge of the Universe (05:17) 10 Baby as You Turn Away (04:21) |
| Main Course : Allmusic album Review : It may sound silly to call the 12th album by a group with an eight-year string of gold records behind them a "breakthrough," but thats what Main Course was. The groups first disco album -- and, for many white listeners, the first disco album they ever purchased -- Main Course marked a huge change in the Bee Gees sound. The groups earlier LPs, steeped in a dense romantic balladry, were beautifully crafted but too serious for any but hardcore fans. Main Course had a few ballads, such as "Songbird" and "Country Lanes," but the writing was simpler, and the rest of it was made up of catchy dance tunes (heavily influenced by the Philadelphia-based soul music of the period), in which the beat and the texture of the voices and instruments took precedence over the words. The combination proved irresistible, and Main Course -- driven by the singles "Jive Talkin," "Nights on Broadway," and "Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)" -- attracted millions of new listeners. It also repelled fans of the groups earlier style, which was a bit ironic. The disco numbers on Main Course displayed the same care and craftsmanship that had characterized, say, "First of May" or "Odessa." Barry Gibbs falsetto voice, introduced on this album, was startling at first, and became an object of ridicule in later years, but the slow break on "Nights on Broadway" and songs like "Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)" and "Baby As You Turn Away" were as exquisitely sung as "Lonely Days" or "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," and they had the same sense of romantic drama, leavened by a layer of sheer fun; one had less of a sense that the singer was dealing with the love of a lifetime, so much as a conquest for the evening, which was in keeping with the sexual mores of the mid-70s. And the spirit of fun was no accident -- producer Arif Mardin, seeking to rescue the groups stagnating career, had gotten the Bee Gees to turn their talents in a musical direction that theyd always loved but never embraced. Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb had been fascinated by R&B and soul for years ("To Love Somebody" had been written for Otis Redding to sing), but, as white Britons -- fearing theyd seem ridiculous -- they had never adapted those sounds themselves. Not only didnt they seem ridiculous, but they took to it as easily as theyd absorbed the Beatles harmony-based rock sounds in the late 60s. It was a liberating experience for the entire group -- Blue Weaver, newly added to the lineup with an array of electronic keyboards and ideas that ended up shaping lots of the songs here; Alan Kendall, playing in a funky guitar style; and drummer Dennis Byron, playing more complicated patterns than hed been asked to in years, were also delighted with the new direction, and they constituted the instrumental core of the band for the next six years. Years later, Main Course holds up as well as anything the group ever did, and with killer album cuts like "Wind of Change" (featuring a superb Joe Farrell tenor sax solo) and "Edge of the Universe" all over it, demands as much attention as any hits compilation by the group. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 40 Title: Bee Gees Gold, Volume 1 Released: 1976 Tracks: 12 Duration: 39:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (03:58) 2 Holiday (02:55) 3 To Love Somebody (03:01) 4 Massachusetts (02:25) 5 Words (03:17) 6 Lonely Days (03:47) 7 Run to Me (03:12) 8 Ive Got a Message to You (02:59) 9 My World (04:21) 10 I Cant See Nobody (03:46) 11 I Started a Joke (03:08) 12 New York Mining Disaster 1941 (02:11) |
 | Album: 18 of 40 Title: Children of the World Released: 1976 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You Should Be Dancing (04:16) 2 You Stepped Into My Life (03:28) 3 Love So Right (03:37) 4 Lovers (03:36) 5 Cant Keep a Good Man Down (04:43) 6 Boogie Child (04:12) 7 Love Me (04:02) 8 Subway (04:24) 9 The Way It Was (03:19) 10 Children of the World (03:07) |
| Children of the World : Allmusic album Review : The Bee Gees second R&B album, Children of the World, had the advantage of being written and recorded while the group was riding a string of Top Ten singles and the biggest wave of public adulation in their history off of the Main Course album. The group felt emboldened, but was also hamstrung by the absence of producer Arif Mardin, whose services were no longer available to them now that RSO Records had severed its ties to Atlantic Records. So they produced it themselves, all six bandmembers doing their best to emulate what Mardin would have had them do, with assistance from Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. The result still sounds a lot like Mardins production from the previous album, and the group was in very good form -- stretching out not only on disco numbers like "You Should Be Dancing," but also delivering beautiful soul ballads such as "You Stepped Into My Life" and "Love So Right" on side one, while side two featured a last look back at the older, more romantic Bee Gees sound. The album was also somewhat experimental in its way, making more use of synthesizers in a pop music setting than had ever been heard on a mainstream, commercial long-player before; not all of it works, because the technology wasnt quite perfected yet, but "Boogie Child," "Love Me," and "The Way It Was," as well as the title track were quite daring on a production level in their time, for a group shooting for millions of sales. Overall, the album isnt quite as beguiling as Main Course, which was a liberating experiment from start to finish. Children of the World is beautifully sung, but the groups sound changed here as well, Barry Gibbs falsetto now dominating the vocals, with Robin and Maurice Gibb moved out of center stage. But its still one of the most enjoyably lighthearted albums in the groups history, and the dance numbers provided a fore-taste of their work on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 40 Title: 20 Greatest Hits Released: 1978 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:02:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Massachusetts (02:22) 2 I Cant See Nobody (03:43) 3 Spicks And Specks (02:52) 4 To Love Somebody (02:58) 5 Jive Talkin (03:43) 6 Saved By The Bell (03:03) 7 I Started A Joke (03:04) 8 Close Another Door (03:29) 9 First Of May (02:48) 10 World (03:12) 11 Words (03:13) 12 I Close My Eyes (02:22) 13 I.O.I.O. (02:52) 14 Ive Gotta Get A Message To You (02:59) 15 New York Mining Desaster 1941 (02:09) 16 Nights On Broadway (04:32) 17 Holiday (02:52) 18 You Should Be Dancing (04:17) 19 Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You (03:32) 20 Cucumber Castle (02:04) |
 | Album: 20 of 40 Title: Ive Gotta Get A Message To You Released: 1978 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ive Gotta Get a Message to You (03:06) 2 Elisa (02:48) 3 Road to Alaska (02:35) 4 My Life Has Been a Song (04:22) 5 Jumbo (02:08) 6 I Am the World (02:35) 7 World (03:13) 8 Railroad (03:38) 9 One Million Years (04:00) 10 Ill Kiss Your Memory (04:26) 11 It Doesnt Matter Much to Me (03:49) 12 Paper Mache, Cabbages and Kings (04:59) |
 | Album: 21 of 40 Title: The Bee Gees Bonanza - The Early Days Released: 1978-08 Tracks: 24 Duration: 58:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Where Are You (02:13) 2 Spicks & Specks (02:51) 3 Playdown (02:54) 4 Big Chance (01:43) 5 Glasshouse (01:57) 6 How Many Birds (01:59) 7 Second Hand People (02:05) 8 I Dont Know Why I Bother With Myself (02:47) 9 Mondays Rain (02:59) 10 Tint of Blue (02:07) 11 Jingle Jangle (02:13) 12 Born a Man (03:12) 1 I Was Lover, a Leader of Men (03:33) 2 Follow the Wind (02:12) 3 Claustrophobia (02:16) 4 Theme from "Jamie McPheters" (02:06) 5 Every Day I Have to Cry (02:08) 6 Take Hold of That Star (02:43) 7 Could It Be Im in Love (02:06) 8 To Be or Not to Be (02:15) 9 Three Kisses of Love (01:48) 10 Cherry Red (03:06) 11 All of My Life (02:39) 12 Dont Say Goodbye (02:23) |
 | Album: 22 of 40 Title: Spirits Having Flown Released: 1979-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tragedy (05:03) 2 Too Much Heaven (04:57) 3 Love You Inside Out (04:11) 4 Reaching Out (04:07) 5 Spirits (Having Flown) (05:21) 6 Search, Find (04:16) 7 Stop (Think Again) (06:41) 8 Living Together (04:23) 9 I’m Satisfied (03:58) 10 Until (02:27) |
| Spirits Having Flown : Allmusic album Review : Spirits Having Flown is regarded today as something of a letdown, representing the tail-end of the Bee Gees period of greatest success, perhaps because it preceded a two-year layoff that, in turn, heralded a decline in their fortunes. At the time, however, no one heard anything less than what they expected -- beautiful slow dance numbers ("Too Much Heaven," "Love You Inside Out"), achingly gorgeous romantic numbers ("Reaching Out"), soaring ballads ("Spirits (Having Flown)"), and pounding dance-rock numbers ("Tragedy"). If a few songs on the LPs second side, like "Stop (Think Again)" or "Search, Find," werent quite up to that high standard, even the latter song displayed dazzling interwoven vocals on the choruses (which were pretty infectious) that made the trip worthwhile. The record showcased the usual superb singing, and featured the most delicate and ambitious production and arrangements in their history. It may have lacked the spirit of freedom and experimentation found on Main Course or Children of the World, but in its place was a boldness that manifested itself not only in the singing, but also the most intricate and ambitious production and arrangements of the groups entire history. This was also the first Bee Gees album to get serious airplay on black radio stations, a major breakthrough for the trio and one of the last bits of unfinished business in the groups move into soul music, which also likely helped -- along with three chart-topping singles, the major tour that followed, and the network television special in the wake of the tour -- in propelling Spirits Having Flown to 35 million sales. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 40 Title: Greatest Released: 1979-10 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:22:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Jive Talkin’ (03:44) 2 Night Fever (03:31) 3 Tragedy (05:03) 4 You Should Be Dancing (04:16) 5 Stayin’ Alive (04:45) 6 How Deep Is Your Love (04:03) 7 Love So Right (03:37) 8 Too Much Heaven (04:57) 9 (Our Love) Don’t Throw It All Away (04:05) 10 Fanny (Be Tender With My Love) (04:04) 1 If I Can’t Have You (03:22) 2 You Stepped Into My Life (03:28) 3 Love Me (04:02) 4 More Than a Woman (03:17) 5 Rest Your Love on Me (04:24) 6 Nights on Broadway (04:33) 7 Spirits (Having Flown) (05:13) 8 Love You Inside Out (04:11) 9 Wind of Change (04:54) 10 Children of the World (03:07) |
| Greatest : Allmusic album Review : In its original form, this double-LP compilation was a very generous repackaging of four years worth of hits and notable album tracks, plus the Andy Gibb-authored "(Our Love) Dont Throw It All Away." It was a perfect distillation of the sound that had put the Bee Gees on top of the pop music world from 1975 onward. At the time, it did elicit some unspoken resentment from older fans who knew their hits from the 1960s, but as a collection of first-rate 70s dance music it was unimpeachable. Its also a statement of just how successful the Bee Gees were at the time that this was a double LP, representing just those four years, and how generous the group and RSO Records could afford to be -- indeed, anything less would have seemed like exploitation of the fans, but extending it out past the obvious hits (including the Saturday Night Fever material) made this collection an event of sorts, and a release that could stand alongside their albums from Mr. Natural (where their 70s sound really begins) through Spirits Having Flown. Gathering all of this material together was, in some ways, also a sign that the era was drawing to a close. And listening to it today, one does feel the definite pull of nostalgia, for a time when life seemed much simpler -- without a war in Iraq (or the necessity of a War on Terror), before AIDS and other STDs -- and the world seemed a little more manageable, at least potentially. On that basis alone, beyond the appeal of the songs (which is massive), this collection still exerts a strong pull. In fact, just about the only better way to recall the era is to listen to the Bee Gees original albums of the same period. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 40 Title: Living Eyes Released: 1981-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 46:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Living Eyes (04:22) 2 He’s a Liar (04:05) 3 Paradise (04:21) 4 Don’t Fall in Love With Me (04:57) 5 Soldiers (04:28) 6 I Still Love You (04:27) 7 Wildflower (04:26) 8 Nothing Could Be Good (04:14) 9 Cryin’ Every Day (04:05) 10 Be Who You Are (06:41) |
| Living Eyes : Allmusic album Review : In terms of hit singles and precise musical vision, it would have been difficult for anyone to have to follow-up the brilliant Spirits Having Flown album, but these industry veterans created a real gem in Living Eyes which seems to have gotten lost in the maze that is their deep catalog. The title track is almost up there with "Spirits Having Flown," which is significant praise, and the song "Paradise" follows suit, pretty and passionate. "Dont Fall in Love With Me" has all three Bee Gees brothers contributing to this ballad with their trademark highly creative hooks. The one downer, unbelievable as it seems, is the hit single "Hes a Liar." It just doesnt make it -- odd vocals on a theme which goes nowhere. Nicking the Top 30 in October of 1981, well after "Love You Inside Out," their final (and questionable) number one hit, the tune disrupts their staggering array of wonderful singles. To stay off the charts for two and a half years might have been fallout from the Sgt Pepper film debacle; though the successful Spirits Having Flown came after that non-epic, it all added up to massive overexposure. The victim of too much airplay (or too much heaven) was this very decent and highly listenable album. "I Still Love You" has Robin Gibb in classic Bee Gees form with lush arrangements and production. There is even additional information included on the inner sleeve regarding the consoles used in recording and the wardrobe person, as well as photos of co-producers Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. The album exhibits the opulence enjoyed by the brothers on the front, back cover, and inside gatefold -- regal photos which are enhanced by the fact that the boys had the chops to back it up. "Wildflower," not the 1973 hit by Skylark but a brilliant original with folky overtones, really should have been the single. How it didnt hit for the Bee Gees or the popular acts they were working with -- Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton in 1982 and Dionne Warwick in 1983 -- is evidence of the richness of their songbook. Barry Gibbs lead on "Nothing Could Be Good" is so perfectly adult contemporary, a song written by Galuten and the three brothers, it is just stunning that they did nothing with it and that this beautiful work is so forgotten. A song from the Staying Alive film soundtrack went Top 25 in 1983, and in 1989 they broke the Top Ten with "One," but there is no reason for such time in between hits. "Cryin Every Day" has it, another brilliant hook accompanied by dramatic production; the title track has it; and Barry Gibbs ethereal and dreamy conclusion to this disc, "Be Who You Are," has it. A strong work by a classic group which is worth hearing again. Truly the weakest track is the hit single "Hes a Liar," which must have contributed to this album getting lost in the shuffle. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 40 Title: Love From The Bee Gees Released: 1985 Tracks: 24 Duration: 04:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 New York Mining Disaster 1941 (?) 2 To Love Somebody (?) 3 Massachusetts (?) 4 World (?) 5 Words (?) 6 Ive Gotta Get a Message to You (?) 7 I Started a Joke (?) 8 First of May (?) 9 Dont Forget to Remember (?) 10 Lonely Days (?) 11 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (?) 12 I Cant See Nobody (?) 13 How Deep Is Your Love (?) 14 More Than a Woman (04:43) 15 Spirits (Having Flown) (?) 16 Run to Me (?) 17 Love Me (?) 18 Tragedy (?) 19 If I Cant Have You (?) 20 Too Much Heaven (?) 21 Love So Right (?) 22 Nights on Broadway (?) 23 Fanny (?) 24 Love You Inside Out (?) |
 | Album: 26 of 40 Title: The Bee Gees’ History Released: 1985-05-01 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:10:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 New York Mining Disaster 1941 (02:11) 2 To Love Somebody (03:01) 3 Massachusetts (02:21) 4 Holiday (02:55) 5 Words (03:17) 6 I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You (03:07) 7 In the Morning (03:54) 8 Melody Fair (03:50) 9 Don’t Forget to Remember (03:29) 10 Lonely Days (03:47) 11 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (03:58) 12 Jive Talkin’ (03:37) 13 You Should Be Dancing (04:16) 14 How Deep Is Your Love (03:41) 15 Stayin’ Alive (04:45) 16 Night Fever (03:31) 17 Too Much Heaven (04:57) 18 Tragedy (05:03) 19 Living Eyes (04:16) |
 | Album: 27 of 40 Title: E.S.P. Released: 1987-10-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 48:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 E.S.P. (05:38) 2 You Win Again (04:02) 3 Live or Die (Hold Me Like a Child) (04:41) 4 Giving Up the Ghost (04:26) 5 The Longest Night (05:46) 6 This Is Your Life (04:50) 7 Angela (04:57) 8 Overnight (04:20) 9 Crazy for Your Love (04:40) 10 Backtafunk (04:22) 11 E.S.P. (Reprise) (00:34) |
 | Album: 28 of 40 Title: The Best Of Released: 1988 Tracks: 35 Duration: 2:10:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Massachusetts (02:21) 2 To Love Somebody (03:01) 3 World (03:14) 4 In the Morning (02:53) 5 Ive Gotta Get a Message to You (03:04) 6 Words (03:17) 7 First of May (02:50) 8 Saved by the Bell (03:07) 9 I.O.I.O. (02:51) 10 Lamplights (04:46) 11 I Kiss Your Memory (04:30) 12 My World (04:22) 13 I Laugh in Your Face (04:10) 14 August October (02:36) 15 Melody Fair (03:52) 16 Run to Me (03:13) 17 Don’t Forget to Remember (03:29) 18 One Million Years (04:10) 19 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (03:58) 1 I Started a Joke (03:09) 2 Sea of Smiling Faces (03:07) 3 Never Say Never Again (03:29) 4 Lonely Days (03:45) 5 How Deep Is Your Love (04:03) 6 Wind of Change (04:55) 7 Spirits (Having Flown) (05:20) 8 Hes a Liar (04:01) 9 Living Eyes (04:16) 10 Children of the World (03:07) 11 Tragedy (05:03) 12 Night Fever (03:31) 13 Stayin’ Alive (04:45) 14 Jive Talkin’ (03:45) 15 Nights on Broadway (04:33) 16 You Should Be Dancing (04:16) |
 | Album: 29 of 40 Title: Best of Bee Gees, Volume 2 Released: 1988 Tracks: 14 Duration: 52:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (03:58) 2 I.O.I.O. (02:51) 3 Dont Want to Live Inside Myself (05:27) 4 Melody Fair (03:50) 5 My World (04:23) 6 Let There Be Love (03:35) 7 Saved by the Bell (03:07) 8 Lonely Days (03:47) 9 Morning of My Life (03:54) 10 Don’t Forget to Remember (03:29) 11 And the Sun Will Shine (03:36) 12 Run to Me (03:10) 13 Man for All Seasons (02:59) 14 Alive (04:00) |
 | Album: 30 of 40 Title: Bee Gees Story Released: 1989 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:11:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 New York Mining Disaster 1941 (02:11) 2 Holiday (02:55) 3 To Love Somebody (03:01) 4 Massachusetts (02:25) 5 I Started a Joke (03:09) 6 World (03:14) 7 I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You (02:54) 8 First of May (02:50) 9 Don’t Forget to Remember (03:29) 10 Run to Me (03:06) 11 Nights on Broadway (04:33) 12 Jive Talking (03:43) 13 More Than a Woman (03:17) 14 You Should Be Dancing (04:16) 15 How Deep Is Your Love (04:03) 16 Stayin’ Alive (04:45) 17 Night Fever (03:31) 18 Too Much Heaven (04:57) 19 Tragedy (05:03) 20 Love You Inside Out (04:11) |
 | Album: 31 of 40 Title: One Released: 1989-04-17 Tracks: 10 Duration: 48:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Ordinary Lives (04:04) 2 One (04:54) 3 Bodyguard (05:23) 4 Its My Neighborhood (04:20) 5 Tears (05:19) 6 Tokyo Nights (03:59) 7 Flesh and Blood (04:42) 8 Wish You Were Here (04:45) 9 House of Shame (04:52) 10 Will You Ever Let Me (05:59) |
| One : Allmusic album Review : The Bee Gees made a commercial comeback outside the U.S. with 1987s E.S.P. and its single, "You Win Again." One, on the other hand, had an improved chart showing in the U.S., while sales fell off elsewhere. The Bee Gees are remarkable pop craftsmen -- "Its My Neighborhood" is a canny, if blatant, rewrite of Michael Jacksons "Beat It," for example, and it only reminds you that Jacksons falsetto whoops owe something to Barry Gibb. And, say what you will, "One" and "House of Shame" are convincing pop music. ("One" was a Top Ten comeback hit that topped soft rock radio playlists.) This stuff works as pop for the same reason "Ive Gotta Get a Message to You" and "You Should Be Dancing" did: the melodies are catchy, the hooks are deathless, and the vocals convey emotion over meaning. It may be weightless, but its polished. | ||
 | Album: 32 of 40 Title: Bee Gees Released: 1990 Tracks: 16 Duration: 40:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Spicks and Specks (02:52) 2 Mondays Rain (03:01) 3 Tomorrow, Tomorrow (04:01) 4 Where Are You (02:13) 5 Jingle Jangle (02:13) 6 How Many Birds (01:59) 7 Tint of Blue (02:07) 8 Second Hand People (02:05) 9 Playdown (02:54) 10 I Dont Know Why I Bother With Myself (02:47) 11 Big Chance (01:43) 12 Born a Man (03:12) 13 Glasshouse (01:57) 14 First of May (02:50) 15 Red Chair Fade Away (02:18) 16 Turn Of The Century (02:25) |
 | Album: 33 of 40 Title: Tales From the Brothers Gibb: A History in Song 1967-1990 Released: 1990-10-19 Tracks: 71 Duration: 4:34:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 New York Mining Disaster 1941 (02:11) 2 I Cant See Nobody (03:46) 3 To Love Somebody (03:01) 4 Holiday (02:55) 5 Massachusetts (02:25) 6 Barker of the UFO (01:53) 7 World (03:14) 8 Sir Geoffrey Saved the World (02:13) 9 And the Sun Will Shine (03:36) 10 Words (03:17) 11 Sinking Ships (02:23) 12 Jumbo (02:10) 13 The Singer Sang His Song (03:19) 14 I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You (03:07) 15 I Started a Joke (03:09) 16 First of May (02:50) 17 Melody Fair (03:50) 18 Tomorrow Tomorrow (04:07) 19 Sun in My Morning (02:57) 20 Saved by the Bell (03:07) 21 Don’t Forget to Remember (03:29) 22 If Only I Had My Mind on Something Else (02:33) 23 I.O.I.O. (02:53) 24 Railroad (03:43) 25 Ill Kiss Your Memory (04:26) 1 Lonely Days (03:47) 2 Morning of My Life (03:54) 3 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (03:58) 4 Country Woman (02:42) 5 Dont Want to Live Inside Myself (05:27) 6 My World (04:21) 7 On Time (03:04) 8 Run to Me (03:06) 9 Alive (04:04) 10 Saw a New Morning (04:10) 11 Wouldnt I Be Someone (05:40) 12 Elisa (02:50) 13 King and Country (05:22) 14 Mr. Natural (03:48) 15 It Doesnt Matter Much to Me (03:52) 16 Throw a Penny (04:49) 17 Charade (04:12) 1 Jive Talkin’ (03:44) 2 Nights on Broadway (04:33) 3 Fanny (Be Tender With My Love) (04:04) 4 You Should Be Dancing (long remix version) (04:46) 5 Love So Right (03:37) 6 Boogie Child (04:12) 7 Edge of the Universe (05:17) 8 How Deep Is Your Love (04:03) 9 Stayin’ Alive (04:45) 10 Night Fever (03:31) 11 More Than a Woman (03:17) 12 If I Can’t Have You (03:22) 13 (Our Love) Don’t Throw It All Away (04:05) 14 Too Much Heaven (04:57) 15 Tragedy (05:03) 16 Love You Inside Out (04:11) 1 Hes a Liar (03:57) 2 Another Lonely Night in NY (04:13) 3 The Woman in You (04:03) 4 Someone Belonging to Someone (04:24) 5 Toys (04:42) 6 ESP (04:43) 7 You Win Again (04:02) 8 Ordinary Lives (04:04) 9 One (04:54) 10 Juliet (03:35) 11 To Love Somebody (03:41) 12 Medley (12:17) 13 Spicks and Specks (02:33) |
 | Album: 34 of 40 Title: The Very Best of the Bee Gees Released: 1990-11-01 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:16:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 New York Mining Disaster 1941 (02:11) 2 To Love Somebody (03:01) 3 Massachusetts (02:25) 4 World (03:14) 5 Words (03:17) 6 I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You (03:07) 7 First of May (02:50) 8 Don’t Forget to Remember (03:29) 9 Saved by the Bell (03:07) 10 Run to Me (03:06) 11 Jive Talkin’ (03:44) 12 Nights on Broadway (04:33) 13 You Should Be Dancing (04:46) 14 How Deep Is Your Love (04:03) 15 More Than a Woman (03:17) 16 Stayin’ Alive (04:45) 17 Night Fever (03:31) 18 Too Much Heaven (04:57) 19 Tragedy (05:03) 20 You Win Again (04:02) 21 Ordinary Lives (04:04) |
| The Very Best of the Bee Gees : Allmusic album Review : Polydor wised up with this 1997 expanded version of their 1990 set, The Very Best of the Bee Gees, in that they took the collection and added nine tracks (from 12 to 21), intensifying the study of the impressive depth and breadth of the Bee Gees catalog. The collection runs chronologically from the groups late-60s folk-pop period through their legendary disco contributions, thus tracing the arc of the Gibbs brothers diverse career via their influence on pop culture and vice versa. The collection is then topped off by two late-80s cuts that sit alongside the collection remarkably well and serve as a reminder that the Bee Gees were much more than the definition of disco, but continued to write some great songs regardless of production or arrangement. | ||
 | Album: 35 of 40 Title: High Civilization Released: 1991-03-25 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:00:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 High Civilization (05:31) 2 Secret Love (03:42) 3 When Hes Gone (05:59) 4 Happy Ever After (06:17) 5 Party With No Name (04:56) 6 Ghost Train (06:04) 7 Dimensions (05:28) 8 The Only Love (05:36) 9 Human Sacrifice (05:42) 10 True Confessions (05:16) 11 Evolution (05:37) |
| High Civilization : Allmusic album Review : A misstep. the Bee Gees seem to have felt that their comeback completed by the Top Ten success of "One." It was time to go really contemporary and take on, oh, say, Prince, on High Civilization. Wrong. The techno-rock sounds silly with those near-Chipmunks harmonies, and its all overdone. You cant really blame a band that has had recurring success by faithfully following contemporary pop trends for trying it, but you can blame them for failing. | ||
 | Album: 36 of 40 Title: You Wouldnt Know Released: 1992 Tracks: 13 Duration: 32:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Spicks & Specks (02:51) 2 Three Kisses of Love (01:51) 3 I Dont Think Its Funny (03:00) 4 Turn Around, Look at Me (02:23) 5 I Am the World (02:36) 6 How Love Was True (02:22) 7 And the Children Laughing (03:24) 8 You Wouldnt Know (02:10) 9 I Want Home (02:27) 10 Follow the Wind (02:12) 11 Could It Be I’m in Love (02:06) 12 To Be or Not to Be (02:16) 13 Take Hold of That Star (02:43) |
 | Album: 37 of 40 Title: Success Story Released: 1992 Tracks: 31 Duration: 1:52:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Spicks & Specks (live) (02:36) 2 New York Mining Disaster 1941 (02:11) 3 To Love Somebody (03:01) 4 Holiday (02:55) 5 I Can’t See Nobody (03:47) 6 Massachussets (02:23) 7 World (03:14) 8 Words (03:17) 9 I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You (03:06) 10 I Started a Joke (03:09) 11 Marley Put Drive (04:26) 12 Melody Fair (03:50) 13 Sound of Love (03:28) 14 I Laugh in Your Face (04:10) 15 First of May (02:50) 16 I.O.I.O. (02:48) 1 Lonely Days (03:47) 2 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (03:58) 3 Run to Me (03:06) 4 Jive Talking (03:44) 5 Nights on Broadway (04:33) 6 You Should Be Dancing (04:46) 7 Love So Right (03:37) 8 Boogie Child (04:11) 9 Stayin’ Alive (04:45) 10 How Deep Is Your Love (04:03) 11 Night Fever (03:31) 12 More Than a Woman (03:17) 13 I Just Want to Be Your Everything (03:47) 14 Too Much Heaven (04:57) 15 Tragedy (05:03) |
 | Album: 38 of 40 Title: Size Isnt Everything Released: 1993-09-13 Tracks: 11 Duration: 51:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Paying the Price of Love (04:12) 2 Kiss of Life (04:16) 3 How To Fall In Love, Pt. 1 (05:59) 4 Omega Man (04:00) 5 Haunted House (05:45) 6 Heart Like Man (04:42) 7 Anything For You (04:40) 8 Blue Island (03:19) 9 Above and Beyond (04:30) 10 For Whom the Bell Tolls (05:06) 11 Fallen Angel (04:30) |
| Size Isn't Everything : Allmusic album Review : The Bee Gees are persistent and they work hard for the money, carefully cloning current fashion with Size Isnt Everything. You can just hear them saying, "We did disco, we can do hip-hop," and you can hear them try on "Paying the Price of Love," with its heavy percussion track. But it wasnt their approximation of the Compton beat that got them (just barely) back in the pop charts, it was the hook, which wasnt all that different from "Massachusetts." | ||
 | Album: 39 of 40 Title: Still Waters Released: 1997-03-10 Tracks: 12 Duration: 53:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Alone (04:49) 2 I Surrender (04:18) 3 I Could Not Love You More (03:43) 4 Still Waters (Run Deep) (04:08) 5 My Lover’s Prayer (04:01) 6 With My Eyes Closed (04:19) 7 Irresistible Force (04:34) 8 Closer Than Close (04:34) 9 I Will (05:08) 10 Obsessions (04:44) 11 Miracles Happen (04:11) 12 Smoke and Mirrors (05:00) |
| Still Waters : Allmusic album Review : As if they finally realized that they couldnt quite compete with contemporary musical fashions any more, the Bee Gees moved firmly into "mature" territory with Still Waters. However, they are canny enough to realize that they shouldnt abandon the frothy disco that made them superstars in the late 70s -- they should merely temper it with measured rhythms and tasteful melodies. Consequently, nothing on Still Waters is infectious, but it is pleasant, and while only a handful of singles stand out -- "I Could Not Love You More" is a sweet ballad -- it is still a fine, professional effort from these consummate professionals. | ||
 | Album: 40 of 40 Title: This Is Where I Came In Released: 2001-04-02 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:00:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 This Is Where I Came In (04:58) 2 She Keeps on Coming (03:59) 3 Sacred Trust (04:55) 4 Wedding Day (04:44) 5 Man in the Middle (04:21) 6 Déjà Vu (04:21) 7 Technicolor Dreams (03:07) 8 Walking on Air (04:07) 9 Loose Talk Costs Lives (04:22) 10 Embrace (04:43) 11 The Extra Mile (04:24) 12 Voice in the Wilderness (04:38) 1 Ive Gotta Get a Message to You (04:14) 2 Run to Me (01:13) 3 Too Much Heaven (01:59) |
| This Is Where I Came In : Allmusic album Review : There is a reason why the Bee Gees have been around for decades, successfully making music -- they are innovative craftsmen, who have carved out and maintain a signature sound, while having the ability to adapt to the times that they find themselves composing in. The Bee Gees -- brothers Maurice, Barry, and Robin Gibb -- are profoundly creative and have a gift for writing good songs, whether they are radio friendly (usually the case) or a bit off the beaten path. The Gibbs see music as if viewed through a kaleidoscope. The result is magical, tuneful, and colorful music -- with a mainstream sensibility. That said, on their 28th studio album, This Is Where I Came In, the Bee Gees, again, inspire audiences with their ability to make music that is fresh, yet familiar, and ahead of their peers in terms of sound, song structure, and style. The albums title and opening song instantly recalls the Beatles in their later years, and combines late-60s British rock with crafty funk guitar playing. Its no wonder, too; according to the albums accompanying press, Maurice Gibb plays an acoustic guitar given to him by John Lennon on this song. The Bee Gees offer a nod to other musicians, as well, such as the Talking Heads and the Kinks on "She Keeps on Coming," which is an entirely jubilant listen. Audiences looking for that classic light and airy Bee Gees sound will best find it on the tracks "Loose Talk Costs Lives," "Sacred Trust," and "Wedding Day," all a wonderful tribute to the types of songs that established them as pop culture icons. Edgier fare is found on the urgent "Voice in the Wilderness," with its contemporary electronica and warbled guitar sounds, and "Déjà Vu," which is rich in slick hooks and crafty sound bites. Not many musicians could pull off placing a Dixieland-style song on an album in 2001. However, this is the Bee Gees, and not only does "Technicolor Dreams" work, but it is arguably the best song on the album. With its toe-tapping, enchanting clarinet solo and charming lyrics, "Technicolor Dreams" personifies how music is seen through the eyes of a Gibb. And listeners are fortunate for this Bee Gees-eye view. | ||