Sunday, December 19, 2004
REVIEW: "BEE GEES: NUMBER ONES" CD
by Don Rose
Forgive me for being rather glib, but I love the Brothers Gibb. I am not alone; The Bee Gees have sold over 100 million albums worldwide, over an astounding FIVE decades (they are the only band I can think of that has had number ones in multiple countries AND during three different decades). If you are like me, you must go out and pick up "Bee Gees: Number Ones". Or go buy one as a holiday present for the Gibbfan in your life. They will not be disappointed.
Forgive me for being rather glib, but I love the Brothers Gibb. I am not alone; The Bee Gees have sold over 100 million albums worldwide, over an astounding FIVE decades (they are the only band I can think of that has had number ones in multiple countries AND during three different decades). If you are like me, you must go out and pick up "Bee Gees: Number Ones". Or go buy one as a holiday present for the Gibbfan in your life. They will not be disappointed.
The songs, of course, are classics and should be part of any pop fan's collection. Also, the sound quality of the CD is fantastic; it felt like the band was giving a private concert in my room. Then there is the convenience: this disc gathers in one place all of the band's number one US singles, some songs that were number ones in other nations, and classics from number one albums. In this sense, the CD is similar in structure to previous all-Number-Ones from other pop giants (The Beatles "1", Elv1s, Michael Jackson's hit collection). However, unlike those other CDs, the limited edition BeeGees NumberOnes CD also comes with a DVD containing five unreleased live tracks -- a nice bonus.
I also admire a band that can still surprise me. On this CD, the pleasant surprise is a pair of early songs I've never heard before: "WORLD" and "DONT FORGET TO REMEMBER". I immediately took to them (the latter feels like a Beegeeified country song).
Of course, the group's Rebirth Period of the 70s is included, represented by "Jive Talkin", "You Should Be Dancing", and..... well, do I really need to mention the megahits from the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack? All those smashes are included (from a soundtrack that not only catapulted the band out of their early-70s rock-bottom phase into superstardom, but sold over 30 million copies worldwide to become the best selling soundtrack album of all time). The closer on the "Beegees Numbers Ones" CD is a Gibb Trib -- a song ("Man In The Middle") chosen by the two surviving brothers to pay tribute to the late Maurice Gibb.
Sure, there are many great BeeGee songs the disc does not contain ("Nights On Broadway", "To Love Somebody"), but that is just a testament to how good this band was. You can explore those on other discs, but this is the one disc you really must have if you want the cream of the best UK-Australian band of brothers ever born.
For those new to the music of the Brothers Gibb, this is an excellent introduction. For all Beegees fans who have never had a chance to get all their biggest smashes on one piece of plastic, this CD is a must-have. Sure, the BeeGees' reign atop the pops eventually ended, and punk/new-wave (then hip-hop) took over from disco -- but this disc captures that long-gone golden era of long hair and polyester with loving clarity. (Is it a coincidence that right in the middle of "CBGB's" is "BG"? Perhaps.... but what a ying-yang thang...).
For those new to the music of the Brothers Gibb, this is an excellent introduction. For all Beegees fans who have never had a chance to get all their biggest smashes on one piece of plastic, this CD is a must-have. Sure, the BeeGees' reign atop the pops eventually ended, and punk/new-wave (then hip-hop) took over from disco -- but this disc captures that long-gone golden era of long hair and polyester with loving clarity. (Is it a coincidence that right in the middle of "CBGB's" is "BG"? Perhaps.... but what a ying-yang thang...).
To read more info on the band, see this cool webpage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bee_Gees
"BEE GEES: NUMBER ONES": the greatest hits of The Brothers Gibb, on one disc; limited edition CD has bonus DVD. The CD track listing:
"Massachusetts"
"World"
"Words"
"I've Gotta Get A Message To You"
"I Started A Joke"
"Don't Forget To Remember"
"Lonely Days"
"How Can You Mend A Broken Heart"
"Jive Talkin'"
"You Should Be Dancing"
"Love So Right"
"How Deep Is Your Love"
"Stayin' Alive"
"Night Fever"
"Too Much Heaven"
"Tragedy"
"Love You Inside Out"
"You Win Again"
"World"
"Words"
"I've Gotta Get A Message To You"
"I Started A Joke"
"Don't Forget To Remember"
"Lonely Days"
"How Can You Mend A Broken Heart"
"Jive Talkin'"
"You Should Be Dancing"
"Love So Right"
"How Deep Is Your Love"
"Stayin' Alive"
"Night Fever"
"Too Much Heaven"
"Tragedy"
"Love You Inside Out"
"You Win Again"
Bonus track:
"Man In The Middle"
