The Bee Gees: Song by Song

I take it (partially) back....I totally forgot I also have Robin's Reign....so I have TWO solo albums.

I've always joked that I combine Robin's Reign and Cucumber Castle to make it Bee Gees album with all three brothers lol. THAT'S why I forgot about it lol.

 

Re: 50 St Catherine's Drive

I'll try to reserve judgment until I (eventually) listen to it myself.

I'm not saying I won't agree. I just don't want to color my opinion when I haven't listened to it first (though I do trust all of your opinions quite a bit ).

 

"Toys" is a lovely ballad with a prominent Barry vocal - so it's really a Bee Gees track. "You Don't Say Us Anymore" is quite catchy. "Gone with The Wind" has a great vocal by Robin on the verses. And "Heartbreak In Exile" should have been a single. Awesome album!

 

We've been very Robin-centric today! Here's one of my favorites of Barry's vocals, from 1974's Mr. Natural album.



I LOVE when Barry sings like this! So strong and full, a little bit raw, lots of feeling. So good.

I also just love this track in general! The horns! The groove! The guitars! And ok, Robin's contribution isn't too bad either.

There's something about this tune that sounds off the cuff and maybe not even fully realized, but that is what I love about it. Kinda like a jam session turned song without too much tweaking. I dig it.

 

From the Mr. Natural album:

Dogs



I've heard this one described as Elton John-esque which I guess I can sort of hear. I really love Barry's vocal on this one.

 

Most tracks on Robin's Reign are gorgeously orchetrated! It's a superb album from end to end, and about the farthest thing from a bunch of "demos" that I could imagine.

 

The orchestration is fine, it's the underlying backing track that Robin laid down prior to them adding the orchestral arrangements by Kenny Clayton and Zack Lawrence that I was referring to.

 

I think this is the finest moment that came out of the Bee gees ,after their peak in the late 70's till their end .
a hit in the same league as any of their super 70's hits.

 

I am only familiar with the US market but I know Robin did well in other countries. Aside from Andy, I don’t think any of them did well in the US, aside from Robin’s Boys Do Fall In Love. I will say I enjoy his solo albums more than Barry’s. And I agree his material was superior to Barry’s on TIWICI. I liked Mo’s as well. Barry’s Technicolor Dreams was kind of bizarre. I just wish they had worked together because as you said, it ended up being for the most part solo projects thrown onto one album. It was better than it probably deserved to be. Still, not one of my favorites.

 

Agree 100% with you. The How Old Are You album is probably the most cohesive of the bunch, and the most consistent. A cold sounding affair, typical of a lot of keyboard heavy 80’s albums, but decent enough considering I like him in small doses but can listen to it all the way through. I finally found a copy of Walls Have Eyes and found that to be a dreary affair aside from the title track, and what I consider a Bee Gees track, Toys. But I can see others enjoying it and recommend fans tracking it down. I love the song Boys Do Fall In Love, which is on a later album that I also didn’t like.

 

Boys Do Fall In Love from Secret Agent was issued in 1984, between HOAY and WHE.

 

This is a great full package tune. Probably one of the strongest all-around tracks of the '90s, and def a standout on Still Waters!

 

Great song. Another fantasy type lyric to me. I like the piano work as well as the drums/percussion on the chorus. Was the falsetto born here?

 

Agreed! Awesome Barry vocal. Down and dirty. Nice guitar solo. This would have been good live.

 

See opening song

 

Oh my word!! Absolutely magnificent opening. Wow! Barry is in wonderful form. And so is Robin......I always enjoyed his dance moves.

Thank you so much for posting this video . I need to watch the rest of it now...

 

If only someone could dig out the tape or raw footage of that, remaster it and release it officially...

 

Barry Gibb on social distancing, starring alongside the ever lovely Maryam d'Abo.

 

From the To Whom May Concern album:

You Know It's For You



I love Maurice's vocals in this. Just a nice light track.

His voice is so different than Robin and Barry's, yet he blends seamlessly with them.

 

This is nice!

It's funny, huh, how three people can sound so different individually but blend so well? But it seems to be the case for quite a few of the brother bands.

 

thanks for posting that!

 

Beautiful song, has always been my favorite on that album aside from the hit song(was it Run To Me)?

 

One of the best tracks on the album, but I haven’t a clue what they’re singing about and I felt better after reading they didn’t either! Bought that album after buying Main Course in 1975 as you could only go backwards obviously, Dogs was the song I liked the most until the other songs finally started winning me over. Have to say, a bizarre album if looked at as an album. But some excellent individual tracks; they just don’t sound like they belong together. Voices is beautiful too. I think they were really trying to find their way as these boys were quite lost in the wilderness. They sure found their way back with Main Course, with many of us here feeling it is their finest album.

 

Agreed! Along with:

1) A full length Spirits tour concert.
2) A full length Hi Civ tour concert.
3) An official release of ALL the music videos they have ever made.

Anything else?

 

I love Mr. Natural but the album sequencing is terrible!