The Bee Gees: Beautiful harmonies from "down under"!!
Written: Aug 28 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great harmonies, effective production
Cons: None to speak of
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| sparkospunky's Full Review: Bee Gees (The) |
When I think of the Bee Gees, I tend to think of them as having two distinctly different careers. The first three or four years of their music is my favorite, and I categorize it as English pop, although they were from Australia. Their harmonies and song structures were very Beatlesque, and were typical of much of the music that the first wave of the "British invasion" brought to America. Their second career began with the advent of the disco movement, and the Bee Gees apparently fell prey to the commercial allure of this style of music. My review deals with the pre-disco Bee Gees; I don't much care for their second career.
The music of the Bee Gees is characterized by beautiful harmonies. This talented group of brothers, Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, had a unique, stylish vocal blend that was distinctive, much like the harmonies of the Everly Brothers. These fellows wrote all of the music on this album, and each was adept at playing any variety of musical instruments.
The tracks on this album, and my remarks about each, are as follows:
1. Holiday--This song begins with some pretty woodwinds and a harp, accompanied by the lead vocals, which are very delicate and tentative. The song begins in a major key, soon moves to a minor key for the first part of the verse. This is an important songwriting tool; the change from minor to major, or vice versa, always creates a mood, a tone, or a feel. Strings and background voices join the song, giving it a very lush effect, much different than the stark beginning.
2. I've Gotta Get A Message To You--My favorite Bee Gees song. It begins with strings and a piano-based hard lick, before getting into the verses. There's some outstanding high harmonies, and the lead vocal is strong and emotional. There's also some fine bass playing on this tune. The song builds with each verse and chorus, and by the time the key change comes around, there's a lot going on musically. This song is a fine example of the production techniques of Robert Stigwood.
3. I Can't See Nobody--The Bee Gees again use the minor key intro to set the tone for this song, then smash it with a chorus in a major key. The lead vocals are a little garbled and muddy, but the emotion of the vocalist is projected well. Again, the high harmonies in the chorus are stunning, and the strings and timpanis really give this song a big sound.
4. Words--A single chiming note sounds, followed by a classical-sounding piano riff which is the musical basis of this song. The vocals are breathy, almost tenuous, and when those strings join in, that lush texture again is created. The "la-la" interlude where an instrumental should be is different, and the acapella tag at the end is unusual, because there are no vocal harmonies that usually accompany such an interlude.
5. I Started A Joke--This is a little brighter tune, featuring acoustic guitar, harp and some fantastic bass guitar work. The percussion is minimal, allowing the song to retain that acoustic feel. Here, the Bee Gees use the same minor-major trick, only here the verses are in major and the bridges are in minor. The strings join in the tune, but not to such a degree to do damage to the delicate arrangement that the Bee Gees have constructed.
6. Tomorrow, Tomorrow--This song is about as "pop' as the Bee Gees ever got--it's got a peppy intro, complete with horns, then a meter change gives the song a whole different complexion. I don't know who the bass player is, but he did some outstanding work on these songs.
7. First Of May--Piano and strings dominate this very maudlin, sentimental song. The lead vocals are again delicate and adequately convey the message of the song--the transformation from adolesence to adulthood. The instrumentation is layered and everything builds well to the finale. The ending is another solo acapella vocal which fades, a nice contrast to the big sound that has preceded it.
8. World--Strings accompany an intricate piano part, and the double-tracked lead vocal line enriches the song. The brief electric guitar licks are stunning when pitted against the lush instrumentation. The lead vocalist is singing about empowerment and realization, and the song is a good vehicle to deliver that message.
9. Massachusetts--The strings and sliding bass line set this song up perfectly. The lead vocal again is tenuous, and when the high harmonies join, chills are guaranteed to run up the spine. I believe that this was the Bee Gees' second hit record in America. This song, along with most of the other stuff on this album, is a fine example of not overproducing--strings, horns, piano, guitar, bass and voices are all used, but not abused--the integrity of the song remains.
10. To Love Somebody--This is probably their biggest pre-disco hit--it's been covered by several people, most notably Michael Bolton, who murdered it. It's really a fine tune, and the vocal harmonies are a prime example of the Bee Gee sound. Strings, a great bass line, harp, and woodwinds all join in to make this song a classic.
11. Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You--The beginning of this song sounds very much like a medieval Gregorian chant--it's just that gloomy. The tone of the song changes, and it pretty much becomes a classy sounding piece of that British invasion music that I mentioned earlier. The harmonies again demonstrate just how well these brothers could sing together.
12. New York Mining Disaster--I believe this song to be their first American hit. They again make good use of the minor-major dichotomy, this time starting in minor and transforming to major. The musical is barren, in keeping with the morbid tone of the song. The vocal harmonies are excellent, and the strings and woodwinds don't overpower the acoustic flavor of the tune.
As I said in the beginning, I much prefer the early Bee Gees as opposed to their disco persona. If you feel the same, this is a good album to own because it pretty much sums up their career up to 1970.
Recommended:
Yes
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