Greatest Hits > Reviews > Pop without the Bee Gees no way

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	Pop history is has to be said
Disadvantages:	oh that high pichiness on some recordings  .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The original request CD title listing to which this op was to be place under was ‘The Record -Their Greatest Hits ‘ - this was important , as , as Greatest Hits albums go , this is the Bee Gees 2nd such album .

The first was titled ‘Greatest’ and released under the RSO label in 1979 .

The second is titled ‘The Record - their greatest hits’ , released in 2001 under the Polydor label .

So for this op , I’ll provide VFR ( value for reading ) by combining both versions ...

Background :

The Bee Gees ( aka the Gibb Brothers ) formed as a group in 1965/66 . They released their first album and single ( Bee Gees 1st ; New York Mining Disaster ) in 1967 .

Since then they have a number 1 hit single in every decade . Further more they’re British ( many think of them as American ) - they were born in Manchester .

People more often or not slag off this group , but their recordings are known and respected by many , how many will you recognise when the track listings are reproduced later ?

I was actually very surprised to find only two ops on this group , for all the success they’ve gained , you’d expect more , anyway here’s my bit :

With regards track opinions , on this occasion I will decline , simply due to the numbers involved , however full rack listings are to be given.

1) “The Record - their greatest hits” release Polydor 2001

A 2 CD album , chronicling their music right from the first release , up to their last . Forty-two tracks are supplied , and the cover sticker says 40 hits + new recordings of... ( 4 tracks ) .
Quick maths says this doesn’t add up , and quite right you are . The forty hits include tracks written by part or all of the Bee Gees for other people . The re-recordings make up these hit numbers . As for the other two tracks , well these are classified as Bonus Tracks .
You should also note that not all Bee Gees hits are to be found on this album , but can be found on the other previously mentioned album ( confusing eh ) .

CD 1

Basically the early years found on here , including the two bonus tracks ( # 7 , # 15 ) . You can really notice the change in direction . Early 60’s records that are medolic and often sound like the Beatles , Hermans Hermits etc , pretty much as you would expect being a British group brought up with such distinguished groups , following through to the 70’s with classics such as ‘JiveTalking’ . My preferred choice of the CD’s .
The tracks are as follows :

1) New York Mining Disaster 1941
2) To Love Somebody
3) Holiday
4) Massachusetts
5) World
6) Words
7) Jumbo
8) I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You
9) I Started A Joke
10) First Of May
11) Saved By The Bell
12) Don’t Forget To Remember
13) Lonely Days
14) How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
15) My World
16) Run To Me
17) Jive Talkin’
18) Nights On Broadway
19) Fanny ( Be Tender With My Love)
20) Love So Right
21) If I Can’t Have You
22) You Should Be Dancing

My three choice tracks : # 1 , # 4 , # 17

CD 2

The remainder of the 70’s up to date and some classics . I’ll give you the details of the re-recordings later - see if you can spot them !

The tracks are as follows :

1) Stayin’ Alive
2) How Deep is Your Love
3) Night Fever
4) More Than A Woman
5) Emotion
6) Too Much Heaven
7) Tragedy
8) Love You Inside Out
9) Guilty ( Barbara Streisand & Barry Gibb )
10) Heartbreaker
11) Islands In The Stream
12) You Win Again
13) One
14) Secret Love
15) For Whom The Bell Tolls
16) Alone
17) Immortality
18) This Is Where I Came In
19) Spicks And Specks

My three choice tracks : # 17 , # 7 , # 12

As for the re-recordings :

Islands In the Sun ( Dolly Parton / Kenny Rogers )
Immortality ( Celine Dion with Bee Gees doing backing vocals )
Heartbreaker ( Dion Warwick )
Emotion ( Samantha Sang , then... Destiny’s Child )

One track not to be found though is Chain Reaction ( Diana Ross / Steps ) , a Bee Gees song , but never recorded by them .

As for hits 2nd ime around , by a different artist , try these ( originals all on the CD ) :

Tradegy ( Steps ) , How Deep Is Your Love ( Take That ) , Words ( Boyzone ) & Stayin’ Alive ( N-Trance ) .

Ok then...onto...

Bee Gees - ‘Greatest’ - RSO 1979

Another 2CD offering , basically covering the 70’s era with a few early songs thrown in for good measure , and many a track not found on ‘The Record’

Track Listing : CD1

1) Jive Talkin’
2) Night Fever
3) Tragedy
4) You Should Be Dancing
5) Stayin’ Alive
6) How Deep Is Your Love
7) Love Is So Right
8) Too Much Heaven
9) Don’t Throw It All Away
10) Fanny (..)

My Choice tracks : # 1, # 6 , # 8

Track Listing : CD2

1) If I Can’t Have You
2) You Stepped Into My Life
3) Love
4) More Than A Woman
5) Rest your Love On Me
6) Nights On Broadway
7) Spirits ( Having Flown )
8) Love You Inside Out
9) Wind Of Change
10) Children Of The World

My choice tracks : # 7 , #9 , # 10

So their you have it , between the two records , you have the Bee Gees self recorded history . If ‘Greatest’ had been merged with ‘The Record’ to possibly produce a triple Cd album , then you’d have had perfection . Sadly toy need to buy both to obtain this or have the old albums from which they came from , to make up the shortfall.

As for ratings , I do it to cover both - therefore showing no favouritism . As for recommendations ie VFM , I’ll use ‘The Record’ as it’s the latest release . Buy these just for posterity - admit you do like some of their stuff !