Music Review: Bee Gees - 1st
Published February 22, 2007
So tell Matt Sweet the news: 1st is a prime piece of period pop-rockiness that deserves to be better appreciated. On more than one track I found myself thinking of the Hollies, another harmonic band of hitmakers who struggled to hold onto an audience as the seventies encroached and FM heaviness prevailed in the rock-and-pop universe. Perhaps I should've gotten out the coin jar and sprung for the full boxed set, after all?
Rhino's reissue contains two discs: first features 1st in both mono and stereo versions (my sound system's too crappy for me to be able to tell the dif); number two has the usual dee-luxe bells 'n' whistles: alternate takes of album tracks (e.g., a much more orchestrated version of the folk-rocky "Mining Disaster") plus some previously unreleased tracks (the most amusing of which is the lightly satirical "House of Lords"). The cuts sound more polished than the usual bonuses: even at their "roughest" the Singers Gibb maintain their engaging pop plasticity.
Final verdict: definitely worth respect.
- Music Review: Bee Gees - 1st
- Published: February 22, 2007
- Type: Review
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Pop
- Writer: Bill Sherman
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I picked up 1st at a locally-run Champaign, IL, record store, but I have seen copies of all three separate reissues at Best Buy . . .
(And, of course, I'd be a Totally Bad Blogcritic if I didn't remind the world at large that all three of these discs are available thru Amazon . . .)
To Love Somebody - as fine a gem as you'll find in the 60's pop hit single diamond mine - valuable enough to let you forgive them for the part they played in discofying the 70's.
I had this LP back in 1967, but I think it was absorbed into my brother's record collection instead of mine somewhere along the way. It was a seriously fine record. I couldn't believe these were the same guys when Saturday Night Fever came out, and I absolutely refused to give them any attention (though of course I found myself singing Stayin' Alive whether I wanted to or not). "Holiday" in particular was a gem, just flirting with psychedelic effects while hewing pretty close to the folk-rock formula.
the Bee Gees are much better then Hilary Duff i like jive talkin
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nice review. it IS too bad that the Bee Gees seem to be known only for their disco-era output.
i've been looking for these early reissue in the store to no avail. gotta get them soon.