Music Review: Bee Gees - The Ultimate Bee Gees (Deluxe Edition)

For several decades now, people have been saying that disco is dead. Occasionally, a new group hits the music scene, hellbent on reviving the popular waka-chi-waka guitar sounds of the ‘70s. With the exception of groups like Alcazar, most bands mix in a little from this musical genre and little from that musical genre — never being quite ballsy enough to rely on strictly disco alone. After all, who do these kids think they are? The Bee Gees?

Without a doubt, the Bee Gees have remained the reigning kings of ‘70s disco, thanks mostly due to their musical contributions to Saturday Night Fever. We may never forget the Bee Gees’ memorable falsetto vocals from “Stayin’ Alive” — vocals that speculated some to wonder how men could hit such high notes and still have that much facial hair — nor are we likely to forget the much superior song, “You Should Be Dancing.”

Now, should you be on the verge of forgetting these mini masterpieces, you need only dig out that dusty old Saturday Night Fever soundtrack on vinyl. However, if you’re in the market for listening to some classic Bee Gees without hearing, say, “A Fifth Of Beethoven” or “Night On Disco Mountain,” then The Ultimate Bee Gees is for you.

This new release from Reprise Records contains a venerable collection of greatest hits from Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, including the aforementioned “Stayin’ Alive” and “You Should Be Dancing” (which opens the album — and rightfully so). Several other tracks from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack are also prominently featured here (e.g. “Night Fever” and “Jive Talkin’”), along with singles such as “Tragedy” (a personal favorite).

But wait, there’s more! Yes, The Ultimate Bee Gees houses not one but two CDs full of top-charting singles from the Brothers Gibb. Honestly, I didn’t know that these boys had this many singles! Disc two in particular gives us a wide range of material, with songs ranging from the Gibbs’ early days in the ‘60s (songs that often sound way too much like The Beatles for my taste), to their more recent 2001 hit, “This Is Where I Came In.”

Article Author: Luigi Bastardo

Luigi Bastardo is the disgruntled alter-ego of Adam Becvar, a thirtysomething lad from Northern California who has watched so many weird movies since the tender age of 3 that a conventional life is out of the question. …

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