Bee Gees

I purchased this as a gift for my boyfriend. It came immediately and in mint condition. Thank you so much, he loved it...

Okay so I've started off 2006 with a rush of compilation reviews. My brother-in-law says some of the Bee Gees stuff I pass around is really great, and the obscure stuff I pull out my butt is a real load. However, he, like most seventies babies does agree, Greatest is a tough set to beat.

My cassette of Greatest got lost in my sister's car, but my honey gave me an autographed record version for Christmas! It only highlights Gibb work from 75 to 79, but I have to admit, it is a major chunk of quality material.

Even though we start off with my least favorite tune, Jive Talkin, this no nonsense hit prepares you for the grooving that is to come. There seems to be little rhyme or reason to the track order. It's not chronological to say the least, just bunches of fast or slow. Pick your Gibb!

The dance fest continues with Night Fever. This totally recognizable tune gets old fans back to the times with its whimsical lyrics and foot tapping beat. Shakin' songs like Fever are actually back in style again.

Was Tragedy remade by some Euro kiddie group a few years ago? I don't remember. Another heyday staple, I've always liked Tragedy's progressive beats and mellow lyric combinations.

Ah, we come to the monster that is You Should Be Dancing again. Of course we think Travolta, but let's face it. Even though Dancing's original Children of the World album is thirty years old, this is still a good dance song. Always has been, always will be.

Begrudgingly I mention Staying Alive. Once again I heard someone in a store mention The Bee Gees and modern teens followed up with a little Ah ha ha ha. An immense stable to the Gibbs as well as a perfect time capsule of the times, but not the one and only quintessential Gibby tune its been made out to be.

Oddly enough, sometimes I feel How Deep Is Your Love doesn't get it's do respect, perhaps since it sounds as good today as it did way back when. Fans assume its a newer song, not a powerhouse that has stood the test of time. I'll play this one at my wedding, if my hubby let's me!

Another underappreciated Gibb ballad is Love So Right. Also from Children of The World, even in this small space Right showcases the boys songwriting skills before the Fever soundtrack.

The lofty scale and over the top good feelings of Too Much Heaven is tough to beat. I've always enjoyed Heaven for its touch of spirituality as well as its pretty balladeering.

My sister cannot tell Andy's version of Our Love Don't Throw It All Away apart from the Bee Gees version showcased here. For the untrained ear, it does take several listens. Barry's easy tone is perfect and the twins' ad-libs at the end is top notch.



I love Fanny (Be Tender With My Love) and all its parenthesized glory! The arrangement of Barry, Robin, and Maurice's voices here are so carefully crafted down to every echo. Their skilled style still shows today.

This version of If I Can't Have You by the boys can also be found on the flip side of the Stayin Alive 45. This monster was initially released by Yvonne Elliman for the Fever Soundtrack, but the Brothers recording found its way here. It might not be as sing-a-long-able with Barry, Robin, and Maurice, but it is still catchy, considering it's essentially three British men screaming about love.

Some songs from Children of the World deserve a place on Greatest more than others. You Stepped Into My Life isn't a bad song, but when compared to more timeless Gibb tunes before and after, today it can seem like a skipper. Barry's shrills might be too shrill, but if you read the lyrics to this one it is a pretty little poem.

Love Me's croaking lovelorn lyrics are expertly handled by Robin, and I'm glad to see this track receive its due here. Not the lone crying song here, but perhaps the most depressing, and that's ok.

Although You Should Be Dancing's dance routines are now more famous, Gibb fans of old will remember how much More Than a Woman effected the world. Everyone was going to dance studios and trying to learn the cha cha because of this suave Gibb tune's dance-ability. My sister included!

In contrast, Barry's country track Rest Your Love on Me is a little know gem that somehow made its way onto Greatest. The duet version by Andy Gibb and Olivia Newton-John is slightly inferior to Barry's rendition, even if his country sweets seem out of place here. A very tight and pleasant breather.

Nights On Broadway takes its rightful place here beside all the other Bee Gee monsters. If it weren't for the discovery of falsetto on this Main Course hit imagine how different The Bee Gees would have been. How different you or I would be!

I have such a love hate relationship with Spirits (Having Flown). Parts of the song can be downright silly, but other parts are magnificently structured tropical gems. Put on your Hawaiian shirts for this one.


Also from the Spirits album, Love You Inside Out fills the kinky slot here. Even if the boys made an album of all their naughty songs, Love You Inside Out's lyrics and history would be tough to beat. A feel good keeper.

Even in the 75 to 79 range, there might be one or two songs that deserve a spot here more so than Wind of Change, but the few I can think of have all also become slightly dated. Change's big statement for the Main Course album might have become less powerful in the subsequent decades, but it is still a nice shrill song for you to attempt to sing, groove, and get down with. Who is with me?!

Of all the tunes to end Greatest, Children of the World is not the one I would pick. Once you get into the song it's not bad, but the opening ooos and ahhhs are a bit dated....okay very dated. Once you get over the chuckles, however, the lyrics are quite nice. If we could take out all the sex and drugs, that little bit of seventies peace and love would be nice for today, don't you think?

Although some tunes presented on Greatest may not have stood the test of time, this album is essential for hey day Gibb fans both young and old. I highly recommend this one to accompany you in the car, but be prepared to make copies for your disco friends!

love the bee gees. barry gibb is the greatest, mild manner man i've ever met. he bowed to me when i said thank you. i miss maurice & andy. this 2CD set is great but i wish they would add more disco songs (the extended mixes) , more than a woman, boogie child, can keep a good man down, etc. as a matter of fact i'm sure their will be a bee gees disco CD just with remixes in the future. it's a very attractive package. everyone enjoy. those were the greatest years. David Chan****

I was six years old, almost seven when The Bee Gees released this double album. I had the two records, and I was wondering about the packaging--how would the record company reproduce it for compact disc? I was a bit disappointed. It's the same threefold that the vinyl was, showing Barry, Robin and Maurice in all their 70's glory. However, the glue holding the seams together for the cds made it too snug for removing the cds. In the end, the glue came apart leaving Barry and Maurice open on one side so that the cds could more easily be removed. Oh well. I did like the poster on the inside. I don't recall that being in the original double lp as a kid.

The music speaks for itself--platinum classics. The zenith of Bee Gee heaven. The hits need no comment. "Greatest Hits" introduced me to great lesser known Bee Gees album tracks with some of my all time favorite Bee Gees songs like "Spirits (Having Flown)", "Wind Of Change" and "Children Of The World"--all of which should have been top 10 hits in their own right.

You get bonus tracks here that are of varying quality. And truth be told, I held off on purchasing this double disc because I have everything from The Bee Gees, but nostalgia got the better of me, and as a collector I had to have "Greatest Hits".

As I recall, it seemed that each side of the vinyl album was dedicated to each brother. For example, side one was The Bee Gees, side two was Barry, side three Robin and side four Maurice. Does anyone else remember that?

Four stars because I was not pleased with the poor packaging, and I felt it could have been better. Also, I would have preferred additional tracks and b-sides rather than remixes. Overall, you might as well get "Their Greatest Hits: The Record" as it covers The Bee Gees entire career. But if you just want their biggest 70's hits, plus a few album cuts and extras, then "Greatest Hits" is for you.

Bee Gees Greatest collects 26 songs on 2 CDs. Most are from their platinum albums with a few remixes. I like the selection of songs and it bring back many memories.

Ordered this album for Christmas to give to my husband and he loves it!Good experience, no complaints.
Pat Sczuka

The SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER soundtrack is a must for any music collection. One of the best selling movie soundtracks of all time, next to The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album, it's filled with hits produced and written by the Bee-Gees and others.

I don't think there's a bad track on this album and the remastering sounds good. This replaces my older two-cd set of this album and sounds a lot louder and clearer. All of the Bee-Gees' hits are here, as well as the other artists that were featured in the movie.

And even though there's a heavy "disco" sound to the songs, they still sound fresh. I especially like Walter Murphy's "A Fifth Of Beethoven."

Anyway, if you don't already have this soundtrack then I suggest that you get it. Although I would have liked some extra tracks on here for this 2007 release, like maybe some alternate takes or something, but it's good enough as is.

A small booklet with song credits and some pictures is included, but no lyric sheet.

Well what can I say, one of the best soundtracks known to man & woman. It's always good to have for memories and just to groove to while cleaning the place on a Saturday afternoon. The Bee Gees, The Trammps, Kool & the Gang Etc. Just good old disco music to groove to. I would advise this CD to anyone especially one that grew up during this time, and if you didn't check out the movie first then buy the soundtrack.

Dave

This is a great remastered reissue, if you love to go back to the disco era. Listening to this makes me want to put on my boogie shoes and dance, if I could, just like John Travolta did in the movie.

The soundtrack to the movie Saturday Night Fever is remastered on CD for us all to enjoy over and over again! The music is strong; and it easily brings back fond memories of going to clubs to forget your problems. The music is great; although I would have appreciated a bonus track or two and some new packaging.

The CD track set starts with The Bee Gees harmonizing so well on "Stayin' Alive." The drums, percussion and electric guitars carry the bulk of the melody and this makes "Stayin' Alive" a strong start for this album. "How Deep Is Your Love" slows down the pace; this pensive, thoughtful ballad, also by The Bee Gees, has them singing of a man who wants to know if the woman he loves also loves him truly in return. The subtle key changes make "How Deep Is Your Love" even more beautiful. Great! Moreover, "Night Fever," with its catchy melody, celebrates the nightlife of the day--love those drums and special effects!

"Calypso Breakdown," by Ralph MacDonald, is a treasure with its funky beat and percussion; it's a solid track that isn't remembered as much as the music by The Bee Gees. Other lesser remembered hits that are equally wonderful include "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman and the awesome "A Fifth Of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy.

"Jive Talkin'" gives us another incredible number by The Bee Gees; they harmonize to a funky `70s disco beat that makes you want to jump up and dance right where you are! "You Should Be Dancing" moves along at a faster tempo and The Bee Gees never miss a note!

The track set ends with the excellent "Disco Inferno" by The Trampps. This passionate disco number is infectiously catchy and it celebrates the days of disco. Great beat, too!

The artwork impresses me but I am disappointed that we don't get bonus tracks. The packaging should have been better considering that this is the 30th anniversary of the release of the movie. I will take off one star for this to give this CD a four star review.

Overall, this CD gives us great numbers from the movie Saturday Night Fever. I highly recommend it for fans of the movie and disco fans everywhere should pick up this CD today!

I like this CD...pre-Disco era though I have been known to boogie to "Stayin' Alive"...it is a soft collection of the Bee Gees first greatest hits. My personal favorites are "I've Gotta Get a Message To You", "Massachusetts" and "Words", but the whole album is good.

Quick question for you Bee Gees fans...who is the fourth face on the cover of this album? We all know Barry, Robin and Maurice, but there is a fourth member shown here and I've always wondered.

Anyone who grew up with the Bee Gees knows that their music will last forever. Beautiful voices, unique harmony, songs that never seem to grow old. Whether you're in your 20's or 90's, they have songs that eveyone seems to enjoy.

The early Bee Gee's are so good, it's a shame their career is judged by the disco days only.
2 songs sold me to early Bee Gee's Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You is just as good as the Moody Blues complete w/mellotron and gregorian chants way before enigma and actually before the moody blues.
New York Mining Disaster- It's so good, it's like a lost Beatles song from Help or something.

Delicately recorded and mournfully sung, these choice cuts from the early years of the Bee Gees belong in any serious record collector's stash.
The "hook," if you want to call it that, is "Holiday," and "I started a joke." Both selections ask us to use our heads as to what the lyrics really mean. And somehow, it adds to one's enjoyment. Culled from master tapes before "Saturday Night Fever," the cuts demonstrate musicality that is a departure from their disco peroid -- and they are simply refreshing to hear againn.

If you like these songs, get the DVD "One Night Only" where they peformed most of these with a good band an they sound GREAT.

The music industry gimmick in this era of measuring the success of an album due to units shipped - and not sales - makes this 1978 soundtrack appear to be a success, as it did hover for a time in the top ten of the album chart; but it was a staple of cut-out bins for years and a major financial blow to the record label, RSO.

The Bee Gees and Peter Frampton are the featured performers, though there are numerous artists in the 83 minutes of music. Out of the three charted singles on the Billboard Hot 100, Got to Get You Into My Life by Earth, Wind & Fire reached the highest at #9, while Oh! Darling by Robin Gibb peaked at #15 and Get Back by Billy Preston limped in at #86.

The highlights with EW&F are actress Sandy Farina providing an elegant interpretation of Strawberry Field Forever and Aerosmith delivering a sizzling cover of Come Together. But the album sinks due to a greater number of muddling performances like Because by Alice Cooper, Fixing a Hole by George Burns and Maxwell's Silver Hammer by Steve Martin. That Frampton's career as a top recording artist was essentially over may be seen as a bonus by his critics.

On paper, an extravaganza of Beatles music over two albums and featuring some of the monsters of the Billboard charts must have looked like a huge winner. But where EW&F clearly showed the correct musical direction, it was a trail that the project failed to take...and ultimately tanked miserably.

I am a Sgt. Pepper child too. I have the fondest and happiest memories of me going lots of time to the movie theatre to see this flick, conning and tricking every adult that i knew into taking me to see it again. I had the triple casette that was ultimately destroyed by the use and father time. Later I spent month after month monitoring the satellite tv programming hoping that they would have to show the movie again, eventually, which they did more than 10 years later at 4 am. Finally, I got hold of this CD in London in 98. I was soo excited and happy. It sounded great although obviously with a dated 70's sound. The album has some great covers, maybe the best covers of Beatles' songs of all time performed by Aerosmith, EWF, and of course the BeeGees. Peter Frampton vocally was not up to the challenge but his guitar work on almost all the songs he played gave them a unique sound. I am terriblely biased as I loved the movie (which is headed for cult status, just wait and see) and the start of it makes me feel like a kid again, my daughter loves the movie too, and I love the soundtrack, but don't be fooled by all the slamming, it is the work of George Martin and some other great producers, by the same guys that made Saturday Night Fever and Grease to name a few.

I liked this album and the movie. It may not be the best movie ever made, nor was this the best album ever made; however being a fan of the artists who worked on the project I'm a fan. 100%. Yes the movie was cheesy I'll give it that, but who cares.

Personally, I got a kick out of Frampton's face when I asked him to sign my copy of the movie!!! (And YES he's still touring and still KICKS MAJOR @$$ on the guitar!!! The hall of fame honor was long over due!)

But hey, what do I know.... : ) Sure there are people bound to disagree, lets just agree to disagree!

If you love musicals this is a must have! This is one of the best musical movies ever made, and I don't give this kind of praise lightly. The Bee Gees sing Beatles songs better than The Beatles themselves (forgive me, even though The Beatles were musical geniuses, it is true). Even my youngest (at four years old) is fascinated by this movie and regularly requests to watch it. George Burns narrates and takes you on a pleasant nostalgic trip back in time. With the great array of singers (The Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, Earth Wind and Fire and so many more) you will be singing and dancing along with the whole movie. Then you have the opportunity to try to name all the famous people in the closing song. I bet you can't name them all! Amazing and Highly Recommended. Enjoy this one.

Having seen the movie, and being a Beatle's fan, I can see the animosity of people criticizing both the soundtrack and the film. However, this cover of Beatle's music is no worse than the recent covers done in "Across The Universe". Just remember a cover is a cover. There are some songs that didn't work, but for the most part, the Bee Gees and Peter Frampton did very well. I enjoyed Robin Gibb's cover of "Oh Darling" (which plays the full version on the album, but gets cut in the movie for the scene to work) and George Burns' rendition of "Fixing A Hole" (despite the album's editor editting the final 30 second sequence from the song, the full version is in the movie).

The rest of the album is also outstanding with Aerosmith's cover of "Come Together" and Earth, Wind, & Fire's version of "Got To Get You Into My Life". Billy Preston's cover of "Get Back" is also worth it's weight. I recommend this CD set on it's cover value and it's placement in pop culture history.

an attractive item. love red. just wish there were more songs released on this package. imports contained a few extra tracks. why not the U.S.***** enjoy.*********p.s. no need to edit "to whom the bells may toll".****

Lets keep this really simple. If you want the hits this is the collection for you. With the exception of their own interpretation of songs they wrote, were hits for others, every song is simply wonderful. The reviewer that said the sound quality was bad must have gotten a bootleg or something mine sounds spectacular. This is a great span of great melodies, harmonies and vocals, great writing/lyrics from one of the greatest groups around.

I was disappointed by new versions of Islands in the Stream and Heartbreaker versions that appear on this CD. I was hoping to hear the originals with Dionne Warwick and Dolly Parton.

The Bee Gees, inducted as a group into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1997, were one of those acts with little middle ground insofar as music fans were concerned: they were either loved or were reviled.

One thing is certain though, as both songwriters and performers they knew what the masses liked in their heyday, which ran from mid-1967 to 1979, putting 34 songs into the North American Billboard Pop Hot 100, with eight cross-overs to the R&B and 17 to the Adult Contemporary (AC) charts in that period, in addition to three more that made only the AC charts or the Hot 100 "Bubble Under" listings. They even managed to get one onto the Country charts (1978's Rest Your Love On Me. a # 39 Country as the flip of the # 1 Hot 100 Too Much Heaven - unfortunately, that B-side is not here).

After 1979 they added another nine to the Hot 100 from 1981 to 1997, one more R&B cross-over in 1983, and 10 more AC entries, including three that made only those charts or the "Bubble Under" list.

Here you get, with excellent sound reproduction, 23 of those Hot 100 hits registered between 1967 and 1979, three (tracks 12, 13 and 16 on Disc 2 that charted in 1987, 1989 and 1997) and one featuring Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb from 1980. In terms of the "best" in the period covered this fills the bill as nine were # 1 Hot 100 hits and, with one exception (Don't Forget To Remember which was a # 73 Hot 100 in 1969), all the rest were Top 40.

Significant missing hits, and perhaps better selections in place of the several album cuts and failed North American singles included, are: My World - a # 16 Hot 100 /# 19 AC in 1972); Alive (a # 20 AC/# 34 Hot 100 in late 1972/early 1973); Boogie Child (# 12 Hot 100 in 1977); and Edge Of The Universe (# 26 Hot 100/# 43 AC in 1977).

The insert contains brief liner notes and several more photos of the brothers at various stages of their lives, but no proper discography in terms of label/album details and chart performances.

What can I say? They are the Bee Gees afterall. Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb have been making great music for five decades and they are still a force in the music business in the 21st century. Although Maurice left us way too soon, I know that Barry and Robin will still continue to write great music for themselves and others. Barry Gibb is not just a song writer he is a poet. His lyrics make sense and they touch your heart. When most think of the Bee Gees they think Disco and Saturday Night Fever...how wrong they are just to limit this dynamic group to that era. I am only 38 years old and it wasn't until I turned 30 that I truly discovered who this group was and what they had done. They have forever changed the landscape of music. In one word, the Brothers Gibb are amazing.

We watch it often. If you like the Bee Gees you will love it too.

One Night Only was a Bee Gees concert that came on PBS a few years ago. This was their final concert together. This cd is a live recording of that concert.

The concert covers their career from their start in the 70s through the present time. The concert includes a tribute their brother, Andy Gibb. Celine Dion is a guest performer.

I also recommend getting the companion DVD in addition to the CD.

I love the BeeGees, but this CD was a huge disappointment. Guess it was recorded live, and honestly, with all the falsetto songs, they sound like old tomcats sitting on the back fence. I listened to the whole thing once, tried listening to just a few of the songs, and finally gave up and tossed the cd into the trash. Luckily, only paid $6 but it wasn't worth that.

This recording is better in quality than their greatest hits album! I highly recommend it!

I can always count on Amazon to have the product I need and for the fast service I receive. Thank you!

I found myself wanting a collection of BEE GEE hits, after the untimely death of Maurice. One disc is much better than the other, but the oldies are indeed goodies and I'm glad I bought it.

If you love the Bee Gees then this is a MUST BUY. Love this CD.

It is tough, tough, tough to quibble with the music here. "I've Gotta Get a Message to You", "Lonely Days" and "To Love Somebody" are essential listening. "How Deep Is Your Love", "Love So Right" and "Love You Inside Out" are more than just guilty pleasures, they're great tunes. The comp could be a little more expansive, giving us better and needed insight into the early and pre-1975 Bee Gees, such as "Mr. Natural" and "Morning of My Life". Not huge hits, but then not everything here is either. The new recordings of Gibb brother-penned tunes that were hits for others could *easily* be jettisoned in favor of the above mentioned tunes.

However, the biggest complaint with this set is undeniably its VOLUME LEVEL. In a futile effort to keep with industry "standards", the alleged mastering engineer raises the volume to ridiculous and unnecessarily loud levels. The dynamic range is literally compressed away, with excessive noise reduction applied to eliminate the resulting increased hiss. All of this overprocessing kills the "breath" in the mixes and life in the performances, resulting in a very unspectacular, one-dimensional listening experience. Give me tape hiss and natural volume peaks anyday over this. This music deserves better.

What's not to love! This is the Bee Gee's. You know, the 3 brothers Gibb that are masters of harmony! Nothing ever sounded so sweet to the ears.

how do you desribe the bee gees' music in one review? i don't know,but i'll try anyway. their first hit was new york mining disaster 1941. they also had his with songs likewords,i started a joke,first of may,don't forget to remember,lonely days,how can you mend a broken heart,jive talkin',you should be dancing, stayin alive,how deep is your love,night fever,love you inside out,too much heaven,and tragedy.they also wrote hits for other artists.some of those artiists are samantha sang,barbra streisand, diana ross,frankie valli,and youger brother andy gibb.well, it looks like i did it! ed wilson

Never mind the mid 70's cover with the disco chest hair and open shirts.
THis is the Bee Gees circa 1969-72 way before that disco photo session on the cover of this CD. Inside their is some of the best pop music ever recorded in that era. Highlights are...
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? - Big hit and the comeback
Melody Fair - from the great red-felt Odessa
Saved by the Bell- Robin solo recorded after he quit the group during Odessa, #1 in the UK
Run to Me - the end of an era, BD before disco.

This is an excellent compilation and and great follow-up to Greatest Hits Vol. 1. The album in CD format is the same as the original vinyl release except for some unknown reason, they left off Wouldn't I Be Someone, a very superb recording. However, it is found on the boxed set. I definately would recommend this to any Bee Gees fan.

This compilation includes the best of their music from mid-1969 to 1972. This period started with Saved by the bell (a Robin Gibb solo) and Don't forget to remember (perhaps my favorite Bee Gees song), both of which reached number two on the UK charts. They had little success for some time after that. In 1970, I O I O scraped into the top fifty, but Lonely days did better, making the top forty. In 1971, they didn't enter the UK charts at all. 1972 was better with My world making the top twenty and Run to me making the top ten. They had never really established themselves in America with their sixties pop-folk music and the songs from this collection didn't change that.

So this album may be seen by some as the best of a bad period in the careers of the Bee Gees. In fact, there are many good songs in this collection. I particularly like Melody fair and Morning of my life. Are the songs really weaker than those on the earlier volume, or is it just that people were tired of the style and wanted something different from the Bee Gees? It is probably a bit of both.

If you enjoy the earlier Best of Bee Gees, you are likely to also enjoy this - but not quite as much.

Agree with most of the comments you see in this review section. Want to add that the most interesting part of this CD is the inclusion of "My World" and "Melody Fair". "My World" topped the chart outside US when it came out and just blew the world away. It's like everywhere you went, you heard it on the radio, street corner cafe shop, taxi cab. The song demonstrated the range of Robin as he carried the tune for most part and the two other brothers provided chorus. "Melody Fair" was really the title track to an English movie of the same name as Barry Gibb wrote the score for the movie. That movie was a major hit worldwide of puppy love theme, in a way the movie made this song more popularly accepted. American fan may be less aware of this song.

Best of Volume 2, while having a hideous cover, superbly collects the best of the Bee Gees mellow sound. 1973 was a down year for the Brothers. United, but almost artistically bankrupt, BV2 stretches back to 1968 for material.
Wouldn't I Be Someone leads off Side One and was the proposed single from the unreleased A Kick In The Head Is Worth Eight In The Pants. Indeed this is probably the best of that bunch, with Barry and Robin alternating this moody tune. And imagine when I discovered the lyrics inside this sleeve! Alone these sounds are so great to cry to, but when you also have the words to actually read along, everything takes on a whole poetic feel. The interlude sung by Robin `Midnight stars are shining on my shoeshine...' almost sounds like a child contemplating his sad fate. This combined with the instrumental arrangement is ingenious.

IOIO is the complete opposite of Someone It's such an upbeat reggae style song, yet they lyrics are actually very sad. You can be happy and sing along or be sad and sing along and nobody around would know the difference. My World was a previously unreleased cut that found its way here. Despite this odd mix of old and rare, there are several gems here. This is one of them. It's lyrics are plain and simple-mine, yours, ours, what else is there? Yet the three-part harmony is so smart and complex. Great juxtaposition.
Instead of sweeping their prior split under the rug, The Bee Gees embraced it. Saved By The Bell and Don't Forget To Remember are added here to represent Robin, then Barry and Maurice, respectively ;0). With Bell, Robin almost sounds like a bell. The rhyme scheme and orchestral mix showed he could hold his own. Again hearing this on record just sounds so 1970 it's cool. Don't Forget To Remember also has some great lines from Barry and Maurice that just belong on record. There isn't much Maurice on this compilation, which I would normally For Shame! However, the tone here is the one of crying alone in the dark, which who is better for that than Quaver Robin or Breathy Barry?

My word if ever a song was meant for the record player and the record player alone it has to be And The Sun Will Shine! The slight pops and hisses and slight flat tone of the record just put the mellow sound over the top. Never mind those lyrics of trees, skies, love, and life! The song starts off slow, almost with no music. It's almost as if Robin were right here whispering in your ear. Then you look at the vinyl spinning and it sends chills up your spine.
Oh Run To Me is just darling. The guitar and vocal work here is marvelous. The lyric of 'Run to me, whenever you're lonely' is just so fitting. You're feeling down and out, put on The Bee Gees to console you.
I hadn't heard Man For All Seasons before my first listen here. In fact, I need to look up what album it originally came from, but it's pretty good darn good. Again harmony and rhyme, can anybody do it better?

How Can You Mend A Broken Heart leads off Side Two with its monster self. Barry and Robin poured the feelings about their rift into this song and came out with one of life's two biggest questions. (The other being How Deep Is Your Love? 80)=) ) The Boys can't give you the answers, but they make the questions a bit easier to deal with. Like How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, Don't Want To Live Inside Myself is also from Trafalgar. Where Heart is more reflective and questioning, Don't Want To Live Inside Myself is almost dark, edgy, angry, yet soft somehow. You almost feel sorry for it, but love it at the same time. Barry's soul delivery and the rock hard music parallel this feeling.
I'm going to be in tears doing this review! Everyone needs a good cry! Melody Fair again moves you by reflecting its lyrics in the music. When Melody sees the rain, the music sounds like raindrops. Maurice's harmonizing here is awesome. It seems to also reflect the story of Melody and the issues she's hiding under the surface. %^&*$% good!

Although they had to stretch for material, 1968's Let There Be Love fits the track list here. The musical and vocal arrangement is very orchestral. When Barry's vocal crescendo comes, you wonder how he can possibly top it, but
Robin joins in and the song rises to a whole nother level. Yes why can't there be love? Let there be love!
Now, ahem, the one rocking testament on Best of Volume 2 is Lonely Days. Written on the same day as How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, the Boys speak of their wives being their only saving graces during the band's split. It's so raw and real, human nature at its high and low described perfectly in song.
Next is In The Morning, or rather as it's entitled here Morning of My Life. This seems to be the version used for the Melody soundtrack. I personally like the original version on the 63-66 compilations better, but the slower rhythm here is ubermellow. Where the original version is more quirky, here however, it feels just like you've stayed up all night. The sunrise and rainbow you see are so beautiful, but somehow bittersweet. Now, anybody who's ever done that and felt that way, did you ever think there would be a song to describe that feeling? I know The Bee Gees rock!

Alive starts out bittersweet like In The Morning, but it quickly picks up with its affirming beat and lyrics. As crazy as this album can make you, Alive turns everything around and tastefully flips the bird at the mellow sound. It's so what! lyrics almost prep the Brothers Gibb for the kick-ass that was to come.
The early seventies were a very slow and mellow period for the Bee Gees, almost too mellow. However, mellow can serve its purpose, and Best Of Volume 2 is indeed a collection of the best. Try and find it on record, then save it for a rainy day. My Mom calls it `tin-e', whatever that means.