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When the Bee Gees returned in 1989, two
years after the release of their triumphant
album
ESP, they
were a changed group. They had lost their
younger brother Andy a year earlier at the
age of 30, and the three Bee Gees
brothers (two of whom were still in their
thirties themselves) emerged seemingly with
a new outlook on life and music. This album
may surprise those more familiar with the
Bee Gees earlier works as it is very serious
and quite dark in places. It is also
remarkably well written, and showcases their
song writing talents incredibly well.
Again, they supply a varied collection of
songs, several breaking new ground for the
group. The album deservedly received a lot
of critical acclaim, and the single 'One'
(which took a simple, 'Jive Talkin'-style
melody and laid it onto a neat contemporary
groove) broke into the US Top Ten.
'Ordinary Lives', the first single in the
UK, appeared to be an attempt to recreate
the stomp sound of ESP's 'You Win Again',
but this time in more subtle way, with less
synthesiser and touching lyrics. It is not
entirely successful. The 'How
Deep Is Your Love'-style ballad is 'Wish You
Were Here', a classic piece of Bee Gees
music, written in memory of their brother,
Andy. 'Bodyguard', a warm, soulful track,
with an excellent Robin lead, stands out, as
does the more traditional 'Tears'. The Bee
Gees rock out, with mixed results, in 'It's
My Neighbourhood' and Robin and Maurice do
Bryan Adams in 'Tokyo Nights'. Maurice's
'token' track is the big production number,
'House of Shame', which was a good live
track in their 1989 One For All Tour, and
the Bee Gees even take on Stock, Aitken and
Waterman (popular hit-makers of the time) in
'Will You Ever Let Me', an entirely
disposable track that almost instantly dated.
Several of the other tracks on the album are
admittedly less distinctive, but all have
redeeming features. This album as a whole
impresses, and is yet another side to the
ever changing career of the Bee Gees, a
group that could still surprise 25 years
into their career.
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Where to Buy
Buy CD (released 1989)
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