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Number Ones

Bee Gees - Number Ones Audio CD

A fair review of the Bee Gees "Number Ones" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Bee Gees reviews here, or go back to the Bee Gees tabs.

Band: Bee Gees
Title: Number Ones
Rating:

Release Date: 2004-11-09
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart 2: How Deep Is Your Love 3: Jive Talkin' 4: Massachusetts 5: I Started A Joke 6: Massachusetts 7: World 8: Words 9: I've Gotta Get A Message To You 10: I Started A Joke 11: Don't Forget To Remember 12: Lonely Days 13: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart 14: Jive Talkin' 15: You Should Be Dancing 16: Love So Right 17: How Deep Is Your Love 18: Stayin' Alive 19: Night Fever 20: Too Much Heaven 21: Tragedy 22: Love You Inside Out 23: You Win Again 24: Man In The Middle

Salute Number Ones!
(Gibbers across the pond were treated to additional tracks instead.
In the fall of 2004, Barry and Robin released the compilation set Number Ones, complete with An Audience with The Bee Gees mini concert that I shall refer to as well. ) Although the criteria for the track listing may seem obvious- the number one singles of The Bee Gees-I do have a few head scratchers.

The history begins with Massachusetts, the Brothers' first number one off the Horizontal album and what a fitting place to start. Currently I have Number Ones in my alarm clock stereo system. Everyday I wake up to Massachusetts. Sometimes I just shut it off and go back to sleep, but sometimes I feel bad about stopping such a great song and I end up listening to the whole CD. Did I mention this also serves in waking up the entire household?

World, also an early hit from Horizontal, is always a bit depressing following Massachusetts, but that woe is me was Robin's forte back in the day, and it still holds up today. The poetic lyrics are still so heartfelt and true.

Words of course is Barry's mellow love self. I've always chuckled at the origin of this oft-covered ballad. Cast off and tossed onto Best of Volume One. It was a chart topper, who knew? You can never get tired of this one.

Yes, yes, yes! I've Gotta Get A Message to You is my favorite of course. I get giddy every time I hear the opening beats. One of the Brothers most popular songs, and its about a man getting the electric chair. Genius. Have I said that before?

The quirky hits keep coming with I Started A Joke. I was disappointed when Robin didn't do this live in Germany, so I am very pleased to see this enigmatic song here. Today I doubt a song like this would ever top the charts. We Gibbers love it and we don't even know what it's about!

I was, however, a bit surprised by Don't Forget To Remember's inclusion here. Although the jacket hails some fine pictures and artwork, little is given about the songs' actual chart success. Liberties seem to have been taken between UK Number Ones and US chart toppers. It's also ironic that Barry and Robin would include the hit from Cucumber Castle, the album done by Barry and Maurice. Go Fig.

Ah, Lonely Days. In all these sappy, easy tunes you need a little pick me up and nothing does it like Lonely Days. I still don't know anyone who doesn't tap their foot by the end of this track.

The lone Trafalgar standout How Can You Mend a Broken Heart might be the definitive Gibb slow song, pre Fever anyway. The Brothers themselves defined their early career as `Broken Heart Bee Gees' and this reunion diddy was the first US Number One for the boys.

Jive Talkin led the Brothers' Main Course revival , even if it isn't one of my favorites. This pivotal hit launched the boys into their seemingly quintessential dance music style. As much as I dislike Jive, it's place here as a chart maker is undeniable.

I wonder if You Should be Dancing is so associated with Travolta and Fever that people forgot it actually topped the charts with Children of the World first? More than a mere dance song, You Should Be Dancing has become imbedded into our cultural lexicon. How many movies have spoofed the white suit routine?

Love So Right, another hit from the Children of The World record, showcases Barry, Robin, and Maurice's softer side. I love the opening bars to this one. Love So Right tells of love found than lost, who can't relate to that?

And naturally we come to the Fever hoopla. How Deep is Your Love, Stayin Alive, and Night Fever all take their rightful places here. The exclusion of More Than a Woman, however, is woefully obvious. Gibb Reviewer as I Am, even I am not sure of all the finite chart numbers, but anyone who was alive in 1977 must know of Barry, Robin, and Maurice's five number ones in the Billboard top ten. Naturally all the glorious Gibb tunes cannot fit in one compilation, and More Than A Woman was saved for the UK version of Number ones and the follow up compilation Love Songs I protest!

Too Much Heaven, Tragedy, and Love You Inside Out all represent the Spirits monster. While I love all three dearly and historically there is no way around these three number ones, Number Ones here gives the impression once again that the late seventies were the be all end all of The Bee Gees. The next track being 1987's You Win Again doesn't help the case either. I think the idea was to have hits only from The Bee Gees banner, but Guilty might have been a nice addition. No solo Gibb work is presented here either. Juliet would have fit the criteria, but instead Robin's tune found it's way to Love Songs. I would have preferred more range showcasing the Brothers' five decade career not a re- solidifying of the heyday, but I digress.

The set ends with The `Maurice Gibb tribute track' Man in the Middle, from the boys final studio album This Is Where I Came In. Although it's not a number one hit, not a hit at all-not even a single in fact- Man In The Middle is the finest touch on the album. The song reiterates Barry and Robin's dedication to Maurice on the foldout. The surviving boys call Mo `A Man in the middle in many ways. . . ' and later an `All around good egg'. Barry and Robin setting aside their current differences and pulling together this compilation for Maurice explains partly why they endured so long and had so many number ones.

UK fans were treated with bonus tracks of Islands In The Stream and Immortality. I'm assuming both are The Brothers versions found on The Record, but I must of course mention The Audience With The Bee Gees treat found on the US release of Number Ones. If I had to choose only five songs to represent The Brothers Gibb, these might be it. The highlights here come near to perfection. I don't know much else about Audience, since it was originally a British special around the time of the This Is Where I Came In release.

How Can You Mend A Broken Heart and How Deep is Your Love start the DVD off wonderfully, but I don't think the tracks are in the order in which they were originally performed. Jive Talkin is only tolerable live, and the boys get the crowd on their feet and clapping at the first strings. Massachusetts and I Started A Joke harken back to the early days and show that The Brothers always had it, and always will. This mini disc is just enough to remind fans of old and make new fans yearn for more.

Despite a few chinks in Number Ones' listing, the CD makes a great gift for fans old and new. It's great for the car and affordable enough for Gibbers to give as gifts to Non-Gibbers. You will convert a few! As Barry and Robin tell Maurice on the dedication, Number Ones is a great way to `Keep in touch. ' .

It's Got Them All
Still it's a great buy! I no longer own any earlier BEE GEES releases but have been a fan since I first heard Jive Talkin on the radio. What can I say about this album? If you are a BEE GEES fan this is a great CD to have in your collection! All of the hits and a few not so well known tunes toward the end. I have been rebuilding my music collection and this CD more than satisfies any craving for BEE GEES music! .

One of my favorites.
A real good collection of Bee-Gees hits, love most of the songs, will be forever a great collectible to have for anyone who is a loyal fan of this amazing singers.

Great Collection
the versatility and depth of there songs have always held a place for me and my ears. the Music Genius that is the Bee Gees Music has always touched me and Moved me. they were more than Disco, More than Pop and R&B they blended so many various styles of music and are Underrated to me overall. this collection will be strong to the newbies and still rock a party. a strong balance of songs that represent so much of the Greatness that is the Bee Gees and there other fuller sets out but this is a Must have from One of My All time Favorite Musical Acts. .

great CD
If you want to travel down memory lane, this is a great CD to buy. . . . . . . . great selection of songs.

You can see a complete list of all Bee Gees discography, or go back to the Bee Gees tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.