the other two are the drummer (Colin Petersen) and the lead guitarist (Vince Melouney)
― Οὖτις, Monday, 17 December 2018 18:46 (five years ago) link
wiki implies that Maurice's first solo vocal turns are on Odessa ("Suddenly", where you can definitely tell him apart from Barry and Robin; less so on "I Laugh in Your Face")
― Οὖτις, Monday, 17 December 2018 18:48 (five years ago) link
(xp) Yes, they were a fully-fledged band by the time they got (back) to the UK.
― It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christ (Tom D.), Monday, 17 December 2018 18:51 (five years ago) link
Could "In My Own Time" be them at their most beatlesque? The bass line definitely bears a strong resemblance to Taxman.
― enochroot, Monday, 17 December 2018 18:53 (five years ago) link
no skipping ahead!
― Οὖτις, Monday, 17 December 2018 18:54 (five years ago) link
(but yes)
My bad - i have no idea how these listening threads work... someone mentioned "One Minute Woman" already, but there was no mention of "Holiday".
― enochroot, Monday, 17 December 2018 18:56 (five years ago) link
They're not exactly short of Beatleseque tracks.
― It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christ (Tom D.), Monday, 17 December 2018 18:58 (five years ago) link
"Holiday" was posted on Saturdayxp
― Οὖτις, Monday, 17 December 2018 19:31 (five years ago) link
Missed it too, great song, great non-ovine vocal from Robin too.
― It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christ (Tom D.), Monday, 17 December 2018 19:35 (five years ago) link
Ah, so it's a track a day. Got it.(i'll save my Taxman/Doctor Robert comparisons for tomorrow)
― enochroot, Monday, 17 December 2018 20:41 (five years ago) link
I can skip tracks on weekends, if ppl aren't around as much
― Οὖτις, Monday, 17 December 2018 20:53 (five years ago) link
I almost missed this! Yay! Bookmarking so I can join in. Thanks for starting this up Shakey... we are in for QUITE a journey I think! :D
― Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 17 December 2018 20:55 (five years ago) link
I missed the start of this as well. Cool idea – tho maybe we should name the song explicitly? Esp. since the song titles don’t show up if using the app and they’re embedded in videos. Anyway...Turn of the Century – not much I have to add to Οὖτις’s take on this. Holiday –
Who knows what this song is about, really. Beautifully eerie.
― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 17 December 2018 21:25 (five years ago) link
Great thread. I don't expect to add much but will listen with pleasure.
― Ned Trifle X, Monday, 17 December 2018 21:28 (five years ago) link
yeah sorry, I will add the songtitles in posts from now on!
― Οὖτις, Monday, 17 December 2018 21:34 (five years ago) link
so.much. harischord
― Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 17 December 2018 22:50 (five years ago) link
harpsichord, even
I dunno what it is about 60s psych, did every studio in the world just have one just sitting around from classical sessions from 20 years ago?
― Οὖτις, Monday, 17 December 2018 22:51 (five years ago) link
maybe because studio system esp in the UK was still v stodgy & classical music obsessed? like “we dont have any “guitars” but have a fool around with these french horns, they’re loads of fun”
― Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 17 December 2018 22:54 (five years ago) link
either that or Nicky Hopkins just carted one around everywhere with him
― Οὖτις, Monday, 17 December 2018 23:00 (five years ago) link
lolthese early tracks def have the psych sound & fine musically but god they reallt are hilariously devoid of any irreverence or fun or lyrical, well, anything. Like I can’t really imagine anyone listening to these songs for enjoyment, except like weird wealthy aristocrats who were legit longing for hoop skirts & harpsichords & felt this all spoke to them on a deep level idk.
― Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 17 December 2018 23:01 (five years ago) link
oh I think a bit of fun/comedy will start poking through in a few songs. They are a very odd band though, in terms of the attitudes they convey - like, they want to go for the three-hanky weepiness (esp Robin) ref'd upthread, just get really maudlin and melodramatic, but then they are just as apt to go in for clownishly clumsy goofs on the next track. I'm not sure if they were just really comfortable with being ridiculous and/or totally oblivious to how ridiculous they could be. Either way, what they do works.
But, I mean, look at that inner sleeve for Cucumber Castle, they were clearly goofing around with that, while at the same time, the album includes some of the most earnestly emotive self-pity Barry would ever deliver ("Bury me, down by the river"... or I suppose "Barry, me, down by the river" lol).
― Οὖτις, Monday, 17 December 2018 23:11 (five years ago) link
and then sometimes in their psych period the sad stuff gets pushed to the absolute limit, the tragedy assumes comic proportions on more than one occasion, so it can be both genuinely moving AND hilarious depending on how you approach it, I suppose.
― Οὖτις, Monday, 17 December 2018 23:13 (five years ago) link
Yeah definitely. I think a lot of it prob comes down to just youth & self-consciousness & learning their creative/musical personality through the early studio process
― Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 17 December 2018 23:17 (five years ago) link
yeah. they're also learning a lesson which would stand them in good stead for decades, which is adapt to whatever the musical climate of the moment is. they were v v skilled at quickly grasping what other musicians were doing and adapting it to their own purposes.
― Οὖτις, Monday, 17 December 2018 23:24 (five years ago) link
I really like the song Cucumber Castle
― frogbs, Monday, 17 December 2018 23:30 (five years ago) link
popping in to say that when i was a teen, there was a local group who covered "holiday" and (obviously as a teen in the early 90s) had no idea it was a coveri have searched for evidence of this and found nothing but it was a synthy upbeat version.
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Monday, 17 December 2018 23:39 (five years ago) link
that sounds like a terrible idea lol
― Οὖτις, Monday, 17 December 2018 23:43 (five years ago) link
I really liked the Nappy Roots song that sampled Holiday.
― JoeStork, Monday, 17 December 2018 23:49 (five years ago) link
i have been texting with friends about it -- i know it existed -- but no record of it that i can find. the group was called Piper Blue !?
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Monday, 17 December 2018 23:51 (five years ago) link
i know i have it on a mix i taped off the radio but no idea which one
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 00:04 (five years ago) link
I don't know, a synthy PSB style version of "Holiday" could definitely work. It's worth reminding ourselves just how young they all were at this stage, Barry was 20 when he recorded this album, Robin and Maurice were 17. Seventeen.
― It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christ (Tom D.), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 00:53 (five years ago) link
the people who recorded this cover were about the same age -- definitely teensi am on the trail...
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 00:55 (five years ago) link
thread title surprisingly otm!!
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 00:56 (five years ago) link
i would love to hear it if you find it!
― Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 00:59 (five years ago) link
My introduction to non-Saturday Night Fever Bee Gees was actually through a local musician's cover of "Holiday".
― cwkiii, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 01:27 (five years ago) link
Also I'm very happy this thread is happening even though I will have nothing of substance to contribute and will be totally unable to keep up with it cool thanks
― cwkiii, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 01:28 (five years ago) link
Astrud Gilberto did a cover of Holiday on her album September 17, 1969 (but honestly, it wasn't one of her finer moments -- she did this fast/slow/fast/slow arrangement of it which doesn't work that well)
― enochroot, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 02:20 (five years ago) link
In My Own Time – the previously-noted “Doctor Robert” groove and Harrysong lead vocal on this may be the most shameless thing they ever did (and that’s saying something). It’s pretty great tho and better than I remember. And holy shit, are these songs short. Sorry to jump the line but I had a moment. Also, Shakey, you are absolutely killing it on this thread.
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 14:59 (five years ago) link
I have that Astrud Gilberto version on 45. I was hoping it would be a special 45 mix that was all fast, but it's the same as the LP version
― Josefa, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 15:26 (five years ago) link
Track No. 5: In My Own Time ("Bee Gees 1st", 1967)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLzfjPkNaM8
As mentioned, uncanny in its Rubber Soul/Revolver-era Beatley-ness, esp with the rhythm section and the harmonies, which bear a striking resemblance to the close three-part harmonies McCartney, Lennon and Harrison perfected. If there's any element of the song that doesn't quite live up to its obvious inspiration its the guitar solo, which is serviceable but not nearly on the level of Harrison's melodicism and phrasing. Lyrically pretty straightforward in sentiment, but even then I dunno what that line about hot cross buns is about - another instance of the boys littering their songs with left-field imagery of a distinctly English bent. There's a relatively shitty audio clip of them doing this song live for the BBC and Robin's non-stop ad-libs behind Barry's lead vocal are pretty funny.
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 18:49 (five years ago) link
Native Teen Idol, did you mean to write “Harrison” where it says “Harrysong” in your post? I couldn’t make sense of it before Shakey’s post and it got me very confused because the only Harrysong I know is a present-day Nigerian Afropop singer. Or perhaps your autocorrect is Nigerian-inclined?(Sorry about this slight derail. I’m following this thread with interest, even if I don’t expect to add much of relevance to the conversation for now)
― breastcrawl, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 21:04 (five years ago) link
p sure it was just a pun on George Harrison (who was fond of that kind of thing)
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 21:13 (five years ago) link
Okay, didn’t know “George Harrysong” was a thing - please proceed...
― breastcrawl, Tuesday, 18 December 2018 21:25 (five years ago) link
Rutleseque.
― It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christ (Tom D.), Tuesday, 18 December 2018 23:17 (five years ago) link
It was an unintentionally bastardized play on the name of his publishing company.
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 19 December 2018 00:17 (five years ago) link
Quite like this one as Beatles pastiches go. Very pleasant! But oof the guitar solo really drags you back to reality huh
― Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 19 December 2018 00:37 (five years ago) link
Track No. 6: Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You ("Bee Gees 1st", 1967)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPoLyRBmjoM
What can you say about this monolith marvelousness? Often associated with similar soft-psych choral efforts by the Moody Blues, Vanilla Fudge, etc. but honestly I find this song kind of next-level compared to those in the way it see-saws between the creepy medieval chanting and the triumphant harmonies in the chorus, all underpinned by some lovely mellotron work from Maurice. Lyrically it's another hodgepodge of random historical referents and child-like nostalgia, delivered in their uniquely melancholy way. The gregorian chant bits are apparently all Robin, overdubbed.
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 19 December 2018 16:43 (five years ago) link
Crazy in a good way.
― It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christ (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 December 2018 17:09 (five years ago) link
Robin's solo material is every bit as nutty and, in some ways, even more nutty but there's a lot less variety to it. Love it, of course.
― Eggbreak Hotel (Tom D.), Saturday, 26 December 2020 23:48 (three years ago) link
somebody should consider taking up the mantle on shakey's abandoned sly stone track-by-track thread
― budo jeru, Sunday, 27 December 2020 03:16 (three years ago) link
Honestly, I found that thread slow going. It never seemed to get out of Sly's adolescence. It's good to be judicious in selecting a time period to explore. How much of a slog would this thread have been if it started with the Bee Gees' Australian albums?
― Halfway there but for you, Sunday, 27 December 2020 03:51 (three years ago) link
I think Shakey starting the thread when Sly was 4 years old (or whenever) was a bit much. After all, he ignored all of the Bee Gees' Australian recordings, which had at least produced, "Spicks and Specks".
― Eggbreak Hotel (Tom D.), Sunday, 27 December 2020 11:16 (three years ago) link
(xp)
A few more thoughts:The discussion around To Whom It May Concern about Robin's last sole compositions and lead vocals reminds me of an interview I saw recently, might've been in the documentary, where Barry says it was Robin, of all people, who really pushed Barry to write songs for his falsetto. He also said that Robin was the one who was most driven for chart success. Good posts on “I Held a Party” — a song I really like."You Know It's For You” feels like Maurice has traded Nilsson for the Moody Blues.By the time To Whom It May Concern reaches “Please Don’t Turn Out the Lights” and “Sea of Smiling Faces" I realize how much more I enjoy listening to this record than anything since Odessa (other than the Robin albums, each of which leaves 2 Years On and Trafalgar in the dust in terms of consistency). It’s clearly a (the?) highlight of their post-reunion/pre-disco records. Plowing through the disco records now ...
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 30 December 2020 13:49 (three years ago) link
Re. their songs about getting laid too much, it’s interesting that Barry has been happily married to the same woman for, like, 50 years. Good call on “Country Lanes” having an Eric Carmen vibe. And yeah, I agree that Main Course feels a lot more similar to the previous records than it seemed – the second side in particular is really a throwback to the 70-74 grab bag era once they got their disco out of the way. As a result, the disco records feel like less of a slog – like what they really needed was some tempos variation!On to Children of the World ...
That being said, even with Barry firmly in the lead, it's worth noting that song credits on their disco era albums are all almost uniformly split between the three brothers, possibly an act of solidarity on Barry's part that was both smart and generous.
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 30 December 2020 18:38 (three years ago) link
In terms of songwriting credits, I remember reading that Robin in particular was good at coming up with memorable lyrics at the spur of the moment, even if a given song had its genesis with Barry.
― Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, 30 December 2020 18:57 (three years ago) link
I also remember Blue Weaver complaining that a song where he composed the chords that Barry sang a finished lyric over came out credited Gibb/Gibb/Gibb.
― Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, 30 December 2020 18:59 (three years ago) link
He doesn’t get a credit on “How Deep Is Your Love” notwithstanding the fact that he and Barry both remember writing the song the same way.
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 30 December 2020 19:47 (three years ago) link
By the time To Whom It May Concern reaches “Please Don’t Turn Out the Lights” and “Sea of Smiling Faces" I realize how much more I enjoy listening to this record than anything since Odessa (other than the Robin albums, each of which leaves 2 Years On and Trafalgar in the dust in terms of consistency). It’s clearly a (the?) highlight of their post-reunion/pre-disco records.
I get the feeling that "To Whom It May Concern" is sometimes considered the nadir of their 1970-74 period (by those lucky people who might not be aware "Life in a Tin Can" even exists), the title has such an air of desperation about it, but I agree it's actually pretty enjoyable. "Trafalgar" is something ridiculous like 48 minutes long and if you lopped off about 15 minutes it would be a really good album. "Mr. Natural" is clearly the best post-reunion/pre-disco album.
― Eggbreak Hotel (Tom D.), Wednesday, 30 December 2020 20:26 (three years ago) link
A few more thoughts re. the disco years ...Blue Weaver is kind of the secret weapon of this era. He clearly was paying close attention to Stevie Wonder and Cecil/Margouleff programming on stuff like “Lovers” and “Children of the World” with all that floaty melodic polyphonic stuff. But he’s also clearly the engine behind a lot of these arrangements other than the horns. Great Rhodes and piano parts everywhere. Even as late as Spirits of the World, he’s adding synth riffs and textures. “Boogie Child” really is a kick – it takes Bowie’s “Fame” riff and actually does something with it. All in all, I think Children of the World might be their best from this period. Lastly, re. “Country Lanes,” I listened to that song about 7x in the car just now. There’s something incredibly moving about that chorus as it builds and builds, with Robin melodramatically proclaiming he’ll never “belong” to anyone again. Hits me right there as well, Tom (tho why is it “in” country lanes instead of “on”?). Makes me feel like writing some of those gloppy YouTube comments mentioned upthread.
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 30 December 2020 23:52 (three years ago) link
Has no-one pointed that the narrator of "I Started a Joke", be it Adolf Hitler or whoever, actually dies in the course of the song?― The Vangelis of Dating (Tom D.), Friday, 8 March 2019 16:39 (two years ago) bookmarkflaglinkwracking my brain for whether or not that's unique in their catalog - it might not be!― Οὖτις, Friday, 8 March 2019 16:48 (two years ago) bookmarkflaglink
― The Vangelis of Dating (Tom D.), Friday, 8 March 2019 16:39 (two years ago) bookmarkflaglink
wracking my brain for whether or not that's unique in their catalog - it might not be!
― Οὖτις, Friday, 8 March 2019 16:48 (two years ago) bookmarkflaglink
It isn't. Robin (who else?) also dies in his solo track, "One Million Years" - although the first line in the song is actually "I'm dead" he later tells us "I passed away". It's like Sam Beckett but managed by Robert Stigwood. He also claims he dies in "Saved By the Bell" but that's a bit more ambiguous.
― Are Animated Dads Getting Hotter? (Tom D.), Monday, 17 May 2021 18:30 (three years ago) link
"i started a joke", same energy same voice:
In the past, I have fallen for this trick over 100 times. I've suffered professionally and mentally as a result. Their tactics are ruthless.— wint (@dril) December 6, 2021
― mark s, Thursday, 13 January 2022 10:48 (two years ago) link
Okay
― The Door into Summerisle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 13 January 2022 11:08 (two years ago) link
i regret having fallen off of this thread early, after a binge-y catchup on the first two albums. but that experience absolutely stuck with me, 'cause i've recently ended up acquiring copies of both records! i've really been loving the time spent with Bee Gees' 1st this week. it's an odd duck in that it's definitely greater than the sum of its parts, but also really oddly sequenced... even several listens in, i keep expecting something to be a side-ender and then there's two more songs after it. why on earth is "Please Read Me" not the album closer?? that would be great.
but it's really enjoyable as this charming and sometimes brilliantly hooky exemplar of slightly trippy 1968 pop-rock, tremendously influenced by both Pet Sounds and the Beatles' last few releases, but without the rockin' instrumental deftness of George and Ringo, or the harmonies and more directly emotional/confessional lyrics of Brian Wilson and Tony Asher. the combination actually does work, mainly because of the really distinct and committed (if sometimes mildly affected) vocals. and the songs are more varied and interesting than pretty much any other up-and-coming bubblegum psych act i've heard. like, i have a longstanding fondness for the Lemon Pipers' Green Tambourine, and this is a way way better record than that. i would guess that the Brooklyn Bridge's debut album is probably in a similar vein but i remember trying it out once and it was just a dreary chore. etc.
most especially "to love somebody" has risen tremendously in my estimation over the past ~4 years, i now think of it as an obvious towering classic of the genre. you can easily imagine that chorus as a fondly-remembered garage-rock hit by an otherwise unknown band, but the strings and vocals are so unmistakably part of this unique Bee Gee fusion. it really packs a wallop!
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 19 November 2022 18:54 (one year ago) link
"Birdie Told Me" has been stuck in my head for days, I'm slowly losing all grip on reality
― got it in the blood, the kid's a pelican (Doctor Casino), Friday, 13 January 2023 14:02 (one year ago) link