One Night Only Review
Posted by
Jody J Oneal
on 3/04/2012
/
Labels:
bee gees,
disco,
live recordings,
rock and roll hall of fame
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Whether one is new to the Bee Gees or a seasoned fan, this is a must-have CD. In fact, for the newcomer, there is really no better place to start than with this 24-track 77-minute live disc covering a 30-year time frame (1967-1997).
The brothers provide a gorgeous overview of their early years (1967-1972) with a few of their best-loved songs--gems like "Massachussets" and "I Started a Joke" to name but two. Naturally, no Bee Gees concert would be complete without a selection of songs from their most commercially-successful period to date (1975-1979), and this era is wonderfully represented with songs that include the Saturday Night Fever hits. ("Night Fever" and "More Than a Woman" are, it should be mentioned, abbreviated versions with the former melding seamlessly and stunningly into the latter).
Lest anyone be surprised and, perhaps, disappointed, foreshortened versions (with all three brothers around a single mike and fairly minimal musical accompaniment) are presented for "I Can't See Nobody" (1:23), "And the Sun Will Shine" (1:49), "Nights on Broadway" (0:58), "Heartbreaker" (1:00) which was originally written for Dionne Warwick, and "Guilty" (2:15) which was originally written for Barbra Streisand.
Features which are unique to this CD include: A full-length, fully-accompanied version of "Islands in the Stream" (originally written for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton); "Our Love (Don't Throw it all Away)," during the latter part of which the Bee Gees very tastefully and touchingly accompany the previously-recorded voice of their late-brother Andy; "Grease," the title song to the 1977 movie, the latter part of which is performed by the previously-recorded voice of Frankie Valli, with the Gibbs accompanying; and last but not least, "Immortality," performed by Celine Dion and accompanied by the Bee Gees.
Most impressive of all on this CD is the quality, not only of the music, but of the presentation. Unlike so many live recordings, there are no mumbled or off-key vocals and no sloppy musical accompaniment. On the contrary, the performance by the band (which includes Maurice, Barry, and Barry's son Stephen) is as tight, smooth and professional as any studio recording. Vocally, the harmonies of the Gibbs are as impeccable as ever, with voices as strong and resonant as they were 30 years ago. Further, a very classy and effective strategy was the use of "You Should be Dancing" to encapsulate the concert, giving it a nice feeling of completion with the performance coming full circle.
In conclusion, there may, perhaps, be other artists who have produced live recordings of an equally exceptional quality; there are, however, none who have produced better. This CD serves as a testament, more than anything, to the fact that the Brothers Gibb are far more than great studio musicians; they are, in addition to being first-rate songwriters, absolutely outstanding live performers. The end result is a CD that is not only one of the Bee Gees best, it is one of the best of all time. Extremely highly recommended.
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Brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb made musical history for close to four decades with their magnificent vocal harmonies and ever-evolving styles. Masters of orchestral pop, blue-eyed soul and R&B, dazzling dance grooves, and disco fever alike-as well as uniquely blended hybrids of all these genres and more-the Bee Gees delivered album classics and top chart hits throughout their enduring career. On this newly remastered edition, the amazing genetics of their harmonies shine, as does the ongoing artistic evolution thats made them one of contemporary musics most successful and legendary acts.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.
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