Average Rating: 
Rating: - One of the Best Live Albums Ever
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.
Rating: - LIVE! after all these years...
I had the opportunity to see this concert in person in Las Vegas, NV but work constraints kept me from it; and, am I ever sorry. I also have the video to this live concert & the chemistry between the brothers is as electrifying on CD as it is to see. An exceptional performance on Robin Gibb's part for "I Started A Joke"--the man is extraordinary...sounds almost as good as the original recording. Maurice Gibb provides great musical accompaniment & background vocals as well as doing one of his own...he's my fav! What can one say about Barry Gibb's extraordinary range within the vocal spectrum...he never ceases to amaze me..."Words" has always been my favorite Bee Gees song...never done better than live on stage with his brothers backup. If you get the CD, the video has to be on your priority list of things to get...puts everything into perspective...especially the tribute to their late brother, Andy.
Rating: - Fresh versions of old favorites, and then some!
I've been looking for a "best of" Bee Gees recording. Unfortunately, the collections called "best of" didn't have the older songs and included many songs I'd never heard of. This CD has it all! All the good songs are there (but with new, fresh arrangements), plus several familiar songs that were recorded and released by other artists. There's not a song on this CD that I don't prefer to the original released version -- the new arrangements are true to the originals without being slaves to them. It's a treat to hear the new sound of those old favorites. There's is a good mix of slow and fast, trademark falsetto and regular voice, definitely-Bee-Gees songs and songs I didn't know that the Bee Gees wrote. My favorite Bee Gees song, "To Love Somebody", is beautifully done. The disco-era songs are energetic, but not as "in your face" as the originals were. "Tragedy" wasn't among my favorite songs originally, but this arrangement is an ear-catcher. If you aren't bouncing along to the music, something's wrong! Every song on this 24-track nearly-80-minute CD is a treat. Slow dance, fast dance, I just want to dance. I can't sit still while listening to this one.
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