The Bee Gees - Number Ones (19 tracks) +Album Reviews

Make you wonder...

T. C Lane | Marina, CA USA | 11/11/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Why they didn't include "To Love Somebody", even though it never went to #1. The reason I state this is because 4 songs here: "Words", "World", "Don't Forget To Remember" and "I Started A Joke" never went to #1 in the US or UK. But then the compilers never tell us what chart methology they're using. Maybe they're including Germany or France or Australia. Who knows? There are no liner notes here, and the packaging has a rush job feel to it. The 5 song DVD is good. As a one CD summation of the Bee Gees' career, this is okay. But you're better off sticking with For The Record, which costs a couple dollars more, but is more thorough."

How Deep Is Their Love

Michael Kerner | Brooklyn, New York U.S.A. | 11/11/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The past few years, many artists have released records, regarding songs that were hugely acclaimed as #1 tracks. That has remained true, but the feel of each of the records knows something might be missing. That has happened with so many acts including The Beatles, Michael Jackson, DIana Ross & The Supremes, and of course Mariah Carey, that was the first to release a album of #1's. But in the 70's no group was considered #1 like The Bee Gees. The Brothers Gibb have made a huge impact upon the world with a remarkable feel of great music that has lasted for years. They've made people dance, and cry, but the music still shows itself in a extraordinary way.

The Bee Gees #1's is the first release from the Gibb brothers, after the unfortunate tragic death of Maurice Gibb a year ago. This collection fairs quite well with a lot of great songs they've truly made including great songs like How Deep Is Your Love and Stayin' Alive from Saturday Night Fever. The album also includes great ballads like I Started A Joke, Too Much Heaven, and their groundbreaking smash Jive Talkin'. Yet, the album fairs quite well, but like all great hits collections, there is always one that does falter with a few overlooked tracks. The album does overlook a couple of #1 songs including Nights On Broadway, and Barry's collaboration with Barbara Streisand on their smash duet Guilty.

With so many acts releasing Greatest Hits collections including Amy Grant, the manufactured Britney Spears, and Shania Twain, he Bee Gees #1's fairs very well in itself. Yet, there are some that feel their 2001 album Their Greatest Hits: The Record is a better collection, Number Ones fairs very well from the brothers from down under.

Album Cover: B

Remastering: B

Overall record: B+"

After the Beatles and Elvis come the Bee Gees

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 11/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The collection of number one hits by the Beatles was later followed by an equivalent collection by Elvis Presley. Both those collections limited themselves to British and American number ones. If the same rule had been applied to the Bee Gees, there would have been too much empty space on the CD, so the net was cast wider. They trawled the charts of Germany (World, words, More than a woman), New Zealand (I started a joke, Don't forget to remember) and Brazil (Immortality - some other Brazilian number ones have been omitted) as well as Britain and America. They had other number one hits in the Netherlands, Japan and Hong Kong but declined to use those, presumably because they had enough songs.

One song that wasn't a hit for them is Islands in the stream, the song they wrote for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, who took it to the top of the American pop charts. On that basis, their most successful song is Woman in love - it appears to have been number one in more countries around the world than any other Bee Gees song, whoever performed by. It seems that they have not recorded their own version of the song despite there being several possibilities for gender-adapted lyrics. Of course, they couldn't compete with Barbra's version but it would be interesting to hear their version.

In the end, this compilation represents all aspects of their career although some great songs are missing from their folk-pop phase of the sixties and early seventies, First of May, To love somebody and Run to me are all omitted, along with Robin's solo Saved by the bell. However, seven tracks is a fair representation of this period on a single CD encompassing their whole career. Two of the seven (Massachusetts, I've gotta get a message to you) made number one in the UK while How can you mend a broken heart made number one in America.

Their disco period is represented by nine tracks including How deep is your love, Staying alive, Night fever, Too much heaven and their final American number one, Love you inside out. The next track (You win again) was a surprise UK number one hit in 1987 - it was to be their last.

The collection is completed by Man in the middle (a tribute to Maurice), their version of Islands in the stream and (at least on the UK version - not sure about this version) Immortality. This edition includes a bonus DVD to provide further entertainment for those who have a DVD player.

If you just want a single CD of their music spanning most of their career, this will suit you. Nevertheless, you might prefer the earlier double CD, The record, especially if you like some of the classic songs that were omitted from this collection."

Fantastic New Album

Trombonist | hong kong | 11/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This record consists of all US #1s and some UK #1s, and an extra track dedicated to Maurice Gibb. Extra Tracks edition includes Islands in the Stream and Immortality. DVD BOnus edition includes 5 tracks : How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Jive Talkin', How Deep Is Your Love, Massachusetts, I started a Joke. Inside card, has a strip of pictures of the Bee Gees young to old timeline, the other side has copyrights of all songs, words by Tim Rice, and a poem written by Barry and RObin to Maurice. Great record."

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