Pros: All-in-one-collection, The 4 "new" songs originally done by others.
Cons: No new version of "Guilty," No Andy Gibb hits.
The Bottom Line: A must for Bee Gees fans, an excellent song selection to entice new fans! The voices, melodies, and words make it clear that Bee Gees talent knows no boundaries!
Jack1963's Full Review: Their Greatest Hits: The Record by Bee Gees
So you know from the start, I am a long time fan of the Bee Gees. I have followed their career since well-before "Saturday Night Fever" shot them into orbit, and have continued enjoying their newer songs despite the little USA-radio airplay in the last two decades. So, it was inevitable that I would find a copy of their latest release on the day it first appeared in stores. While there are a few songs that are missing here ("Don't Throw It All Away," "The Woman In You," "Paying the Price of Love," "Ordinary People" to name a few)..."The Record" truly does have most everything you could want to hear--from the early hits of the late 1960's, through the "chock-full-o-hits" 1970's, continuing through some lesser known worldwide hits from the 1980's and 1990's, and up to their most recent single "This Is Where I Came In."
For the most part, there are little surprises here. Practically all the songs listed were big hits and they still have that toe-tapping quality despite the years since they were regularly played on radio. If this were the end of the story, I likely wouldn't be as excited about "The Record" as I am. I have most all of these singles on some form of recording or another, although I admit it is a major convenience to have them now all lumped together. And, due to some of the additional hits from the 1980's through 2001, this is a much better buy than their older "Greatest Hits" albums of the past. It's truly all-encompassing.
Yet, it doesn't end there. There is definitely more. On "The Record" the Bee Gees decided to give us a new taste of some of their songs originally recorded and made famous by other artists. We get "Emotion" (originally by Samantha Sang--and presently on the charts with Destiny's Child), "Heartbreaker" (made famous by Dionne Warwick), "Islands in the Stream" (originally by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton), and "Immortality" (originally done by Celine Dion). Unfortunately, they left out one--"Guilty" by Barry Gibb and Barbra Streisand is the same version as before, unlike the gliding melody from the recent "One Night Only" live version. It's somewhat difficult to listen to the older duet version now, almost like being slightly cheated out of something much better. Regardless, the four additional songs are well worth adding this album to any music collection.
"Islands in the Stream" is very different than any previous version, with Robin Gibb singing lead and a strong R&B beat drumming throughout. "Immortality" finds Barry singing in his "higher voice," making it quite a contrast to the Celine Dion version. "Heartbreaker" is just as beautiful as the original Dionne Warwick version, although it is more fun to hear the brothers singing it instead. Actually, this one grows more powerful each time I hear it. And finally "Emotion" is truly a masterpiece, much better than the Samantha Sang version and head over heals better than the Destiny's Child version of today. This version could be a runaway hit single on its own, if allowed!
So what is really missing on "The Record"? It would have made perfect sense for the Bee Gees to take claim of some of the hits they wrote for their brother, Andy Gibb. How wonderful it would have been to hear some of Andy's songs again, with Barry, Robin, and Maurice singing leads. It would have made for a nice tribute to Andy as well.
Regardless of the minor irritants, I still rate this new work a 5-star because of the additional four songs mentioned and the convenience of having all the great hits bundled together like this. There is no doubt that the Bee Gees are a force like no other in the music industry, showing their abilities to adapt with the times. I look forward to "The Record II" in a few more years!
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