Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. New York Mining Disaster
2. To Love Somebody
3. Holiday
4. Massachusetts
5. World
6. Words
7. I've Gotta Get A Message To You
8. I Started A Joke
9. First of May
10. Saved By The Bell
11. Don't Forget To Remember
12. Lonely Days
13. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
14. Run To Me
15. Jive Talkin'
16. Nights On Broadway
17. Fanny Be Tender
18. Love So Right
19. If I Can't Have You
20. Love Me
21. You Should Be Dancing

Disc 2:

1. Stayin' Alive
2. How Deep Is Your Love
3. Night Fever
4. More Than A Woman
5. Emotion
6. Too Much Heaven
7. Tragedy
8. Love You Inside Out
9. Guilty
10. Heartbreaker
11. Islands In The Stream
12. You Win Again
13. One
14. Secret Love
15. For Whom The Bell Tolls
16. Alone
17. Immortality
18. This Is Where I Came In
19. Spicks and Specks

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17945 in Music
• Released on: 2001-11-20
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered

Amazon.com
Don't look for a richly illustrated, critical essay-packed hagiography with this 40-track, double-disc overview of the Bee Gees recording career. In typical, telling fashion, the Brothers Gibb have eschewed such exercises in ego inflation and simply let the best of their remarkable body of music speak for itself. Through it all, their familiar voices lock together in the sort of transcendent, seemingly genetic harmony that few singers since the Everly Brothers (early Gibb inspirations) have managed. Beginning with the plaintive 1966 hit "New York Mining Disaster 1941," this set traces the Gibbs' journey from successful Beatles-era balladeers to '70s white R&B gods and the undisputed kings of disco (we're reminded here that their shrewd metamorphosis began with "Nights on Broadway" and "Jive Talkin'"--long before the mega-success of "Saturday Night Fever"). But even as that dance craze faded, again threatening to turn the Bee Gees into pop anachronisms, the Gibbs simply stepped out of the limelight for a while, turning their talents to MOR hit-making for the likes of Samantha Sang, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, and Dionne Warwick. Those hits ("Emotion," "Heartbreaker," "Islands in the Stream") are featured here in modern rerecordings by the band, along with the Streisand-Barry Gibb duet, "Guilty." And if the Gibbs haven't had much of an American chart presence in recent years, they remain superstars throughout the rest of the world, a richly crafted pop music presence that simply won't be denied. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

35 Years - The Definitive Collection
The Bee Gees (Brothers Gibb) have released several compilation albums; "Best of Bee Gees Vol 1", "Vol. 2" and "Bee Gees Greatest" which were primarily period pieces. Their "Tales..." Box Set was a complete and exhaustive collection of all of their hits and B-Sides plus some rarities, but only went to 1990. This collection is the first one to address ALL of their big singles including versions formerly only recorded by other artists.

In some cases, critics have arguable compared this to the "Beatles I" released last year. It's not far off. Containing no less than (19) #1 hits written by the Bee Gees and (11) of these recorded by them, it is an impressive set. None of the other songs fell below the Top 30 either in the USA or Europe; an excellent gauge to choose the best singles from well over 50 choices.

The Bee Gees own versions of hits recorded by others fare well enough, but lack the exhuberance of the originals. "Emotion" doesn't reach the heights of Samantha Sang's or Destiny's Child's versions and "Immortality", unfortunately sounds like a demo. Only "Islands In The Stream" really kicks in with Robin leading an R&B version of the song that proves it was originally intended as soul, not just Country.

However, if this is the worst one can find in this remarkable set of (40) songs, that is saying a lot. There is no better proof of the incredible songwriting and harmonizing talent the three Brothers exhibit so easily. This is sure to be a historic item in anyone's collection. Who knows. It may even outsell "Saturday Night Fever" (and it really ought to).

Trivia note: The European version of this collection has Barry Gibb singing the lead entry vocal on "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" and also includes the singles "My World" and "Jumbo" which were mysteriously omitted from the USA release.

All the Bee Gees Greatest Hits!
It is probably accurate to say that those of us old enough to remember the original incarnation of the Australian supergroup "The Bee Gees" recall their singular vocal and harmonic sound and the string of smash hits they had in quick succession in the 1960s. Most of those original hits are included in this compilation of their early work, from an ethereal "Holiday" to a plaintive "Got To Get A Message To You". Indeed, they had a rapid succession of monster hits along the lines of favorites like "Words", "I Started A Joke", and "First Of May".

Really, then, until one listens to the CDS, it is easy to forget just how many times they rolled songs up to the top of the charts in that brief three or four year period. Of the twelve hits included here, my own personal favorite is, of course, "Massachusetts", but I also like "To Love Somebody", "New York Mining Disaster", and the strange but memorable "Every Christian Lion-Hearted Man Will Show You". Indeed, the Bee Gees (for Brothers Gibbs) cut a wide and special swath through the history of sixties pop music, and this album showcases their talent and their memorable lineup of hits.

When one adds the considerable catalogue of hits they added with their second incarnation during the disco craze of the 1970s, one begins to realize just how popular they were and how extravagant a cut at fame they actually had. All of this is in this album from "Staying Alive" to "How Deep Is Your Love", from "Night Fever" to "Too Much Heaven", the list of songs they made into instant hits goes on and on. Needless to say, I can heartily recommend this CD. Enjoy!

The Ultimate Collection....
Say what you want about the Bee Gees, but the one thing that must be said is they have phenomenal writing talent. Their career in the business is nothing short of great. They've had hits in each of the past four decades. They've written for other artists. They stay true to their style to some extent, and so much more. This album alone proves just that. We begin at the start of their career with "New York Mining Disaster", and end off in the present with "Spicks and Specks". This 2 CD set is organized in chronological order of release, which is a nice touch, unlike what some other greatest hits albums do. Every Bee Gee hit that you can think of is included in this collection. From "Stayin' Alive," and "Jive Talkin'" to "How Deep Is Your Love" and "This Is Where I Came In." Other tidbits include "Islands In The Stream" of Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton fame and "Emotion." My favs include "Stayin' Alive," "Too Much Heaven," "Secret Love," "Alone," (which I forgot they sang), "Tragedy," and "This Is Where I Came In." This is a phenomenal collection to be blunt. I really recommend that it should be a part of your music collection. The Bees Gees have been a staple of the music scene for many years, and any collection is not a collection without something from the Bees Gees. Like they say with movies, if there is one greatest hit collection to get this season, let it be this one. I promise, you won't be disappointed. It would be a "tragedy" to be without it, and you surely don't want to be "alone" when it sells out, so pick it up...and soon!