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Children of the World
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23 new or used available from $5.79
Average customer review:
Track Listing
- You Should Be Dancing
- You Stepped into My Life
- Love So Right
- Lovers
- Can't Keep a Good Man Down
- Boogie Child
- Love Me
- Subway
- Way It Was
- Children of the World
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #122270 in Music
- Released on: 2006-06-06
- Number of discs: 1
Editorial Reviews
Album Description
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 that’s made them one of contemporary music’s most successful and legendary acts.
Customer Reviews
This album captures the heart of the Bee Gees' influence of the "Disco Era"
If one were to assess musical artists in the Pop music era, one may not be off-base by saying that the Bee Gees are one of the Top 10 acts of all time. The Bee Gees established themselves as pop stars in the late 1960s; reinvented themselves in the 1970s as pioneers for the "Disco Era"; became acclaimed songwriters for some of pop's biggest acts in the 1980s; and then successfully made a comeback in the 1990s. It was the 1975 album "Main Course" that would be the album where the Bee Gees would reinvent themselves. "Main Course" would include a large use of synthesizers that would be key in spearheading the Bee Gees foray into the "Disco Era". While "Main Course" might be criticized because of being Disco, one cannot deny that the Bee Gees were innovators back in 1975. Following "Main Course", the Bee Gees would release their follow-up, "Children of the World". With that album, the Bee Gees continue with the formula that worked on "Main Course" - further solidifying their journey into the world of Disco.
Looking at the Bee Gees, I look at the group has covering three phases. "Early Bee Gees" covers the period from the inception of the group through 1973's "Life in a Tin Can" album. This period would have the Bee Gees characterized as pop artists/pop balladeers. In 1974, with the release of "Mr. Natural" would begin the "Disco Era" phase as the Bee Gees would introduce an R&B and Disco influence - as well as Barry Gibb's trademark falsetto. The "Disco Era" phase would run from 1974's "Mr. Natural" album through 1981's "Living Eyes" album. This would be the most commercially successful period for the band and would include their "Saturday Night Fever" material. When Disco went into decline, the Bee Gees would go into commercial decline. They would take some time off and focus on songwriting, and then in 1987 when they would launch their comeback. Beginning with 1987's "E.S.P." album, the Bee Gees would return to a more traditional sound becoming adult-contemporary artists. "Children of the World" would fall into the heart of the commercially successful "Disco Era" phase.
"Children of the World" would include all of the trademarks of the "Disco Era" phase. The R&B sound - with some influence of funk. To help construct this sound, the Bee Gees would defer to often orchestral-like sounds. The use of horns also helps supplement this sound.
Here is a track by track review of this collection:
"You Should Be Dancing": Many people consider this the signature song of during the entire Disco Era - and with good reason. This song would also be selected to be John Travolta's "solo" during "Saturday Night Fever". The song is completely electric. What many people overlook is the infusion of the horns section and the fact that the song is supplemented by a calypso sound. It are these items that really help put the song over the top.
"You Stepped into My Life": Following the electricity of "You Should Be Dancing", this song is almost a let-down. The song uses has a funk influence with lots of synthesizers. To a lesser extent, you can also hear some orchestral sounds. While it has a good beat, the vocals on this song (despite Barry Gibb's falsetto) did bore me.
"Love So Right": While not a Disco or a Funk song, this song almost is the poster child for many of the ballads the Bee Gees did in the "Disco Era" phase. This song is all about Barry's vocals - which are truly are in prime form on this song. The chorus almost has a mantra-like effect.
"Lovers": At first this song annoyed me, but slowly it started to grow on me. This song has a funk-influenced beat. Barry and Robin trade vocals nicely (and I think it's Maurice going "got to make you understand").
"Can't Keep a Good Man Down": This is perhaps one of the most underrated songs of the Bee Gees career. Barry Gibb once again is in perfect form with his vocals and Robin's vocals fold in at the right time. The use of horns in the chorus on spot on. You could easily see this song fitting into the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack (too bad it wasn't a part of it).
"Boogie Child": This song is pure Funk by the Bee Gees. The Bee Gees pull this one off flawlessly.
"Love Me": This song gives us another ballad by the Bee Gees. This ballad has a deep R&B feel to it with Robin taking the lead. While not as strong as "Love So Right", this one is still very good.
"Subway": Another song that I could hear in the urban discotheques. This song has a some great orchestral hooks in it as well as some terrific use of horns. Barry's has his falsetto in high gear on this song. I could have also seen this song in "Saturday Night Fever".
"The Way It Was": This song takes a more traditional ballad - no R&B on this one. This song has some nice keyboards in it. Again, the solid vocals by Barry help
"Children of the World": Another overlooked song in the Bee Gees portfolio. The song starts out with a nice a cappella. The song then progresses into some light synthesizers that eventually become some heavy synthesizers. The intensity of the synthesizers really provide some nice contrast to the soft-styled vocals of this track. The song eventually closes with the a cappella that started it.
This is the remastered album. The liner notes did not include any lyrics, but they did include the musician credits. Overall, this collection is at the heart of not only the Bee Gees "Disco Era" phase, but the overall Disco period. It was a great precursor to what was to come with "Saturday Night Fever". Highly recommended.
Self Produced Perfection
Note: This is a re-issue until Rhino Records releases the Remastered Expanded version.
After the enormous come-back sucess of "Main Course", the Gibbs' followed with this album and the #1 'across the charts' hit "You Should Be Dancing". Arif Mardin could not produce for them again, due to record contractual conflicts. But, at the same time, Billboard magazine had just started a "dance" chart and this single topped it the summer of 1976. Followed closely to #3 was "Love So Right", a severe 'Stylistics' sound copy. "Boogie Child" surprised everyone with it's complex instrumental backing and the funkadelic vocals.
It was another step up for the Bee Gees. Again, with too many hits to release in a year, other artists like Melba Moore "You Stepped Into My Life" and an old Gibb friend Yvonne Elliman, "Love Me", snatched these songs up and made them their own giant hits. Radio Host Casey Kasem remarked during the showcasing of "Love So Right", that the Bee Gees have had more songs copied by any other artists, other than the Beatles! This was in 1976 before "Saturday Night Fever".!
The title track made a big hit in Europe and several other tracks became concert staples. Who knew that the next studio album would be the biggest selling soundtrack of all time?
"Children Of The World" is another amazing groundbreaker. History will probably never repeat itself like this again.
A must to have in your collection
This was the first Bee Gees LP that I bought as a child and I was thrilled that they came out with it in CD format. A must for the serious Bee Gees fan to have in their collection.
