Bee Gees - Bee Gees 1st. CD. (Polydor - AA4228252202) From 1967, the year of flower power, comes the first Bee Gees album which is a little known psike pop classic. 14 slices of pure quality pop, with a whimsical sugar psike edge. The stand out track is definitely "Red Chair Fadeaway", a mellotron soaked piece of surreal nonsense loaded with powerful harmonies and exemplarary musicianship. Also includes "Cucumber Castle" and the hits "New York Mining Disaster" and "To Love Somebody." Well worth an investigation by any UK pop sike fan.

Bee Gees - Brilliant From Birth. Dble CD. 2CD, 62 track compilation featuring 1961-1966 material. Some of the tracks come from almost forgotten rare television acetates.

Bee Gees - Cucumber Castle. CD. (Polydor - AA4228337832) An overlooked work in the Brothers Gibb catalogue, Cucumber Castle is an excellent album that plays to the Bee Gees' strengths of melody, arrangement, and craftsmanship. Though at times one may miss the distinctive trembling vocals of Robin Gibb (the brothers had split up at this point), Barry and Maurice carry on with 12 cuts that continue in the tradition of their distinctive pop sound. Orchestral arrangements and Mellotrons abound, and the sound tends toward full productions, especially in "Then You Left Me" and "I Lay Down and Die." (the latter of which appears to have been written after listening to many Beach Boys records) One can also hear country influences ("Sweetheart"), gospel ("Bury Me Down by the River"), and light jazz ("My Thing"). What sets this album above others is that there is not a bad cut , and Barry's vocals are particularly strong and heartfelt. Although most of the cuts deal with the usual subject of love and particularly love lost, superb eye for detail in the arrangements of the songs give them added life. Adding a few songs with classic singalong melodies ("Sweetheart" and "Don't Forget to Remember") and one beautifully frivolous popsike single ("I.O.I.O") certainly doesn't hurt the cause. All in all, this is a fine album that cements the Brothers Gibb's reputation as superior pop songwriters and craftsmen. Now let's hope someone finds the film. . .

Bee Gees - Horizontal. CD. Second album recorded and released in 1967 that is filled with lush arrangements and features a heavy use of Mellotrons. On this release the band established themselves more as rock/pop psyche band. It also includes the now classic "Massachusetts" the Mod dancefloor hit 'Goodbye Harry Braff' and the very Beatles influenced "Birdie Told Me". Great album!

Bee Gees - Idea. CD. (Polydor - 8336602) 1968 release that gave the band 2 massive hits in the shape of "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" the often covered "I Started a Joke," and the bass guitar experiments on the bouncy "Kitty Can" make the disc worthy of purchase alone. Sounding like the Beatles at some points this is a great album and worthy to any UK pop sike fan. Hats off to the three teen brothers who took the current technology of the time and survived. Songtitle of the week: "I Have Decided To Join The Air Force".

Bee Gees - Odessa. CD. (Polydor - E8254512) Arguably the band's equivalent to 'Sgt Pepper' SF Sorrow' 'Odessey And Oracle' 'Forever Changes' 'Days Of Future Passed' 'Pet Sounds' etc, this sprawling double album (originally a concept piece about a marooned man's reminiscences before death) stands as the Gibb brothers' quintessential work, rivalled only possibly by 'Trafalgar' and 'Cucumber Castle'. Grandiose melodies, lush, sweeping strings, those trembling falsetto vocals, mellotrons, horns. . .everything one could want from an album that bestrode the bridge betwixt popsike and the burgeoning new sounds of prog. The title track, 'Black Diamond' 'Lamplight' 'Edison' and 'Whisper Whisper' are masterpieces, the hit single 'First Of May' (the selection of which, over Christmas 1969, caused Robin to leave the band for well over a year) whilst the instrumentals such as 'Seven Seas Symphony' and 'British Opera' despite being maybe too close together in the running order, show an ambitious band unwilling to be bound by constraints, and hint at the huge prevailing influence of the Moody Blues. The Gibbs' own influence, particularly with regard to this album, was subsequently felt by fellow Mancunians Barclay James Harvest, whose bassist Les Holroyd spent the next 30 years replicating their schtick wholesale!! The most negative song they ever penned, 'I Laugh In Your Face' appears here, and is a fair indication of the emotions that almost tore the band apart- but doesn't detract in the slightest from the sheer shimmering euphoria that listening to this album can give you. Not so much essential as compulsory.

Bee Gees - Spicks And Specks. CD. (Rotation - RBR112) 26 songs from the early days including "Secondhand People", "Claustrophobia", "Every Day I Have to Cry Some" and more.

Bee Gees - One Night Only / The Official Story Of The Bee Gees. dbl DVD. (Eagle - EREDV525) 1997 live TV special recorded in Las Vegas. A celebratory night that has quite an unusual set list. As well as the expected hits, it includes a number of songs they wrote for other artists such as "Islands In The Stream", "Guilty", "Heartbreaker." Tracing their whole career through these marvellous moments, it simply demands respect. This is a hard working, well rehearsed group with a brilliant backlog of songs to choose from. The second disc is a two hour collection of interviews (old and new) charting their long career. With the inclusion of private photos, archive footage and concert performances, it is the ultimate biography of the group, leaving no part of their time in the charts unexplored, good or bad (the death of their brother, the dreaded Sgt. Pepper movie.) Highly recommended for serious Bee Gee fans and anyone wanting to know more about the group.

Bee Gees - Greatest (Mini Vinyl Replica Sleeve). Dble CD. (RHINO TV / WARNERS / CINRAM - 8122799507) 2007 marks the 30th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever and the monumental resurgence of one of the greatest pop acts of the 60's and early 70's. This twenty track double CD concentrates on the Disco era of their career: "Tragedy", "How Deep Is Your Love" and "More Than A Woman."

Bee Gees - Greatest. Dble CD. (RHINO TV / WARNERS / CINRAM - 8122799637) 2007 marks the 30th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever and the monumental resurgence of one of the greatest pop acts of the 60's and early 70's. This twenty six track CD concentrates on the Disco era of their career: "Tragedy", "How Deep Is Your Love" and "More Than A Woman." Bonus material includes the recorded debut of the previously unissued song "Warm Ride", the rare 12", promo-only version of "Stayin' Alive" and four new remixes of classic tracks.

© Delerium Music 2008. Web Site written and maintained by Matt Platts for Paragon Digital. Please see www.vatloophole.co.uk for information on why we closed down.