This is not there early or disco stuff, but there late 80'e early 90's albums.....and a few off each album r good tracks that sound nothing like their disco days.




"E.S.P" (1987) was produced by Arif Mardin (with the brothers) and is a great album actually. "you win again" was a huge hit in uk (reaching no1) and if you remember that song then the rest of the album sounds like that really. Very lush, big, mechanical production that is very well produced. The vocals are lost in the production though (which infact happens with 3 of the 4 albums here) but the production is so nice though.

"one" (1989) is more of the same but a bit more organic. Still all drum programmed though. "ordinary lives" and "one" are great pop songs. As is the very good ballad "bodyguard" and the sad "wish you were here".

"high civilization" (1991) is the hardest to get into. It seems like a concept album. "Secret love" should of been a hit. With all these albums in general, u are far removed from their earlier more famous work. All of these albums are actually quite demanding and are complex pieces of pop.

This album has one track that has a newjack beat though. "Dimensions" has a superb funky drum backing that is awesome.

Final album "size isn't everything" (1993) opens with a newjack beat on "paying the price of love". Track was a single and it's ok.

Other then the gorgeous "heart like mine" and the uplifting "above and beyond", this album is more down to earth then the complex sounds of the other 3. Few in the UK may remember the power ballad "for whom the beel tolls". It is a nice track.

So do not think these are like "saturday night fever" as they are not. Virtually all these tracks off these albums are very lovely sounding, well produced, complicated pop tracks that demand some from the listener to appreciate.

I give the bee Gees big props for these albums. Not all the songs are good, but definately some of the are reccomended for fans of heavenly sounding keyboard arrangements and big, big drum programming.

Most these albums went by unnoticed from the public, with a few exceptions. USA really lost interest by the time these albums were released. Shame as they are really worth picking up cheap.

i totally agree sexofit

so many people just think the Bee Gees were Saturday Night Fever and thats it
but they fail to realize Saturday Night Fever was their 17th album to chart in the US! so they were stars way before SNF...i think they are one of the greatest groups of all time....their songwriting is amazing....everybody should own their One Night Only concert dvd

E.S.P.

Best tracks: E.S.P. / You Win Again / Live Or Die (Hold Me Like A Child) / The Longest Night

One

Best tracks: Ordinary Lives / One / Bodyguard / House Of Shame

High Civilization

Best tracks: High Civilization / Secret Love / Happy Ever After / Dimensions

Size Isn't Everything

Best tracks: Paying The Price Of Love / How To Fall In Love, Pt.1 / Blue Island / For Whom The Bell Tolls

There were a fair amount of worldwide top 10 singles from these albums.
Highest chart positions that I know of:

1987 You Win Again #1 (UK and about a million other countries)
1988 E.S.P. #1 (Denmark)
1989 Ordinary Lives #8 (Germany)
1989 One #1 (Brazil)
1989 Wish You Were Here #2 (Brazil)
1991 Secret Love #2 (Germany)
1991 The Only Love #5 (France)
1993 For Whom The Bell Tolls #1 (Brazil)


Now, why no mention of the best of their later albums Still Waters?



.
[Edited 1/24/05 5:09am]

I remember u saying that u liked their later work.

I love "e.s.p" "angela" "dimensions" "human sacrifice" "when he's gone" "crazy for your love" "kiss of life" "above and beyond" "how to fall in love pt1".....

"high civalisation" is an odd concept album.

Prince nuts might not know that Femi Jiya mixed a couple of these albums (at least 2 of them!)

thesexofit said:

Yep! High Civilization & Size Isn't Everything. His work on the latter was damn good. The vocal mixes were brilliant.

Like on "above and beyond" and "anything for you".....I love them 2 tracks. Almost heavenly.....very uplifting.

"secret love" was dying to be a hit! I hate the fact it wasn't.

I think "one" might of made top 10 in USA?

thesexofit said:

Great pop songs.



Big hit in Europe.



http://www.prince.org/msg/8/130603

Have'em all
Love'em all


...and I don't think Still Waters is better

PANDURITO said:

I do not own "still waters".....I can tell that "size isn't everything" was more of an attempt to sound more commercial, so was "still waters" more of the same?


To be honest, the 4 albums I mentioned r the only ones I own. I bought them all 4 99p each in a charity shop.....well worth it!


"this is your life" off "ESP" is such an odd track. Totally kickin' groove though. I love all the samples.....

I love the retro "crazy for your love" too.

I got an olympics album and they did a track off that (in 1988)....I forget the name but it was good though.....cannot find the album at the mo'?

thesexofit said:

Nope! It's more ballad heavy and reminiscent of their earlier work. It's perhaps not as instantly likeable as some of the other albums you mentioned because it's not very 'pop'. But after time it becomes more durable and I don't think there's a bad song on it.
It's like a natural successor to the Main Course album in '75. And they're the only two studio albums of theirs that I would give five stars.

Just my opinion, of course.



They're two of my least favourites of theirs.



The Shape Of Things To Come. Pretty decent track.

I always wanted one of their albums

I never had anything against them and their songs are good

paisleypark4 said:

They're among the finest songwriters on the planet as far as I'm concerned.