Julian Howard - 5/22/2012

With Robin Gibb's recent death, the Bee Gees are sadly no more. The band was on hiatus following Maurice's death in 2003 but the remaining two members briefly re-formed for shows in 2009 before Robin became ill in late 2011. The success and legacy of the band is, in the words of Paul Gambaccini, "second only to The Beatles". For this reason, 'The Ultimate Bee Gees' simply has to be top of your list for music purchases as summertime beckons.

Needless to say, this double album is jammed to the gunwales with a breathtaking number of quality hits. Even when a song title is not instantly recognisable the tune doubtless will be. While things kick off with mid-career disco stomper You should be dancing, it makes more sense to review this album in chronological and thematic order to truly appreciate the evolution of the Bee Gees sound. Some very early material such as 1965's Spicks and Specks is included here, but it is with the haunting New York Mining Disaster 1941 that we begin our Bee Gees journey proper. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then To Love Somebody is right up there with The Beatles' Yesterday. Everyone has their favourite cover of this Bee Gees standard, but the original in this case really is the best. See Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins fame's 2005 version accompanied by The Cure's Robert Smith if you want to hear how different the song can be made to sound. Massachusetts and Words followed soon after. Massachusetts epitomised the band's ability to understand, interpret and then capitalise on a particular musical trend, a unique skill set that ensured their success and longevity for many years to come. In this case, the silky voice of a 17 year old Robin Gibb perfectly complemented the folk revival style prevalent at the time and rendered invalid any accusations of precociousness in the process.

While the late 1960s saw frictions within the band, 1970 heralded the release of How can you mend a broken heart? which famously became Al Green's signature tune. Then Jive talkin' hinted at what was to come, namely Barry rising an octave and Saturday Night Fever being unleashed onto the world. The rest as they say is history, but be assured that all the hits from that era and beyond are dutifully included here. Of course, maintaining the success of the late 1970s was always going to be tough, especially when the Bee Gees' had pinned themselves to the fickle disco mast so definitively. However, the hits kept on coming as seen by the inclusion of You win again and One. 1997's Still waters and 2001's This is where I came in serve to round things off.

Some live tracks are also included but it is the bringing together of the brothers' main studio efforts on this double album that provide the clearest testament to their awesome talent. All the songs are remastered so everything sounds fresh and bright. Parents trying to convince their kids that the older stuff really is better need not worry that this compilation will sound scratchy or muffled while existing fans will be delighted at the clarity of the songs. The Bee Gees as we know did not just write for themselves - many artists covered their work but they also made songs specifically for other performers including Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Frankie Valli, Dionne Warwick, Barbra Streisand and more. These efforts are not included here and are probably best represented in a separate release. Watch this space.

In the aftermath of Robin's death, many of rock and roll's grandees were asked what they thought the Bee Gees would be remembered for - answers varied but there was broad agreement that they excelled at writing and performing unforgettable three-part harmonies mainly for R&B but also for a wide range of other musical styles. The Ultimate Bee Gees remains the definitive record of that legacy.