Bee Gees Album: “Number Ones [Bonus DVD]”

Why they didn't include "To Love Somebody", even though it never went to #1. The reason I state this is because 4 songs here: "Words", "World", "Don't Forget To Remember" and "I Started A Joke" never went to #1 in the US or UK. But then the compilers never tell us what chart methology they're using. Maybe they're including Germany or France or Australia. Who knows? There are no liner notes here, and the packaging has a rush job feel to it. The 5 song DVD is good. As a one CD summation of the Bee Gees' career, this is okay. But you're better off sticking with For The Record, which costs a couple dollars more, but is more thorough.

The collection of number one hits by the Beatles was later followed by an equivalent collection by Elvis Presley. Both those collections limited themselves to British and American number ones. If the same rule had been applied to the Bee Gees, there would have been too much empty space on the CD, so the net was cast wider. They trawled the charts of Germany (World, words, More than a woman), New Zealand (I started a joke, Don't forget to remember) and Brazil (Immortality - some other Brazilian number ones have been omitted) as well as Britain and America. They had other number one hits in the Netherlands, Japan and Hong Kong but declined to use those, presumably because they had enough songs.

One song that wasn't a hit for them is Islands in the stream, the song they wrote for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, who took it to the top of the American pop charts. On that basis, their most successful song is Woman in love - it appears to have been number one in more countries around the world than any other Bee Gees song, whoever performed by. It seems that they have not recorded their own version of the song despite there being several possibilities for gender-adapted lyrics. Of course, they couldn't compete with Barbra's version but it would be interesting to hear their version.

In the end, this compilation represents all aspects of their career although some great songs are missing from their folk-pop phase of the sixties and early seventies, First of May, To love somebody and Run to me are all omitted, along with Robin's solo Saved by the bell. However, seven tracks is a fair representation of this period on a single CD encompassing their whole career. Two of the seven (Massachusetts, I've gotta get a message to you) made number one in the UK while How can you mend a broken heart made number one in America.

Their disco period is represented by nine tracks including How deep is your love, Staying alive, Night fever, Too much heaven and their final American number one, Love you inside out. The next track (You win again) was a surprise UK number one hit in 1987 - it was to be their last.

The collection is completed by Man in the middle (a tribute to Maurice), their version of Islands in the stream and (at least on the UK version - not sure about this version) Immortality. This edition includes a bonus DVD to provide further entertainment for those who have a DVD player.

If you just want a single CD of their music spanning most of their career, this will suit you. Nevertheless, you might prefer the earlier double CD, The record, especially if you like some of the classic songs that were omitted from this collection.

Shame on you Universal Records. Instead of releasing valuable and unreleased materials from the BeeGees archives (specially their late 60's and early 70's materials -see the comments of allmusic.com in this respect), they continue making this kind of meaningless/repetitive and cheap-market-taste products. Barry and Robin should not permit this kind of abuse on the part of the record company. There are more than enough good compilations in the market already (Best of..., Greatest, the Record, etc.). Why not to release a collection of outtakes like Bob Dyland recently did. What about a Maurice Gibb tribute album with other artists or unreleased Mo's solo stuff. Why not a remixed version of Odessa or even a new version of it like Brian Wilson did with his amazing Smile album. What about a CD version of Robin's and Barry's solo materials. What about a collection of famous cover versions? The archives of the BeeGees are so vast and artistically rich! So many people keep on waiting for them to be oficially released!

First Mariah Carey,then Michael Jackson and now the Bee Gees. All tracks except for track 19,MAN IN THE MIDDLE,appears on THEIR GREATEST HITS-THE RECORD,released in 2001. MAN IN THE MIDDLE is a tribute to Maurice Gibb who died at age 54 in January 2003. That track comes from THIS IS WHERE I CAME IN,released in April 2001(THEIR GREATEST HITS followed 7 months later). MASSACHUSETTS is from HORIZONTAL,originally released in 1968 on the Atco label. The song also appeared on GOLD,released on RSO in '76. WORLD and WORDS are from HORIZONTAL also. DON'T FORGET TO REMEMBER is from 1970's CUCUMBER CASTLE(minus Robin Gibb). I'VE JUST GOTTA GET A MESSAGE TO YOU is from 1968's IDEA,also appearing on GOLD. From the SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER soundtrack album,released in 1977,are STAYIN' ALIVE,HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE and NIGHT FEVER. Also on SNF but originally from 1976's CHILDREN OF THE WORLD is YOU SHOULD BE DANCING. Also from COTW is LOVE SO RIGHT. From 1975's MAIN COURSE is the disco-flavored JIVE TALKIN'. From 1979's SPIRITS HAVING FLOWN are TRAGEDY,LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT and TOO MUCH HEAVEN(the latter track was released as a single before the album). From 1987's E.S.P. is YOU WIN AGAIN. In addition to JIVE TALKIN',TRAGEDY,STAYIN' ALIVE,YOU SHOULD BE DANCING,NIGHT FEVER and LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT are ideal for discotheque play since all those songs were recorded during the disco era of the 1970's. If this album had one or two new songs on it,I'd purchase it. I won't since I already own THEIR GREATEST HITS. Some copies of this album are accompanied by a bonus DVD containing some of the Bee Gees' live performances. I dedicate this album to the memories of Maurice and the Bee Gees' father Hugh Gibb.

Listening to this compilation gives the listener some appreciation for how extensive and influential the Bee Gees were. Even though they've become poster children for the disco era, their songs have a much greater range both in terms of style and chronology.

If anything, it doesn't really do them justice to try to squeeze a five-decade career onto one disc (plus a short DVD), but this is a good introduction to one of the most successful, influential, and durable groups in pop music history.