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

Not to be excluded from the list of other artists that have released compilations containing only #1 songs, the Bee Gees have no problems. Although some of the hits didn't actually make #1 in the UK, some may have been #1 in several other countries, prompting it to be thankfully included here.

The song "Man in the Middle" is included as a tribute to the late Maurice Gibb. "Number Ones" features 20-tracks, adding cuts such as "More Than a Woman" and "Islands in the Stream," a 1983 No. 1 hit for Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. If you buy this early, you'll get the limited-edition CD/DVD combo which includes rare footage of the Bee Gees performing "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," "How Deep Is Your Love," "Jive Talkin'," "Massachusetts" and "I Started a Joke" (from the U.K. TV show "An Audience With").

In this version, "More Than A Woman" replaces the USA versions "Lonely Days" and adds the tracks, "Immortality" and "Islands In The Stream", which are the same versions that are on "The Record".

There is no doubt about the music of the 70's. It still has a strong distinctive vibe that ignites your soul, and just gets you up and groove to the dance floor. That was definitely the case with the music of The Bee Gees. Back in the 70's, they've really shown that they were the talk of the town. They've scored hits that really let fans really shake their groove things. Yet, it is so sad that it has been nearly 6 years since the heartbreaking death of Maurice Gibb that hit music love everywhere hard. But, their catalog also had dissapeared from MP3 websites everywhere for awhile, and the CD sheleves. Now that their catalog had moved a few years ago from Universal to Warner Brothers, fans have had a lot to celebrate, and that comes with the re-release of a single pair of words, Number Ones.

The 2008 re-release of The Bee Gees #1's is a single disc reflection of songs that reached the top of the charts for themselves as well as for others. The collection of songs which was originally released back in 2004, now is back and for the first time available for your MP3 player. The collection features nothing but the biggest hits from Barry, Robin and Maurice which are brilliantly restored, and re-introduced with open arms. The album includes a lot of The Bee Gees biggest pleasures including Stayin' Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, Too Much Heaven, and Jive Talkin'. The newly revised collection also includes a few extra tracks that The Bee Gees wrote for others, which they've recorded as their own, Islands In The Stream for Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton and Immortality for Celine Dion. Although the extra tracks are fine, they really are nothing new for anyone who bought the 2001 out of print Bee Gees hits collection, Their Greatest Hits: The Record. While the collection does fare well, I was a bit surprised that there were just a few #1 songs that were overshadowed from the collection, including Nights On Broadway, and Barry's #1 smash duet with Barbara Streisand on Guilty.

Despite a few songs overlooked, while The Bee gees Number Ones doesn't offer anything too fancy, like remixed songs as was the case with 2007's remastered Greatest, it fares beautifully as a straight-forward and simple reintroduction to the biggest hits from one of the greatest guilty pleasure pop acts of all time. If you haven't yet owned a Bee Gees album, or heard any of their biggest hits before, than Number Ones would definitely be a great album to own for your music library.

Songs: B

Price: B

Remastering: B+

Overall: B

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.

This record consists of all US #1s and some UK #1s, and an extra track dedicated to Maurice Gibb. Extra Tracks edition includes Islands in the Stream and Immortality. DVD BOnus edition includes 5 tracks : How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Jive Talkin', How Deep Is Your Love, Massachusetts, I started a Joke. Inside card, has a strip of pictures of the Bee Gees young to old timeline, the other side has copyrights of all songs, words by Tim Rice, and a poem written by Barry and RObin to Maurice. Great record.

always been a Huge Bee Gees fan.this has a good DVd set&also a strong Collection of there Biggest Hits which are timeless. they re-invented themselves from the 60's&were unstoppable in the 70's.these are some of the Greatest Songs Ever written. the Bee Gees are a timeless Music Act that just always struck a chord. solid Production,cool Vocals&On Point Songwriting. a Must have. RIP to Maurice Gibb&Andy Gibb.