Shocked and saddend to hear of the passing of Maurice Gibb on Saturday. I really can't imagine The Bee Gees continuing on without him, and he will be sorely missed.
Much more than the "Saturday Night Fever" disco sound they have come to be most noted for, the Bee Gees were a special part of my life way back when they were composing some of the best folk rock and rock ever heard in the late 60's. Songs like "I've Just Gotta Get A Message to You," "New York Mining Disaster 1941," "Words," "I Started A Joke," "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart," "Lonely Days/Lonely Nights", and a poignant little folk-rocker called "Massachusetts" which acquired special meaning in my life, set new standards for their respective genres. I, too, felt they "sold-out" when they recorded a disco sound for "Saturday Night Fever" (though there were a few decidedly non-disco cuts on the album)...but in retrospect you have to realize that
nobody turns down a chance to score a movie, that that film had a disco story, and that they did an excellent job with it. In fact, I'll admit, now, to liking most of the tunes there
, including "Stayin' Alive" (which always
did, and still does, get me dancing), and the lovely ballad "More Than A Woman". The only pure sell-out puke they did, IMHO, was "Jive-Talkin'"
(an insult to their legacy).
But The Bee Gees are one of the most underrated bands, musically, in pop-music history (IMO), and I would encourage anyone too young to remember them to explore their early pre-disco recordings for some fine hours of listening.
FYI, the Gibb brothers were born in England but were raised in Australia, and became a well-known act in OZ before striking back to England's shores to seek their fortune.
Perhaps (and hopefully) some of our Aussie friends might have some early Bee Gees anecdotes for us?
And I was just delighted to usher in the New Year in the late hours with a Bee Gees concert on PBS!
So long, Maurice...and thanks for the tunes.
