DON'T FORGET TO REMEMBER: The Official ILM Track-By-Track BEE GEES 1968-1981 Listening Thread

Track No. 110: Road to Alaska ("To Whom It May Concern", 1972)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjChJ5Bvp7A

Featuring the only instance of a blues-shuffle rhythm in their catalog to-date, Maurice and Robin graft some silly American place-name rhymes onto a rollicking bass- and piano-led track, with a guitar solo that might as well have been lifted from a mid-period Funkadelic record thrown in for good measure. Yet another track where something that sounds ridiculous on paper actually comes off rather well: the song is relatively short and compact, Robin's vocal works surprisingly well, Maurice's bass playing is nuts, etc. An overlooked deep cut!

Definitely sounds like a Maurice thing, getting Robin to sing it was amusing and a good idea.

Track No. 111: Sweet Song of Summer ("To Whom It May Concern", 1972)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ic0rPq30Vc

Possibly the most inaccurately titled song in the Bee Gees ouevre, this Moog-led slice of gothic prog evokes neither sweetness nor the summer, and instead brings all of Robin's idiosyncrasies to the fore. For an album filled with oddball left-turns and stylistic detours, this song is definitely the one that wanders furthest afield. Mike Vickers (of Mannfred Mann) programmed the Moog for Maurice, and it dominates the fairly minimalist instrumental arrangement, which is otherwise limited to just acoustic guitar, bass, and some tom hits. The quavering melody, which sounds very quintessentially Robin, has a sort of medieval or Arabic feel in places, which is reinforced by lyrics that hint at the ruminations of some kind of depressed monarch ("I can feel you sweet song of summer/Your music comforts my lonely reign/I can hear you in evil darkness/That empty feeling, I'm near you again"). Things just get weirder from there as the song seques into an extended coda with the boys doing some vocal ad-libbing that sounds like "gollum, gollum" by the end. Is it good? I'm not sure but it's definitely interesting and deserving of respect for its audacity.

Yes, it's a strange one this! Like you, I'm not certain it's any good but I'm glad it exists.

I remembering thinking this album was total dogshit when I first heard it: disjointed, directionless and desperate. Now I think it's one of the most entertaining albums from their 'lost years'. It's still all over the place but, for one, there's none of the bilious balladeering that threatened to scuttle "Trafalgar" and Robin is in great form.

agree about the album in general - it's quite scattered but the majority of it is well-crafted, it's lows aren't quite as egregious as the worst stuff from years prior

Track No. 112: Saw a New Morning ("Life in a Tin Can", 1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yygOQnbXj0Q

This is the Bee Gees album I'm least familiar with, but judging from its commercial and critical performance it's safe to assume I am not alone in this respect. The lead single from the album doesn't really reflect the widening scope of changes engulfing the band. They moved to L.A., jettisoned Shepherd as an arranger, swapped out Clem Cattini for Jim Keltner, and enlisted a growing roster of sessions musicians (including Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Jerome Richardson, and Tommy Morgan). Familiar elements are all in place: Barry and Robin trading verses, rich harmonies from all three brothers, an overall soft-rock/country-pop vibe underpinned by Barry's acoustic and augmented with orchestral fluorishes. The structure of this song is kind of interesting from a compositional standpoint, being just a single melody that modulates with each chord change, and then a key change at the end for the coda. Unfortunately, the melody isn't that great, and it gets a bit tiresome.

I just listened to this whole album and can't recall a single song from it 5 minutes later, does not bode well.

Yes, I can't remember anything from it either, though it is more than 5 minutes since I've heard it. I remember it being boring though. This song is not bad but it feels like everything but the kitchen sink has been thrown at it and it's ended up hopelessly overblown. Also, if there was ever any doubt about the Bee Gees' nationality then the pronunciation of "Saw" as "Sawr" surely marks then out as English.

Track No. 113: I Don't Wanna Be the One ("Life in a Tin Can", 1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvNjvCJP6Ms&list=RDHvNjvCJP6Ms&index=1

A sound in search of a song. And the sound is pretty good at this point, very finely tuned, plus there's some nice unusual details like the odd organ fills. Nonetheless, the melody is weak and unmemorable, the phrasing/rhyme scheme of the lyrics is awkward, and it just kinda goes nowhere. It sounds like Robin had half an idea for the verses and Barry had half an idea for a chorus and they had some vain hopes that if they put them together they'd have a good song.

Can't disagree with any of that, this starts out quite nicely but doesn't coalesce into anything worth listening to more than once, and just plods away for 4 minutes.

Track No. 114: South Dakota Morning ("Life in a Tin Can", 1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RblQu0va9iE

Barry sure liked writing songs about the morning, not to mention random American places. The lyrics imply some kind of cowboy gunfight scenario, and the reliably sparkling contributions from Sneaky Pete Kleinow and Tommy Morgan (on pedal steel and harmonica, respectively) do a good job of making this sound like an outtake from a Western soundtrack. But Barry's melodic sense again seems to fail - there's no hook or memorable chorus, and the prowess and professionalism of the backing musicians can only elevate the material so far, rendering the track merely pleasant as opposed to memorable.

At least it's short. Unfair because this song is quite pretty, but there is not much to it. It's short.

Track No. 115: Living in Chicago ("Life in a Tin Can", 1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bQLmSPIuy0

The ghost of "Massachusetts" loomed large over the Bee Gees for awhile. Surely if they just referenced some other random American place amid their gorgeous harmonies, chart-topping success would follow! But no. Anyway, here we get a song about Chicago that doesn't really have anything to do with Chicago and makes zero sense (as usual), which would be forgivable if it was wrapped around a memorable melody or hook. Barry (and I suppose Robin, although it's hard to tell who composed what) seems to have regressed to some of the most simplistic melodies and chord changes but like the previous track nothing sticks. The best part about it is the overlapping vocals and strings at the end.

"If you're living in Chicago, it's your home" - profound or what? Even though my ears prick up when Robin starts up they soon prick down again when I realize there's very little actually going on here and it's going for a long time - nearly 6 minutes!

coincidentally, if you're living in Chicago, you are also alone! Sucks to be you, Chicago.

Track No. 116: While I Play ("Life in a Tin Can", 1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpkdZQjlYek

I'm afraid my reviews of each track on this album are going to be a bit repetitive, given the uniformity of the material. Their single-minded dedication to a soft-rock/country aesthetic pays dividends in terms of stylistic consistency and the quality of the arrangements and contributions from session musicians, in this case bass and violin from Rick Grech (Blind Faith/Traffic). There also appears to be some kind of weird wah-wah slide guitar, presumably courtesy of Maurice? And once again, where the song fails is in the basic weakness of the material. Barry would seem to be firmly to blame for this misfire, turning for the umpteenth time to tired major key I-IV-V progressions and the most lumpen of melodies. Not sure why he was so off his game this time around, he hadn't floundered quite this badly since 2 Years On.

their transitional period from their 60s to 70s sound is so weird and unevenly distributed. it's not until the high points of Mr. Natural that you even get a hint of where they're headed, I think.

essentially, they had to swap out Shepherd for Arif Mardin to get there

it's true that there is very little hint of their abiding connection with R&B during this period - outside of Al Green covering "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" and giving another song (which we'll get to) to the Staple Singers you don't really get the sense they were interested

Track No. 117: My Life Has Been a Song("Life in a Tin Can", 1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNuOYz3CtZ8

Robin injects some much-need personality into the proceedings. Barry's chorus nicely compliments Robin's verses, so that the song alternates between the anxious tension of Robin's ascending melody and the sweeter major key harmonic structure of Barry's parts. In places this reminds me of Mickey Newbury - probably just the combo of ghostly harmonica, strings and an overall reflective vibe. Still, the stitches show on this song. The grafting of the two parts together feels a little like a hackjob.

Track No. 118: Come Home Johnny Bridie ("Life in a Tin Can", 1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FZyHlf7O9o

It's a shame they never managed to pull off a full album of smooth country rock, it seems like a no-brainer as a natural direction, and it isn't hard to see where they were aiming for in the early 70s marketplace. This song gets pretty close to fulfilling that promise: the lyrics tell an unusually coherent variant on standard outlaw song narratives, the backing is great (particularly when Sneaky Pete's pedal steel comes in), with their trademark harmonies on top. Unfortunately the lyrical phrasing in the chorus is clunky as hell and makes the song stumble when it should soar.

Track No. 118: Method to My Madness("Life in a Tin Can", 1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfE8w5aXq_s

Saved the best for last, eh lads? Apart from a couple token lines from Barry, this feels a bit like Robin's last hurrah, bolstered by a great-sounding fender Rhodes part from Maurice. "Like a woman/in the rain" line is both weirdly affecting (how often did male singer-songwriters of the period directly identify as female in this way?) and the album's most striking melodic moment. I think this also features the last instance of Robin's soul shouter hysterics on record, just as the song draws to a close. Having penned many elegies to himself, this one carries a bit more weight than most. It's also appropriately brief, and doesn't overstay it's welcome by several minutes like some of the other tracks on this album.

Yes, no classic but definitely the best track on this dull-as-ditchwater album. Just 8 tracks and it only makes 32 minutes because several songs are about a minute longer than they need be - I'm reminded of the old restaurant joke, "The food in here is terrible - and such small portions". In mitigation, possibly, this album was part of the same recording sessions which produced the unreleased album, "A Kick in the Head Is Worth Eight in the Pants" (a shoo-in for the Horrible 70s Album Titles thread had it been released). I don't remember much about that album but it definitely has several better tracks than this but the boys blundered by putting out this turkey first and the record company nixed its follow up.

yeah we won't be covering that since it was never officially released but it features tracks that are both better and worse than anything on Life in a Tin Can

Yes, this album is just a bland play-it-safe snoozathon, disappointing as the last album was kind of devil-may-care and wacky.

correction:

Track No. 119: Method to My Madness("Life in a Tin Can", 1973)

Track No. 120: Charade ("Mr. Natural", 1974)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abl4RwinR0c

Right from the beginning, the band is clearly in uncharted musical territory. For the first time, the instrumental arrangement is not led by any of the Gibb bros - the wandering but nimble fender rhodes and ascending synth lines are courtesy of relatively new keyboardist Geoff Westley, and you can barely hear Barry's guitar in the mix at all, even after the rest of the band comes in. The strings, the gentle drums, the overall space in the arrangement, as well as the bafflingly complex chord structure (practically everything is a major 7th or minor 9th chord) - there's practically nothing in common with their prior material except for their most indelible trademark: their voices. Barry's in full-on breathy soft-focus mode you can practically hear the gentle breeze rifling his exposed chest hair, and Robin's readily identifiable vibrato also cuts through. And then there's the clarinet solo... To be honest though, striking as it is, I don't really like this song very much! I find it a very strange choice for an opening track. It's ethereal and melodically aimless in a way that almost all of the tracks that follow are not. But as a sign of a shift in their overall sound and approach, it's unmistakable.

Yes, I skip this song every time, it makes me slightly nauseous tbh.

haha yeah I always start this record on track 2 as well

It is fuckin weird but I never skip it

I think it's really the clarinet that is the last straw for me

shit I just realized we skipped a single ("Wouldn't I Be Someone" b/w "Eliza") that was released between "Life in a Tin Can" and "Mr. Natural"

Track No. 120: Wouldn't I Be Someone (non-album single, 1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpqVkpR92q8

This was from the sessions for "A Kick in the Head is Worth Eight in the Pants" (gah, just typing that out is painful) and mostly carries on the overlong and underwritten habits that were too much in evidence on "Life in a Tin Can". It does have a very Beatle-y lead electric guitar part that gives it some character, which carries through over an inexplicably extended orchestral section. Definitely of the 70s "power ballad" school and not bad, but not particularly noteworthy either.

Track No. 121: Elisa (non-album single b-side, 1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXLDj1Upuy4

This one at least feels like a little bit of a bridge to "Mr. Natural", Robin's in fine form with these descending piano chords underneath the weepy, ascending vocal melody, even if Barry does elbow him aside for significant portions of the song. I can kinda imagine what Arif Mardin would've done with this (some goofy synths and more electric piano, probably). As it is the string arrangement harkens back more to their 60s balladry.

Could it be that both of these songs are better than anything on "Life In a Tin Can"? I can't say for sure because I've forgotten "Life In a Tin Can" again. There's a cool video of "Wouldn't I Be Someone" online. The chorus of "Elisa", if that's what it is, doesn't really sound like the Bee Gees, melodically.

possibly? I had the same reaction

They're different, less of a laidback (or somnolent, to be more accurate) LA session guys country rock sound.

Track No. 123: Throw a Penny ("Mr. Natural", 1974)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glqNV3Pf4J0

Look no further for evidence of how much impact a new producer and a tight, sympathetic backing band can have to reinvigorate a band in a rut. Prior to this the Gibbs relied on their own instrumental prowess to provide the basic scaffolding of their songs. You always had Barry's acoustic guitar or Maurice's keyboards doing little more than providing the chord structure, with the vocals providing the lead melody, augmented here and there with orchestration or a guitar solo for color. For the first time, that scaffolding is stripped away. Westley's keyboard playing is not like Maurice's chord-comping style at all - he's constantly throwing in little counter-melodies, fills, and grace notes, giving the song both more space and more detail. The spare Barry-led opening verse builds up to the pre-chorus where the drums and Kendall's electric guitar enter, and then Robin comes in with a classic chorus melody, bolstered by his brothers' harmonies and the band sounds like they're in all-new, modern territory. Which then abruptly cuts to a drum-less bridge where Robin's dreamy emoting is given a wholly new, heavily-effected context, before returning to the initial verse/chorus structure. After the final chorus, the band shifts gears again for an extended vamp, and here the band takes on a completely new rhythmic energy, locking into a fantastic R&B/16th-notes on the hi-hat groove as the boys harmonize for a repeated refrain that hints at the future disco direction.

Really, the incredible thing about this song is that melodically and structurally it bears all the hallmarks of the Bee Gees classic 60s pop songs. A verse/chorus/bridge/verse/chorus/coda structure, simple major key chords, Robin and Barry trading strong melodies. But the instrumentation and arrangement are completely different and updated. Lyrically it's about I dunno what, personal growth and pity for the lower classes or something like that, honestly it sounds so good I don't care too much.

Yes, it's a good one, the words are still nonsense but since when did that ever bother us when it comes to the Bee Gees?

Track No. 124: Down the Road ("Mr. Natural", 1974)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy-qFt9M8LQ

"And I don't care/Throw my money anywhere" indeed. This song STRUTS. Cleverly cross-faded from the preceding track, Westly's fender rhodes is swapped out for some Stevie Wonder-style clavinet, and Maurice locks into Byron's groove with audible enthusiasm. If he felt sidelined after years of being the band's instrumental backbone he more then compensates with some fantastic bass playing, those runs up the neck are ridiculous. Kendall sets up a chiming, descending counter-melody going into the choruses, with the boys' harmonies sailing over thumping drum fills. By the time the horns come in to add some extra muscle, the band's firing on all cylinders. While the particulars of the performance vary, there are still detectable tics from the past present: the chord changes are boneheadedly simple, in another era this would have been done as a Revolver/60s UK r&b tune, similar to "Bad Bad Dreams" on the previous album. The main differences are Barry's novel adoption of a brash, carefree attitude and the excellent musicianship of the backing band (Petersen and Melouney are left in the dust).

What's with the video? Also, "I don't care/ Sell my body anywhere" I think!???!

hmm internet says "show my body"? yeah i dunno, I always heard it as "throw my money" but whatever

also lol @ "Ain't no heavy Mister Leather's gonna paddle my butt anywhere"

this is like when I thought he sang "and bagels I have never seen" in "Walking Back to Waterloo"

(xp) Is there some subtext to this song we should know about?

lol yeah these lyrics are like proto-"53rd and 3rd" stuff

Track No. 125: Voices ("Mr. Natural", 1974)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhHrNZWTWNg

Now this one *really* feels like an old track dressed up in new clothes. Robin's never sounded sweeter as he does on the folk throwback-style verses, and Barry's circular melody on the chorus is straight out of his standard playbook. Lyrically they're also back to familiar if hazily defined topics: childhood, longing, nostalgia for ages past. As with the prior tracks it's the backing musicians that bring in the modern touches. There's a bit of an island rhythm to the drum part, accented with claves and bongos, plus Kendall's super-flanged electric guitar lead. The latter half of the song relies extensively on repetition of the chorus, but there's enough details layered into it (I think that's Maurice singing the higher register backing vocal? and then there's the strings, etc.) to keep it from getting boring. Another solid track.

Robin's voice on this is so gorgeous but I do find the chorus, if it is a chorus, a bit repetitive. Still good stuff though.

Track No. 126: Give a Hand Take a Hand ("Mr. Natural", 1974)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAg3K_bTuO0

This is straight-up gospel. On an Elvis-to-Mahalia Jackson scale this is closer to the former, what with the tremolo guitar, strings, and stately tempo. Barry's in the spotlight, but you can really hear both him and Robin trying to out-vibrato each other once the harmonies come in for the refrain. Composed by Barry and Maurice (maybe that's Maurice on the organ? It's definitely Westley on the piano), this song was actually a leftover from the Robin-less "Cucumber Castle" era, and P.P. Arnold put out a single version of it in 1969, and the Staple Singers also picked it up in 1971, giving it a more swaying feel by switching the time signature to 6/8. Not hard to see why they went back to it for this album, where they're overtly digging into African-American genre styles. Not my favorite, a little plodding, but not bad either.

Oh, I like this, very rousing, great vocal from Barry.

Track No. 127: Dogs ("Mr. Natural", 1974)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB8yjZvCNmM

So much to love about this song. Lyrics that pose an either/or question that is then immediately answered with a "no." The hilariously non-specific detail of "It was a quarter to three in the summer of '73". The debut of Barry's chipmunk falsetto in the backing vocals on the pre-chorus (I'm not sure what else to call it, it isn't really a falsetto). Bryon's nimble drum fills guiding the band through the rhythmic shifts coming into and out of the choruses. This is a Barry number all the way; I don't hear Robin on it at all, and Maurice sounds like he's been relegated strictly to the bass. Barry's vocal on this is very sharp, the weird narrative of an estranged father-bum figure does come through as genuinely affecting. Lastly, this is that rarity in their catalog where I can't really think of any clear-cut stylistic inspiration for it - it's not an R&B or funk song like so much of the rest of this record, and it isn't particularly Beatle-y either, it's just kind of it's own thing.