At the age of 70, Barry Gibb has released a new album In the now, his first in 32 years, is at once a memorial to his brothers and a possible departing letter to his fans.
I've read anecdotally that Barry received 'visions' of his deceased brothers (Andy and Robin) which helped him in his drive and direction for this new album. Whether or not these 'visitations' influenced his work or not, the new album stands up as classic Barry Gibb songwriting craft and is full of Bee Gees flavour in performance.
The style runs across from the punchy dancey tracks most associated with the Bee Gees, through to the balladic style more akin to their early roots. Add to that some smooth Latin grooves and a hint of country-pop stylings, some superb quality production, and you've got a dynamic and soulful selection of tunes. At the grand age that he is, Barry has still got a voice that is as timeless as his craft.
The influence and importance of the brothers Gibb can't be overstated in the annals of music history IMHO. With 28 US Top Ten singles, they were rather unfortunately overshadowed by The Beatles frenzy. But they were at the very forefront of the disco music movement and highly regarded in the industry for their songwriting.
There's a whole raft of articles from music journals in history documenting the rise & rise of the Bee Gees, and you can access these through our fantastic resource Rock's Backpages using your Christchurch City Libraries login.
The library also offers opportunities to explore the Bee Gees back catalogue with scores & P.V.G (piano, vocal, guitar) sheet music.
In a time of bands of yesteryear still continuing to tour with material that is 40+yrs old, it should be celebrated that a giant of music is still producing quality original compositions, and he's still touring and on his way to New Zealand in April 2017!
Barry is joined by his two sons, Ashley & Stephen, for this album which is a fitting tribute to his family's musical history, making this another Gibb family gem - get your ears around it!
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