Customer Reviews

With the Frankfurt Neue Philharmonic Orchestra: Live

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I have been a fan of the Bee Gees from the beginning, and think Robin Gibb has a unique, beautiful voice. There are glimpses of this voice on this cd like "Love Hurts" and "Juliet", and it is too bad that he didn't choose to do more of his own songs from his single albums, "How Old Are You", "Walls Have Eyes" and "Secret Agent". Most of the tracks on the cd are Bee Gees songs and I miss that harmony. I also feel the music tended to overpower Robin's voice. It is too bad when this cd was mixed they couldn't have toned it down a bit so we could hear Robin better.

It would have been so nice to hear Barry & Robin sing these songs. Unfortunately, it still wouldn't have been the same without Mo.

Robin Gibb's first live album is a mystery of refined versions of old Bee Gees classics and old and new songs Robin himself has recorded. There are (17) songs here with (4) being solely Robin's materials. Missing are any cuts from "Secret Agent" and "Walls Have Eyes". Also, although the ads read that "Emotion" is part of this CD, is it missing here (it is only on the DVD as an extra). Still it is remarkable to hear Bee Gees songs with a full orchestra as they were performed between 1967 and 1974, when synthesizers took over and changed the sound from rich orchestral to modern pop. They both stand up well with time, but this sound works extremely well. "Juliet"" is a fascinating highlight with the audience signing the chorus well after the song is over, causing the band to jump back into the moment and indulge the audience (this is only shown on the DVD, but is heard spliced at the end of this CD). It's rare concert magic. "New York Mining Disaster 1941" has change significantly and for the better with a darker mood. The orchestration is more somber yet upbeat for a live audience. "Nights On Broadway" has a strong brass sound and it fits the change well. The liner notes are great with each song's history well explained, but unfortunately none of the four back-up singers is named on the liner notes (nor the band members), although a great signer named Errol Reid duets on "My Lover's Prayer" and "Please". It's tough to hear these songs without Barry or Maurice, but Robin still pulls it off well.

There is one major Robin Gibb song missing - "I Started A Joke" and that is a tragedy!

I am a HUGE Bee Gees AND was a Robin Gibb fan until "Magnet" came out. Now this travesty of a recording makes me ill. Robin sounds terrible singing songs made famous by Barry and the rochestra could have used a little more practice and a really good sound engineer (you can barely hear Robin sometimes and when you do, it's several octaves lower). Where is "I Started A Joke" and "And The Sun Will Shine"? I hope Mr. Gibb does something worthwhile again, because since our beloved Maurice left us, all we have is rehashed garbage.

If you're looking for an album of Bee Gees covers by an orchestra with an indistinguishable voice singing behind it then this album is the one for you. The mix is atrocious, virtually the only time you can hear Robin's voice clearly is when he's speaking at the beginning of the songs. This has to be the most disappointing album I've bought in a long time. I was looking forward to this album as I was interested in hearing Robin's versions of the Bee Gees songs originally sung by Barry, but I can make no judgement as I couldn't hear Robin on any of those tracks. The best example to try on the sampler is Night Fever; I could hardly hear Robin at all above the din from the orchestra (particularly the drums). In fact I had to listen to the track twice to actually confirm to myself that he was on it!

As a longtime fan of the Bee Gees and especially of Robin Gibb's voice, I was hoping for some nice renditions of their classics. Instead I got one of the worst concert discs I have ever heard. If you are hoping to hear that unique voice of Robin's, you're going to have to strain pretty hard: on practically every cut you hear mainly the nondescript, generic orchestra along with nondescript, generic group vocals, virtually drowning out Robin. On one or two ballads (specifically "To Love Somebody") and here and there in the other songs you can make out his voice -- and ironically, you can hear it best when he laconically introduces each song. When the music starts, however, the voice is again swallowed up. The producers of this CD should be ashamed. It's an annoying mess.

I can understand that Robin felt a need to include some of the biggest Bee Gees hits to appease the fans, but the ones that were sung by Barry are below wretched here. Robin frequently disappears in the sound mix, becoming little more than one of a group singing harmony. That's fine for a group concert, like the Bee Gees, but inexcusable for a solo effort. His stiff between song talk sounds like a bad lounge act. They should have kept this in the can. It seems like it is meant as little more than a money grab for Robin. Don't do him the favor.

Robin Gibb preforming Barry Gibb vocals is ludicrous! Can you imagine Barry Gibb singing, "I Started A Joke"? The orchestra is so loud and muddied that you can't even hear Gibb's vocals most of the time and they are weak at best. His last album, "Magnet" was a horrible disappointment and now this. I can't wait for Barry Gibb's Streisand album to come out. Robin should be producing others as well and not trying to continue the terrible loss of the Bee Gees.

but as a recording the experience is frustrating and muttled. Who could go wrong with these songs? The answer is whoever engineered this disc. Not worth the dough and you will be much happier with the two disc greatest hits. This was not a good move for the Gibbs.

ohhh what a terrible mess this cd is, it breaks my heart. My favorite group is the BeeGees and the orchestra is so beautiful but together it is not music. On his own, Robin doesn't do too well. He needs at least one brother to harmonize with. The orchestra here is sounding like it is trying to drown Robin out. All comes across sounding awful.

It's unclear what is happening with Robin Gibb these days. The song selection is odd. Robin has plenty of great songs that he can perform on his own, but to include the big Bee Gees hits without the three-part harmony just doesn't work. Gibb has released four solo albums in his career full of great songs and hits. Of the Bee Gees albums, he has numerous vocal solos to choose from ("Boys Do Fall In Love", "Another Lonely Night In New York", "How Old Are You?", "Country Lanes", "Odessa", "Black Diamond", "And The Sun Will Shine"). Where in God's name is "I Started A Joke?" The sound mixing is muddy with the highs too high and the lows muddy. The backup vocals are not well harmonized and sometimes overbearing. It would have been nice to have the Bee Gees John Merchant mix this set.

Sure, this was a good concert, but it made me miss the Bee Gees more than I appreciated Robin's vocals. The "Magnet" album was also disappointing, as Robin is a great writer. I understand his wanting to do covers from new artists, but it could have been a stronger effort. One can only hope that the next Robin Gibb project is more focused and less `noisy'. A carefully recorded orchestral back up is a fantastic idea. I just feel that it could have worked better. I'm looking forward to the next Robin Gibb album anyway.