Customer Reviews

To Whom It May Concern

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Honestly, I was not expecting "To Whom It May Concern" to be a decent album, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Run To Me: This song needs no explanation, it's a classic!

We Lost the Road: Nice song with a catchy chorus

Never Been Alone: My new favorite Robin song. One of the only songs where Robin sings without overusing the gargling vibrato he's notorious for

Paper Mache, Cabbages and Kings: Different. Not the best Bee Gees song, but it has a nice chorus

I Can Bring Love: A Barry song that actually began as a poem. One of the finest songs on the album and an instant Barry classic; the man can write!

I Held A Party: Something about a man named Bertward? Definately different, but not up to par with the rest of the material

Don't Turn Out the Lights: I love this song! Catchy verses with alternating Barry and Robin leads, and truly brilliant Bee Gees' harmonies in the chorus. How can you go wrong with that?

Sea of Smiling Faces: Listening to this brings visions of hippies and the flower power era...enough said

Bad, Bad Dreams: A Bee Gees attempt at rock and roll and surprisingly, it's not that bad. Any fan can appreciate this tune

You Know It's For You: What would a Bee Gees album be without a Maurice song? Mo can definately stand with his brothers in terms of his songwriting and vocal ability. This is one of my favorites

Alive: Another Bee Gees classic...

Road to Alaska: Begins with an infectious drum beat, followed by a great Robin lead. This is a real rocker!

Sweet Song of Summer: Definately the most eccentric track on the album. The use of a moog synthesizer combined with Barry's guitar playing can only be described as "different."

Overall, this was no disappointment from the Brothers Gibb. "To Whom it May Concern" is one of the rare gems that came out of the Bee Gees in the early 70s...Every fan should own a copy!!

Released in one of the Gibb's slow periods (1972), this CD contains mostly a collection of individual works, most of it hodgepodge and forgettable. However, for the real Bee Gees fan, it is a must have. Other than the big hit, "Run To Me", other standout cuts are, "Road To Alaska", a unique toe-tapping rocker frequently used in concerts, "Paper Mache, Cabbages & Kings", a fun novelty song that bounces around with oddball lyrics, "You Know It's For You", A Maurice Gibb song that is one of his best lively mood songs and "Alive", a poorly received single that is one of the best written ballads the Bee Gees have done. It is worth a listen if not a purchase.

Note: This is a re-issue until Rhino Records releases the Remastered Expanded version.

Released in one of the Gibb's slow periods (1972), this CD contains mostly a collection of individual works, most of it hodgepodge and forgettable. However, for the real Bee Gees fan, it is a must have. Other than the big hit, "Run To Me", other standout cuts are, "Road To Alaska", a unique toe-tapping rocker frequently used in concerts, "Paper Mache, Cabbages & Kings", a fun novelty song that bounces around with oddball lyrics, "You Know It's For You", A Maurice Gibb song that is one of his best lively mood songs and "Alive", a poorly received single that is one of the best written ballads the Bee Gees have done. It is worth a listen if not a purchase.

You can't find an album with much more of a variety than this too easily. From the slow but lively hit Alive to the hard Bad Bad Dreams. Run To Me is never boring, and a few more songs, like We Lost The Road, I Can Bring Love, Sea Of Smiling Faces, and I Held A Party I also love. Such an interesting and great album.

Almost every song on this album sounds totally different than the other. Starting with the smash hit "Run To Me", which I will NEVER get bored of. The chorus of "We Lost The Road" has something in it that makes me like this song, too. The Robin solo "Never Been Alone" is pretty much okay. "Paper Mache, Cabbages, and Kings" is the weirdest BeeGees song I ever heard. First off, the title. Second off, when you get to the part where Robin sings alone (all of a sudden it happened...), you'll get scared of his squeaky voice. "I Can Bring Love" is a wonderful attempt of a hit solo by Barry. "I Held A Party " is another good one, but has a boring gospel-like ending. I'm glad "Please Don't Turn Out The Lights" is only 1:59, because, I hate to say it, but it sucks! But then, I LOVE "Sea of Smiling Faces". It is a beautiful song and it could've been a hit. "Bad Bad Dreams" is an okay hard rock song, but too long of a tune in the middle of it. "You Know It's For You" is Maurice's song on this album, and is pretty good. "Alive" is a slow blast! Barry's voice is dynamite in this song and Maurice does a great job in it. "Road To Alaska" is a little boring, and in "Sweet Song of Summer" they sound like meditating Indians. This album includes such a variety of rock, so to BeeGee fans, I think you sould but it.

1973's To Whom It May Concern is a complex album. It is, in my opinion, The Bee Gees Sergeant Pepper. I shall try and back that up, I promise! Run To Me leads off the album in traditional and modest Gibby success. This one is a staple that can't be talked about or listened to enough. Arguably their best chorus ever! After the first track, however, the album takes a positive, but unexpected turn.
We Lost The Road is okay I guess. It continues the depressing vibe from Trafalgar. The b side cut My World should have been on the album instead. (We've reviewed My World and Run To Me on our Best Of Volume 2 rant here) Still We Lost the Road has some interesting read between the lines quality. Are they warning you they've gone off their rocker for this album? Maybe.
Woe is me Robin makes his first appearance on Never Been Alone. It sounds a lot like Robin's solo material. Him and music that's it. The lyrics are quite powerful. So raw and vulnerable yet with a sarcastic "Yeah I'm fine. Really! Totally!" hint that fits Robin perfectly.

Paper Mache, Cabbages, and Kings. Paper Mache, Cabbages, and Kings! In discussing with other Gibb-ologists, this song is often mentioned, but with little details. I often wondered what was so special about a song titled Paper Mache, Cabbages, and Kings. It is never even mentioned in the song! Well now I know, but I can't tell...Okay you forced me into it! The song begins with some sort of circus music and talk of elephants. That glorious wtf? thought comes to mind! Then the tune changes into pure harmony that sounds like its straight out of Pepper. The interlude is the most incredible turnaround I think I've ever heard in a song. Barry is pouting about his heart being broken like paper mache. At first I thought that was the dumbest line I've ever heard. You would think they could come up with something a little less child-like! But then, Robin repeats the same line and it is so gut wrenching and tear jerking. You know that feeling after you've argued with someone and you back against a wall, then sink to the floor and just sit there crying? Picture that vocalized! Suddenly the title makes sense. Your heart's paper mache, you're the cabbage, and the person that broke it is king. Do I get a prize? >80)

I Can Bring Love is the Barry ballad of the album. I'm not sure of the details on the singles for this album, but I Can Bring Love could have been an `acceptable' Gibb single. The traditional simplicity of Barry and a guitar, damn. The voice and songwriting is here, and it's smarty placed in between the two wackiest songs on the album. With the success of How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Whom feels like the brothers are stretching their creative muscles here. Sure we can do Heart, and Run To Me, and I Can Bring Love, but can you handle the rest of us?! <growl!>

Whom is a tough album to review, because everyone takes every song differently. I Held A Party, every time I hear it I myself think something different. You might have to be on something to understand it. This man in the song Berkworth...Do they just drink together? Get it on? Willingly? Unwillingly?! Is he an imaginary friend?! I just don't know!! But it sounds dang cool. Very Tommy-ish.
I have one complaint about Please Don't Turn Out The Lights. It's too damn short. It really only has one verse followed by perhaps the most impeccable harmonizing I've ever heard. Making it more than two minutes might have ruined it, but when repeated three times in a row the song still sounds fine to me!

Sea Of Smiling Faces is surprisingly an upbeat song in what so far has seemed like a bit of a dark album. It has a swayablitiy and a catchy vibe about it. Barry and Robin trade off the leads on most of the album, but Maurice can be heard just as much in the harmony. There are three distinct voices on this album: Barry's, Robin's, and The Harmony. Of course Maurice is what makes the harmony. That's what I've been trying to tell you people! ;0)
The record just wouldn't be complete if there wasn't a rock out song! Bad, Bad Dreams fills that role to perfection and still manages to have those `exactly how I feel!' lyrics. As loud and rocking as Dreams is, You Know It's For You does the exact same thing with just Maurice and a few instruments. His voice is so easy and again very Beatle-esque here. It's so simple and sing along. I'm mean Duh! What else is there? You Know It's For You!

Previously we praised Alive in our Best of Volume 2 review. It's track placement here is perfect. It's calling out the listener as if to say, `Do You like what we've done?' However, it's not the end of the album. How could the last two songs possibly top this figurative finger to the genre?

Road To Alaska is definitely the more recognizable Bee Gees song of the last two tracks. It's a little bit country with a cool sound effect in the middle. One of 3 fast songs led by Robin prior to 1980! This was the flip side of Run To Me, and in a way deceives the audience into thinking this was all the album was about. As happy as Road To Alaska is, Sweet Song Of Summer no one in a million years would ever have pegged as a Bee Gees song. It's main instrument is a moog synthesizer, need I say more? It's a bit creepy at first, but after you listen to it enough, you can almost hear how the instrument sounds just like the brother's voices. Or maybe they sound like it? It's so out there it's friggin cool.

Fans of the early story song Gibb music may not like To Whom It May Concern. The tightly woven ingredients are all here, but it might have been too out there for the easy listening fans of How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. I can see how fans may have tuned out and eventually forced the brothers to change their sound back to a more listener and dance friendly sound. I don't know if the creative concepts of To Whom It May Concern were intentional by the boys or not, but the album is definitely a unique look into the mind's of these musical geniuses. It's my new favorite album of the moment. As you can see I redid my web page just like it! 80)

Now, the Bee Gees have never made a bad record. But how can there be human beings that have never heard of this record, I'll never know...

Not only do you get the great "Run To Me", but also AT LEAST two other songs that are among the most beautiful they've ever recorded: "Sea of Smiling Faces" and "You Know It's For You" ("Alive" is another strong contender.) PLUS, you get two of my favorite tracks!: the fantasy track -or bad acid trip- "Paper Mache, Cabbages & Kings". And the Emerson, Lake & Palmer-like "Sweet Song of Summer". Recommended!

This often overlooked and under appreciated album is really interesting, but not in a way usually associated with the often awe inspiring bee gees. Maybe it came out this way because the boys were a little ragged from being legends and touring the world with their encyclopedia of hits. Of course the first cut is one for the best of comp, but as the album continues you hear something that has all the ingredients of good bee gees music..... but something is shall we say a little... off kilter. This is best showcased in "Paper Mache", which is an absolutely hilarious experience to listen too. I go nuts when I hear this song. I won't even try to explain it. They knew they were missing the target here, but still it got put out and it's actually quite "special" in it's own right. Not for anyone who is not a fan already though. Lets just say they'll "miss the point".

Man I can't believe this isn't considered their best album of the 70's! Maybe because people stop the c.d after the hit? Maybe beacause the cover and the lettering is like wha..? All I can say is that with songs like "I Threw a Party","Sea of Smilling Faces","Paper Mache...(Really a Spinal Tap title"),The Gorgeous solo outings of Barry "I can bring love",Maurice"I do it for you" Robin"Never Been Alone" and so on spells CLASSICS in towering letters. Basically just get it!

This album was released just a few years before the Bee Gees became the Disco Kings! I wish they would've stayed in the "To Whom It May Cocern" groove- this album is full of wonderfully diverse tunes!

They recorded this in 1973. The years 1972-1974 are generally considered a down period for the Brothers Gibb and the music from that period (save for "Run To Me") is usually dismissed as filler.

This album is anything but. As far as I know, it's not on anyone's favorite list (except mine)- but let me tell you- the Bee Gees have never rocked harder ("Road TO Alaska"), or experimented bolder ("Sweet Song Of Summer") than on this album.

There are ballads, country-rock type tunes, synthesizer-driven tunes (before it was in vogue), gospel- just about everything.

And to top it all off, the harmonies never soared higher. And thank God- not one falsetto on the whold damn thing. This was recorded before they became out-of-this world superstars- before Barry became hooked on his fignernails-on-a-blackboard falsetto. Barry has one of the worst falsetto's in music. Think about it. There's not one track I have to put on "skip" to spare me that ear-piercing falsetto of his.

Instead we have a lot of fine-crafted pop songs, sung sensibly and not over-produced.

Why the Bee Gees themselves tend to dismiss rather than embrace this CD is beyond me.

For me, it remains my favorite.