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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Too Many #1 Hits Already!, December 20, 2005
Not to be excluded from the list of other artists that have released compilations containing only #1 songs, the Bee Gees have no worries. Although some of the hits didn't actually make #1 in the UK or the USA, some may have been #1 in several other countries, prompting it to be thankfully included here. "Number Ones" features 19-tracks, adding cuts such as the country flavored "Don't Forget To Remember" (#34 in USA/#2 in UK) and the immortal "Words" (#15 USA/#8 UK). Although the Bee Gees never had these few songs at #1, other artists have consistently placed these songs at the top of the charts.
The last song is 2001's "Man in the Middle," a polite MOR rocker that is included as a tribute to the late Maurice Gibb. An 'after the fact' trivia is that this song actually went to #2 in Turkey after this album was released!
If you buy this early, you'll get the limited-edition CD/DVD combo which includes rare footage of the Bee Gees performing "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," "How Deep Is Your Love," "Jive Talkin'," "Massachusetts" and "I Started a Joke" (from the U.K. TV show "An Audience With").
Trivia: Dozens of songs went to #1 in Holland, Germany and Italy and elsewhere. Here are some well-known and rare Gibb songs that have made it to #1.
"Spicks & Specks" (Australia)
"My World" (Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore)
"Run To Me" (Hong Kong, Singapore)
"Saw A New Morning" (Hong Kong)
"Wouldn't I Be Someone" (Hong Kong)
"Love So Right" (Brazil)
The songlist goes on and on and will continue to be the legacy of three brothers from Manchester, England.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Despite the DVD, this collection falls short of other Bee Gees Compilations, April 25, 2006
If one were to assess musical artists in the Pop music era, one may not be off-base by saying that the Bee Gees are one of the Top 10 acts of all time. The Bee Gees established themselves as pop stars in the late 1960s; reinvented themselves in the 1970s as pioneers for the "Disco Era"; became acclaimed songwriters for some of pop's biggest acts in the 1980s; and then successfully made a comeback in the 1990s. This has allowed the Bee Gees to establish a large body of music work throughout their careers. "Bee Gees: Number Ones" marks the first release following the death of Bee Gee Maurice Gibb. It contains 18 hit singles by the Bee Gees spanning their entire career. While "Number Ones" does a good job at providing a snapshot of the Bee Gees career, it is not the strongest greatest hits collection that is available of their work.
The title of "Number Ones: is misleading. The term "Number Ones" is used loosely. In the liner notes, it says that this collection "contains the best-loved number one singles plus classic songs taken from number one albums". The liner notes also mention that "no other band has scored number ones in each of five decades (the argument can be made the Bee Gees had a #1 single or album in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, but I'm still trying to figure out what the fifth decade is). As for the number one singles or albums, the Bee Gees are referring to anywhere in the world where they scored a #1. An example of this is "You Win Again". "You Win Again" was a commercial flop in the United States, but scored as a number one in Europe. It's clear that the album is stretching things as far as what is a "Number One", but one thing is clear - this album contains plenty of hits.
With greatest hits collections, I prefer the songs to be arranged chronologically on the collection. This allows me to see how the artist has progressed over time. Given the fact that the Bee Gees transformed from a 60s Rock Sound to a Disco sound - and eventually to an adult-contemporary sound - it is critical for any Bee Gees collection to be arranged chronologically. "Number Ones" does a very good job at showing this - all of the songs are ordered chronologically and allow the listener to follow hear the transformations made in their career. The collection does a nice job at introducing "forgotten hits" by the Bee Gees such as ""World", "Words", "I've Gotta Get a Message to You", and "Don't Forget to Remember".
As with many greatest hits collections, this one includes a "new song". In this case the "new song" is a moving tribute to the late Maurice Gibb entitled "Man in the Middle". For the most part this song continues the adult-contemporary sound started by the Bee Gees in the 1990s.
Overall there are no problems with the musical content of "Number Ones". However, "Number Ones" falls short when considering this greatest hits collection against several other significant greatest hits collections by the Bee Gees:
"Best of the Bee Gees" is a greatest hits album that covers the early material of the Bee Gees from the 1960s. The songs from this era "Massachusetts", "World", "Words", and "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" are all included here. This album also contains "To Love Somebody" and "New York Mining Disaster" - not included on "Number Ones".
"Best of the Bee Gees Vol. 2" is a follow-on greatest hits album that focuses on the Bee Gees material in the early 1970s - prior to the release of "Main Course" which would mark their transformation into the Disco-based pioneers. Included songs are: "Lonely Days", "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart", and "Don't Forget to Remember".
"Bee Gees Greatest": This collection focuses on the Bee Gees material from their "peak period" - 1975 through 1979. All of the songs from "Number Ones" from this time frame are on this CD.
"The Very Best of the Bee Gees" is a mid 90s greatest hits collection with some overlap to "Number Ones". It contains 21 tracks and includes the newer song "Ordinary Lives". It also includes "New York Mining Disaster", "First of May", "Saved by the Bell", "Run to Me", "Nights on Broadway", and "More than a Woman" - all not included on "Number Ones". Songs like "I've Started a Joke", "Lonely Days", "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart", "Love So Right", and "Love You Inside Out" are not included on this collection.
"Love Songs" is a greatest hits collection by the Bee Gees focused on ballads and songs with a theme of love.
"The Bee Gees: Their Greatest Hits" is a two disc collection. It is a comprehensive collection that contains every song on "Number Ones" with the exception of the Maurice Gibb tribute.
"Tales From the Brothers Gibb" is the most comprehensive Bee Gees collection out there. It is a four CD boxed set collection. All songs from "Number Ones" are included on this collection with the exception of the Maurice Gibb tribute.
This edition of "Number Ones" contains a bonus DVD featuring five songs performed on a television show. These songs clearly don't have the intensity of many of the live performances the Bee Gees have - namely "One Night Only". However if you are a Bee Gees fan, you may appreciate these videos.
Based on more focused and comprehensive greatest hits offerings available, "Number Ones" really doesn't stand up with many of the other Bee Gees collections out there. In addition, I didn't feel the DVD video added much making this collection worthwhile. Unless you are a fan and/or want the Maurice Gibb tribute song, my advice would be to try to get the two-disc "The Bee Gees: Their Greatest Hits" instead of this collection.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Wonderful Collection for the Casual Fan, August 25, 2006
I was a fan of the Bee Gees until "Saturday Night Fever" and the era of disco. For a long time after disco became a footnote in music history I refuse to listen to the Bee Gees because of their association with disco; my mistake. The Bee Gees were one of the most successful and creative pop groups in music history. Even if the Bee Gees were less successful in the United States, they are almost assuredly one of the best selling pop groups in history world wide. This collection has some shortcomings, but it is a great selection of songs for a casual fan. The bonus DVD is an excellent extra that may drive you to get a more comprehensive DVD.
These songs were #1 somewhere in the world. Unfortunately, the booklet included with the CD fails to point out where the songs were #1. Many were not #1 in the United States or the United Kingdom, so I have to wonder whether Djibouti, Nepal, or Costa Rica was the pop hotbed where some songs went to #1. Regardless of where the songs went to #1, every one of these songs is excellent. The only problem may be that there are not enough of them; more on that in a moment.
Because the Bee Gees had hits from the 60s to the 90s, every era of their career is represented by the first eighteen songs on the CD. The 19th song on the CD, "Man in the Middle," is not a number one song, but a tribute to departed brother Maurice Gibb. The song is moving and very well done. I think Maurice Gibb would have been proud of his brothers.
I enjoyed the Bee Gees in the era of songs like "Massachusetts," "I've Gotta Get a Message to You," and "I Started a Joke." When the Bee Gees disappeared and "I Started a Joke" disappeared from radio I kept trying to remember who the group was that sang that song.
Though the Bee Gees had outstanding harmonies and catchy pop riffs in the music in the first portion of their career, it was the catchier beats of the disco era that propelled the Bee Gees into superstardom. Songs like "Jive Talkin'" and "You Should Be Dancing" led to the songs of "Saturday Night Fever." From the end of 1977 into 1978 the Gibb brothers had six songs that went to number one in the United States. Brother Andy Gibb recorded two of the six songs and Yvonne Elliman went to number one with "If I Can't Have You." The Bee Gees followed up with the successful album "Spirits Have Flown," which provided three more number ones to the Bee Gees. However, the fall of disco in 1979 generated a backlash in the United States that propelled the Bee Gees from the limelight to the back stage. Fortunately the brothers continued to chart well in the rest of the world.
Perhaps the real flaw with this collection is depth. The Bee Gees have sold more than 180 million albums world wide. The have more than 20 released albums. Even presuming that the nineteen songs on the CD are number one songs, an incredible number of very good songs remain that hit the top ten, the top twenty or the top forty. There are at least two more comprehensive collections available. There is a two disk greatest hits collection and a boxed set with many more songs available. If you already have most of the Bee Gees music this set only gives you a different set to listen to, in addition to the Maurice Gibb tribute song "Man in the Middle." Of course, the more comprehensive collections also tend to be more expensive.
This particular CD also includes a DVD with five performances. I enjoyed the performances immensely. All five performances are live versions of songs represented on the CD. The five performances represent the Bee Gees from their two most popular periods. While the CD alone could have been more comprehensive, the inclusion of the DVD makes this collection very cost-effective if you are looking for a CD representative of the Bee Gees. I warn you that you may become hooked on the Bee Gees and may want to start collecting more, and more, of their music. Enjoy!
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