The Studio Albums 1967-1968

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One of the best-selling and influential groups in popular music, The Bee Gees' career spanned five decades, five GRAMMYs and eight platinum albums - but until now, the group's extraordinary catalog has never been upgraded. Reprise begins its complete restoration of their repertoire with 2-CD expanded remasters of their first three internationally released albums. THE STUDIO ALBUMS 1967-1968 is the definitive overview of the 5-piece Bee Gees line-up that shot to stardom in the late '60s: harmonizing brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, and Australian musicians Vince Melouney and Colin Petersen. The revitalization of these three early masterpieces marks the first time the group has opened their extensive tape vaults for archival mining, allowing a full disc of rarities and previously unreleased tracks to be added on to each album. On Bees Gees' 1st, Horizontal and Idea, the musical genius of the Bee Gees now sounds better than ever. Bee Gees 1st, originally released in 1967, reached #7 on Billboard's Pop Album chart and delivered a trio of top 20 smashes: "To Love Somebody," "New York Mining Disaster 1941" and "Holiday." Disc 2 features 14 previously unreleased tracks, include alternate versions of most of the album cuts plus the recorded debut of "Gilbert Green," "House Of Lords," "All Around The Clock" and other ultra-rare recordings. Horizontal, which debuted in early 1968, boasted adventurous arrangements and production and introduced the signature hit "Massachusetts," a chart-topper in Britain that went to #11 in the U.S., as well as the standouts "World" (a global hit), "Words", "And The Sun Will Shine," "Harry Braff," and the psychedelic title track. Disc 2 features thirteen rarities including nine previously unreleased tracks, among them "Out Of Line," "All My Christmases Came At Once," plus the season medley "Silent Night/Hark The Herald Angels Sing" (one of only two songs in this box that doesn't feature a Gibb songwriting credit). Idea followed in August 1968 and broke the Bee Gees into the U.S. Top 10 Billboard singles chart for the first time with the classics "I've Got To Get A Message To You" (#8) and "I Started A Joke" (#6).

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As any diehard Bee Gees fan knows--and really, who else is going to splurge for this lavish reissue of the group's first three internationally released albums?--the brothers Gibb had a long and relatively prosperous career as singer-songwriters before 1975's Main Course exposed them as blue-eyed, falsetto-singing soulmen with Saturday Night Fever dancefloor aspirations. This sumptuous six-disc box kicks off an extensive reissue program of the band's previously neglected back catalog in commanding fashion. In addition to the original tunes in both stereo and mono, a treasure trove of rarities is unearthed on the second CD devoted to each album. The Bee Gees' often innovative use of orchestration, introduced on Bee Gees 1st's opening "Turn of the Century" and "Holiday," continues through 1968's Horizontal and Idea. The remastering of the nearly 40-year-old tapes is astonishing; every chime, tambourine slap, violin pluck, and, especially, vocal harmony is distinct, uncovering the astounding beauty and detail of this meticulously constructed pop. Special note should be taken of brother Maurice's innovative McCartneyesque bass lines--most prominent in "I've Gotta Get a Message to You". Most impressive is the quality of the abundant alternate takes, B-sides, Christmas songs, non-album singles (such as the exquisite "Words"), and even soft drink commercials that have been painstakingly researched and dusted off. Add rare photos along with detailed liner notes that include interviews with Barry and Robin for a definitive representation of the Bee Gees' early days. To paraphrase an old New York Times slogan, you may not listen to it all, but it's nice to know it's all there. --Hal Horowitz