Long before penning some of disco’s biggest hits, the Bee Gees had a career in recording Beatles-inspired pop classics and soft rock ballads.
The Festival Albums Collection 1965-67 showcases the bands’ first three original albums on CD for the first time.
First up, debut LP The Bee Gees Sing And Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs compiles many of the bands’ early single tracks.
Despite some of the bands’ finest tunes (‘Claustrophobia’ is pure pop perfection), the album lacks cohesion. The cheesy orchestrated ‘Timber’ doesn’t sound right next to songs such as mature blues rocker ‘To Be Or Not To Be’ or Beatles-esque ‘How Love Was True’.
Spicks And Specks is arguably the best and most cohesive album here. The slow and soulful opener, ‘Monday’s Rain’, is a highlight and a forgotten gem, while ‘Born a Man’ is a surprisingly bluesy offering, resembling a tamer version of Van Morrison’s Them. The highlight of the set is undoubtedly the classic ‘Spicks and Specks’, which needs no introduction.
Turn Around Look at Us is a singles and rarities compilation from 1967.
Although featuring dated and forgettable songs such as ‘The Battle Of The Blue And The Grey’ and ‘Three Kisses of Love’, the collection contains hidden nuggets such as the psychedelic rocker ‘I Want Home’, and the archetypal Bee Gees ballad ‘I am the World’, which are sure to please fans.
None of these albums could be classed as ‘classics’, but the set proves to be a worthwhile insight into the early workings of a band who would later be hailed amongst the world’s finest.
