Bee Gees Mr Natural

Their previous album having scarcely made a ripple and, now, hitless for two years, the Bee Gees went for a new sound in the hands of producer Arif Mardin. The result was Mr. Natural, the sultriest and most soulful record they had ever delivered up to that time. Shedding their pop sensibilities here and singing in a freer, more soulful idiom (with a strong Philadelphia soul influence) on songs such as "Throw a Penny," and with a funky beat backing them up on a lot of this record, the group is scarcely recognizable in relation to their previous work. Mr. Natural was the liveliest, most invigorating body of music to come from the group since their debut, but it also had moments of extraordinary sensuality, most notably "Charade" and "Had a Lot of Love Last Night." In between those two bookends were the beginnings of the sound that would reach maturity on Main Course, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and Children of the World.

Their previous album having scarcely made a ripple and, now, hitless for two years, the Bee Gees went for a new sound in the hands of producer Arif Mardin. The result was Mr. Natural, the sultriest and most soulful record they had ever delivered up to that time. Shedding their pop sensibilities here and singing in a freer, more soulful idiom (with a strong Philadelphia soul influence) on songs such as "Throw a Penny," and with a funky beat backing them up on a lot of this record, the group is scarcely recognizable in relation to their previous work. Mr. Natural was the liveliest, most invigorating body of music to come from the group since their debut, but it also had moments of extraordinary sensuality, most notably "Charade" and "Had a Lot of Love Last Night."

The Bee Gees were a pop music group formed in 1958. Their lineup consisted of brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful as a popular music act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers of the disco music era in the mid-to-late 1970s. The group sang recognisable three-part tight harmonies; Robin's clear vibrato lead vocals were a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry's R&B falsetto became their signature sound during the mid-to-late 1970s and 1980s. The Bee Gees wrote all of their own hits, as well as writing and producing several major hits for other artists…

This 5CD clamshell box set features 4 original albums from 1974 to 1979 Mr. Natural , Main Course , Children of the World , Spirits Having Flown and a bonus disc of non-album singles and b sides from the era called The Miami Years.
Having teamed up with producer Arif Mardin, the Bee Gees took off with a fresh R&B twist to their music their albums Mr. Natural & Main Course opening new horizons. Their self-produced Children of the World album revealed a well-defined Bee Gees style. Spirits Having Flown followed with intricate and ambitious production and arrangements.

The Bee Gees made a commercial comeback outside the U.S. with 1987's E.S.P. and its single, "You Win Again." One, on the other hand, had an improved chart showing in the U.S., while sales fell off elsewhere. The Bee Gees are remarkable pop craftsmen – "It's My Neighborhood" is a canny, if blatant, rewrite of Michael Jackson's "Beat It," for example, and it only reminds you that Jackson's falsetto whoops owe something to Barry Gibb. And, say what you will, "One" and "House of Shame" are convincing pop music. ("One" was a Top Ten comeback hit that topped soft rock radio playlists.) This stuff works as pop for the same reason "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" and "You Should Be Dancing" did: the melodies are catchy, the hooks are deathless, and the vocals convey emotion over meaning. It may be weightless, but it's polished.

SUPERB THREE DISC SET FEATURING RARE LIVE & STUDIO RECORDINGS FROM THE 60s, THE 70s & THE 90s. Originally formed way back in 1958, the Bee Gees worked in so many styles and guises through their extraordinary career that there can barely be a music fan alive who doesn t appreciate at least some of their work. There is of course, also, the vast majority who appreciate nearly all of it, such was the supreme ability of the Brothers Gibb to compose and perform one of the most joyous and exceptional back catalogues in musical history. And this 3 CD Set, which features live and studio recordings made for radio and TV broadcast at various points in their career, is directed loudly and proudly at just such a fan. Featuring, on Disc One, tracks recorded for BBC Transmission on the (then) newly formed Radio One in 1967 and 1968, Disc Two continues with a show the group recorded for the soundstage programme in 1975, made shortly before the Bee Gees became one of the most famous and cherished pop groups in the world during the disco boom of the late decade. Concluding this collection, Disc Three contains the brothers VH1 Storytellers set, recorded for both TV and Radio broadcast in 1998.

In its original form, this double-LP compilation was a very generous repackaging of four years' worth of hits and notable album tracks, plus the Andy Gibb-authored "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away." It was a perfect distillation of the sound that had put the Bee Gees on top of the pop music world from 1975 onward. At the time, it did elicit some unspoken resentment from older fans who knew their hits from the 1960s, but as a collection of first-rate '70s dance music it was unimpeachable. It's also a statement of just how successful the Bee Gees were at the time that this was a double LP, representing just those four years, and how generous the group and RSO Records could afford to be – indeed, anything less would have seemed like exploitation of the fans, but extending it out past the obvious hits (including the Saturday Night Fever material) made this collection an event of sorts, and a release that could stand alongside their albums from Mr. Natural (where their '70s sound really begins) through Spirits Having Flown.