Bee Gees' 1st (Deluxe Version)

iTunes Review

The Brothers Gibb’s first internationally released album, after penetrating their native Australian market with smaller releases, 1st is a fully realized collection of mid-60s pop packed with the requisite Beatles-esque harmonies, tasteful orchestration, psychedelic production experiments, elusive and suggestive lyrics, and radio hits (“New York Mining Disaster 1941,” “Holiday,” “To Love Somebody”) necessary to ensure the group’s reputation as serious pop contenders. Their quick rise to stardom was the result of a stunning maturity beyond their teenaged years (Barry was barely 21, with his younger twin brothers only turning 18). Beyond the self-penned hits, the album also features several creative standouts of the era. “Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You” revels in a Revolver era psychedelia. “One Minute Woman” and “I Can’t See Nobody” are simple orchestrated numbers exhibiting the group’s sharp melodic sense. “Craise Finton Kirk Royal Academy of Arts” shuffles with a playfully recorded “underwater” vocal sound that’s since been imitated by indie-rock bands throughout the years, most notably Guided By Voices. The reissue generously adds rare demos that are musically strong and not just of historical value, as the multiple versions of “Mining Disaster” point out.