Review
by Nicholas James |
 |
This was the first full Bee Gees album since
1981's Living
Eyes. The guys had taken a break to
write and produce other artists, such as
Barbra Streisand,
Dionne Warwick,
Kenny
Rogers and
Diana Ross,
had produced a number of
solo albums
and contributed songs to the soundtrack of
the movie
Staying Alive. But in 1987, they had
decided it was time for the Bee Gees. With a
new recording contract with Warner Brothers,
the Bee Gees teamed up with producer Arif
Mardin, who had relaunched their career in
the 1970s with Mr
Natural and
Main Course.
And, guess what? They pulled it off again!
Yes, the Bee Gees made a triumphant comeback
and entered the third phase of their career
(or fourth, if you include the
productions and
solo work).
The first single from the album, 'You Win
Again' was a worldwide smash (except the
USA), reaching number one in the UK singles
chart, and topping the charts elsewhere. The
album itself followed 'You Win Again' to be
a massive seller. The Bee Gees were back!
So, how did they achieve this remarkable
rebirth? On this occasion, by going back to
what they do best: mixing superior,
commercial tracks with experimental tracks
that pushed them into new areas. By
remaining accessible, but trying out new
sounds and styles. In short, they remained
at the cutting edge.
'You Win Again' was an extremely catchy
stomper of a song, with a strong,
distinctive production and clever lyrics.
The follow up single and title track, ESP,
was a high energy, edgy piece of work, that
was well-received by the critics, although
did not fair nearly as well as its
predecessor in the charts. It was also
accompanied by a tremendous video. There
were great ballads in the traditional Bee
Gees style ('Angela' and 'Live Or Die') and
moody 1980s ballads, such as the atmospheric
Robin Gibb-led 'The Longest Night'. They
experimented with a piece of lightweight pop
confectionary, 'Crazy For Your Love' (this
is what you get if you mix the Bee Gees with
Madonna's 'True Blue'), and expressed their
dislike of rap in 'This Is Your Life', which
includes a tongue-in-cheek rap of some of
their most famous titles. The rest of the
album was made up of slightly less
successful, but all highly contemporary,
tracks like 'Giving Up The Ghost' and 'Backtafunk'.
Oh, yes, and the Maurice Gibb 'token' track
returns, with the up tempo, electric guitar
led, 'Overnight'.
The Bee Gees were back and, this time, to
stay. And each subsequent album in the late
1980s/early 1990s would improve upon the
last.
Why Buy ESP?
To experience how the Bee Gees manage to
return from nowhere back to the top of the
charts. Some great songs, well produced. |
