The "Bee Gees": Tales of the Brothers Gibb (Can Be Fun)

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Melinda Bilyeu, Andrew Mons, Hector Cook, Andrew Mon Hughes, Andrew Hughes

Used from £18.65

Pages: 724 (Hardcover)

ISBN: 0711979170

Pub: Omnibus Press

Pub date: 2000-10-15

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 887884

Editorial Review:

Taken pretty much for granted during their first taste of 1960s' fame, the Bee Gees have enjoyed many highs and endured equal lows on their musical journey through life. Perhaps undervalued by the music industry during their first incarnation, recent years have seen tributes to Manchester's Brothers Gibb grow larger and louder, as new generations applaud the ingenuity--and longevity--of their music. In keeping with this trend, the newly published Tales Of The Brothers Gibb should fill a long empty gap in the chronicle of modern music.
The authors faced a mammoth task in researching 50 years of musical history and condensing it into one volume. Sensibly, the three main authors enlisted the help of ¨berfans Joseph Brennan and Mark Crohan to ensure their investigation was exhaustive. Every Bee Gees trivia fan can be assured that the factual content here is remarkably thorough; for example, a-sides and b-sides are named for every single, and the engineer for each recording is also given credit.
Written for fans of the Bee Gees music (more than fans of the brothers themselves) the book's tone is informative and impartial, steering away from faux-personal "fan-speak" and choosing instead to straddle the markets of reference and biography. The authors do touch on the personal lives of the Bee Gees--telling of Robin's ghoulish escape from the Hither Green Train Disaster, brother Andy's death and Maurice's off/on relationship with Lulu. However the emphasis here is on how those personal events changed the dynamics of the group's career, leading to the break up of the band, and the thawing of attitudes which brought about their reunion.

Following years of being discussed in tones between derision and comedy banter, Tales Of The Brothers Gibb treats the brothers with staid reverence. Luckily the self-effacing and unexpectedly jokey Barry, Maurice and Robin add a lighter touch from time to time. Those hoping for a cover mount gift of facial hair, chest wig, or a win-a-Barry-Karaoke-Night-competition had better look elsewhere; this is a respectful biography with high production values. Aside from a few well-chosen photos, and the odd appendix table of hits, the 678 pages consist mainly of text. That's right, it's only "Words. Cos Words are all they have...." (ahem). --Helen Lamont

Reader Reviews:

Book is exploitative and repetitive (2/3 people found this helpful)

I went into this book hoping to learn all about the Bee Gees and their music. I'm an old fan but haven't kept up with them as I'd like. This book told me virtually nothing I didn't know from old books and articles, or from legitimate news stories on the Internet. The added information about Maurice's death was clearly added to exploit his death in a hope to add sales and capitalize on it, because it doesn't add substance. The same things are repeated in several areas, and contradict each other. I'm very disappointed and wish I could give it zero stars.

Great Book (0/2 people found this helpful)

I read this book and it is great.Things they don't talk about in interviews they tell you in the book. Once you start you can't stop. You read it with a smile on your face.Special thanks for those who made it possible for all of us to read and special thanks to the Brothers for sharring their 'lives' with us.

Everything You Wanted to know About The Bee gees (0/1 people found this helpful)

A great read. It left me up to date and fully acqainted with this amazing band and the indivuduals who make up the Bee Gees. Whilst obviously fans, the writers weren't affraid to be critical at times either.
Truly the ultimate Bee Gees biography.

A fitting tribute, long overdue... (3/4 people found this helpful)

The recent death of Maurice Gibb made me revisit this book, and I would recommend it to any serious fan of The Bee Gees. While it lovingly portrays the group (the authors all admit to being avid fans themselves), it dares to protray their human frailties as well as their strengths. It's a fitting tribute, long overdue, to a group whose five decade career has drawn to an end through untimely death.

Ultimately Satisfying Biography! (43/44 people found this helpful)

How can you possibly write a biography about one of the most successful rock bands of the last four decades and get it all right? Writers Bilyeu, Cook and Hughes (along with Brennan and Crohan and many others) have managed to achieve the impossible. With uncountable interviews and years of research, this team has placed the Gibb family and all their triumphs and tragedies into perspective.

Starting chronologically with the pre-marriage days of Barbara and Hugh Gibb in the 1940's up to the present, continually active Bee Gees, we are presented with every viewpoint, memory and recollection of the three brothers and their freinds and acquaintances. The highs and lows of the Bee Gees and Andy Gibbs' careers are not glossed over or over-emphasized. They are told with 'matter-of-fact' honesty and sincerity; a refreshing exercise in storytelling. The read is fast and crisp with a personal edge lacking anything close to newscopy.

After the conclusion, there are numerous, wonderful appendixes including more comments from folks close to the Gibbs, a complete album and singles discography, a cover versions list and a bibliography with book, magazine, newspaper and Internet Web Sites.

All the beauty marks and all the scars are here. It just makes the Gibb family more human. They may be ordinary people, but they have had extraordinary lives.

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