It’s a sad story to lose three of your siblings (Andy Gibb passed in the late 1980's) before any
of them reached the age to qualify for Medicare, but fortunately Barry Gibb’s
wife of 44 years (yes, that is correct) convinced him he needed to get out
there and play music. Thankfully, for us he is still playing that music and
doing it brilliantly.
Last night’s performance at Chicago’s United Center (home to
the Blackhawks and the Bulls) was certifiably one of the finest live
shows I’ve ever witnessed. Barry Gibb has received a multiple number of
honors over his 48 year career, but knowing the Bee Gees are the only act in
history to write, produce and record four number one hits in a row may be the
most stupendously over the top achievement any music artist could even dream
of. Obviously, the Bee Gees were one of the most commercially successful
(even beyond their work on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack) and critically
acclaimed acts in all of music history; and Mr. Gibb's show provides a well-rounded look at the career of the Bee Gees.
Most people think of the aforementioned Saturday Night Fever
soundtrack when they think of the Bee Gees, but the brothers Gibb were a heady
act of great renown before that 1977 splash of music paint hit the walls of the
waning years of the disco generation. Those tunes remain some of the finest songs of the now defunct era, but
shockingly they still hold up nearly four decades past their first turn of the
33 1/3.
Gibb’s entrance onto the stage was overwhelming. He wasn’t on stage for three songs before an
extended crush of a standing ovation was given. Gibb seemed flush with the feeling
of good will. He genuinely was surprised by all of that fan love. He also
seemed troubled to hear the shouts of WE LOVE YOU BARRY every time some 60 plus
year old yelled it out while he was singing one of his multitude of stunningly
beautiful love songs. As much as I enjoy
and have enjoyed the music of the Bee Gees I simply didn’t remember all of
these beautiful and in some cases downright obscure ballads. I loved every
minute of it. At many concerts the last
thing you want to hear is an obscure “slow song,” but not at a Gibb
concert. Those whopper sized donuts of
love were welcomed with open arms in
Chicago. After listening to them, you
ask yourself, what music do people today fall in love to?
Gibb can still hit and hold
the notes; and that famed falsetto is still working at its peak. This man
resides comfortably in the glory of superbly crafted music. He is a gifted
songwriter both lyrically and musically. Many of his compositions are orchestral which opens a wide path for all of the critical acclaim he has received.
There were so many highlights that you could say the entire
list of thirty songs were the highlight. It was one big reel of pop genius. The monumental Lonely Days sounded
like the original track and it was hard to believe that all of this came about
via nine musicians and three back-up singers. To Love Somebody never sounded as
good. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart was performed solo in
this showcase, because Maurice’s daughter was out sick (Samantha is touring with her uncle). Barry's son Steve is on stage with his iconic dad. Steve is a guitarist who favors metal and tattoos. He is a nice driver of lead guitar work, so it's family, but it's always been family for Barry Gibb.
Stayin’ Alive still
has the ability to get the heart pumping and I literally dare the shyest among
us to not at least move an arm. Some of the great classics from the late 1960’s
and early 1970’s were meshed with the finely tuned upbeat songs and Gibb never
missed a beat. The ballads are all here. I’ve Gotta Get a Message To You, Run
To Me, and Words.
Gibb takes on Night
Fever and More Than a Woman with a hanging from the ceiling disco ball. We get
a rousing round of songs he wrote for
other artists, including the powerful drama of a tune, Woman In Love.
He pays tribute to Bruce Springsteen with a lovely rendition of I’m on Fire. Springsteen has been playing Stayin’ Alive on tour, so it was payback time in their mutual love fest.Gibb said Springsteen is the greatest live act in music. Springsteen is, but Gibb is high on the list of great live acts, even at his current age.
He pays tribute to Bruce Springsteen with a lovely rendition of I’m on Fire. Springsteen has been playing Stayin’ Alive on tour, so it was payback time in their mutual love fest.
The great “One” was played as though it were an overture
number from a musical out of the 1940’s. The stunning panorama of gorgeous
ballads kept coming. If you have never heard Morning of My Life or With the Sun In
My Eyes do yourself a big life favor and download these tracks. His current versions are almost a little too penetrating to the soul;
and it all kept going. When was the last time you said at 11pm on a Tuesday
night you wanted to stay out and listen
to the music?!
My only dilemma: my two favorite Bee Gees songs were not
performed. Why on earth Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)
was not added to the set list is slightly off my radar of thought. One of the most beautiful love songs ever wasn't played at the United Center. Love
You Inside Out is so blatantly and ballistically brilliant it should be played
no matter where he goes and this song missed the set list as well.
The Mythology tour ends in California shortly, so hopefully
Mr. Gibb will have enjoyed himself so much on this tour that he will carry
himself back to the stage within the next couple of years. The ticket prices were reasonable. Shockingly, he
didn’t sell out the venue. That is bizarre, but as the aging boomer population
retreats into their own isolated cocoons we may see less and less of the great
artists of the latter half of the 20th century taking to the
road. There aren’t many of them left,
but Barry Gibb was and remains one of the most resourcefully talented people
the music industry ever had their hands on.
Copyright (C) 2014 by Chicago and Then Some
