Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 22:36:01 -0400
From: Joseph Brennan <brennan@columbia.edu>
Subject: Re: Dionne Warwick - Broken Bottles
Ronnie Olsson wrote:
> Let's see what actually ends up on the Heartbreaker set. Confusing why
> Broken Bottles ended up on the Finder of Lost Loves reissue unless she
> decided to revisit the song for this album and ending up shelving it
> again.
It does not belong with this album unless she recorded it again. Logic does
not always apply to these things of course.
Joe Brennan
Back to topDate: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 23:30:07 -0400
From: Joseph Brennan <brennan@columbia.edu>
Subject: 50 St C
I've delayed comment since so many times in the past I've changed my mind
about songs after a few listens. I still might, but at this point my picks
are:
Days of Wine and Roses
Alan Freeman Days
Sorry
Sanctuary
All We Have Is Now
Sydney
This is a really different approach from Robin. The songs are more
obviously than usual about his life, especially missing Maurice and his
relationship with Dwina. He's singing his heart out. This was a new road
and it's a damn shame he did not have the chance to follow it further. But
we do have this.
Dwina's notes are very good.
As someone else pointed out, Alan Freeman Days here has a little section
that was cut out in the previous release. The cut section is here between
square braces-- and I have no idea why it was cut!
The magic would emerge
of Radio Luxemburg
[ that I heard
back when I was younger
The more things seem to change
the more they stay the same ]
In his words
Give me what I hunger
Both Instant Love and Sydney suffer from tinkering. On Instant Love, I
welcome wiping out RJ's preciously plummy enunciation on lead vocal, verse
2, but they lost something in the mix. The "movie" version I grabbed from
somewhere has a more menacing tone along the lines of Toys. When the beast
wants instant anything we better give it. Now it just sounds whiny. Yeah,
you want instant love, I bet you want instant fame and instant respect too
and nobody gets that.
Sydney... less was more. The raw version Robin streamed on his web site
nailed it. The version here is still good though. I'm so glad he shared
this one.
I guess we will never get a good copy of Mother of Love. I'm glad this one
doesn't have the beat track in verse 1, but we don't need it at all, and I
don't know why Robin started speeding it up as he hit the chorus. The live
take on television, the one with him reading the lyrics off a paper, with
only an orchestral backing, has much more soul and passion and that's what
this song is about. It also has horrible compression, as broadcast, the
orchestra pumping up every time Robin took a breath. I'm going to let this
go.
The new I Am the World is good but I wish it said goodbye when it was done,
like around 2:30.
The new Avalanche has NOTHING in common with the 1970 song except the word
"avalanche". I'd say it should have another title, except that the old one
was never released or published, so officially this IS the first one!
I do wish we had Don't Cry Alone here as originally recorded. Ann's
insightful commentary "Broken" makes it clear there is a finished version
recorded in the heat of inspiration, the same vocal but equally quick
accompaniment. I didn't pick this orchestral one since we already have it
on Titanic Requiem.
One Way Love and Broken Wings... feh.
Richard I am really trying to get into Solid. I'll let you know :-)
Joe Brennan
Back to topDate: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 22:09:48 -0700
From: Yasmine Ghulamali <yasdaz17@fastmail.fm>
Subject: Re: 50 St C
Let it sit for a while but let us know when you update your website
(hopefully) with your finished comments on the album. I look forward to
it, Yasmine
On 10/11/2014 8:30 PM, Joseph Brennan wrote:
>
> I've delayed comment since so many times in the past I've changed my
> mind about songs after a few listens. I still might, but at this point
> my picks are:
>
> Days of Wine and Roses
> Alan Freeman Days
> Sorry
> Sanctuary
> All We Have Is Now
> Sydney
>
> This is a really different approach from Robin. The songs are more
> obviously than usual about his life, especially missing Maurice and
> his relationship with Dwina. He's singing his heart out. This was a
> new road and it's a damn shame he did not have the chance to follow it
> further. But we do have this.
>
> Dwina's notes are very good.
>
> As someone else pointed out, Alan Freeman Days here has a little
> section that was cut out in the previous release. The cut section is
> here between square braces-- and I have no idea why it was cut!
>
> The magic would emerge
> of Radio Luxemburg
> [ that I heard
> back when I was younger
>
> The more things seem to change
> the more they stay the same ]
> In his words
> Give me what I hunger
>
> Both Instant Love and Sydney suffer from tinkering. On Instant Love, I
> welcome wiping out RJ's preciously plummy enunciation on lead vocal,
> verse 2, but they lost something in the mix. The "movie" version I
> grabbed from somewhere has a more menacing tone along the lines of
> Toys. When the beast wants instant anything we better give it. Now it
> just sounds whiny. Yeah, you want instant love, I bet you want instant
> fame and instant respect too and nobody gets that.
>
> Sydney... less was more. The raw version Robin streamed on his web
> site nailed it. The version here is still good though. I'm so glad he
> shared this one.
>
> I guess we will never get a good copy of Mother of Love. I'm glad this
> one doesn't have the beat track in verse 1, but we don't need it at
> all, and I don't know why Robin started speeding it up as he hit the
> chorus. The live take on television, the one with him reading the
> lyrics off a paper, with only an orchestral backing, has much more
> soul and passion and that's what this song is about. It also has
> horrible compression, as broadcast, the orchestra pumping up every
> time Robin took a breath. I'm going to let this go.
>
> The new I Am the World is good but I wish it said goodbye when it was
> done, like around 2:30.
>
> The new Avalanche has NOTHING in common with the 1970 song except the
> word "avalanche". I'd say it should have another title, except that
> the old one was never released or published, so officially this IS the
> first one!
>
> I do wish we had Don't Cry Alone here as originally recorded. Ann's
> insightful commentary "Broken" makes it clear there is a finished
> version recorded in the heat of inspiration, the same vocal but
> equally quick accompaniment. I didn't pick this orchestral one since
> we already have it on Titanic Requiem.
>
> One Way Love and Broken Wings... feh.
>
> Richard I am really trying to get into Solid. I'll let you know :-)
>
> Joe Brennan
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "Words & Music", Fans Of The Brothers Gibb ( Bee Gees )
> http://www.brothersgibb.com
> To change any of your list options,
> please go to website listed above.
>
Back to topDate: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 22:13:17 -0700
From: Yasmine Ghulamali <yasdaz17@fastmail.fm>
Subject: Re: Isle of Man CD
I'm sorry, Kate, but I am confused about what you are saying. Did you
think the website meant excerpt from a larger book to come or just a
small insert? At any rate, it looks like we are getting an insert, not
an excerpt. Rats, I was looking forward, for a brief few minutes, to a
bio of Robin. Even an authorized one had the potential to have some
insights although I certainly would not have expected much. Yasmine
On 10/11/2014 2:00 PM, Kate wrote:
> I think that's what they mean. Maybe they have part of the website text
> quoted on an insert or something? That's what I thought when I read
> their description.
>
> Kate
>
> Yasmine Ghulamali wrote:
>
>> Ahh, that makes sense. Then the Isle of Man postal website needs to be
>> brought up on misrepresentation as it makes it seem like there is an
>> excerpt of a new bio in the package, not a bio in and of itself. Yasmine
>
>
> "Words & Music", Fans Of The Brothers Gibb ( Bee Gees )
> http://www.brothersgibb.com
>
> To change any of your list options,
> please go to website listed above.
>
Back to topDate: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 22:28:03 -0700
From: Yasmine Ghulamali <yasdaz17@fastmail.fm>
Subject: Re: Humans
I never thought TIWICI heralded a problem with the brothers personally,
although you never knew with those three, roll eyes. I take Ann's point
that they seemed to be chronically disorganized (if I can paraphrase it
that way). I also thought the brothers were okay with each other during
promotion except for the BBC2 Top of the Pops special where they
commented on songs. I don't know what was going on but Robin's body
language in the commentaries lead me to think he may have not wanted to
be in the same room with the other two, but it could just have been an
off day.
I agree that Barry and Robin had very different ways of dealing with
their grief and that was fine. The problem came in when Barry
apparently called Robin saying he wanted to work with him (or something
to that effect), causing Robin to drop plans for his own stuff, such as
St. C., only to have Barry not follow through. Whether by accident or
design, I think that was problematical. At the end of the day, I am
just sad that they did not have more time to get to a point where they
could work together (although recognizing it might never have happened
anyway). Yasmine
On 10/6/2014 2:45 PM, Robin Setty wrote:
> Ann Grootjan wrote:
>
> "TIWICI's format is no sinister idea coming from Robin's head, nor
> something he chose or wanted. Robin saw himself first and foremost as
> a Bee Gee.....Most of the time things just happen. Rarely is anything
> the Gibbs did or didn't do by design. There were hardly ever any
> plans, let alone sinister plans. I don't get this blame game really.
> It is what it is, it can't be changed anymore now can it."
>
> BRAVO ANN!
>
> I don't see why the approach taken to this album has to be seen as
> some kind of sinister falling out. The brothers had recorded many
> albums together and this was a chance to do something different.
> Indeed, I remember right at the end of the album being recorded, the
> brothers were together working on the horn section for "The Extra
> Mile". Robin's 'solo tracks' may have appeared more 'solo' than the
> others (e.g. use of PJ Vettesse backing vocals) but that's probably
> because he was in the UK and the others were in the Miami and he
> wanted backing vocals. Not a problem for me. Remember also that the
> brothers did do some promotion together and seemed pretty at ease with
> each other. Maybe it was an act? I really don't care and don't think
> we should speculate.
>
> A couple of other things...
>
> On Barry refusing to work with Robin in the latter years: Has anyone
> thought that working with Robin might just have been too painful for
> Barry....might have just made it too obvious that the Bee Gees were a
> third down....were in fact OVER?
Back to topDate: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 14:28:24 +0900
From: Kate <myka@qdots.net>
Subject: Re: Isle of Man CD
Hi Yasmine,
Sorry for not making myself clear enough. I meant an insert (printed
sheet) included in the set which has excerpt from the text ("bio" on
the new RobinGibb.com) writtten by Rob Fitzpatrick. So I don't think it
was a misrepresentation.
Kate
Yasmine Ghulamali wrote:
> I'm sorry, Kate, but I am confused about what you are saying. Did you
> think the website meant excerpt from a larger book to come or just a
> small insert? At any rate, it looks like we are getting an insert, not
> an excerpt. Rats, I was looking forward, for a brief few minutes, to a
> bio of Robin. Even an authorized one had the potential to have some
> insights although I certainly would not have expected much. Yasmine
>
Back to top
End words@brothersgibb.com message digest 10/12/2014 03:01 (#2014-314)