An extraordinary compilation from Boys Next Door that provides quite a document of the Brothers Gibb prior to the Saturday Night Fever phase which kept them front and center of the entertainment world - ad nauseum. There is over 4-and-a-half hours of footage featured here so it's best to digest in more than one sitting. And as you would figure, the quality from the various sources varies quite a bit across the board.
The quality is generally pretty good on the early TV specials and video segments, aside from the series of clips from the 1968 Idea Special which is considerable and it's really awful. My suggestion is to not even bother viewing these segments if you obtain this disc. The dual-layer DVD affords our producers to really jam the clips in here but the highlights are really the Melbourne 1971 and Japan 1973 concerts. These two shows combined showcase the incredible vocal talents of both Barry and Robin but it's Robin who shines throughout. Maurice is the musician and the clown of the bunch and their chemistry works quite well onstage. The Australia show is a 3 camera proshot production in black and white with nice fades and montage shots but the source is flawless, and the stereo broadcast allows us to really enjoy the performance. The Bee Gees aren't everyone's cup of tea I know but this compilation really affords music lovers a chance to appreciate where they came from before disco engulfed our lives in the late 70's- early 80's. These guys are pros and we shouldn't forget the vast songwriting catalog they bring to the table from the mid-60's on and a large chunk is presented here. The Japan concert is in color and is also accompanied by a nice stereo broadcast track though there is some tracking lines towards the bottom of the screen and there are japanese subtitles featured as well. Most of this doesn't detract from the impressive vocal trip the band takes us on. Really great.
The 1975 Soundstage segment was a bit of a disappointment though as it's not in as good of quality as what was shared via the internet in the Summer of 2007 but this set was produced prior to that upgraded version anyway. So there's some room for improving on what's here but if you even have a passing interest in their early careers and some of the classic tunes they wrote and performed through 1975, this is worth your while. The packaging is adequate and equal to what we get with half the official efforts these days but it isn't anything really special. The programming on the disc allows for quick navigation but was a little confusing the way they break up the TV and Promo clips portion vs. the 3 showcased concerts on the second half...but no issues here really.
