Album Of The Day

The most significant aspect of this album is that it really demonstrates what my dad was trying to explain to me for years, which is: The Bee Gees are not STRICTLY a disco band. Like yes they have most of the most popular disco hits that were ever made but they didn’t start out as disco band and a lot of their music isn’t disco. That being said my actual personal taste doesn’t agree with this album. It’s too radio friendly and wholesome, and honestly this feels like a mean criticism but it’s just so boring and slow. The only song I ended up saving was “don’t want to live inside myself”. But that’s genuinely it, nothing else really grabbed my attention in any way. I will concede that the things that The Bee Gees do well, are still super prevalent on this album despite being boring to me. For example, the production is amazing and clear, which isn’t as easy as it sounds to accomplish. The other thing they do really well is the vocal work is excellent. The harmonies and talent being displayed on this album are impressive even if they are mildly underwhelming as a whole when they don’t have any good material to work with. This is another one of those albums where it is competent and well crafted but still does almost nothing for me at all and I probably will never come back to this album considering there are Bee Gees albums I actually like as opposed to this one.

A slight step in the right direction from "Odessa" at least. Still a tad too maudlin though, especially in the second half. Is there really not at least one disco-era Bee Gees album on this list?

нагадує елтона джона

Almost exactly 100 albums ago, I was recommended Odessa by the Bee Gees. Today I get Trafalgar, another Bee Gees album with a geographic name. While I wasn't particularly impressed by either, I thought this one was the better listen. As a whole, it was a little hit and miss. It's a little hard to win me over with vocal ballads like what made up the majority of this album. Some songs I liked well enough, others I found pretty boring. The music had a some good moments, though a few times it felt like they were singing over the theme song to a midday soap opera. The vibes were slow and emotional the whole way through without a lot to break it up. I thought the vocals themselves were pretty strong if a bit whiney at times. I can't say I thought this album was anything great, but it was no worse than fine. The bad songs dragged down the good ones, and the rest were too boring to sway it one way or the other. I liked it better than Odessa, for what that's worth. I think I would have liked it more if they'd swapped out a few of the songs with some livelier tracks. Going with a 2 here mostly because I just don't see myself listening to this one again. Overall: 2.4/5

This is terrible. I can't stand them in their disco mode but them in sad white guy slow jam mode is so much worse. At least you could hypothetically shake your ass to the disco songs. Cool cover, though.

I just can’t.

I was really on board for the first few songs. The rest was hit or miss. Some real kermitty vocals on some of these tracks (When Do I)!

Unfortunately, the best song in the album was titled Israel… Didn’t mind the album too much though I think I would give it another listen sometime.

Loved the vocals, the rest not so much. I’m all here for a good and powerful ballad but too much is too much.

Tapped out on track 2, the ad-libbed, straight from the heart tribute to Israel. I did just buy the Staying Alive 4K tho…….

i like the beegees but this album is weird as hell and ya i do not like the song about israel :/

I like this album, the vibes are quite there Fav song - The Greatest Man In The World 3/5

It was ok. Beautiful sounds but it felt a little dull. I do like a lot of Bee Gees stuff but this one got a little too orchestral. Lyrically it wasnt too bad, less saccharine then their other records

Funny close singing, the musical release. Hey, you there! Yes, you! Do you like uncomfortable pro-Israel content interspersed with paint by numbers love songs sung too close to the mic? Can I pique your interest further by saying it’s sung in a very funny, abbreviated fashion by three of the weirdest looking brothers to exist outside the pages of a medieval fairy tale tome? Did I mention we get weird and warbly about halfway through? Yeah and “Remembering” is for all you freaks who love the song “Little Drummer Boy” but don’t want to hear about all that Christmas crap. Anybody? How about all you renaissance fair/muppet fans? The last quarter of the record is made for you! It’s basically a Kermit the Frog operetta drunkenly performed at a Red Deer dinner theatre! Alright, now that nobody could possibly care about this record, let’s give it oh I don’t know… 1 HIGHLIGHTS: Somebody stop the music??? Errrrm I’ll say!!!

I wanted to be open to this, but what in the world is it? The songs are often incoherent and the writing maudlin, and the one guy is not making his voice work for his songs. This did not convert me to a Bee Gees guy.

Two things i didn't know: How many years before Saturday Night Fever the Bee Gees existed, and that their music was pretty far away from disco to start. I'm curious about their journey now, but I didn't connect with this at all. I generally like Robin Gibb's voice as a complement to Barry's falsetto, but with Robin front and center, his weird warble sounds like an affectation.

Honestly weak, sounds like Beatles B sides

Odessa was quite a pleasant listen if I remember correctly. This actually had some really bad singing. I sort of assumed some Trafalgar related themes but... I must have missed them? Sort of has the vibes of some Elton John songs in places without being particularly good.

Snooze. If I have to listen to The Bee Gees it better be danceable. Lion in Winter very nearly approaches being a decent song (though still far too mewling) and that alone saves this from one star status.

Cmon just put Saturday Night Fever on here. I love the cover art and the closing track was alright. That's about all I can say positively about this one. Rating: 1.8

In which the Bee Gees blow their load on Track 1 (a timeless track) and the other 42 minutes of ballads, while well-arranged in terms of its orchestral parts, go absolutely nowhere and feel like lesser versions of the Beatles and Roy Orbison

Why did I hate it.

Nope

As someone who loves the Bee Gees' disco era, this was a bit of a let down. I can see why this isn't so highly rated. I think the songwriting is really what was lacking here. But they are still the Bee Gees, with absolutely beautiful voices, and have made some of the best music of all time. Top Songs: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Trafalgar, Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself

I know this type of rock was influential, but I prefer what is out now than this to be honest.

Somebody stop the music am I right?

I only know Disco Bee Gees. This is already weird in a good way. I have a buddy who loves The Bee Gees but all I knew was disco and so I didn’t get it. On track two. I get it now. I love the song “When do I”. “Lion in winter” is such a good song.

An impressive multi-genre experience. That's right folks, a snoozefest AND a cheesefest! Nicely done, lads!

pre-disco Bee Gees. Eh.

This was pretty painful. I'm glad they later got on the disco train and made interesting music. If they hadn't, I doubt any of us would know who the Bee Gees were ⭐.75

i literally said "oh no" out loud to myself when they started singing.

The enlightening fact I learned here is that while this album did well in America (and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" was a huge, ubiquitous hit in my youth), it completely failed to chart in the UK. I think that fact goes a long way to explaining why there are so many albums on this list that the British compiler sees as "essential" but that left absolutely no mark on me as an American when they came out.

What if ELO sucked Honestly a couple upbeat tracks would probably save this album. It's just an onslaught of slow, maudlin melodrama. I normally appreciate a singer who takes big swings but stuff like Lion in Winter is pretty rough. I wanted to like this album.

I don’t know what I expected from pre-disco Bee Gees but it wasn’t Lethargic Elton John or Uninspired Jethro Tull It’s fine I guess. Barry’s voice grew on me over the course of the album, Robin’s voice less so, actually like the instruments a lot, do not understand what it’s doing on this list. There’s a version of this review that gives it the weakest of threes

Not sure why this album is this list, so I can only assume the list's compiler is a fan of the Bee Gees. I vaguely remember the opening track "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart", but the cover by Al Green, not the Bee Gees version. A largely forgettable album.

Liking this one more than Odessa. Certainly a more breezy album. Some songs are very Beatles like Trafalgar. But man, folk Bee Gees does nothing for me.

When this popped up, I knew I was in trouble but I pressed play and hoped for the best, and then came the opening vocal delivery and I let out a big sigh. I mainly listened on my lunchtime walk and it occurred to me, what if I get hit by a bus and someone comes to my aid and realises I was listening to this? What if I never got the chance to explain I’m doing this challenge? To be fair, the opening track isn’t bad, and it’s a famous song for a reason. The album meanders between songs that have something about them and those that…well, are a bit dull. I don’t always know which Bee Gee is singing but I think it makes a difference to my enjoyment. This is better than Odessa but that’s a low bar. The Battle of Trafalgar is apparently a better theme than a Ukranian port.

Depressing

I can definitely see why this album is on here. Definitely a quintessential Bee Gees album. It's an underrated and underappreciated classic! Some of the more melancholy-sounding tunes that defined their work of the late 60's and 70's.

better than expected. it just doesn't speak to me today in 2025

Pre-disco Bee Gees. Hadn't heard any of the songs, and now I kinda know why. Low-energy easy- listening music.

PEAK.

An unexpectedly appealing streak of bitterness enlivens heavy sentimentality. The instrumentation is thick, the tunes have tempo and air that seem more suited to a church hall, and they seem like they entirely mean it.

Wow, I had no idea how bad the pre-disco Bee Gees could be. I thought the first track was an Al Green song, the original here sounding like a Vic Reeves parody. Vocals are terrible in general, with every number evoking either The Rutles or The Goodies; music and arrangements are completely anonymous. Talented songwriters eventually (esp. "Chain Reaction"; maybe before too) but this effort from Les Tosseurs is awful.

First time listening to a Bee Gees album and I don't know what to say. Not in a positive or negative way, just in a "there's not much to say here" way. It's fine but also sounds unpolished. Their voices sound like they're insecure and unsure about their vocal abilities. Some songs sound as if I'm listening to a half-ok singer do Roy Orbison on karaoke 2/5

Needs more disco...

A few good numbers, but the beach boys did it better

easy listening retirement home lobby montage music. I mean any track in isolation is fine but they really are doing 47min of the same song

Album I would replace this one with: Real Estate - Days (2011) 5/5

Never heard anything by the Bee Gees outside their disco music and I'm glad I finally have. This is an incredible album, with great songs. The only gripe I have with it is that it is very Beatles derivative in places, but that's not too bad as the Beatles are my favourite band. All in all, this is a 4.5/5 for me. Can't wait to hear more early Bee Gees.

Probably some of the worst music that I've heard in a long, long time. Like if the people who did The Hobbit (1977) soundtrack tried to mimic The Beatles. Awful stuff.

Honestly thought this was surprisingly good. Kinda have no idea why it's on this list and had no idea that the bee gees had a soft rock pre disco era. The vocal harmonies and instrumentation and strings on this were all just really pleasant.

Boh ok, alcune hit alcune no

not for me thanks!

Horrible

Being a huge Bee Gees fan, this album is a disappointment. Except for a few instances, the album drones on lacking melody. I grew up in the Bee Gees era but I can certainly understand why younger people might find this a bit cringe.

Bee gees? Like the bee gees? This was not what I expected but I was pleasantly surprised. Blind album. Had a great folk feeling and flowed really well actually.

Wasn’t bad it’s just not my thing/ was not feeling it.

Quite a whimsical and gentle journey with this group. Certainly not what I was expecting based on their more popular songs. This is much more folky and soft, but it's still nice. Vocals can be a bit dull at times, but the music is pleasant and almost fairytale-esque. Interesting record, not sure I'd revisit it intentionally again though.

The most unreliable election polling company.

I’m intrigued by this album, it seems very decisive. How can you mend a broken heart was alright. I didn’t have any strong feeling either way, but the guys voice did get grating at points. Israel on the other hand was a very enjoyable track! The music was nice to listen to. Still don’t like his voice, but it’s better in this track. The greatest man in the world seemed very whiny to me. I didn’t like it. I honesty don’t remember listening to Its Just the Way even though I’m sure I did. Anyway, it gets a pass. Moving on to Remembering. Like there are good moments in this track, I just like the actual music of it more than the vocals or lyrics. Somebody stop the music was actually really good. It has a really nice flow to it. The Title track was alright, it was just a lot of the same as what we’ve gotten earlier in this album. Don’t Wanna Live inside myself really wasn’t my favourite. I don’t like the waver that he does with his voice. Continuing on from that, When do I was weird. Dearest had that same strange vibrato as well and I just don’t like it. Lion in Winter I had a decent time with. It has a nice drumbeat going for it. Unfortunately not all the way through, but at least there were some fun musical ideas in this one. Walking back to Waterloo, yeah, again, the music, decent, everything else, eh. This sounds like the anthem in a rom com after the couple have their third act breakup. To wrap it up, some of the musical ideas in this album were awesome, but overall it was just a slog to listen to. Strange vocal choices, tracks very similar to each other, it was just alright. A generous 2.5/5 ⭐️ 5/10 if only because I’ve given significantly better albums a 3 but after reading back my review, I don’t think it quite deserves a 2. 37/1089

This is one of the many albums where it was only included because of one song (or I think, not that I definitely know or anything.) Just a bunch of classic filler, just a bunch of nothing. Though one song stood out among the mopey ballads with it's uniqueness. The song "When I Do" has this surreal sound to it, it sounds like a bard singing, it was a nice track to break the monotony started after "Israel" ended. I saw it was by the Bee Gees and thought disco, so I though it would be average at least because disco never hurt no one. But no I got mopey pop instead. Highlight Song/s: "Israel"

I definitely like the Bee Gees, and admire their journey from indie folkpop to progpop to discopop, going from small-time to superstardom to punch line. This album was mid-tier at best. The three feels mildly generous.

The back half of that was tough work. The delivery was so sincere it was indistinguishable from parody

Lost half a star for the super irritating lyrics for Israel and another half for Robin's warbling vocals on Remembering. Robin should never be allowed to sing lead. As it happens, earlier today I was reading how Miles Davis's trumpet teacher would rap his knuckles with a ruler if he heard any vibrato. I wish Robin had had a similarly tough vocal coach because I know that by the end of this album I wanted to rap his knuckles something good. Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself sounds like it was written as a continuation of Neil Young's Helpless. But fair play, considering Neil's Borrowed Tune a couple of years later. And I can't leave without giving a plug for Al Green - he does THE definitive version of How Can You Mend A Broken Heart. Check it out!

I guess it would be a shame not to have the Bee Gees in this collection, so this one serves nicely as their placeholder. (I'm pretty sure, however, they *don't* warrant two albums, so I doubt I'll be as receptive to "Odessa", whenever it pops up, although who knows?) I'm not sure I understand all the weird historical and geographical references in the album and song titles, but overall it seems like a pretty harmless set of early 70s easy listening saccharine sweetness, at times reminding me a bit of Elton John or Billy Joel (but with worse lyrics), and the title track has quite a bit of David Bowie in it, oddly. I was mainly happy that there weren't too many truly horrendous tracks, although country-style "Remembering", bizarre "When do I" and the dirge "Dearest" are pretty painful, while "Lion in winter" stands out a bit for being more interesting than the rest.

"How can you mend a broken heart" is a great song, and the rest of this album isn't as good but isn't awful, and it's fun to hear the Brothers Gibb in a non-disco context.

Didn’t love this but it was ok

Inte vad jag förväntade mig. Kändes mer seriöst men fortfarande inget för mig

Cover is just as cool as the album 5/5

2nd Bee Gees in 5 days. I would much rather hear Saturday Night Fever than this.

Pretty generic 70s rock. Better than the high pitched disco Bee Gees tho

Kings of Disco. Sadly, just average in the 70’s rock era.

Not as high-pitched as I was expecting. That's the big takeaway from my first proper listen to a Bee Gees album. The other is that there's absolutely nothing special about it whatsoever. A lot of Trafalgar is mellow to the point of drowsiness. Songs like "The Greatest Man in the World", "Remembering", or many more on the album, don't go anywhere, don't build, and don't give you any reason to stay engaged. The definition of the word "meh". And I certainly didn't think I'd find myself listening to a love song to Israel today. "It's Just The Way" and "Trafalgar" are the only real moments of interest on the album. Unexpectedly they start to sound like a laid-back 60s folk-psych band, with acoustic guitars, meandering melodies, and Hammond organ textures. For a brief moment, the Bee Gees sound alright. It's short-lived though. The album quickly slides back into "meh" territory, and never really escapes it. In a way, I'm actually disappointed that I didn't get the squeaky high-pitched vocals that go with the name Bee Gees, because maybe that would have made things somewhat interesting.

This is not the Bee Gees you remember from the disco era. This is the sleepy boring rock precursor that nobody listened to.

A greatest hits band, where the greatest hits aren't even all that. I guess it's inoffesive, its worst crime is being pretty boring for a good chunk of it, sounding like the Beatles minus all the edge or experimentalism. What you end up with is standard soft-rock that plays everything too safe; it's sad. There's genuine talent in here, I'll admit. 'Israel' of all songs was a pretty great love ballad, and the swelling string sections on the song 'I Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself' were straight up gorgeous. But there's ultimately way too little to chew on here; it just feels empty, repetitive, the songs drag and feel directionless, and the whole thing is far too long for its own good.

Steep fall off in last couple songs. Pretty underwhelming.

Honestly, that first song being as good as it was saved this from being just another forgettable pop album of the era? Nothing's particularly bad, but nothing else is particularly good either. Not much to say, honestly.

Really disappointing dirge

A bit like the Bee Gees does musicals

Hard to imagine this is the band of Saturday Night Fever. While the songs on that album have stood the test of time, the same can't be said for Trafalgar. Like it's battle namesake, a struggle from start to finish. 2*,

Better than the last album I listened to by them, but still not great. Sounds like most of the other music from this time period. A couple catchy lyrics here and there, but I won't revisit. 5/10

While recognising great vocals, to my ears this is elevator music hell

what the hell, Bee Gees!!!

Maybe just my mental space, but this was not an album I would deem “essential.” It was nice, chill and a little ballady, and they’ve all got great voices. That’s all I have to say about that. Pre-disco Bee-Gees is not for me.

It had all the vibes of something I’d love but for some reason I just couldn’t get into it so much???

Dog shit

FREE PALESTINE

So bad that it’s funny

beegees pre disco you will always be strange to me

Booooring. Probably one of the most boring albums made.

3.5

Weird, almost annoying album that I actually quite enjoyed.

This is hard to bear. Horrible singing.

No. I'm sorry. No

I don’t digest sugar well

sounds kinda like the beatles. which surprises me.

I can see what they’re trying to get at but it’s kind of mediocre. It is pretty cool variety but the vocals in most tracks were kind of annoying and just nothing stood out. I appreciate the ideas thrown out here it just doesn’t feel cohesive. Nothing terrible but nothing great.

I like the first song on the album, super cool! Like the album as a whole and the sound of it, it definitely gives fun 70s vibes.

2/5 Ive heard alot of the bee gees hits and I thought I was going to enjoy this album but i found it very dull and boring. This is also their lowest rated album on rateyourmusic so by that logic all of their other albums should be on this list so hopefully I'll enjoy them more.

not for me, felt little too slow

2/10 Ah, the Bee Gees. Kings of Disco. Jive Talkers. Patient zeroes of Night Fever. Oh, but this is not a disco album. It's, bafflingly enough, their ninth album and they still haven't found the hook that they needed to plough their own musical furrow. The best bits of this album variously sound like weak copycat Beatles and Elton John songs. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but both of those artists have enough material that I'd rather just listen to the genuine article rather than traipse my way through this slog of an album to find something that might vaguely pique my interest. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is way worse. The production is a bit all over the place, the songwriting is either limp or so obvious as to be mundanely predictable and it's actually quite an uneven selection of tracks. Robin Gibbs voice is outrageously bad. Not in a "that's unique and interesting" way, but in a "please Barry, make him stop" way. It's very lucky for the Bee Gees that they came along at a time when artists could get away with bundling out a string of nothing albums while they found their own path. If they were starting out today, there is now way we would ever have found our way to the brilliant disco era of their work. Which is a massive shame. Anyway, I digress. This album was limp, boring and, in many places, vastly irritating, as well as being saccharine and dull. I toyed with a 3/10, but the worst bits dragged the passable bits down like the French at Trafalgar. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart - An inauspicious start with one of the least convincing bass slides I've heard committed to record. This is so limp and uninspiring. By the numbers easy listening pop rock that sounds like so loads of other bands that aren't worth remembering the names of. Insipid stuff. Israel - At least there's a bit of something to this. It's still not brilliant and feels a lot like a fairly weak Elton John effort, particularly in Barry's delivery, but at least it's not as limp as the opener. In the current climate, I'm not particularly enamoured by a love song to Israel, though. The Greatest Man In The World - Back to the easy listening rock of the opener. There are tiny hints of inspiration from Brian Wilson's songwriting, but they're hidden under a sea of the world's mildest cheese. It's not very good. It's Just The Way - Ah, now we get a Beatles-lite effort. Like, very Beatlesy. In that respect, it's not bad, but if I wanted to listen to the Beatles, I'd probably pick one of their albums, rather than finding my way to the fourth track of a random Bee Gees album. Remembering - Ooh, croony over-vibratoed vocals? This album is really doing its best to irritate. This is another limp, by the numbers soft rock number and the vocals are almost unlistenable. It's both over dramatic and incredibly dull at the same time. Somebody Stop The Music - The Bee Gees must be reading my mind. I also want to stop this music. The disco era can't come fast enough for these guys. To be fair, this isn't actually that bad. It's another Beatles inspired effort that moves through a range of different styles and moods. It's not bad, but it still feels like it's not their own style of music, just another from the pile of Beatles copycats. Trafalgar - This sounds like the Beatles too. Again, it's not bad, it's just also not that interesting or inspiring either. Competent songwriting, reasonably well performed and produced. But again, it's another song that gives me no reason to revisit this album when the Beatles back catalogue exists. Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself - I can't quite put my finger on who this sounds like, but it's very reminiscent of another band. It's not bad actually. Pretty morose, but there's nothing wrong with that. There are some nice harmonies and it ebbs and flows nicely in a way that echoes the themes of the song. When Do I - This is pretty weak. Robin definitely has the most irritating voice in the band. It feels very affected and he uses a fast, subtle vibrato that I find quite grating. He's also not got great tonal control. The song is pretty plodding and uninteresting, as far as I can tell, but I'm struggling to deal with the vocals so can't focus too much on the underlying instrumentation. Dearest - Oh God, it's Robin again. At least he's split lead duty on this one. But it's a plodding song that's half nursery rhyme, half sickly love song. Too much warbly vibrato. Too aimless. Too melodramatic. Truly awful. Lion In Winter - That's a nice cardboard box they're using for a kick drum. This is a bit of an Elton John lite song this time during the verses and then what the actual fuck is that chorus? The vocals are completely awful in an entirely different way to the last couple of tracks. It's like they asked the Gibb brother they normally keep locked in the attic to come down and have a go at the chorus. Which is a shame because the verses are not bad. Walking Back To Waterloo - This isn't terrible and it's kind of half way between a Beatles and an Elton song in certain ways. But it also feels like it just kind of exists without having anything particularly memorable or engaging about it and it feels unnecessary ponderous. Perhaps I'm just Bee Geed out at this point.

I like the tenderness of the vocals and how they often shift into a crescendo. I would say that’s the number one element of making these songs feel “big.” Sometimes, though, the drama of these moments doesn’t move me much. If I were to say why it’d be because there’s sort of a standard of expectation, and the threshold for doing something more with the drama isn’t met often. I do think more exposure will make me like the album more. Favorites: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, Don’t Wanna Live Inside Myself, Remembering, The Greatest Man In The World

Surprising because I only knew the one hit song. The rest was…not what I was expecting. Good album.

Jesus Christ this is so bad.

Amazing, The Beegees have a beauty about their music that feels pure and beautiful.

It’s not bad (it’s pre their disco stuff so no real bee gees bangers we know and love on it) but still has the high voices from having their balls in a vice type sound though.

Fine

Main Course is their best album. It’s a perfect album. This is the Main Course of their early period. But know that their early period wasn’t as good.

So confession. I didn't really know anything about Bee Gees. Other than hearing Staying Alive and their other big disco hits. So this was a little bit of a surprise to me, I had no idea they made music like this. And it was pretty interesting. I didn't mind it.

Ehh not my favorite. Also not what I expected from the Bee Gees.

Real sad but better than expected

I’m sure these songs were delightful. But the vocals are at a pitch that I simply cannot hear.

The Bees and the Gees often don’t work for me, but their channeling of Lennon and C,S, and N breathes a sweetness that’s not too saccharine. They do love a bit of melancholy.

Too much vibrato. A bit overwrought and melodramatic for, as well. Don't mind the falsetto, though. Definitely some songwriting talent, though. 3.5*

Fake Abba

3.5/10

Enjoyed this more than i thought i would, but will probably never listen to it again

Seichte Unterhaltung bei der ein Lied wie das andere klingt.

Super lame - dauert ewig Ein Glück für die bee gees dass sie disco für sich entdeckt haben

A really strong album, making a statement in the music industry, meaningful lyrics and larger-than-life melodies; definitely a one worth listening 🎶

Few good songs, vibes of 60s. I felt bored 80% of a time.

A bit nothingy for me. Ok background music but nothing to get excited about

OOof. This is not good. Not good at all. 2

mid

heartbroken

Gees that was boring.

This was weird because I really liked the first song and the very last one. HOWEVER. The rest of it was suuuuch a chore gosh. Must give them credit for being self-aware with 'somebody stop the music' because I really couldn't have agreed more. 2.5 rounded down.

Not anything particularly interesting but still quite enjoyed listening to it. I don't know much of the other Bee Gees stuff so can't make the critical comparisons that a lot of other people seem to be doing but as a standalone album I liked it.

why, why, why. painfully boring, exhaustingly unenthusiastic, excessively yawny i had hope in the bee gees - safe to say that was through extinguished with this album

The vibrato is reminiscent of Hugh Jackman's in the worse way possible and overall doesn't sound that great. It's a shame because the Bee Gees have some great (disco) albums and it's honestly an absolute travesty that 'Saturday Night Fever' isn't on this list. This genuinely make me wonder how they even got the gig for that album because this is uninspiring in every way (especially the lyrics). 1.5 rounded down

I did not enjoy this.

Lush orchestration is ruined by lackluster songs and the brothers struggle to find their harmonies. Robin sounds like a parody of himself. Dreadful.

But why, though? It's like somebody trying to make music like Marvin Gaye but who isn't actually cool. Seriously. People have been making music for thousands of years. How did you get this so wrong? Why did people buy so many copies of this? Much less listenable than Napalm Death. On par with that Kid Rock album that's become my most weirdly useful yardstick. Almost insufferable. 2/5 You'll regret the project the day this comes up. Don't quit, though! There's lots of great music on the list.

eh

I really did not like one bit of this

When I saw a Bee Gees album, I was worried I was gonna have to listen through a disco album. Instead I had to listen through whatever this was.

clearly had to tamper down my bee gees expectations going in. this album kind of goes from easy listening to slow listening. there are some really really dope little musical moments that pepper the landscape of "not my kind of thing" and that really has the album treading water scorewise. favorite song is Somebody Stop The Music, it has a certain majesty to it as a big chunky eventful song that i really appreciate. like a precarious 2.51/5. if i got cut off in traffic while listening to this album one time the smidgen of negative association would be enough to bump it down a full number score

Rating: 3/10 boring shit, even though it's not technically the worst thing ever I can't say I enjoyed a single moment really. let's actually give it the 1 treatment because I was on a really good run on the site and this ruined it.

Felt a lot more musical and easier to follow and enjoy than the previous Bee Gees album. Damn I might almost say I kind of liked it. Pretty enjoyable 6.3/10

Well, it seems like The Bee Gees have moved on from copying the San Francisco sound in general to just ripping off The Beatles and each of their post-breakup albums. This is better than Odessa by a mile, but it’s not good. I think if you’ve heard any record from the early ‘70s, this sounds nameless, faceless, and like it belongs in the $1 bin outside the record store. If you’ve taken some time to listen to The Beatles’ first few post-breakup records, this album will probably annoy you. The problem is that The Bee Gees are all really good musicians, and these songs are well-written. But they also just sound like everything else from this time period. While I think it’s interesting to note The Bee Gee’s and their pre-disco sound, none of it is essential. More importantly, I didn’t need to note it twice. Sure, I prefer Trafalgar, but that doesn’t mean I needed to hear this, and very little of it will stick with me long term. Still, it’s nice to know that The Bee Gees were always culture vultures, they were just more successful at ripping off Black artists in a genre that was single-focused where there was a lot of space for really talented players to come in and make a few really good full albums.

This album is kind of like knockoff Elton John and 12 songs is WAY too long for that. It all starts blending together. Cool album cover though

I wasn’t too locked in for this listen but it was solid rock for the background of my morning. Probably my first time listening to a Bee Gees album start to finish.

A bit samey. Not one I'd return to.

2/5 too mellow

Quite uninteresting.

Watered down chamber pop

so boring my god take me, nonetheless fun sociological analysis to see the link btw music and political propaganda in the song "Israel", I decided to shut them up, closing spotify

Bee Gees before the disco era. I thought I was getting disco, but I got post-Beatles boy band. A couple of the tracks that Robin leads on makes him sound like Jim Nabors. It was alright, but I don't really think this one belongs on the list. There's nothing groundbreaking or spectacular here. My Rating: 3/5 ships

At first the vocals kind of surprised me - I guess they sounded quite different to how I imaged Bee Gees in my head. But I pressed on and gave this record a good through listens and I quite enjoyed it. Favourite tracks: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, Israel, It's Just The Way (great key change on the final chord), Somebody Stop The Music, Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself.

israel love song 1*

So bizarre to think these are the Saturday night fever guys. Also some of the singing sounds like they are just screwing around. Like they can’t be serious. Didn’t know any songs from this and would never come back to it.

2,8/5

Abject snivelling pish

im not listening to a song called israel.

A bit slow but nice

I only know "How can you mend...?" but it's the Bee Gees so I can give it 4 stars just on faith. Will definitely be checking this one out in the future.

Great for taking a nap.

Jeje Que pena que a nadie le gustó este álbum, a mí me gustaron varias canciones y creo hasta me gusta más que sus clásicos como Stayin Alive que ya me da lo mismo. Banco este álbum aunque a Canelita lo hizo dormir.

Not doing it for me

The Bee Gees easy listening. Not a terrible album.

snoozfest

Like many others have noted, pre-disco Bee Gees is just 3 guys trying to find a direction. There's some class melodies in there, but it's all very mediocre.

This is a beutiful album. My experience of listening to it for the first time was nothing short of incredible. I love the concept of it being dedicated to admiral Horation Nelson that died during the battle of Trafalgar to the point that it sparked an interest to learn more about him.

Jesus Christ, why is every Bee Gees album on this list NOT their good shit?

This is a lot better than Odessa. However I do not blame the Brothers Gibb for venturing into disco rather than sticking with baroque pop/soft-rock/boomer sleeping aid music. Would give it a 3 for opening with a banger and getting the good stuff over and done with, but giving it a 2 because it's immediately followed up by a love song about an ethnostate and then a bunch of lullabies. Please just give me the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack next time. Highlights: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart

Well, the centrefold image from the album is 5/5. The songs, not so much...

Didn't think it was too bad, lacked a little something though, some nice song arrangements

To w ogóle nie brzmiało jak Bee Gees, których kojarzę. Bardziej jak nie wiem Beatlesi? Jakiś folkowy zespół? Nieudany Paul Simon? Dziwne bardzo. Momentami miało to swój styl i potrafiło porwać. Ale posmak był dość nijaki. 6/10

oei

6/10 Favourite: Walking back to Waterloo Least Favourite: Israel

hmm

Not bad. Some good non disco songs that they're famous for. 3.5

Far from a careful listen, but this album was solid and about the furthest thing from what I've known Bee Gees to be having only ever heard their disco era hits (Stayin' Alive, More Than a Woman). Standouts from my listen were Israel, Lion In Winter, and Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself. This felt a bit like a less soulful(?) version of Elton John. I'd say this falls around a high 3, low 4 boundary for me. Going on the low side, because I can't see many occasions I'd ever put this back on for.

I once again forgot that the Bee Gees don't sound like "Stayin Alive" disco all the time. This was fine.

Some nice smooth Bee Gees, this is not what I thought they sounded like. Really high quality with all of the singers and especially the strings. This is a strong 4

While this wasn't bad, it certainly wasn't good either. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart is a pretty solid song. The rest kinda just came and went. Pretty low 3.

Achei muito velho

Very ballad-y. Maybe I would have liked it better if I was not listening at the gym

The Bee Gees are one of the most profoundly lame bands of all time, and as this album demonstrates, it’s not just for the disco.

Not the bee Gees I am accustomed to hearing. It was fine, but nothing that catches my attention.

It’s The Bee Gees, so it sounds great. I just… didn’t get captured by it.

boringg

I read a review of *Sgt. Pepper* once in which the author claimed he didn't dislike the album per se but considered it "a bad influence" on rock music because it led to a bunch of pseudo-intellectual pretentiousness among artists. After listening to this album, with its Gilbert and Sullivan-style vocal solos by singers who can't sing Gilbert and Sullivan, its ponderous production, and its dearth of excitement, I can kinda see the point. Like so many bands in 1971, these guys were trying to be the Beatles; so were, say, Badfinger, but Badfinger at least sounded like they remembered how to play "I Wanna Hold Your Hand." The rare bright spots (like the title track) aren't worth sitting through the rest of it.

2 out of 5. It's weird hearing anything from the Bee Gees that isn't disco. Also definitely some Beatles influence here but not surprising.

This was surprisingly bland.

I was hoping for a concept album, extolling the exploits of Nelson against the French, but in the end I had to turn it off. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ 60% Revisit ❌️ Lame ★★☆☆☆ (3/10)

Such pretty harmonizing. They’re doing their best Beatles impression on some of these tracks. Trafalgar for example, is blatant. It’s very pretty, but some of the songs drag and I found myself wishing for some disco energy!

Awesome record

I'm glad that the Bee Gees found their way with disco cause whatever this is isn't cutting it. I feel like their voices were better suited for what disco would bring on rather than sultry and gentle ballads. The slow and sincere cry that never leaves this album gets dry and at times unbearable. It's not the worst thing in the world, but god, some of these vocals are scratchy as shit. They try to be artsy and moving with big arrangements and grand vocal performances, but it ends up getting too wishy-washy. I know this book has a rule against soundtracks but could they have made an exception for Saturday Night Fever? At least that's a Bee Gees record that deserves recognition (4/10, 2/5 on this scale)

Brothers Gibb are amazing

I liked some parts. It wasn’t what I expected. Don’t wanna live inside myself holds up. It was fine. Much of the same I guess. I find myself repeating this line on a lot of the older albums- “maybe you just had to be there”.

3/10

The lead vocals are really weird but the harmonies are good. This is better than the Black Album.

Love the album cover, but none of the songs

Felt like old school boy band. Not too bad.

What possessed them to write a ballad to Israel? Only a couple of good bits in this album but nowhere near enough.

It does me no harm. But regarding these prominent names it is only a decent or even dull album.

album quality is solid not really any lowlights with the highlights being ok

It’s fine. It’s not THAT bad but like I don’t even want to give it a 3

Kind of overwrought and dramatic, a few good songs but not what I know and love (or expect) of The Bee Gees, sounded kind of Beatles-y/John Lennon in parts

This album got progressively more annoying as it went along. A couple of tracks were fine, but I could’ve skipped this one.

Barely a middling pop record that just made me want it to end. Awful Gibb vocals and dull music.

Very slow. I aggressively disliked this.

This is really bad and nothing that I enjoyed even a little bit. I wanted to turn off most of the tracks.

This was really bad. And I thought I hated their disco...

Trafalgar is a pretty good album, but The Bee Gees have much better ones (Mr. Natural, Main Course) to name but two so no idea why it's on here- toss it up to yet another batshit crazy inclusion that make no sense from the fine folks at the 1001 headquarters. Thank fellows! That's it for today - that's all I got.

WTF is this? Ninth album? Are any of the first eight any better? At least there are orchestrated arrangements to wash the medicine down. With terrible production, a stolen melody, and just a lack of energy, there are probably 1,001 albums not on the list that are better than this one.

It's fine.

Very Mid. Not exactly sure why this is included on the list honestly. It's nothing too amazing or boundary pushing. It's their 9th album and pre-disco so it's not like they were coming up with anything new. It's very slow, drawn out and all of the songs feel the same. Not my jam and not really finding anything redeeming about it.

Mellow, pre-disco Bee Gees. Great harmonies.

before: i love bee gees im excited to see how this will sound after: not what i was expecting at all probably won’t listen again but one track was very sad and i did save it sooo

Not what I expected from the Bee Gees?

Fine enough, I enjoyed it

This was so much nothing that I couldn't even actively feel something along the lines of hate, this album was just... there.

The Bee Gees might, in fact, need disco. This is, so far, the most boring and plain album I've listened to. My God man, the lyrics, instrumental and voice are all so zzzzzzzzzzz. It's giving absolutely nothing, and even worse, became annoying to listen to at times. Also no disco Bee Gees album on this list wtf.

Not for me.

Nah

Random name for an album - but a great cover. Surprisingly enjoyed the album - given I disliked the first few songs as found them very saccharine and ridiculous when Barry (?) talks. But it picked up - got a bit Beatles derivative in part and a bit over the top - but liked Trafalgar and Lion in Winter in particular.

Why was this album included? It's not prime Bee Gees, it's not their hits, it's just bland, middle-of-the-road, easy listening ballads. What's its significance?

I gotta keep it a buck, I was bored to tears

Never been a fan

A one song album. Take away "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," and this isn't even an album worthy of inclusion on any list like this. Very one-note.

The evidence of that time the Bee Gees thought they might like to be the Beatles.

Very pleasant album.

Really quite odd. Almost sounds like self parody at some moments, though it seems to be played with an unironic straight bat. Not my vibe, although - like Odessa - I can see the craftsmanship.

Washed over me I’m not sure. Maybe 2.5

Some of the singing on these songs is downright cringeworthy.

Acostumbrado a escuchar unos Bee Gees más discotequeros, fue una grata sorpresa escuchar una faceta suya más “beatle” . A guardar.

Why is Saturday Night Fever not on this list, anyway? I'd prefer that over this album which is just The Beatles' table scraps that even Ringo wouldn't release.

I heard a harmony

Yeah, no.

Good grief, Odessa was bad enough and now we have to endure more of this crap? Trafalgar is just as bad and just as Beatles yearning as Odessa. It's another one star review (just like the last one) and I'll comment again, I didn't realize that disco actually helped them break free from dull pop songs. Guh.

Another non-disco Bee Gees Album, jeee-bus! The best about this album is that I will never have to listen to it ever again. Second best thing about this album -- the cover. So boring.

Oh my God this is boring, milquetoast, soft adult contemporary, middlebrow bullshit. The fact that this nothing album of nothing songs is on this list is actually insulting. The Bee Gees are a band that learned the exact wrong lesson from the Beatles. Every song tries to sound as epic as A Day in the Life but with the lyrical depth of I Want to Hold Your Hand. And I hate their voices. They sound like Muppets in a bad way

Pretty decent pre disco Bee Gees album. The vocals are smooth, the songs are easy to listen to, and it has that early 70s vibe that works when you are in the right mood. But honestly, I still like their debut from the same era a lot more. This one is fine, just not as memorable.

Two pre-disco beegees albums on this list is pretty mental. Just trying to be clever.

Listened Before? N I feel like for me, this is the Bee Gees at the top of their game. Not disco yet, not too much falsetto... just good music. I really liked this one - my favorite Bee Jees album so far - it drags a bit at the end, but hey, still a solid effort overall. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart

Best Track - "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?"

This is a mostly forgettable album by the guys that get most of the credit for the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

I’m not going to pretend to like this.

It is an improvement on Odessa, but let's be honest, just about anything that isn't Odessa is an improvement on Odessa. This felt a bit like a college band attempting their best renditions of The Beatles, David Bowie and Pink Floyd in one fell swoop, whilst remaining blissfully unaware of the fact that their vocalist just cannot fucking sing or pen a decent harmony. It's only 47 minutes long but it felt like double the length, and then some. A load of saccharine, cheesy, pretentious nonsense for the most part.

Saccharine, saccharine, saccharine. I can't think of a better word to describe this album. It's so inauthentically sweet I can't stand it. Every song is so painfully dull, but is trying to be so emotional. The vocals range from ok to terrible. I don't know how this ended up on this list. If all that wasn't enough there's a whole ballad to Israel. "Israel you make the whole world think about you" Well you're not wrong there.

For noe ræl

Second Bee Gees album from their pre-disco days on this list for me. I’m glad they opted for the leisure suits.

I had no idea that The Bee Gees had a pre-disco era. Apparently that’s for good reason, bc this was pretty difficult to get through. The vocals were sappy at best, and borderline unlistenable at worst. Feel like I could have died without listening to this and I would not have missed much.

This album was a wonderful surprise. My knowledge of the Bee Gees basically revolved around disco. I discovered a side of the Bee Gees that I never knew existed. Two songs that I've added to my rotation are Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself and How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?

Really good! Never heard the pre disco stuff

Really enjoyed this one. Also didn’t realise “How can you…” was one of theirs. Nice

Usually quite like the Bee Gees but found this one morose. An album for the broken hearted and depressed

Not a hit for me. Too slowed down, and gets a negative ratings bump for making me want to listen to some upbeat Bee Gees; instead, I got depressing balads and farewll songs. Kinda ruined my day, tbh. I love the Bee Gees, but this album is not for me (not saying it's bad, just hit me in the wrong spot).

Can only hear Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon 1/5

What happened to the big songs? In the 60s they managed “To Love Somebody”, “Massachusetts” “Words” and “I Started a Joke”. Those might not all be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s little point in denying they are show-stopping, quality pieces of songwriting. To my ears, the lack of decent songs is exactly what the problem is on Trafalgar. They may have had a different goal for this album, but I can’t tell what it’s meant to be and it doesn’t seem to work for me. In the other direction on the Bee Gees timeline, I never got how the vitality of their disco era could deteriorate into the bland feel of their 80s output but hearing this album it seems that inoffensive MOR is a genuine part of their DNA. The best Bee Gees records sound uniquely like Bee Gees, but on this album they seem to be attempting to emulate The Beatles, Bowie, CSNY and others but never quite successfully because of the unremarkable material. To be fair, I'm having a better time with it this spin than the previous one but I'm significantly less than convinced it’ll end up a winner for me. Odessa is the other Bee Gees album in the 1001 book and I am still keen to hear it but I really hope it’s an improvement on this.

I wasn't actually aware that I could dislike the Bee Gees even more.

1+ Stars (3/15)

Pretty good album. I enjoyed it.

Expected more quality and not music to fall asleep to.

Beautiful harmonies but it fell flat, especially knowing what was coming for these guys.

some singable songs

Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Okay, mehr aber auch nicht.

I'm sure they'll get the hang of songwriting eventually but not here.

Meh. Maybe I'll revisit this one later, but it's not working for me now.

Pre-Disco Era Bee Gees! I knew the intro track, "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", right away. 84M people have also given it a listen on Spotify, definitely a hit song. But based on the numbers that is the only true hit with none of the other songs breaking 650K listens. "Remembering" was dramatic, and stringy, but it was interesting. Not sure his voice was built for that song. "Somebody Stop The Music" was another solid track. "Trafalgar" was kinda cool too. "Don't Want To Live Inside Myself" started out like Neil Young's "Shelter", tell me you don't hear that?! Very good track, should have been a hit, it was the 2nd most listened to song on the album at 600K. A few serious clunkers with "When Do I" which sounds like Kermit The Frog got ahold of the mike, odd vocal. "Dearest" was a cutting room floor salvage that shouldn't have been salvaged. "Lion In Winter" is screamy and off key. A lot of strings on this one. No ground was broken though, not sure what sets this one apart from other worthy albums, was it their personal growth as artists? I enjoyed the majority, glad I gave it a listen. 3 stars, maybe 3.5.

Decent

Sadly did not enjoy this from Bee Gees - think it was pre disco era - which at least was singalong! This was pretty dire…

The album cover reminds me of a high school text book, the music was about as interesting as well.

126/1001 :: Bee Gees - Trafalgar Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Rating: 4 Listen before you die: No Why so serious Bee Gees? Not what I was expecting from what I thought was a fun disco band. With a song called Israel and a lot of the songs having a soft, singer song writer quality this felt like more like a Beatles side project than a good ole blast from the past. Some pretty good songs in the 2nd half but not good enough for me to return.

Ah man, come on, it's Halloween, and you're gonna throw me the second Bee Gees album on this list? For crying out loud. I really hated Odessa, and I had honestly forgotten that I still had a second album to review by these fools. At least Trafalgar clocks in at under fitty minutes, so that’s a plus. Welp, time to get after it I suppose. Trafalgar wound up being much better than I expected. I liked how the album explored the themes of love and loss, and tied them back to warfare. After all, Pat Benatar did say that love is a battlefield. This album felt a lot more coherent than Odessa, and the themes were much more obvious, which I thought worked really well. I thought the arrangements on Trafalgar were really good too. There were plenty of gentle melodies and great strings. On top of that, musically, I thought this album did a nice job of tying this album together. My main critique of this album is a matter of personal taste. I’m really picky about soft rock. When it comes to soft rock, you better bring something really unique to the table, like Karen Carpenter’s vocals, or Joni Mitchell’s incredible lyrics. This album, while nice, didn’t have anything that really snagged my attention. Trafalgar was fine, but it’s not something I’d seek out again. My favorite track was “Don’t Wanna Live Inside Myself.” The heartbreak was really palpable, and I really liked the piano playing. Easily the most beautiful song on the album.

Took me two weeks to suffer through this album. Why do these brothers insist on harmonizing like a tribe of goats? 2/5

No takeaways from me, it was fine

I can't seem to get over the fact that in my head a Bee Gees song should be upbeat. Something you dance to. These ballads are ok I guess, but it is no Stayin' Alive.

Sad boy indie music but it’s the 70s. Bit of a slog, couple of nice ballads, 12 was a bit much 3 / 10 Best track/s: Lion In Winter

enjoyable listen, I felt like listening to the soundtrack of the Rocky Horror Picture Show! Or rather that they took inspiration from this album

Pleasant but not something I would listen to again

Maso

En estilo disco te saben hacer bailar, pero no me encantan con baladas

very mid

What in the sad high pitch man did i just listen to

I'm torn between 1 and 2 on this, but only because I gave Kanye West a 1 and I don't think it's as bad as he is.

I'm clearly missing something but this feels very self-important and melodramatic. Like the very concept of basing an album on the battle of trafalgar, with ye olde time lettering, then singing about having a broken heart? What am I missing? And how is this their 9th album? Who was buying this? Naval aficionados? It's like yacht rock without the rock. Why did everyone try to sound like the Beatles most boring stuff? Was honestly surprised to discover it was nearly half the length of yesterdays, felt like forever.

Ok, good I guess. Very soft.

"When do I" was fun, but it was not nearly enough to save this otherwise god-awful album.

It's ok. 1.5/5

Pretty good for them. Amazing song writers for others as well. One of the best family song writers.

3/5

Not quite the best album of all time but still enjoyable 7/10

One of my favorite Bee Gees song is on this album. The rest of the songs are somewhat heavy handed. Which for early 70’s Bee Gees was par for the course. Still, a good album.

The BeeGee’s have a weird edge. It’s all seems very innocent, but there is something dark beneath the surface it’s hard to nail down. Even when they’re being overtly dark, it’s still got a ring of charm that feels like it’s hiding something worse. And what’s with the timpani’s that sound like they’re recorded in the deadest room possible? It just adds to the uncanny feeling this music provides.

What’s with The Bee Gees and ships/maritime concepts? This one's a little better than Odessa, but honestly not by much. It's still too self serious and dry for me to want throw Trafalgar on as a casual listen. Not essential in the least.

I loved How Can You Mend A Broken Heart but found the rest very bland and forgettable. Certainly talented vocalists but just didn’t deliver something special aside from the opening track.

None of the fun campy disco I’ve come to know from these guys. Just sappy cheese. The song “Israel” destroyed any good will I had for this record.

Had this one already. It's not bad. Nothing overly memorable. Ballad heavy

meh

*the reviewer, persumed unconsious after listening to Trafalgar, being aggressively CPR'd by their friends while blasting "stayin' alive"* friend: today we pay tribute to the reviewer. they suceeded in finishing the album but the bad news is that they died due to boredom fearlessly like Lord Nelson. May them rest in peace. one minute later, the review sat up and said a short "fuck". everybody rejoice. fade to black. 2/5

Man the Bee Gees are awful. That voice is just terrible.

Other than the first song, this album is just not very good.

Really couldn’t get into this. Delicate and emotional soft rock.

The Bee Gees were great singers and songwriters. Unfortunately, only hints of this can be heard on “Trafalgar.” The album starts with the actually good ballads “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” and “Israel”, but by “The Greatest Man In The World” at the latest, it's really just more of the same and becomes increasingly irrelevant. I'm not entirely sure why this album sould be a must-listen. Perhaps to properly understand the Bee Gees' later development?

This was awful, I know they can do better

Trafalgar

Bee Gees

Reviews (page 3 of 8)