Album Review: Barry Gibb – Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook Vol. 1 (Capitol)

Sole surviving Bee Gee Barry Gibb goes country! Or does he? This new album was recorded in Nashville, produced by Dave Cobb and features Keith Urban, Jason Isbell and Dolly Parton.

Anyone familiar with the Bees Gees catalogue probably realizes that the original versions of tunes such as To Love Somebody, I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You and, even, Jive Talkin’ were near-perfect pop confections. So why revisit them now?

Well, with brothers Maurice and Robin no longer with us, big brother Barry, at age 74, is no doubt pondering his legacy.

Already there has been a new doco on the band. Click here to read The 13^th Floor review. And now Barry has taken that Nashville train to “update” or “country-ize” a handful of gems from the Gibb brothers songbook.

The result is a mixed bag, mostly leaning to the thumbs-up side.

The album opens with Barry and Keith Urban duetting on I’ve Gotta Get A  Message To You. This is one record that was indeed perfect when released back in 1967. And while Mr Urban sounds fine, and Mr Cobb’s string-laden production is pleasant enough, overall it adds very little to the original other than some lovely country piano.

Up next is Words Of A Fool, a discarded Barry solo tune from the 80s. As it turns out, a less familiar song is better in this context. Jason Isbell turns on the charm and Barry himself is in good voice.

Then come the hits…Run To Me (with Brandi Carlile), Too Much Heaven (with Alison Kraus), Lonely Days (with Little Big Town) and Words (with Dolly Parton).

Not surprisingly, the version of Words with Dolly is a standout. In fact, I’d love to hear a full album with Barry and Dolly and new songs.

Instead it is followed by a truly dreadful version of Jive Talkin’ with Jay Buchanan and Miranda Lambert adding very little. The arrangement is awful.

Fortunately the remainder of the album holds up well with Jay Buchanan’s contribution on To Love Somebody a major improvement. And it’s great to hear Olivia Newton-John back behind a mic on a lovely, stripped-down version of Rest Your Love On Me (the original was a forgotten B-side to Too Much Heaven.

Finally, the album wraps with David Rawlings and Gillian Welch turning up for Butterfly…a very old song and, as expected, a beautiful performance.

So, there you have it. You might want to cherry pick this one…let’s see how volume two turns out. I say…”More Dolly!”

Marty Duda