Depending on the age of a person, their perception of The Bee Gees is abit different. The eras of the band shift sonically from their originsin 60′s pop and vocal harmonizing, to the epic grandeur, and some mightsay, bombast, of the previous 70′s disco period, toward the future, andtheir ability to stay a thrust with incredible draw and melodicmainstream hits.
In Our Own Time addresses a remarkable number of that time, through theband history presented, largely, as a trio, interpreting their owncareers. What makes this new documentary eerie is the way late brotherMaurice appears to be as represented in the storytelling. Thebespectacled Gibb passed by in 2003, in a sudden and tragic lossattributed to a twisted intestine. However, he left behind long-formcontemporary interview footage, shot shortly before his death, tacklingthe band legacy in a way that regard the footage of the twosurviving brothers. It makes for a 2010 release that appears almost asif Maurice is yet alive, seven days later his passing, as opposed toBarry and Robin alone, sifting through their history. While there is abit of that, and the interview material oddly rarely features Mauricewith his brothers speaking, even in older archival footage, for the mostpart, it maintains a relation from the degree of sight of the trio.
Opening with a collage of stadium-sized clips of We Should Be Dancing,the storyline quickly goes backward to the beginning, and other footage ofthe group acting as kids. Maurice shares insight into the connectionto the Everly Brothers, noting they only "added a third brother" toaccommodate their trio size. A revealing comment is a reminiscence of anearly childhood rehearsal interrupted by their mother coming in, whosaid he thought they had the radio on. Both from their earlyachievements, through to decades of longevity, their raw talent isdemonstrated. Classic pictures are featured, as is homage to DJ BillGates, who not only named the band, but got them crucial early exposure.Other early clips fans will enjoy have the young Gibb brothersperforming Time Is Passing By on TV, covering and discussing TheBeatles, rough 60′s music videos, on Ed Sullivan and position on theemergence of Robert Stigwood as a key factor in their success.
The stern the scenes storyline to songs gets aired, and stories ofrealizing star status had been obtained, like being welcomed into theexclusive Speakeasy Club. But the ego battles that plagued the group,even in the other days over which i would be released as an A side,based on which brother was handling lead vocals, is on display, too.Watching, there is a smell that it continued on, and may yet yet be afactor on some level, with the living brothers. Robin`s departureduring the shot of the Cucumber Castle film, and the quick reunionall tell the story of what kinds of realities and pressures lurkedbehind the presence of catchy vocals and smiling handsome sibling teamwork.Barry discovering his falsetto voice is a really interesting segment.
An intense look at the over-the-top Saturday Night Fever era isfeatured, and captured best in a business from Barry, who notes they werethe band disco was built around. The group made legitimate in-roads on R& B / Urban charts, and the winner with a black American audienceis explored in around of the richer moments of instruction In Our Own Timeprovides. Another illustration of that would be getting to learn howdifferent Andy Gibb was from his brothers, how his career fit intotheirs, and the passage out of the 70′s into a variety of non-existence,knowing they needed to give the bit a rest.
Their ingenuity is often displayed, and patch the compositions workingwith Barbara Streisand, Kenny Rogers, and Celine Dion show theircontinued work after the 1970s period, what also drives home theiroverall continued appeal is the way The Bee Gees are displayedtranscending time. From 60′s popsters to folksy hit-makers; ferociousdisco kings to soulful pop ballad sensations_ the group evolved overtime, sometimes ahead of the curve, or landing on top of it. But theywere never trapped in an era, and not of one musical period. The nearlytwo-hour journey shows they spanned generations. A timelessness to theirwork becomes evident when seeing them do full-circle, by way of morecontemporary tracks like This Is Where I Came In and The Man In TheMiddle, returning to their 60′s sound.
The end of the presentation, dealing with Maurice and his passing,gets emotional. Barry and Robin together performing You Don`t Know WhatIt`s Like acoustic is a tear-jerking, painful finale, even if youstarted watching as less than a Bee Gees fan. It`s both rewarding andpainful to see the two brothers soldiering on. You can`t help but wishall three were there, or coming away impressed by their talent, andchameleon-like power to go through pop culture.
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