Guilty was the first Gibb-related record I
actually bought. My mom refused to pay $1.99 for the lp and asked,
“Who is that guy on the cover with her, anyway?” I explained it was Barry
Gibb producing this one for Barbra and mom answered, “Oh, now I know why
you want it.” Oddly enough, I found the cassette at a thrift store, too!
Barry won all kinds of cudos and Grammys for this
album, even though audiences in 1980 swore The Bee Gees were passe
and disco was by gone. The lead off duet Guilty was written
by Barry, Robin, and Maurice, the only track here penned by all three of
the boys. Should I even try and count all the hooks, lines, and sinkers
in this one? The song fits Barbra perfectly, and yet Barry is in
tune also. Who hasn’t tried to sing along with this one? If it’s
possible to get more excellent with this song, listen to the brothers’
live snippets of Guilty from One Night Only or Live By Request.
This album isn’t quite like anything else Barbra
Streisand has done, but Woman In Love comes close to her prior work.
It suits her moody dark style yet has a Gibb touch too it. I have
some of the demos for this album, but I don’t listen to them often.
Barry sounds just a bit too shrill on the demos. Barbra’s version
of Love however has that grand epic feel to it.
Run Wild and Promises are the first
two songs presented that were written by Barry and Robin. I’d like
to say I can hear something different or a touch of Robin somewhere, but
I honestly can’t. Run Wild does have some unique lyrics and just
sounds very beautiful. Indeed the boys crafted the songs around Barbra’s
voice. She really belts on this one.
Promises is to me the one noticable ‘depature’ track. Okay maybe this one does have a bit of a Robin feel. It seems off beat compared to everything else, and it almost sounds as if Barbra is in a bit of a lower voice. It works superbly when she shoots back up to herself. Just the word Promises and the way she says it will get stuck in your head.
Last on Side A is The Love Inside, which might be my favorite track. It’s the only song written by just Barry and his lyrics are on form. Barbra’s delivery, however, takes this to the next level. Sometimes this album she can be tough to understand, but on The Love Inside, what needs to be understood is so, and what you can’t quite make out, mood, music, and imagination take care off. These few minutes tell us its okay to step back from our busy lives, relax, and yes, stop and think about love! ;0)
What Kind of Fool is the second duet on the album and was penned by Barry with Albhy Galuten, as are the last two tracks. Fool is not as commercial as Guilty, and isn’t even as much of a duet. It does, however, sound the most like a Bee Gees tune. It’s very dark and balladeering. It’s unrepetitive and the interlude kicks it up a notch.
The third Barry and Robin penned tune Life
Story is next. It has a lot of booming music and crescendos from
Barbra and I can really picture her on a rooftop belting this one to somebody
who’s done her wrong. Is that just me?
Never Give Up is what I consider the
fast track on the album. Barbra almost rapping is definately what
no one expected on this tune, but the chorus is very Broadway styled.
Barry’s next project should be a show based on this album. Parts
of this song you can’t help but sing along too.
Make It Like A Memory ends the album in big Broadway production fashion. It starts off slow, then turns it up. Although not saying the name of a song is annoying when you don’t know the title, Barbra’s delivery of the long awaited title line in this one is worth it. My one nitpick with the song is the ending. It just drags on and on and fades into the distance. Maybe there is some sort of parallel to be drawn about remembering or the memory fading, I don’t know. I would rather have the song end on some of the big booms and cymbals it’s got in there, but did I win a Grammy for this stuff? No.
Guilty is the perfect album to have in case, just maybe, you want to hear a woman’s voice and still have that awesome Gibb quality in lyrics, sound, and production. Hey, hey, I said maybe.
