ALBUM: Barry Gibb, ‘In the Now’
After the passing of all three of his younger brothers — two of whom were his lifelong bandmates in the Bee Gees — it was uncertain whether Barry Gibb would ever step in front of a microphone again.
Gibb never considered himself much of a solo artist. In fact, he’d only ever released one album without the accompaniment of his brothers, 1984’s Now Voyager. (Multiple reviews have incorrectly touted In the Now as his first solo album.)
But In the Now, while not recorded with twins Robin and Maurice, was still a family effort for Gibb. His sons Ashley and Stephen co-wrote the entire album with him; the latter also plays in Barry’s backing band.
Gibb’s melodies sound familiar enough to be Bee Gees tracks, lacking only the harmonic diversity of his brothers’ voices. He manages to hold his own, though, with strong vocal performances and hints of that iconic falsetto he introduced us to 40-odd years ago. (Sure, it quavers with a more weathered vibrato than it did in his disco days, but that’s to be expected at his age.)
Barry belts out the pre-choruses of “Grand Illusion” emphatically and with vigor, exhibiting the pure power of his elastic vocal range. “Cross to Bear” is a standout both vocally and lyrically, exhibiting some of his most confident work in both areas. Beginning with a smooth rolling bass line and gradually adding layered acoustic guitars, “Cross” ebbs and flows along with Gibb’s cadence. One moment delicate, the next assertive, his vocal delivery matches the complexity of the religion-tinged lyrics.
In the Now provides listeners with some of Gibb’s most introspective and emotive songwriting to date. Aside from “Cross to Bear,” songs like “The Long Goodbye” and “End of the Rainbow” evoke feelings of lost lovers and lost brothers, respectively. “Amy in Colour,” sensual and smooth, tells of a lusty one night stand and the loveliness that evenings like those can bring. Still on the theme of love, “Star Crossed Lovers” sees Barry crooning tender lyrics, almost childlike in their simplicity, over flawlessly sweeping strings.
This flawlessness, however, might be one of the pitfalls of In the Now. Backing tracks are pristine and airtight, with no real sonic peaks or valleys — or interesting flourishes, for that matter. They’re almost too perfect. Perhaps the Springsteen-esque “Home Truth Song” or the rollicking “Blowin’ a Fuse” could’ve benefited from a bit more grit; as of now, they sound more like attempts at rock songs than actual rock songs.
Grammy-nominated producer John Merchant — who has worked on many Bee Gees releases since the early ’90s — produced the album alongside Gibb himself; one can’t help but wonder, though, what Now might’ve sounded like had someone else rubbed a little dirt into it.
In spite of this, listeners can still appreciate the stylistic diversity of Gibb’s songs. Each track off of In The Now tackles a different genre, from country to contemporary to good old rock ‘n’ roll. While some might see this as a lack of cohesiveness, I simply think back to this description of Barry, taken from Now‘s “Home Truth Song:” “I ain’t that poster boy you made me / you won’t ever chain me down.”
Because while some may remember the eldest Gibb as nothing more than the leader of a superficial, shiny jacket-clad disco group, the Barry I know is a multifaceted musician who feels comfortable in many genres. Rather than write what’s expected of him, Gibb continues to explore and challenge his abilities. More than anything, he has fun with the whole process. And after all he’s been through in his life, I’m thrilled he’s enjoying himself — and living in the now.
Get Barry Gibb’s In the Now on Amazon.
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