I was absolutely in love with the Bee Gees when I was young. They came on my radar during the disco era but I looked up all their older music and followed them for years. I loved their musicality, their storytelling, and their charisma. I was so excited when I saw that this was available.
This is a great accounting of their history, with a lot of details about their personal lives and careers. I knew a lot of the general stories, but this book goes deeper, and I learned about what was behind so much of their lives. I highly recommend this for anyone who lived through this period. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this amazing audiobook.

3.5 rounded up
I learned some new stuff and iymt was well researched. Interesting and good narration. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

I am of the opinion that The Bee Gees are one of the finest pop groups of all time. A trio of songwriting maestros who have never truly been suitably appreciated in the music world. This unpopular opinion leaves me open to judgment and rolled eyes from my loved ones, but I will stand with their brilliance til the end.

Author Bob Stanley, was once apart of 90s indie band St Etienne, has emerged as one of the best music writers around. In his “Story of Pop”, he included a chapter on The Bee Gees that prompted several people to think…”wouldn't it be great if he wrote a book solely on the Gibb brothers?”

To my absolute delight; that became the case. In Stanley’s own words, this is an "attempt to give …[the Gibbs brother’s] their rightful place at the very top of pop's table."

Stanley takes us to when the brothers were kids. They had been living a nomadic existence due to the whims of their parents, Hugh and Barbara. The early years were spent on the Isle of Man, before a difficult spell in Manchester, and eventually happier times in Australia.

Money was always scarce, until their father realized that he had a magnitude of talent living under his own roof. It wasn't long until he became arranging paid gigs for his boys.

Even at an early age, they were prolific songwriters and soon they were climbing the pop charts Down Under. It was their move back to the UK and an alliance with the legendary producer, Robert Stigwood, that propelled them to global stardom.

Stanley’s account of the Gibbs brothers really gives the reader a feel for their personalities. Of course, like any siblings, they argued and disagreed quite a bit, but the arguments were usually resolved over a cup of tea.

Barry, the eldest, was the de-facto leader and a musical mastermind. He became close friends with Michael Jackson, in their later years and was godfather to his son. Robin was a gifted songwriter in his own right, and often clashed with Barry. He was a bit of a maverick compared to his brothers, an eccentric personality and a history nerd. Maurice was a multi-instrumentalist, known as the comedian in the group, much more light-hearted than the other two. He struggled with alcohol addiction for a long time before eventually becoming sober in the 90s.

And then there was Andy.

Andy, the youngest Gibb brother, who had his own successful pop career, until he tragically died at the age of 30.

Stanley provides us readers with a wealth of information about the recording of the Bee Gees' music. I particularly enjoyed the parts that featured the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack and when the band were at the peak of their success.

Karl Richardson, their sound engineer, briefly recounts the first time he heard the track that would go on to become the juggernaut that was “Staying Alive”. He distinctly remembered when Barry told him, "Boy, Karl, have I got a song for you," and then he proceeded to sit down and play "Stayin' Alive" on an acoustic guitar. He said that it felt like it was like a chant, and it was unbelievable. He continued on to say that he replied to Barry - saying, "Barry, don't forget that rhythm. That's a number-one record."

Stanley writes about how the 80s was the beginning of a difficult period for The Bee Gees, and examines this period with great perception.

As victims of the disco backlash, the group felt unwanted and unloved. They felt that nobody needed to hear from them directly, so they poured their hearts into writing for other artists.

Their triumphant return to the mainstream music came with 1987's “You Win Again”.

The book closes on a sad note, with the deaths of Maurice and Robin. Barry is the only one still alive and The Bee Gees, as a name and musical act, have retired.

Overall, the story was phenomenal. My biggest complaint is that there were no firsthand accounts from the group members themselves. Of course, this could obviously be due to the fact that only one of them remains alive, but it would have been wonderful to include parts where Barry looked back in retrospect, on that time in their lives/careers. Nevertheless, Children of the World is a terrific read (or listen). Bob Stanley provides an illuminating journey through one of pop music's finest discographies, and really does show the true genius of The Bee Gees.

#TheStoryoftheBeeGees #NetGalley

This was an enjoyable read that provided a lot of great background information on the band. It was quite surprising to read how much had gone before the big hits in the 1970s and how the band was an endeavor that they dedicated their lives to achieve. I listened to the audio version and admittedly found the narrator to have annoying ticks and questionable accents.

The book is fairly chronological, starting from the many moves of the family (staying ahead of debts) and eventual relocation from Australia to England. There, the boys (who had quit high school to support the family as musicians) had some lucky breaks at the time that the Beatles were emerging. After several minor 'folk' type of hits, the band scored it big from two changes: Barry sung in a high voice and the band embraced the more energetic disco music at the time.

As informative as the book was, there were some holes in there. Perhaps a bit more about the disco backlash that would cast a pall over their 1980s careers and a bit more about the later years, especially the impacts as each of the brothers passed away, leaving Barry still alive. As well, while I appreciate that the author can help outline the feel and musical uniqueness of the Bee Gees songs, it did get wearing to have a description of what felt like every song released. It was appreciated that the author also discussed brother Andy and how their success affected him.

In all, I enjoyed this biography and there was a lot to learn here. But I would not recommend the audio version. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

What a delightful audiobook! As a Bee Gee's fan and major supporter, it was nice to listen to reasons why they are more than just the caricature of a disco pop group. Bob Stanley is obviously very well versed in pop music and gives great context into the 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond and how the Bee Gee's were both consumers and creators of popular music. This is an easy book to recommend to anyone with an interest in music history as the details in production, professional and personal relationships, marketing, and context that went into the music of the Bee Gee's and their contemporaries is enlightening.
The narrator, Paul Fox, was incredibly charming. Especially smile-inducing were his moments speaking in an Australian accent. What could be an overwhelming and exhausting amount of information comes off as conversation with Fox's narration. I especially like the chapter makers of the top ten hits during the time period that with be forthcoming in the chapter.

I listened to the audio book. It was 13 hours Long... and I do mean long. This author talked about the history of music with highlights of the Bee Gees. This was definitely not solely about the Bee Gees and their music. I got bored several times and my mind wandered. I would have enjoyed hearing about the Bee Gees, but weeding through all the other information was not worth it.

If you are into music history in general, this book may be one you would want to pick up.

The Bee Gees’s extraordinary career was one of highs and lows. From a vicious but temporary split in 1969 to several unreleased albums, disastrous TV and film appearances, and a demoralizing cabaret season, the group weren’t always reveling in the glow of million-selling albums, private jets, and UNICEF concerts. Yet, even in the Gibbs’ darkest times, their music was rarely out of the charts, as sung by the likes of Al Green, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, and Destiny’s Child.

Now I did fluctuate between 3 and 4 stars. Basically because I wanted more about their lives and less about the creativity of the music…I know, I know! They are a musical group but it just felt like it was missing something. I did settle on 4 stars because I did learn a great deal! Through many trials and tribulations…this group is a one that will not be forgotten!

I did love the list of songs at the front of each segment. Brought back so many memories. This list encompasses the top 10 songs for the time frame of the segment in their life story.

The narrator, Paul Fox, really did a good job. I enjoyed his cadence!

This audiobook was way to long. I enjoyed it but it could have been much shorter. The narrator was very monotone.

[book:The Story of The Bee Gees: Children of the World|176443926]is a gripping, interesting, and informative history of the hairy chested, iconic, musical brothers who took the world by storm! Barry, Robin, and Maurice helped us with 'Stayin' Alive', took us to 'Massachusetts", told us 'We should all be dancing', and asked us 'How deep is your love'. Well how deep is it? Mine runs deep! It would be a "Tragedy" if the world never heard Robin sing "I started a joke."

It's all about the songs/lyrics/music! Keep that in mind while reading this book. This book is about their songs, their albums, their songwriting, their success, and the bumps in the road that they encountered. It also touches on their individual and group issues, dynamics, and drama. If you are looking for an in-depth look at their lives, this will not be the book for you.

[book:The Story of The Bee Gees: Children of the World|176443926] takes readers from the groups early days, their singing, their harmonizing, their influences, and their drive. They moved frequently while growing up, but music remained a steady in their life. Bob Stanley is a Bee Gees fan who takes readers through their song catalogue, sometimes looking at the lyrics, while also looking at other groups and songs which were popular at the same time. The author did a tremendous amount of research and provides readers with a lot of information about the songs, albums, and those who helped them.

They didn't always get along, they didn't always speak, they disagreed, they took turns quitting the group, things got messy, but their songs remained top notch. Family, fame, public perception, pressure, and egos came into play. But that didn't stop them from selling over 120 million records over time and being one of the most beloved and listened to groups of all time. They earned their place in history, setting records, and standing tall with some of the bestselling artists of all time.

They have a plethora of original songs and have also written songs for other artists including Barbara Streisand, Diana Ross, Frankie Vali, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, Celine Dione, and Dionne Warwick to name a few.

Fans of the Bee Gees and their iconic singing, wonderful lyrics, and sound may find this to be interesting reading as I did. As I mentioned above, this book is about their work as a trio, their albums, and their songs. Keep that in mind while picking this book up.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration. This book also had me listening to their songs and dancing like John Travolta in my living room!

Informative, impressively researched, interesting, and engaging.