u/Ikurider26

Something I thought about recently was that after Floyd made the Piper album, they really didn’t make a proper band album till Meddle.

Saucerful was somewhat disjointed in that some songs were recorded during sessions with Syd and sessions with Dave.

Then came More, which wasn’t a traditional album as it was a soundtrack.

Then we had Ummagumma which was another non traditional album as it included the solo works.

That was followed by Atom Heart Mother which was a collaboration with the Ron Gesson.

Zabriski Point was another soundtrack where only 3 songs were released.

It really wasn’t until Meddle that the band made a record where it was the band working together without some outside influences or other factors making the project a unique scenario.

That’s 4 years of experiments and truly not digging in as a full band.

Just an observation… it doesn’t change anything but is an interesting point to consider.

I came across a review of the Beatles' catalog where the reviewer dismissed their early work as rather unimpressive. It got me thinking about how I used to feel the same way until I learned about their Hamburg years.

Hamburg is a fascinating story in its own right, but the larger story of who the Beatles were between 1958 and 1963 is just as interesting.

They evolved from a pretty rough band that knew relatively few chords and didn't impress many people into one of the tightest live acts anywhere.

Playing 6-8 hours a night, 6-7 days a week forced them to build an enormous repertoire spanning rock & roll, R&B, country, girl-group songs, standards, and more. Just as importantly, they learned how to command a crowd with confidence, humor, and charm.

By the time they stepped off the plane at JFK they were seasoned performers who had already logged thousands of hours on stage. They were more than ready for the pressure of the press, the cameras, and Beatlemania.

Their early records may not be as adventurous and impressive as the studio work that followed, but there's much more happening than "jingle rock and roll." You can already hear sophisticated vocal arrangements, tight ensemble playing, and an impressive ability to transform American rock & roll, R&B, Motown, and pop standards into something distinctly their own.

What is also remarkable is how quickly they developed. Around 1957, John Lennon was still playing guitar with banjo chord shapes and had plenty to learn as a musician. By 1962, the Beatles had built a repertoire of hundreds of songs and had become an incredibly polished live band.

One thing they always had, though even before they became serviceable musicians, was the blend of John and Paul's voices. That harmony was said to mask many of their early shortcomings and gave them something truly special long before the songwriting and musicianship reached the level that would change popular music forever.

The Bee Gees ~ Numerous careers across five decades

I feel as though the Bee Gees have had a number of careers broken into distinct periods.

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Period #1 – Childhood & Teens

Child performers playing adult-oriented music of the time.

This was a period of '60s rock and pop while based in Australia, touching on a number of different styles. They consistently landed songs on the Australian charts with recordings like "Born a Man" (very Eric Burdon & The Animals sounding), "Monday's Rain" (The Drifters meets Roy Orbison), and "Wine and Women," which featured Robin and Barry's first co-lead vocal. They finally landed a No. 1 with "Spicks and Specks."

It's an interesting period because you can hear them trying to figure out who they wanted to be musically. All the while, Barry was already writing songs for other artists.

Period #2 – International Success

Then came the hugely successful psychedelic pop and ballad period of the late '60s, producing classics like "New York Mining Disaster 1941," "Massachusetts," "To Love Somebody," "Words," and "I Started a Joke."

At the same time, Barry continued writing extensively for other artists.

Then came Odessa—an incredibly ambitious album that pushed their psychedelic and orchestral sound even further.

This period eventually ended with the breakup, as Robin left to record his first solo album.

Period #3 – Floundering & Rebirth

The reunion produced several very good albums and some excellent songs, but they simply weren't aligned with where popular music was heading. Albums like 2 Years On, Trafalgar, To Whom It May Concern, and the unreleased A Kick in the Head Is Worth Eight in the Pants contain a lot of overlooked material.

During this period they knew they needed to change—or perhaps Stigwood knew they needed to change—if they were going to become commercially successful again in the U.K. and U.S.

The move to Los Angeles, the false start with Life in a Tin Can, and everything that followed set the stage for their next transformation.

Period #4 – Rebirth

Mr. Natural finds the Bee Gees with a much more modern sound. Cleaner vocal production, tighter grooves, and songs with a more mature, romantic, and occasionally racy edge.

Then came Main Course—the culmination of their songwriting abilities finally coming together at exactly the right time. A remarkable mix of ballads, rock, R&B, country, funk, and even traces of their psychedelic roots.

Children of the World took them one step further into soulful R&B, with a fully realized and unmistakable Bee Gees sound.

Period #5 – Global Fame & Massive Success

Then came one of the greatest commercial runs in popular music.

After writing one side of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, they were completely locked into this new soulful, romantic R&B sound and went on an incredible run of six consecutive No. 1 singles.

Spirits Having Flown became another massive success, while they were simultaneously writing and producing No. 1 hits for their younger brother Andy and numerous other artists.

This period was the perfect combination of outstanding songwriting and complete mastery of the recording studio.

Period #6 – The Fall, Blacklisting, Solo Work & Producing

Then came the fall.

In the middle of the "Death to Disco" backlash—a story all its own—they were essentially locked out of U.S. radio.

Ironically, during this same period Barry wrote and produced Barbra Streisand's Guilty, which went on to sell roughly 15 million LPs worldwide.

Meanwhile, Living Eyes and the Staying Alive soundtrack underperformed commercially. During these years the Bee Gees stayed incredibly busy writing and producing for other artists. Robin found solo success with "Juliet," Barry worked on an unreleased solo project, and Maurice contributed to soundtrack work.

Period #7 – Second Rebirth

Another remarkable reinvention.

The Bee Gees returned as a modern-sounding band, embracing new recording technology, continued vocal experimentation, rock-oriented songs, introspective ballads, and dance-pop.

This period produced major international hits like "You Win Again," "One," "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Secret Love," and "Alone."

Beyond the chart success, this era contains a tremendous amount of high-quality material that's often overlooked. There are countless fan favorites hidden throughout these albums, making this one of the most rewarding periods of their catalog to explore.

It also marked a consistent return to live performance, with numerous television specials, concert films, and world tours that showcased just how great they had become as live performers.