The Bee Gees: The Biography

This exhaustive biography takes the same approach to its subject as Meyer’s critically acclaimed bio of country-rock legend Gram Parsons (Twenty Thousand Roads): the author is a fan, but he doesn’t hesitate to be critical (“Give the Bee Gees a fashion period and they always chose the worst possible options”). Meyer covers the band’s entire career—from its founding in the late 1950s by eldest “Alpha” brother Barry to the deaths of his younger brothers Maurice and Robin in 2003 and 2012, respectively—and is excellent at describing the craft of all three members, especially Barry (“a human jukebox, pouring out material shaped by the sounds of the day or by his perception of what a song-writing client should be singing”). “Their collective singing and beautiful vibrato and their unique solo strengths,” says legendary producer Arif Mardin, were the main reasons for the phenomenal success of the Bee Gees’ songs on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. Meyer supports Robin Gibb’s prediction that while a lot of bad records were made in the disco era, “the Bee Gees’ songs hold up and will still be in the clubs in 2050.” (July)