Artist: Bee Gees Album: Spirits Having Flown

Year: 1979
Duration: 45:48

An In-Depth Review of Bee Gees' Spirits Having Flown

If you're a fan of the Bee Gees, then you're well aware of their legendary status in the music industry. The Bee Gees, consisting of brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb, were at the forefront of the disco era with their signature falsetto vocals, tight harmonies, and catchy beats. One of their most iconic albums was Spirits Having Flown, released in 1979. In this post, we're going to take a critical look at this album and explore its history, music genre, best songs, most innovative parts, and overall impressions.
History: Spirits Having Flown was the Bee Gees' fifteenth studio album and their first album after the hugely successful Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. This album was released at a time when disco music was dominating the airwaves. Spirits Having Flown's success was practically a given, considering its predecessors' commercial success. The album held its place on the Billboard 200 for 24 consecutive weeks, holding the number one spot for several weeks.
Music Genre: Spirits Having Flown falls squarely in the disco genre. Like most disco music, it has a heavy focus on synthesizers, orchestration, groovy drumming, and falsetto vocals. The Bee Gees were known for their exceptional vocal abilities, and Spirits Having Flown would prove no different. It curated a renewed focus on their vocal prowess, with classic disco melodies, processed vocals, and almost all the instrumentation, including bass and drums matching high harmonies.
Best Songs: The album includes several of their chart-topping hits. Tragedy is a high-energy dance hit that features a memorable guitar riff and powerful vocals. Too Much Heaven showcases the Bee Gees' signature harmonies and songwriting ability. Love You Inside Out has an infectious rhythm and showcases their vocal abilities while still delivering a modern disco beat. But...
Most Innovative Part: The album's most unique aspect is its incorporation of science fiction themes. The opening track, Tragedy, is named after a benevolent alien race from a fictional universe. Living Together also drew inspiration from the cosmos, with lyrics imagining a distant civilization's courtship rituals. The Bee Gees creatively used a futuristic concept to set a stage for their album, thus creating an unusual theme for a disco album.
Critic of the Album: Critics have viewed Spirits Having Flown as a contrived effort to cash in on the Bee Gees' impressive string of hits. It is often criticized for being formulaic, as the group had maintained the same style of songwriting and arrangements, which resulted in the overproduction of sound. The addition of several ballads produced mixed reviews about the album's theme, which leads many to ponder its worth beyond being shelve filler.
There's no denying the Bee Gees' indisputable impact on music, and Spirits Having Flown remains a classic among their vast discography. While some critics may dismiss it as a formulaic attempt to cash in on the Bee Gees' fame, it effectively showcases this trio's excellent vocal and songwriting skills over catchy disco beats. Overall, whether you're a longtime fan or just discovering their music, Spirits Having Flown is an album worth listening to.