The Joy of the Bee Gees

Are the Bee Gees a guilty pleasure or a stroke of genius? Are they outcasts or trailblazers, dignified or tacky? What are our true feelings about the Gibb brothers? Do they represent a jumble of high-pitched voices or are they brilliant songwriters, providing the soundtrack to every office party or embodying deep melancholy and existential angst? Are they comedic or tragic? How profound is our affection for them, and how profound are the Bee Gees themselves? With a repertoire that includes classics like “How Do You Mend a Broken Heart,” “Massachusetts,” “Islands in the Stream,” “Stayin’ Alive,” “Chain Reaction,” “How Deep Is Your Love,” “Gotta Get a Message to You,” “Words,” “To Love Somebody,” and “Night Fever,” the Bee Gees are second only to the Beatles in the 20th-century songwriting hierarchy. Despite their pop success spanning multiple decades, the Bee Gees have evolved through different phases. Is there a core element that binds the brothers and their music, and if so, what is it? “The Joy of the Bee Gees” includes a rare interview with the last surviving Bee Gee, Barry Gibb, along with insights from various musicians and industry professionals…