Originally published here at The Green Man Review!

I’m a gal of a certain age.  Which means that I grew up listening to the Bee Gees.  I remember those summers, waiting for  my local pool’s Adult Swim to wrap up so I could get back in – how dare they take a break every three hours to give people over the age of sixteen fifteen whole minutes for themselves? – and hearing “How Deep is Your Love” or “Jive Talking”.  Those harmonies soothed my savage beast, and let me focus on the important things.  Like my quickly melting bomb pop.

Even now, whenever I hear the Bee Gees, I stop for a moment to sink into their gorgeous melodies. Then I have to take a moment, because twins Barry and Maurice are no longer with us.  My heart still breaks every time I remember that fact. So getting to see their performance in 1989 was a rare treat, and one I’ll savor again and again.

First thing? This footage is BEAUTIFUL. The video is crisp and clean in close up. The audio is focused on the band, with the audience reactions turned up at the end of each song. And focusing on the band let’s you hear all the beauty of each voices, that gorgeous melding of vocals… It took me back to summer ’78, listening to Saturday Night Fever on repeat.

“Ordinary People” opens the set (you can get the complete listing here), and getting such a powerful song to start their set was a great choice.  While they do play the hits they’re best known for, I now have new Bee Gees songs that I absolutely adore, like “New York Mining Disaster 1941”, “Juliette”, and “You Win Again”. (I am aware that these are not new, but they’re new to me, and I love them.)

It’s easy to see their joy in performing, and that joy is infectious. Plus, that harmony y’all. Bonus? That goofy sibling banter between (and sometimes during) songs is a bit of fun that really gave me a “I can pretend I was there” vibe. And they sound amazing. Absolutely amazing. This has been called their best concert video, and I believe it. The brothers Gibb at the top of their vocal game, playing just about everything. It’s truly a joy to listen to.

I love the stage design – minimal, with slight touches of 80s geometric design at the base of the risers. The camerawork makes the most of this, with shots above, below, and all around the performers.

And oh man – when they dedicated “How Deep is Your Love” to their brother Andy, who had died the year before? No, YOU’RE crying. Hand me a tissue.

While I never had the pleasure of seeing them live, with this beautiful Blu-ray, I can pretend. And if you’re a fan, or just want to relive those days sunning at the pool with a popsicle, with One For Allyou can pretend too.