Bee Gees Mr. Natural (Import)

The Bee Gees: Barry Gibb (vocals, guitar); Robin Gibb (vocals); Maurice Gibb (organ, Mellotron, bass, background vocals).
Additional personnel: Alan Kendall (guitar); Phil Bodner (clarinet); Geoff Westley (piano, keyboards); Dennis Byron (drums, percussion).
Engineers include: Gene Paul, Alan Lucas, Damion Lyon-Shaw.
Recorded at IBC Studios & Command Studios, London, England and Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, New York.
Digitally remastered by Ted Jensen (Sterling Sound, New York, New York).
Personnel: Barry Gibb (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Maurice Gibb (vocals, organ, Mellotron, background vocals); Robin Gibb (vocals, background vocals); Alan Kendall (guitar); Phil Bodner (clarinet); Arif Mardin (horns); Geoff Westley (piano, keyboards); Dennis Bryon (drums, percussion).
Audio Remixers: Gene Paul; Andy Knight ; Arif Mardin.
Recording information: Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, NY; Command Studios, London, England; IBC Studios, London, England.
Photographer: Frank Moscati.
By 1974, the BEE GEES had moved on from the Beatles-influenced baroque pop of their early efforts, but they hadn't yet begun to explore the pop/R&B of MAIN COURSE (which would lead them into their successful disco phase). MR. NATURAL, then, is a transitional album for the Gibbs. As such, it features lots of lushly produced ballads that veer towards the MOR side of the fence (ironically, a style they would revisit in the '90s). The soft-rock production, full of strings and electric piano though it may be, doesn't cancel out the brilliant compositional prowess of the trio. The opening "Charade" is one of the band's most beautiful '70s tunes, setting the tone for the rest of the album, mellow, but far from ineffectual.

• Format: CD