Bee Gees - Mr. Natural

Title: Mr. Natural Artist: Bee Gees Release Date: 5/1974 Re-Released On: 0/0/1974 Label: Polydor, Universal Distribution, Bee Gees/Reprise Duration: 45:26 UPCs: 042283378926, 4988005382368, 603497986958 Genre: Rock Styles: Soft Rock, Contemporary Pop/Rock Moods: Party/Celebratory, Romantic, Sentimental, Sweet, Theatrical, Cheerful, Gentle, Laid-Back/Mellow, Lush, Soothing, Sophisticated, Stylish, Yearning, Poignant, Amiable/Good-Natured, Innocent, Melancholy, Wistful, Carefree, Eerie Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 3 Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 1

1. Charade
2. Throw a Penny
3. Down the Road
4. Voices
5. Give a Hand, Take a Hand
6. Dogs
7. Mr. Natural
8. Lost in Your Love
9. I Can't Let You Go
10. Heavy Breathing
11. Had a Lot of Love Last Night

Year Type Label Catalog # 2008 CD Bee Gees/Reprise 2007 CD Universal Distribution 3813 1992 CD Polydor 833789

No other editions were found for this album.

Their previous album having scarcely made a ripple and now hitless for two years, the Bee Gees went for a new sound in the hands of producer Arif Mardin. The result was Mr. Natural, the sultriest and most soulful record they had ever delivered up to that time. Shedding their pop sensibilities here and singing in a freer, more soulful idiom (with a strong Philadelphia soul influence) on songs such as "Throw a Penny," and with a funky beat backing them up on a lot of this record, the group is scarcely recognizable in relation to their previous work. Mr. Natural was the liveliest, most invigorating body of music to come from the group since their debut, but it also had moments of extraordinary sensuality, most notably "Charade" and "Had a Lot of Love Last Night." In between those two bookends were the beginnings of the sound that would reach maturity on Main Course, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and Children of the World. Most of it is extraordinarily lively and upbeat, which was also a major change for the group; there are still some ballads here in their old style, such as "Down the Road" (which includes the extensive use of a Mellotron), but even these have a subtlety and freshness that had been lacking in the group's work since their debut. The main virtue throughout is, of course, the singing, which is some of the finest that all three Gibb brothers had ever turned in on a single LP up to that time, mated to some of their loveliest and liveliest songs up to that time. Mr. Natural generated no hits, but it was their best original album since Odessa (though also very different from that progressive-oriented double LP), and the Polygram CD reissue is one of the more successful in the label's digital remasterings of the group's sound. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alan Kendall Guitar Alan Lucas Engineer Andy Knight Remixing, Engineer Arif Mardin Engineer, String Arrangements, Producer, Remixing, Horn, Horn Arrangements Barry Gibb Vocals (Background), Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals Bob Defrin Art Direction Damion Lyon Engineer Damon Lyon-Shaw Engineer Dennis Bryon Percussion, Drums Frank Moscati Photography Gene Paul Engineer, Remixing Geoff Westley Keyboards, Piano Lewis Hahn Engineer Maurice Gibb Bass, Mellotron, Organ, Vocals (Background), Vocals Phil Bodner Clarinet Robin Gibb Vocals (Background), Vocals Ted Jensen Mastering