Barry Gibb - Greenfields

by Nick Dent-Robinson

published: 8 / 3 / 2021

Label: Universal Music
Format: CD

Appealing new album from Barry Gibb in which he has reworked some of his classic catalogue with a range of country artists including Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, Alison Krauss and Sheryl Crow.

Review

This new album by eight-time Grammy Winner, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame member Barry Gibb, sees him rework some of his classic repertoire in star-studded company. A long-time fan of country and bluegrass, Gibb appears with some of Nashville’s finest, duetting with Keith Urban on ‘I’ve Got to Get a Message to You’, Dolly Parton on ‘Words’, Olivia Newton-John on ‘Rest Your Love On Me’ and Sheryl Crow on ‘How Can You Mend a Broken Heart’, each singer choosing the song they wanted to perform on. The album also features a previously unheard song with Jason Isbell ‘Words of a Fool’ written originally by Gibb in 1986 for a solo album never released. Produced by Grammy-winning Dave Cobb, ‘Greenfields’ casts the sorrowful melancholia of Gibbs’ material in a fresh country light. On this new retrospective collection Gibbs said: “The lyrics are so important now with the pandemic…. People still want songs they’ll never forget. That’s my objective – to keep the music alive. People may not remember us, but I want them to remember the songs.” Highlights of the 12-track album, recorded in a studio used previously by Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, include a stripped-back, richly melodic version of ‘Too Much Heaven’ with Alison Krauss; the powerful, emotive vocals of Dolly Parton in a poignant re-interpretation of ‘Words’; ‘Lonely Days’ with country quartet Little Big Town bringing a fresh, brash flair to an old favourite; the refreshing directness of Sheryl Crow on ‘How Can You Mend a Broken Heart’; and the wistful, reflective closer ‘Butterfly’, featuring a three-way harmony with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. “Country is what I will do from here on out, as long as I can make music,” Gibb recently said. Fans of Gibb’s new direction will be glad to hear that a second volume is anticipated soon.

Track Listing:-

1 I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You
2 Words Of A Fool
3 Run To Me
4 Too Much Heaven
5 Lonely Days
6 Words
7 Jive Talkin'
8 How Deep Is Your Love
9 How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
10 To Love Somebody
11 Rest Your Love On Me
12 Butterfly