Barry Gibb
In the Now
(Columbia)

A breathy warble falsetto informs the obviously big, commercial single-of-a-title-track of Barry Gibb’s In the Now. This is the sole surviving Bee Gee’s only second solo album (his first was 1984’s Now Voyager) with the last new material he released being on the Bee Gee’s 2001 This Is Where I Came In. With his two brothers, Maurice and Robin, having died, the Bee Gee’s were over and Barry probably simply figured his career was done. But such is not the case with this 12-song album (there are three extra songs on the deluxe version). “Grand Illusion” leads with chunkier guitar, big, snapping drums, and lots more space on the verses. The harmony vocals on the chorus here are especially perfect. “Home Truth Song,” a good medium tempo rock song sees Barry using his lower register around fine roiling piano, organ, and drums to a Bob Seger-like chorus. “Shadows” is more MOR territory, with sweet acoustic guitar noodling, again showcasing Barry’s falsetto warble (the lyrics evoking some nice images). “The Long Goodbye” mines classic Bee Gee’s; it’s breathy, moved along by slow, simple piano, building strings and mournful horn sweeps. “Diamonds,” with its jangly acoustic and stark and dramatic verses, is very strong, maybe the showcase of the album actually, but the choruses never fulfill. The last tune of the regular album though, “End of the Rainbow,” is a great, piano-led blues ballad of reflection with the perfect lyrics from this man at this time in his life. Barry Gibb’s In the Now is a welcomed big release from a survivor.