Andy Gibb After Dark reviews
Spokane Daily Chronicle, Feb 22 1980
By Jennifer Williamson
If you like the sound of the Bee Gees, you'll also like "AFTER DARK," the latest album by ANDY GIBB on the RSO label.
You just can't like one without liking the other.
Andy follows in the same footsteps that brought fame and fortune to his brothers, and you really can't blame him. Who wouldn't follow a formula that works?
His brothers provide background vocals on some of the album's num-bers, including "Desire," a single that is getting lots of radio airplay. (If you recall, that single was described in an earlier Discritique as standard-Bee Gee.)
Desire
q> is pretty good, but does not compare with the two ballads on the album sung with Olivia Newton-John, Rest Your Love On Me
and I Can't Help It.
She is in excellent voice, as usual, and, singing with her, he sounds less adolescent and more polished than usual.
Their voices provide a pleasing complement to each other.
Those two duets give just a hint of Andy Gibb's potential, and they should inspire him to come up with a sound of his own. Otherwise he might as well join his brothers and become the fourth Bee Gee.
Reading Eagle, Feb 24 1980, USA
AFTER DARK, Andy Gibb (RSO).
Musicians named Gibb can do no wrong and this album proves the point.
Andy Gibb's "After Dark" LP is a fine example of the variety and vitality of the music the Gibb family is able to produce.
Just as older brother Barry, Maurice and Robin can move easily from the disco Stayin' Alive
to the beautiful How Deep Is Your Love,
Andy glides from the upbeat Desire
to the liiting Dreamin' On
and the pretty One Love.
As on every Gibb project, the family is involved.
Brother Barry had a hand in writing every song on the album and, along with his Bee Gees' partners, provided backup vocals for Andy.
Family friend Olivia Newton-John also gets into the act, making an appearance on the excellent Rest Your Love on Me
I Can't Help It.
While there are no major musical breakthroughs here. the writing, harmony and production are up to the usual excellent Gibb standards.
The combination makes for a totally entertaining pop music LP.
By Jack Molets
The Phoenix, March 29 1980, USA
After Dark shows that Andy Gibb can get by with a little help from my brothers.
And the Bee Gees provide a pleasing finishing effect on their youngest brother's album. This only reinstates the fact the Bee Gee's harmonize not only in music but in weaving together their multi-talents. They provide background vocals in a few songs including Andy's current hit, Desire.
Of course Andy deserves most of the credit in this his third album. After the first two, Flowing Rivers and Shadow Dancing, his music appears tbe taking a different path. After Dark consists of even sofier vocals with a mellower approach. Several ballads add variety.
Olivia Newton-John contributed to the remixed version of Rest Your Love On Me and I Can't Help It.
Andy Gibb can't lose if he continues to turn out the quality of music indicated on this album.
By Cathy Langdon
The Glasgow Herald, April 17 1980, UK
Andy Gibb After Dark (Polydor).
GIBB creates much the same sound as his Bee Gee brothers and on that basis must be in with a shout. He's joined at times by Olivia Newton-John and their Rest You Love on Me
is the pick of some good material.
El Tiempo April 19 1980, Columbia
Translation form Spanish:
Andy Gibb's latest album is out in Colombia, very soon. It's his first album in a while, and eagerly awaited by everyone.
The ah, ah, ah, ah that characterizes the Bee Gees sound and that of his little brother, who turns 22 or 23 on April 20, is intact, as are the excellent arrangements, the highly commercial songs, and the charm of the sardinian Gibb. The album comes with an impeccable presentation. A very good double cover and to note, not even in the land of the gringos the cover jumped out, but here it does. But with all the compliments that could be said about the album, it is a little frustrating.
The album has nothing to say evolution, progress, longer duration, or anything. It is the same sound as the two previous albums, but with more compositions by Barry Gibb and less by Andy. It goes from sweet ballads to rhythmic songs in the style of those that also appeared on the Bee Gees Album the previous year..
Two songs recorded as a duet with Olivia Newton-John are also present. The two songs with Newton-John are Rest Your Love On Me
and I Can't Help It
(the latter single is by Barry Gibb. The first one was sung at the Unicef concert). The problem with Gibb-Newton-John duets, is that Olivia's voice is completely out of step with Andy's. She has a big voice, while he's barely a thread.
Of the other songs, After Dark, Desire, Wherever You Are, and One Love are the standouts. It also includes a cover of Warm Ride, the song made popular by Rare Earth a couple of years ago. This version is incredibly mellow. I have nothing against Andy Gibb, but his lack of evolution, of taking his own direction, of moving away from the extreme domination of his brothers, is worrying.
The album is titled After Dark.
But what happens when dawn breaks?