The Bee Gees
Trafalgar

THE REVIEW

Thinking of an album that hasn't yet been reviewed on DeBaser, "Trafalgar" (1971) by the Bee Gees came to mind.

My father introduced it to me a few years ago, and I fell in love with it almost immediately. In Italy, it had moderate success, climbing the sales charts to the top positions. Beware, do not expect disco music like "Saturday Night Fever" (which would only come out in 1977), "Trafalgar" is light music in its purest form. The melodies crafted by the three Gibb brothers (supported by Alan Kendall on lead guitar and Joeff Bridgford on drums) never miss the mark. The piano and orchestrations are inclined to bring forth tears in abundance, also thanks to the atmosphere dense with pathos that permeates the album.

The album is entirely dedicated to the English admiral Horatio Nelson and the 1805 victory he achieved in the Battle of Trafalgar against Napoleon. Remaining indifferent to the 12 songs of this LP is a difficult, if not impossible, task. However, it's unlikely to appeal to the most dedicated fans of hard rock and heavy metal. Nothing innovative or astonishing, simply stunning.

It's night. I lay on my bed and play "Trafalgar." The darkness and the music outside and inside me. I begin to think, I have no precise goal, meanwhile rivers of melodies dig deeper. Looking back, I can no longer see the light, a smile escapes and I with it. I would like to start over from scratch, but now I am light-years ahead. In the air, heartrending voices that exalt memory. I cry, and I've never felt so good. This is "Trafalgar."

Tracklist:

1. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
2. Israel
3. The Greatest Man In The World
4. It's Just The Way
5. Remembering
6. Somebody Stop The Music
7. Trafalgar
8. Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself
9. When Do I
10. Dearest
11. Lion In Winter
12. Walking Back To Waterloo