[HOT TRACK]The Bee Gees One More Time

Good news for those who felt on top of the world with the high-spirited disco rhythms of "Saturday Night Fever" in the 1970s. The group that has put its ineffaceable stamp on worldwide music history, the Bee Gees, with three-and-a-half decades of songwriting and performing, is continuing its history of success with a new album, "This Is Where I Came in," to be released on Tuesday in Korea.

Looking at their impact on music, it cannot be denied there is something special about the Bee Gees. Since 1967, when their debut album came out, the Gibbs brothers have sold more than 100 million albums. The group consists of older brother Barry and fraternal twins Robin and Maurice, whose family members were all dedicated to music, including their younger brother Andy, who died in 1988 after struggling with a drug habit.

The Bee Gees had the rare honor of being inducted into both the Songwriters' Hall of Fame (1994) and Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame (1997). They have also been nominated 16 times for Grammy Awards, winning seven.

The Bee Gees were disco music trendsetters in the 1970s. Now in their mid-50s, they refuse to remain mere legends consigned to history. They want to contribute something more.

In this new release, they have found a new path in pace with new musical trends. They have incorporated tastes of new musical genres, such as soul, into their trademark lilting, powerful vocals giving life to notable songwriting.

The title track, "This Is Where I Came in," is explosive, with sophisticated melody and vocals. Other tracks, such as "She Keeps on Coming," with a touch of soul, and "Sacred Trust," sung in whispery vocals, are worthy of attention. Robin Gibbs said, "We tried something different."

Whether the new direction taken in these 12 tracks results in an album as powerful and distinctive as their previous releases is debatable. In their zeal to adopt the new, this album may strike some as missing the special Bee Gees touch.

But the band stands by their creation. Barry Gibb said earnestly: "This album is us. It's very honest, and it reflects our feelings about everything that's happened to us in the past years."

The Korean music scene has something to learn from these veterans. Who else can prompt middle-aged audiences to scramble for tickets and dance the night away like teenagers 35 years after they first inspired us to tap our feet?

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"This album is us. . . .

It reflects our feelings about everything that's happened to us in the past," says Barry Gibbs.

by Chun Su-jin