Bee Gees - I Started A Joke

(RSO, 1974)

Well, I get around with a cane now. I have sustained some mysterious injury to my left foot that has made walking almost impossible, necessitating the purchase of a handsome aluminum cane that helps me hobble here and there about the town. But despite the prestige and air of distinction the walking stick gives me, this is an annoying – not to mention painful – state of affairs. And to make matters worse, here’s another one of these damned Mexican EPs. As usual, it’s a seemingly random grab-bag of tracks, this time drawing from 1968 (two songs), 1970, and 1972. Old faves “Words” and “I Started a Joke” get trotted out for the zillionth go-round, though it’s always nice to hear Robin’s ultra-dramatic and lyrically bizarre “…Joke” again and again. “Run to Me” and “Don’t Forget to Remember” are, for good reason, lesser-known hits. The former sees the Bee Gees in their early-’70s rut, churning out overwrought melancholia that crawls by at a snail’s pace with little of the charm or interesting arrangements heard on past material. “Don’t Forget to Remember” is an awkward attempt at a country-flavored heartbreak ballad, further hobbled by its gooey strings. All of these songs are easily found elsewhere, and the sleeve isn’t even interesting; why own this? Good question! OK, now here’s one for all of the podiatrists in the crowd: What does it mean when there is an excruciating, stabbing pain in the arch of your foot every time you put any weight on it?