Finally, the DVD version of Barry Gibbs ambitious full-length music video is available after over twenty years. The video quality is slightly better than the VHS, but the sound is what makes the difference. Recorded in both Enhanced 2.1 Stereo and DTS 5.1, it is a music lover’s fantasy. And speaking of fantasy, it’s interesting to see Gibb piece together nine of the eleven songs from the album, “Now, Voyager” into a full-length feature film video. Some of it is dated and silly, (“I Am Your Driver”), some of it is sheer romance, (“One Night (For Lovers”), “Stay Alone”) and the rest is just fascinating images set perfectly to each song. “Fine Line” with a clean-shaven Barry and an R&B band with two sexy black back-up singers is a highlight.
The film is strung together as a dream sequence where Gibb has a car accident in an irrigation channel and ends up in an old swimming bathhouse, where an elderly gentleman “guides” him through some of life’s more important lessons, using the songs as threads. It’s all fun and not too serious. It really is the music that makes it, and even with “She Says” and “Face To Face” missing, it is still a huge enjoyable experience.
Note that there is a 23-minute “making of” documentary with an all too serious 37 year-old Barry Gibb explaining the intent and purpose of this grand experiment.
