With 'Now Voyager,' his first solo album, Barry Gibb finally steps all the way out from the shadows of siblings Robin and Maurice. Unfortunately, he isn't able to walk far enough away from his past. Now Voyager is a wimpy collection of MOR disco tunes that doesn't even deserve the "dance music" label.

Barry seems to take his duties as a solo artist too seriously. He's got his hands all over these grooves, coproducing, cowriting, singing lead and backup vocals, playing guitar and arranging strings. The lack of outside input is most detrimental in Gibb's overuse, almost abuse, of strings, which sinks songs that were only adequate to begin with.

There are two songs that keep Now Voyager's head above water, "Shine Shine" and "Stay Alone." The former has a lovely Caribbean lilt, while the latter ballad is a throwback to early Bee Gees days, in which Barry dusts off the nasal vibrato he patented back then. But neither these songs nor attempted voice-to-voice resuscitations by Roger Daltrey and Olivia Newton-John are enough to keep Now Voyager from drowning. (RS 439)

BARBARA PEPE