How Old Are You? is an extraordinary pop record from vocalist Robin Gibb, although none of these ten excellent tunes penned with twin brother Maurice joined his other two Top 40 hits on the charts. Heavy synthesizers embrace Gibb's distinctive vocals and embellish the sensational "Juliet," which launches side one, as well as the very serious "Another Lonely Night in New York," which opens side two. In between are gems like "Danger," an elegant techno journey. This is the type of song which FM underground radio could have played in the early '80s, a dark sound with hooks galore, and a joy to listen to.

Unlike Robin Gibb's initial foray into solo work in 1969, his recordings in the early '80s did not signal a split in the Bee Gees, but instead came during a much needed hiatus in the parent group's career. The only moment at which his second career appeared to be about to catch fire came in the spring of 1984, when his single "Boys Do Fall in Love" (contained herein) rose into the Top 40 on the pop charts and the Top Ten on the dance charts. Then, this album came out and stiffed, and that was pretty much that. In retrospect, Secret Agent is interesting as a competent take on early '80s synth/dance pop (with a sound closer to the Buggles than the Bee Gees) and is an example of what twin brothers Robin and Maurice (who co-produced and co-wrote all the songs and played keyboards and synthesizers) are capable of without big brother Barry.