Odessa

me gustó, pero es para estar chill no para hacer cosas

This is Bee Gees like I never imagined. All I've ever heard before was the high energy disco. The country/folk sound is surprising.

Decent, but I prefer their disco tunes

Sgt Pepper heeft een depressie

Enjoyed more than I expected

Blind album, know the artist. I thought this was better than the other bee gees album I listened to before this one, but nothing notable.

Not terrible, but a bit all over the place and overlong. Very ambitious to be sure, but not the most original. It seems to me like a sort of sound collage of different pop styles from the 60s, often very derivative of a number of bands. Having said that, I did enjoy quite a few of the songs on here - I'm curious now about their other early work.

Just not at all what I was expecting and good! Genuinely good.

My biggest gripe is it sounded like just a collection of songs, no flow to the album at all. One song will be a beautifully arranged orchestral instrumental piece, and the next song sounds like The Weight by The Band.

A double album of this sort of music is frankly just way too much, just one album would've been enough. I just can't dig it with the Bee Gee's I suppose. Well at least this has better songs than Trafalgar - my first Bee Gee's album on this list - that's about the only saving grace. The first couple songs are so not good so I thought this was an clear and cut 2 star, but the B-side pushed into a 3. Conclusion: It would've been a lot better album if it was trimmed down around half of the current runtime, and that overall it was an alright one. Highlight Song/s: "Marley Purt Drive" and "Sound Of Love"

Did not expect this from Bee Gees - came in looking for some disco, was pleasantly surprised to hear some alright baroque pop (?). Not bad, not great - might revisit.

The boys don't get enough credit for reinventing themselves so many times. Here they sound like a Beatles cover band. Songwriting and harmonies still on point.

Enjoyable, Bee Gees in a way I wasn't familiar with, nothing in particular stood out to me however.

3.25. The score would be higher but the last three tracks are unnecessarily Christmas-y.

This came across as a magical, mystical folk album to me. The reviews were really bad, so I thought I'd absolutely hate it, but I don't think it's awful. It's certainly not dance music (which I think is what the Bees Gees are known for), but it's grand, dark, and at times beautiful. It kind of reminds me of a prior experimental Beach Boys album that I've received ("Surf's Up").

Light 3

A fine album, a bit long but some good tracks here and there. Weird to hear stuff that isn’t disco

Good start and end.

Was expecting some kind of funky-ness when I saw this was by Bee Gees. Kinda disappointed

Stepping into this plodding and pompous affair was NOT the fun-time happy dance shindig I was expecting. Extravagantly grand, highly ambitious and often quite beautiful, it intrigues me that there's more to the GEEZ than what I had perceived, but this just ain't it. Despite its efforts, it plays to me like a tired Beatles cover band that spends hours at the bar after sets explaining that, "while the Beatles provided our foundation and footing, we aspire to a more artistic exploration of the space". You smile, you sip your beverage, and you desperately scan the room for your friend to bail you out. Skilled and talented, no doubt, but pairs well with a sleep mask.

What a drastic turn of sounds.. I never knew anything about pre-disco Bee Gees until I listened to this album. It's weird.. it's a concept album, double album, folk, Beatles / Beach Boys rip-offs.. I've seen all kind of complaints, some valid, some less valid. I liked some tracks, including the opening track "Odessa (City on the Black Sea)", as well as "First of May".. the rest, however, not as much. It's a bit too long for my liking, some tracks are uninspiring and dull, some tracks don't go anywhere. The biggest gripe I have with this, is that it struggles to find an identity. A concept album should be about something, albeit loosely, but this was just a bunch of songs stuck together and then they called it a day. Apparently there were some creative differences, which resulted in this being a not so coherent album. For its time, it is nice to listen to, and apparently I liked this more than some other people did. Anyway.. I'm glad to have discovered a bit more about pre-disco Bee Gees, and you should too. 7 / 10

I mean, this was alright, and good enough that I sat through the whole thing... just didn't really make a terribly strong impression

'14th of February 1899 / The British ship Veronica was lost w/o a sign.' A concept album in the vein of Genesis's The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, a dreadful record, & The Kink's Arthur, a wonderful record, The Bee Gees's Odessa is annoying but isn't all bad. 'It makes me laugh / You got no friends / It took a thousand years to find out why / You'll never see my face again.' That's not quite Dylan on 'Positively 4th Street' or 'Idiot Wind,' but it's got some real-deal avenging power. 'Marley Purt Drive' is a genuinely soulful number that reproduces the magic The Band at its best nearly has a monopoly on. Odessa is what you call an effective, sometimes gorgeous, often saccharine, silly, eternally boring mixed bag. 'Give Your Best,' nice 1.

in what world is this an album by the bee gees

I was not expecting a concept album from the Bee Gees.

Mostly background music but the last song “The British Opera” was a banger

Some okay stuff on here but it's incredibly boring, didn't like the classical bits on here but the rock songs were solid like Marley Purt Drive

A few good songs, but the rest is pretty boring. 3 stars or C-.

I read some of the reviews before starting the album so I was thankfully not as confused by the genre. Musically fine, but I really didn't get the concept of this concept album.

Im not so sure that as far as Bee Gees albums go, that this one is a must-listen. It definitely isn’t their best. Although there are moments of brilliance on this one, Marley Purt Drive comes to mind, i could not shake the feeling that this album is so derivative of the beatles, too close for comfort. Not a bad listen overall.

Honestly, the Spotify recommend tracks that came on after the album were better. Overall a nice entry in their catalog. I love The Bee Gees.

Aurally inoffensive.

I knew pre-hits bee gee’s were different but damn i didn’t expect this. The intro track and final track are uniquely beautiful. They showcase their strengths in producing ballads but it’s a bit bloated and not every song is a winner (a few of them sound pretty half-baked too). Lamplight is underrated.

Solid 3

Not what you’d expect from The Bee Gees but I like it! Very ambitious to say the least, a double LP concept album.

5/10

insert indie band album here.

Uhhh. So this is when I realize I know nothing about The Bee Gees. Didn’t know they were this old. Didn’t know they were Australian. Didn’t know they made anything aside from disco. So what are you supposed to do with an historical album about a fucking boat. Also why do I enjoy it? It’s not like it’s breaking new ground. It sounds like a Beatles rip off at best and just…bad at worst. I dunno it’s certainly interesting and I learned more about The Bee Gees than I ever wanted

Alright. Didn't really know what to expect from the Bee Gees, but I kidna like the classical parts. Seven Seas Symphony, With All Nations, and The British Opera were my top picks. 5.2/10

not my favorite bee gees

7/10

My word didn’t these boys reinvent themselves when disco came along? An intriguing listen indeed!

These are not the BeeGee's that you are looking for. Gone is any sign of the boppy disco music from Saturday Night Fever. This is a band that is still reeling from Sgt. Pepper and Pet Sounds. This is a bad trying to make art through a concept album. They are stretching their musical talents for craft and storytelling and is has glimmers of brillance. despite their best efforts, they are not the creative geniuses that they are aspiring to be. BUT, its a solid effort.

There isn't a memorable song in the bunch; The production is twee and melodramatic; Barry's voice is mediocre, at best, and every time Robin sings all I hear is Kermit the Frog and all I can see is Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake; and it is WAAAAAAYYYY too long. And yet . . . they are SO Napoleon Dynamite / Ron Burgundy earnest about, and committed to, this train wreck of a concept that there's something Beyond the Valley of the Dolls - glorious about the whole thing. To think that in seven years they'd land on top of the world by having Barry belt out falsetto over imitation Philadelphia soul is pretty wild. (Cue Seven Seas Symphony) I guess it's true. No matter how terrible you are, if you believe in yourself, your dreams really can come true.

I'd try them again, but need to be in the mood for Weird British Shit™

Some I really don’t like, some sound exactly like the Beatles, which kinda makes sense because it’s another ‘69 album. Also a fair number of wordless songs, which brings it down. The ones that sound like the Beatles (especially Melody Fair) though really grew on me on second listen, so that evens it out. The British Opera sounds like a song in like Harry Potter or something. I can’t quite place it but it’s in a movie

Niet verkeerd maar niet echt goed geluisterd of het echt goed is

Interesting. Different. Sounds Beatles-influenced.

Weird record. I expected something more melodic.

Man people were hard on this album. Definitely has Beatles vibes and a very different direction from normal Bee Gees album. I personally enjoyed it and liked there take on a different sound. I would give it a 3.5 if I could

Made a whole ass pop Jethro Tull/Yes album and no one told me, tuh

These are the albums where The Bee Gees prove they have songwriting chops. The melodies are great, the storytelling is there. But I get why it’s not as popular. Some of the songs are just strange and boring, like Edison. They can fall flat. But some are truly beautiful. The opening, Odessa, is powerful and a great start. Melody Fair is a killer song.

Well I wasn’t expecting this. I don’t know a lot of Bee Gees songs but the ones I do know are all Disco so I figured that was all they ever did. I liked it for the most part but it started to drag towards the end. I could’ve lived without the instrumental tracks. Top Track - Lamplight

Only listened to part, but pretty good

Not bad if you dont know it is the BGs, they dont havee the obnoxious falsetto voices

I only know The Bee Gees as disco kings so this album of songs that sound like Beatles b-sides was a surprise. I enjoyed the strings and the vocal harmonies.

Not The Bee Gees I’m used to. It was a nice treat good songs but not my favs. 3

The symphony stuff kind of threw me for a loop but I liked it.

Was totally surprised by this album. Had only known The Bee Gees from Stayin Alive. Would never have guessed this was them if I didn’t know. Sometimes folky, sometimes progressive - interesting.

This is an album I've seen frequently cited as a lost 60s classic and, quietly, one of the best albums of the 60s. It was also considered something of The Bee Gees "Sgt Peppers" and their high water mark pre-Disco, and perhaps ever. So I was excited to see this pop up because, despite curiosity, I had never gotten around to "Odessa." Well, it's not Sgt. Pepper's. It's not a lost 60s classic. And I doubt it's The Bee Gees best album. Mostly, it is a maudlin and overwrought set of orchestral pop ballads, with (strangely) some country ditties and a very few classic pop songs interspersed. There are some good tunes here for sure - the run from "Melody Fair" through "Lamplight" during the first half of the album is strong, but on the whole there's too much filler and too much melodrama. A disappointing miss.

This is not at all what I expected from the Bee Gees. Odessa is grand, dramatic, and relentlessly serious, almost to a fault. The choppy acoustic guitars, sweeping string arrangements, and heavy subject matter feel intentionally overblown, like the band is straining to prove something rather than letting the songs breathe. There are moments that hint at a different, more appealing record. “Marley Purt Drive” stood out as something warmer and more grounded, almost Band-like in its feel, and it made me wish the album leaned more in that direction. Those flashes show that the songwriting muscle is there, but it’s too often buried under orchestration and excess. I respect the ambition, and I can see why some people consider this an artistic high point. But wanting to like it and actually liking it are two different things. For me, the seriousness becomes exhausting, and the album’s length and density work against its strengths. I’ll round it up to a three out of generosity and respect for the swing they took, but this is more fascinating than enjoyable. It helped me understand why the Bee Gees eventually pivoted toward lighter, more immediate music, because that’s clearly where their instincts shine brightest.

This is #day527 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… please excuse me, but as a Ukrainian living in Ukraine, I must point out that Odesa is spelled with a single "s." Musically, I don't really mind what I'm hearing: very harmonious, orchestral, and warm, if you will. Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day528.

Not what I expected when I saw it was a Bee Gees album

thoughts i had while listening to this: what the actual hell is going on. their voices........... there are some really not very good vocals on this. but also which are their real voices??? they sound so different to their later hits??? i'm so confused. am i losing the plot or why does one of them sound a bit like Syd Barrett. i keep thinking this can't get any more weird and then it gets even weirder IT'S SO LONG IT'S JUST SO LONG AND SO BONKERS and you know, i'm really tempted to give this a 3 because even though it's....not very good... i almost respect the weirdness of it and i'm kind of glad i listened to it and i now know it exists? like who knew the Bee Gees were doing this in 1969? i didn't. and i'm gonna remember this a lot more than all the mid albums i've got from other 60s/70s bands that i just unthinkingly gave a 3 to and promptly forgot about. "so iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii laugh in your FACE" .... oh and now here's a song that sounds like the Beatles. "you said goodbye, i declared war on Spain" is a 10/10 lyric. very funny. ok and the last song has suddenly gone all Disney vibes. you know what guys, take my 3.

Interesting. I find it fascinating how so many big British groups in the 60s and 70s did odes to England. They obviously had a lot of post war stuff to work through.

From now on I know that anyone telling me disco ruined Bee Gees are wrong.

6/10 -

Fine

Album was okay. Didn't particularly do anything for me. Flew under the radar lyrically and musically. Did enjoy the 2 instrumental pieces the most!

DNF

I have mixed feelings about the album. Some songs have a huge potential, but then there's something off about them. I liked some of the melodies, but unfortunately I won't go back to this album.

2026-01-03...

This i was weirdly taken with. Went in expecting some disco but probably a bit early for that. the first track Odessa i liked, some beatles sounds (melody fair), Went in a few strange directions, seven seasons symphony felt like it belonged in a musical. Wtf was the international anthem about?? Overall worth the listen and new perspective on the bee gees

It does a lot and some of it works. Didn't hate it but it's not going in the rotation.

The concept isn’t at all interesting. But you get that Bee Gees sound, if a little muted. (I’d take “Massachusetts,” from a year before, over anything here. By far.) This is probably a 2.5-star album.

70

This was almost a 4 for me, but considering I didn’t think I like The Bee Gees this was a major revelation.

I was really enjoying the first 8 or so songs on this record. I think of pre disco Bee Gees as pretty tasteful. But then it keeps going and sprawling into a needless double record. Guys. Stop while you were ahead. I’m imagining them in the studio ripped and being like “this is the songs record, and THIS is the wank record!” And they wanked and wanked.

This is better than it looks and you can feel plenty of contemporary influence but it's not quite my thing still. Worth a listen definitely but doubt I'll go back to it.

Okay album muically, but dislike the vocals.3 stars

I'm pretty meh on this. I guess they were trying to make their version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, but I just feel like a lot of it is kind of over the top orchestral arrangements without their being much substance. It's like they learned the wrong lessons from the Beatles psychedelic era. I also really hate Robin Gibb's singing voice. Dude sounds like a goat. Barry's stuff is pretty good and are the highlights for me -- "You'll Never See My Face Again", "Marley Purt Drive", and "Give Your Best" are all pretty solid. 3 stars.

3.5

A surprisingly interesting album from the pre disco bee gees

Not what I expected. Not sure how to rate this...

Honestly, kind of a boring album. There's a weird mix of "let's emulate the Beatles" and then having largely orchestral songs and movements. You get some true and good Bee Gees in here, Odessa the song was pretty good. At the end of it all though I was fairly consistently checking to see how long I had left, and that's not a good sign

While this is far from the Bee Gees' best showing, I think the reviewers are being a little harsh. So unabashedly late-60s. And it's surely "the Bee Gees' Tommy" if I've ever seen one. The vocal harmonies are as impressive as ever on the opener/title. We encounter an early instance of progressive rock here too with several moods, tempos, and textures being compressed into the 7-plus-minute track. The song's coda is very reminiscent of Syd Barrett's work with Pink Floyd. The next few tracks somewhat abandon the psychedelia but keep the acoustic guitar close at hand. It feels repetitive and derivative, especially in Black Diamond (one of the worst tracks here). Marley Purt Drive is the first to take an odd country-rock approach, almost Stones-esque. It's a weird change of pace, but it kind of works. Melody Fair is pretty, especially with all the vocals flowing over each other, but ultimately it's forgettable. The next song, Suddenly, is catchier and more energetic – yet interestingly has fewer streams on Spotify. Audiences are strange. Next up is Whisper Whisper, which is even better – easily the most interesting song thus far. The deep keyboards add a lot to the bluesy, playful mood. And that sudden transition to the outro is pretty nifty, not to mention the slick bassline and brass. We also get a boost in quality towards the end with First Of May, a beautiful little ballad about growing up and finding your first love. There are a few songs towards the end that are very clear throwaways without any other context. Like, With All Nations... what am I supposed to do with this song? Ask the ice rink DJ to spin it? Recommend it to my death-metal-adoring friends? My jazz orchestra bandmates? I have the same issue with Give Your Best, and a lot of songs here, actually. They're slightly inane and don't really suit any context you could play them in. 3/5 Key tracks: Marley Purt Drive, Whisper Whisper, First Of May

Not bad 2.5/5

Not big on its title song but gets stronger by Side C. Fave track: I Laugh in Your Face

First time listening and if I had not known the artist beforehand, would have never guessed the Bee Gees. Probably prefer this style versus their later disco years. Interestingly on a list of the top ranked Bee Gees songs, the highest ranked song from this album was “Marley Purt Drive” at #150.

It isn't terrible, but because its not my style, it felt like a chore about halfway through.

Not bad.

we've got another entry from the bee gees, swapping their usual soft poppy music for a peculiar, chamberesque... concept album. about a ship. it's very different compared to their usual stuff. it's a very... elaborate piece of work, with dreamy, foggy soundscapes and multi-layered vocals from the group. i'm not sure if i'm feeling this one too much if i'm being honest. there's plenty of storytelling held and lots of experimentation in this, but a large percentage is just lost on me. it wanders a lot, and while the sound is rather pretty for at least several minutes, when it's an hour? it makes me a little dizzy.

Grandiose and operatic. I don’t know how to describe this big, passionate album - maybe it’s the soundtrack to the most ambitious musical that never got made. It’s overwrought and some of it just cheesy as hell, but it’s compelling and fun to listen to. How they went from Odessa to Saturday Night Fever in nine years is astounding.

I have a soft spot for pre-disco Bee Gees. It's better than it should be, I think, if a bit unmemorable compared to other similar albums from the time. This is a bit of a soft 3, but a 3 nonetheless.

This was a very ambitious, thoughtfully executed record. It felt like a complete (if not overly long) journey from beginning to end. Nothing really jumped out, but I think that's due to the album working as a whole better than as individual parts.

I didn't really know anything of the Bee Gees apart from Stayin' Alive, so this album was a surprise. Very ambitious, the first couple of tracks reminded me of Pink Floyd (pretentious concept album era) and Rasputina (ridiculous historical concept songs). Overall it's a very odd album, grandiose, rock-opera, but it doesn't really come together. Odd, but interesting.

Interesting.....to say the least. The album is kind of wacky because it's truly all over the place, spanning from classical symphony instrumentals to country-western and everything in between. Given this is from their early years, the Bee Gees sound like a group still finding their way, throwing a ton at the wall in the process to see what would stick. Thankfully, they found the niche that ascended them to global stardom and one of the most recognizable acts in history; a stark contrast to what they were doing in 1969. Along those same lines, it is pretty fascinating to hear the Bee Gees as something totally different from their later days of "Saturday Night Fever", stadium tours, etc.

Indulgent late 60s symphonic prog pop that I was under the impression I was going to dislike but found myself enjoying. "Bee Gees" solid color album has all the hallmarks of an album you find in the 99c bin that smells like grandma and there's little on the album to dispell that impression BUT it's good. The title track has beautiful orchestration and the harmony work is affecting. Great stereo tracking. Painfully English at points but it was always able to pivot to something I thought was interesting (or in the case of Marley Purt Drive, stealing something I like i.e. The Weight.) Some of the songs are just damn solid Beatles riffs like Melody Fair while others borrow from Kinks borrowing from american country rock (Whisper Whisper). It's a grab-bag of styles from a band that was notoriously good at reinventing themselves, interesting stuff. Favorite Tracks: Odessa, You'll Never See My Face Again, Melody Fair, Whisper Whisper

Listened Before? N Pretty good. You can feel them getting closer to their later disco sound here, but this is a solid psychadelic-ish work. Didn't hate it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Melody Fair

Pre-Saturday Night Fever Bee Gees perform an epic psychedelic concept album about the loss of a fictional ship. I thought I’d be a little more into it.

It’s no Saturday night fever

love hate this. love, because concept albums are fun, and how an album should be, telling a story that is. However, this concept album is so disjointed throughout that you'd be hard-pressed to know it's supposed to flow together. There are some beautiful, musical worthy tracks on here.

En cuanto han empezado a contarme no sé qué historia de un barco que se pierde en el mar ya me engancharon, no me esperaba para nada tremendo storytelling. Después del opening, sentí que el album estaba escrito en un contexto imperial tipo las Indias Orientales decimonónicas y que cada canción la canta un marinero que cuenta sus problemas, rollo: me voy a ir de expedición y no sé si volveré, mira todo lo que he visto en la jungla, pienso en mi amada que se quedó en UK... ya saben, el rollito colonial que a los anglos se les da tan bien. Además, es todo muy teatral, se puede hacer perfectamente un musical o period piece con este album, pero usando solo las canciones memorables claro, que otras draggean bastante... Las que sonarían en la peli: Odessa, You'll never see my face again, Marley Purt Drive, Sound of Love, Give Your Best, Seven Seas Symphony, With All Nations, First of May, The British Opera

This was weird. A mix of the Beatles music and lyrics with dashes of the beach boys, the who, and even some led zeppelin. Good but strange as hell.

crazy Wikipedia intro. let's go --Odessa...the cello is nice. Beatles-esque ("baroque pop"?). More ambitious/interesting than good --You'll Never See My Face Again...It's pleasant but the strings are doing the heavy lifting --Black Diamond...melodrama --Marley Purt Drive..."take a load off, Fanny" --Edison...but what about Tesla?! --Melody Fair...totally not a Beatles song --Suddenly...this is a weird groove. I like it --Whisper Whisper...drunken bar music. with a weird change in tone in the last minute? These guys are trying stuff, I'll give them that --Lamplight...boring --Sound of Love...this sounds like George Michael! --Give Your Best...this feels like the "Ringo" song --Seven Seas Symphony...instrumental. it's nice --With All Nations...bombastic but generic --I Laugh in Your Face...whatever --Never Say Never Again...perhaps one of the most generic pop songs I've ever heard --First of May...title refers to May but seems to be a Christmas song? whatever --The British Opera...instrumental. feels like an into to a Broadway musical

The biggest surprise for me so far doing this project. Call me naive, but I had no idea Bee Gees did anything other than the disco smashes we are all familiar with. I certainly did not expect this - an odd Bee Gees journey into progressive rock via folk via Canterbury, via whatever. Wasn’t shit, but wasn’t fantastic either. Exactly what this list is all about though - expectations shattered!

Very beatlesy

I’m a big fan of the first three Bee Gees records which pair their signature harmony singing with psychedelic pop songwriting. This record is a bit too straight-forward overall for me but there are some nice harmonies and a few great songs

I never knew Bee Gees before Disco

I am not really into 60s, 70s or 80s music. I often associate music from this time as simply boring. 1. Ballad, intro, choir kinda addition - big plus, I guess 60s were heavy on acoustic guitar, folklore chants? 2.Calming violin vibe, rural, those movies set in small knit communities 3.Love the vocals 4.Heavy on the bass, chill, guitar solo 5.begins like a modern heavy banger that's gonna punch you in the gut, today's single material 6.slow paced, pitty, possibly sexist, the xylophone form Christmas music 7.Drums and aggressive guitar strumming, bad boy vibes, "How can you tell you like what you feel?", piano doing the western movie thingy, dumb 8.Old movies intro, then it suddenly changes into something else??? Fast paced then slow paced with a nice instrumental, contradicts the title, vocals borderline feeling like those from hard rock (linking park), lot's of melodie changes 9.Strong piano, church choir again, French lyrics in the intro, once again calming 10.Modern sounding, great piano, cymbals, and bass, the culminating ending is missing, Elton John, chorus vocals are heavenly - they hit just right, "Everybody needs the sound of love" 11.ew country - the stereotypical kind 12.literary jus instrumentals just like in chromatic, thumbs up, hypnotizing 13.Slightly worse continuation of the instrumental 14.good kick drum, melancholic in the verse, outright savage in the chorus 15.Humorous piece, vocals kinda don't fit to the music, mediocre/skippable 16.Nostalgic, emotional (good for crying to) 17.The closing statement Themes of love, adventure, and foolishness of youth Fairly simple lyrics, complex in terms of sound, very playful in terms of texture and composition Pleasant non-overwhelming melodies Songs feel like lullabies, I could fall asleep to this album Under stimulating pop I grew to love instrumentals included in albums I was expecting something else, but this album has positively surprised me Favorites: Black Diamond Edison Suddenly Sound Of Love Seven Seas Symphony I Laugh In Your Face First Of May The British Opera

Odessa (City on the Black Sea) 3.3 You'll Never See My Face Again 3.4 Black Diamond 3.2 Marley Purt Drive 3.4 Edison 3.3 Melody Fair 3 Suddenly 3.5 Whisper Whisper 3.2 Lamplight 3.3 Soiund of Love 3.3 Give Your Best 3 Seven Seas Symphony 3.5 With All Nations (International Anthem) 3.3 I Laugh in Your Face 3.4 Never Say Never Again 3.3 First of May 3.3 The British Opera 3.2 Score: 3.288235294

un poco meh

Boy, it’s long. And a little hard to take it seriously since my brain associates their voices so much with the disco era. They are definitely talented song writers.

Reading the background on Wikipedia, it seems like this album was initially a flop until it was reissued as a significantly paired down single disc version. And man does that track. The music is fine, in a "we'll try to pick up where the Beatles left off" kind of way but it's very bloated and the quality really varies. Even some individual songs seem to drag quite a bit. There are a handful of decent songs here but I could really do without half of them. On the strength of the edited edition, 3 stars seems fair. I'm not blown away but I can see the appeal. Also I'm a sucker for songs about the sea and genuinely enjoyed the opening track. I'm unlikely to return to this album though.

Decent. A few moments grabbed me. This feels like an album where my feelings might grow to four stars if I spent more time with it. There is a different Bee Gees album I love and that is Bee Gees 1st. That one is great. To my ears 1st is the best Beatles album the Beatles didn’t make (complimentary).

Huh. Had no idea this was a thing. And now I do. I mean, it’s fine. But weird.

I went back and forth on this one.

74% Best: Marley Purt Drive; Whisper Whisper; Sound Of Love; Never Say Never Again; First Of May Must-Hear? Nah. Stick to their golden-era Disco albums. (Maybe a non-disco Bee Gees album is more worth listening to than this. I wouldn't know.)

Back and forth between folk and operatic. Beautiful

Some great moments but as a whole overloaded. Like way too much dessert

I only know The Bee Gees from disco, so interesting to hear their work from the 60s

it has its moments. when it veers closer to moody blues/sgt pepper/kinks and away from orchestral pomposity.

How in the hell is this man singing this high!

#721. I could just copy my review of their albums Trafalgar, because I have basically the same thing to say. When you're looking for the Bee Gees, you're really only looking for their disco stuff, not this. 3/5: tolerable, but only just

Not a bad album, but 60's BeeGees is *very* different than later decades BeeGees.

Groovy baby 😽

This probably merits more listens. I can see it becoming a 4 in time but I'd need time to invest! First time I've ever listened to a BeeGees album. A lot of it sounded like the Beatles!

I mean, I get why people are confused not knowing any other Bee Gees' music but it's fine.

Very good. Much better than the disco crap. 3/5

I laughed this album off at first as “The BeeGees before they found disco,” but as it went on, I found appreciation for the orchestration and always beautiful harmonies. It’s a little all over the place, but some lovely songs that seem out of place as a whole record.

Well that was not what I expected, but apparently it was from before they became a disco phenomenon in the 70's. Wasn't bad to be fair, but nothing special. I keep thinking 2, but part of me says that's a bit harsh. So I have looked back over the last few albums. And it's definitely better than the good the bad and the queen or fault. And though it's not quite an automatic for the people or gasoline alley,it is just about on par with arrival and talking heads 77. So just scraping it's way to a 3.

I knew the Bee Gees had a very different sound in the 1960's but this was a big surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed the melodies and arrangements etc. Even big chief Gibb didn't sound as though his balls were being kept safe by his pet Doberman. Why did he start to sing like that anyway? Here, his vocals were very good, just a shame about the lyrics, but it was the 60's, so that can be forgiven. Its a difficult one to score.

Haven't heard any tracks on this. Strong Beatles, the Band, Walker Brothers sounds here. Doesn't sound particularly original but there is something interesting here. 3 Heard before? No Owned: No 15/1001, 15/58 (26%) Will I get? Maybe

Didn't realise the BGs had been going that long. In a world pre-disco, they were knocking out lavishly orchestrated, wistful, hippyish, folk-and-country tinged torchsongs, with more than a passing nod to the likes of Byrds or Kinks. Some of it pretty good as it happens. Record turns inexplicably crappy towards the end though. An interesting listen but a real mixed bag.

***An ok album. Easy listening.

Here's the thing:When a band is at their 6th album they want to experiment or show their influences at that time or do a ''concept '' album which in latter case it will either take off or fail. In this case as it is not clear if it actually is one,you don't know how to rate this correctly. I'm in my 25th album ratings or so right now and nothing confused me and troubled me more than this ''concept'' album.I mean even the Bee Gees got confused about the final direction of this. There's definately a strong Beatles influence in here and if you hear this album as a non Bee Gees one and skip the concept factor is pretty good. There are many wrongs though that just ruin the whole atmophere from time to time,like the poor lyrics and Gibbs's falsettos,but overall i enjoyed this although i felt it was two albums in one. Songs that were pleasant to my ears more: Edison(weird for the album cohesion but still good), Melody fair is like hearing a Beatles bonus track cover but also very good, Suddenly, Lamplight, Sound of love(especially towards the end), Seven Seas symphony is an epic instrumental like a score for a movie-very well done with choir in it and everything), I laugh in your face. Never say never again is also a good song but i felt like they are mocking The Beatles sorry, So with that said it's a 3/5 for me.

Oh

I honestly didn't mind this album. I kinda like pre disco Bee Gees.

Familiar, complex Bee Gees harmonies, but a bit lost on the concept.

Was interesting listening to the Bee Gees before the re-invention of their sound. The album should've stuck to the original idea of being a concept album of a lost ship. Interesting idea

väldigt mycket barry gibb i barry gibbs röst

3/5

A very strange mix of the Beatles, early David Bowie, and beach boys. A worthwhile listen and good to know that they made this stuff before they went all disco. Also interesting to know that the brothers Gibb were raised in Chorlton, Manchester. Reading more about how they got to fame was cool. Definitely a tough listen if you were expecting disco though!

This one really didn't leave much of an impression on me. I have to do a deeper dive into this though as I've read that it's a big concept album about being lost on a ship? Unfortunately I really think a concept album should grab you from the music alone and you shouldn't really have to have some helper text to guide you.. I'm a fan of the Bee Gees but I'm unfamiliar with this record and outside of the last two tracks the rest of the album was just OK.

Didn't sound very Bee Gees but we still enjoyed it. Pretty upbeat and fun, almost with a slight country twang.

Perfectly fine. Great recording and excellent singing. However, way too ambitious for its own good, it never really lands.

Bee Gees gets a solid 3 from me, it sounded lovely throughout and a lot of it was very enjoyable, but unfortunately for me it lacks the constant interest and engagement needed for an hour long late sixties concept album, I can’t imagine ever listening to this again when I could stick on Sgt Peppers or Pet Sounds, sorry Bee Gees

Started out slightly spooky. Ghostly even? Oooh I like the guitar. Such a long song. FINLAND MENTIONED. The first song already is quite a journey. "Where are you I love you" me to radek rn. I like the instruments on the songs. Marley Purt Drive has a good vibe to it. If I had fifteen kids I would also leave. Wow there is 17 songs. "There's a girl in the rain alone" that should be me. Track 7 made it to my playlist. What a wide variety of types of songs. Seven Seas Symphony is beautiful but sounds like a completely different album. With All Nations too?? Sounds like a national hymn. I actually like the album. A lot of the songs surprised me. Do do doo do doo.

This album is all over the place. Beatles at times, the Band at others. All created by… the kings of Disco? Were the BeeGees just opportunists? I like it.

Who came up with this concept: we’re going to make an album that doesn’t feature a single song that has falsetto singing and some songs won’t have singing at all? For me, that makes this their best album. Mostly pleasant trivial songs.

Very Beatles-esque. Nothing stood out for me, though. Give me Saturday Night Fever on repeat, though. One of the best bass lines ever.

I consider myself a Bee Gees stan, it’s well documented that young Barry Gibb is one of my biggest crushes in the world, and I will always throw their greatest hits on for a road trip, but I had never heard this one. And probably for good reason. Look, I’m never one to deny ambitious swings and unusual creativity but it sounds like this split the band for good reason. There’s orchestral instrumentals, there’s country music, there’s songs about Edison and Opera. Maybe the fact one is called I Laugh in Your Face actually says it best. But despite the mismatched nature of it all, despite how annoying some moments are, overall I couldn’t help but kind of enjoy the ride. (3.5 stars? I really have no idea)

Record with a great vision. This magnum opus feels like their try to produce their version of the white album. Many tracks with totally different genres on their. We go from folklore via rock/pop and country to classical stuff. While I can respect this concept approach i have to say that not too many songs stand out for me. Odessa or seven seas symphony are pretty tunes, but i admit, i just wanted more songs like marley purt drive, sound of love or never say never again.

Really surprising from the Bee Gees, no falsetto! Sounded like the Beatles in places, but solid

Je m'attendais à du disco enflammé et des falsettos, à la place j'ai eu concept album d'opéra rock à la Sgt Pepper. C'était pas plus mal, même si c'était beaucoup trop long.

a double album that didn't need to be a double album

8/12/25. Wasn't really feeling this one until I heard the back half. Really unique and colorful instrumental pieces that I didn't know the Bee Gees could pull off. Cool to hear this other side outside of the major disco hits.

I like it :]. Suddenly is a nice little song.

Huh? C’pas les vrais Bee Gees, où est John Travolta?!!

Not really my style j'ai pas finis l'écoute

Fun to listen to The Bee Gees before they became what you think of them as. But I think there is a reason they’re better known for disco.

I expected something really funky and soulful but instead I felt like I was in a weird fever dream.

Day 19 First listen- Nice record with elements of psych and baroque pop. Felt a little too long. (3/5)

Het is goede muziek, en fijn om naar te luisteren. Echter moet ik ook zeggen dat ik het bij vlagen een beetje saai vond.. hierdoor neig ik toch meer naar een 3. Overigens favo was Marley Purt Drive. Het zal je niet verbazen, maar hier zat wat country invloeden in. Lekkah

I like the late 60s albums by the Bee Gees - their singing suited the late 70s disco style more but musically they've done great stuff a decade earlier. Their singing is a bit melodramatic but overall it is a good concept album even if no songs really stand out. 3.5/5 stars.

Very nice

Pretty good folk rock record. Interesting to hear them before the disco era.

I'm not into when 60s stuff gets overly baroque and this was so ornate it was the musical equivalent of wandering round the Palace of Versailles. That said I somehow enjoyed a chunk of it, especially what I am guessing was sure 2 of 4. Obviously very Beatles (and others) pastichy in places but it then also sounded like a huge influence on Bowie's album later that year especially You'll Never See My Face Again.

I don’t know why this and Trafalgar are both on this list, I get the point of showing the bee gees in this era of their music pre disco but it really annoys me that they get 2 placements of their 60’s albums but the moody blues get none especially when this is so obviously influenced by at least days of future passed (which definitely should have been on this list at least) with the whole orchestral sound, especially on the last song which felt like a song straight out of the mentioned moody blues album. This is a pretty good album though and is better than Trafalgar, although felt very similar in its change in quality with the first half being a bit dull and boring but the second half showing the album in a state which feels like it’s actually settled in and is essentially a better version of what the first half was trying to be. I mentioned the moody blues influence but this is also clearly inspired by pretty much all of the major British Invasion groups and the beach boys with the harmonies and such, also with some American country and folk in the mix as well, it’s actually quite a varied album in a way but also feels quite samey. Also, I would like to mention how the album cover is rubbish for a concept album (loose concept album anyway), Trafalgar has the really nice painting of the ships at sea which would have fit this so much better given this albums theme of the fictional ship lost at sea, although it doesn’t really follow this concept all too much. Anyway, favourites: lamplight, give your best, seven seas symphony and never say never again. I thought there was quite a bit to like about some of the other dongs aswell, the instrumentals were also nice but maybe a bit overdramatic sometimes and also a bit out of place as it just kindled of comes out of nowhere and blasts. This album is maybe a bit too long aswell, cut in half this could actually be really good but given it does have the boring first half, overall 6/10.

Kinda hokey, but nice melodies and harmonies. Possibly a hot take but I prefer this to their disco music. Best song: Marley Purt Drive

A bit weird

Låter som Beatles fast bara nästan och utan riktigt bra låtar. Trea

This was... odd. One of my mom's favourite bands during my childhood was the Bee Gees, so I grew up hearing some of their music. This was definitely not that. This was some sort of slow, folky, baroque pop. It dragged on and on and did not need to be a double album. 2.5 rounded up

"Odessa" is the sixth studio album by musical group the Bee Gees (1969). Pop, baroque pop, chamber pop, progressive pop and country are the Wiki-listed genres. They touch on all of those styles. This album is a double vinyl LP album and was originally intended as a concept album. This concept idea created tension in the band along with which song to release as a single which resulted in bandmember Robin Gibb temporarily leaving the band. The bandmembers at the time were Barry Gibb (vocals, rhythm guitar), Robin Gibb (vocals, organ, piano, Mellotron), Maurice Gibb (vocals, bass, guitars, piano. Mellotron), Vince Melouney (lead guitar and his last album with the band) and Colin Petersen (drums). Commercially, the album reached #10 in the UK and #20 in the US. Initially the album was not well received critically but has since received critical acclaim with some citing as their best 60's album. Wind and acoustic guitar open "Odessa (City on the Black Sea)." Next comes harmonized vocals that sound like they're coming from a tunnel. Robin on vocals as he writing a letter to his sweetheart as his ship is lost in sea. There's strings. It's dramatic. There's a touches of flamenco and pyschedelia. Interesting song. Barry takes the vocal lead on the country-folk song "Marley Purt Drive." A banjo. Barry has a Southern US accent. Strings are thrown in in a song about a man with 15 children taking a ride to Pasadena and coming back home where there's 20 additional children. "Whisper Whisper" is a folk-pop song with strings and Barry doing his best Paul McCartney vocal imitation. It's bouncy with a piano and horns. Side three begins with the B-side of the first single "Lamplight." Yeah, it's the one that caused all the internal strife. A strumming guitar, a harp and other strings are featured in this baroque pop song. Subtle harmonies and a grand finish. He keeps sitting under the lamplight waiting for his girl to come back. Soaring vocals highlight a real good deep cut in "I Laugh in Your Face. Strings, a piano and Barry laughing in the face of an uppity woman. The side A of the first and only single is the lovely "First of May." Piano, strings and Barry on lead vocals. The song builds with increased volume in the vocals and strings. A song reminiscing about a Christmas tree and kissing his wife/partner. This is an ambitious hodgepodge of an album. The songs range from baroque to folk to country to Beatles pop to classical instrumentals. The lead vocals, backing vocals and harmonies are very strong. There are a few very good songs. This album should have been trimmed down and/or stuck with one or two styles. This album is worth going back to for a few of the songs and skipping over the others.

Nothing could have prepared me for this album lol. I had NO IDEA the history of the Bee Gees prior to disco, and I am BAFFLED to find out there's like 11 albums prior to their switch to disco.

The vibe is good but something just irks me about it

Much more enjoyable than I expected. I did start to get tired of it about halfway through. My favorite song was Suddenly.

3 just because the album is named Odessa and it is interesting fact for me ( I'm Ukrainian ). And it was bearable to listen

pretty nice

Technically not bad, but gonna be forgotten by tomorrow.

Not really my style.

The ultimate proof that musical talent and ambition does not equal greatness - although it can't be denied it does help a fair bit.

That's a beegees I wasn't aware of. No ball squeezing disco walks on this one. It's more Beatles leaning. It's alright, but not an album I will revisit. If I could I would give it a 3.5/5

I liked it.

Jaime pas le country

Représentatif d'un prolongement très pop des Beatles. La voix de falsetto de Barry Gibb apporte quelque chose de cheesy mais qui somme toute est cool. En fait d'album je préfère Trafalgar sorti quelques années plus tard.

Je rêvais d'une occasion de découvrir les Bee Gees, mais comme n'importe quel mythe de cette proportion, c'est dur de savoir par où commencer. Ça commence bien avec la chanson Odessa, j'adore les narratifs (et les sea shanties, accessoirement). Il y a quelque chose des Beatles, évidemment, mais la voix du chanteur est assez unique (beaucoup plus virtuose que celle d'un Paul ou John). C'est plus proche de Pet Sounds (orchestrations, musique enveloppante, narratifs entraînants) que du disco que je connaissais. Lamplight c'est du vrai beegees. Ça me fait beaucoup penser à Bridge over troubled water aussi. Seven Seas Symphony et With all nations c'est comme dss tounes qui se veut épique mais qui lève pas... et ça détonne sérieusement. Il y a quelques bons trucs mais c'est inégal et beaucoup trop long. Et je peux pas danser vraiment là-dessus... 3 étoiles

Les bee gees avant leur époque disco! Grosse surprise aujourd’hui! Malheureusement ça sonne pas mal comme un pastiche des Beatles et des Beach Boys. Pas grand chose pour me faire revenir à cet album. Quoique j’admire le guts de commencer avec une toune grandiose de 7min30!

Didnt listen very intently so maybe could be higher but I certainly heard it all

Most significant of their 60s albums.

We have the Kinks at home

It had some lyrics that stood out at the beginning, but started to drag on pretty long. Some okay songs in the middle, but nothing that was outstanding.

Bee Geessillä on jotain Suomea vastaan, kun ekassa biisissä lauletaan, "En ymmärrä miksi muutit Suomeen" :D. Ei ollutkaan diskoa D:. Enemmän jotain folk tyylistä, tai kantria. Aika monipuolisesti kaikkea paitsi diskoa. Sinfoniakappaleetkin hienoja. Parhaat: Black Diamond, Lamplight, Suddenly

I thought wow, the fugees have a diverse sound, then I took another look... I listened to the first half and i liked it! 3/5 🐝

In their first attempt to fit themselves into spaces that could accommodate their shifting styles, Bee Gees pretty much broke themselves in that process. And yet, it may very well be their most intriguing album in their vast catalog. Odessa, a concept album about an abandoned ship at the turn of the century, needs a solid set of ears to get its message across as it is possible to lose sight of the concept at hand and make note of certain songs that stick out along the way. And there are plenty of songs here that informs those who view Bee Gees one way that they can be viewed in other ways as well. An ambitious step taken, even if the free fall became immediate. Favorites: Odessa (City on the Black Sea), You'll Never See My Face Again, Black Diamond, Marley Purt Drive, Whisper Whisper, Lamplight, I Laugh in Your Face, Never Say Never Again, First of May.

When we got the Bee Gees, I expected some 70/80s sounding disco, not this. It was an unexpected and interesting surprise, honestly. I think it was a tad too far fetched in hope that I would love it and it got a little strange and meh but it was good.

Lovely if not a bit dated (which also may add to the quaint mood). It's nice to listen to for the most part and some of the musical aspects can get fairly adventurous. "Melody Fair" almost makes me think of late 80s/early 90s mellow Britpop (Madchester even?) sounds at least vocally - had to be an influence if not subconsciously. The parts that get either tiring or weird can sometimes stem from odd or stilted lyrics but in general at times the crazy warbling nature of the vocals (very notably Robin, see "Lamplight") are too much. Muppety. Honestly just keep the songs with Barry on lead vocals and cut the rest and it'd be a nice abridged version. It's crazy how much this group changed and over such a relatively short time - from this quaint folky material to jive talkin' in 6 years. 6/10 3 stars

Very early Bee Gees. Concept album on the loss of a fictional ship in 1899. Folk rock. Lovely harmonies. A bit silly.

Interesting. Slightly reminiscent of the Beatles, which I guess makes sense. I expected Disco, but this was completely different.

even as a bee gees apologist and baroque pop fan, i can't recommend this in good faith. listen to the '69 best of instead.

Gives off folksy vibes, not bad

I never knew The Bee Gees made this kind of music. Was only familiar with the stayin alive style music

Nice to hear pre-disco Bee Gees. I've not spent much time with them because I find the falsetto era a bit insufferable. This had some good stuff - sounded a bit later Beatles at times.

the high points were (marley purt drive rules) truly incredible, but a bit too much filler that wasn’t all that interesting [to me].

This is the second BeeGees concept album on this list to loosely use historic maritime activities and locations in its concept 💀 haven’t even heard the disco albums yet. Much like Trafalgar, the most dazzling thing about this record is the soaring string arrangements. “You’ll Never See My Face Again” and “Whisper Whisper” confronts the listener with the idea that maybe every white band in 68-70 wanted to sound a bit like the Beatles. But fret not! You can hear the Gibb signature sound more on the next track, “Black Diamond”. “Marley Purt Drive” might be one of my favorites to pick, just for how simple and easy on the ears it is. I would’ve been happy if they trimmed this album down 15-20 minutes. It’s easy to sink into inactive listening about halfway through the album, it lulls you into melancholy without meaning to. “Seven Seas Symphony would’ve been a grand closing track. Pretty mellow 3/5

Who knew?

BGs expired tbh

Typical Bee Gees' well produced harmonious songs. The Beatles couldn't of done it better. Good album.

This was an interesting album! It felt like I was listening to a movie and I was thoroughly was impressed and kinda hooked me! I especially thought the instrumental songs felt very cinemaesque! Very cool!

I can hear why this is not one of Brothers’ best. A good history lesson listen but not a 1001 album for me.

Odessassa on faunin iltapäivä. Ihanhan tässä on ajatusta. En tosin kuunnellut tarinaa, vain aistin että se oli siellä, ja tietysti kertoi laivoista ja vedestä. Ihan tunnelmallinen, vähän tylsä (pituus!). Vois olla tokalla kuuntelukerralla helposti kolmonen, siksi uskallan antaa.

Right in the middle of early great to juggernaut. Good record. Bland songs.

It's not bad... it's just like... I mean... I thought they only did Saturday Night Fever stuff but yk ill take it as it is. A few good ones but it's just very 60s, which makes sense. They did perfect their craft 15 years later. Fave Songs: Black Diamond Melody Fair Suddenly ❤️ Whisper Whisper Never Say Never Again ❤️

Weird, not what I was expecting when I saw Bee Gees. Varied and kinda ballad-y at times.

AM 60's pop.. It's fine but nothing to get overly excited about.

It was kind of novel to listen to a pre-disco Bee Gees. This is just a middle of the road pop album.

Wild that they later became the Kings of disci

Who knew? Where's the falsetto voices, what happened between these two time periods???!!!

6/10. I’d put this on doing woodwork or sm it’s chill.

Grand, artistic, kinda self indulgent with experimental moments and very silly lyrics for era defining song writers. Perfectly fine, may listen again but not sure it will have a lasting impact

first time heard 3.5 round down to 3 feels like they tried to make the greatest album of all time and 'end' music the outcome was a pretty good album which somehow feels like a disappointment

Cinematic, but I feel like I'm missing visuals

I never heard pre-disco, pre high-pitch, Bee Gees before, so this was unexpected. In a good (not great) way. Kind of a mix of folk/ psychedelic/ pop/ country. It's a 2 or a 3 but it's no worse than many other stuff from the 60s (incl. the Beatles in their less glorious moments) so I'll say, a 3.

Iconic harmonies and falsetto

A valiant attempt at pushing the boundaries - its not their best work, but I think we should encourage more bands to make the music that they want rather than the music people expect to hear

Weird album, had a classic rock 70s vibe, some beatles vibe, and then weird symphony sounds. I would say a portion of the album is a 2, some is a 3, and some is a 4. I give it a 3.5 stars

Individually these songs would be alright but together makes this an extremely confusing listen

Non-disco Bee Gees is weird. Are they trying to be the Beatles (a bunch of songs sound like Ringo songs)? Or The Band? What's up with the song about Edison?

2.5/5

Quite nice. Reminded me a bit of Victoria by the Kinks or whatever that album about Blighty is called. Didn’t really find any standout tracks or moments I’d want to revisit though so can’t go much higher than this. 3.4/5

Over an hour of Australians attempting to make a conceptual, British-orientated album. In the decade before their monumental disco success, the Bee Gees were apparently catering towards the insatiable British desire for baroque, twinkly, whimsical ditties. The first ¾-ish of this is the same story about something-or-other that’s vaguely relevant to British high culture, in marketable song/album form, and the last quarter is more of the same, split up by respite in Vaughan Williams-inspired instrumental numbers and the lyrical beige that is First of May. Another case of an album being theoretically much better if it was more concise, i.e., ending after the 6th or 7th track. There’s nothing to despise here, it’s just 1960s vaguely experimental pop. And at least it’s not their 70s disco stuff.

Like it. Didn’t know a single song 🤷🏻‍♂️

nice

I only ever really knew the Bee Gees for Stayin' Alive so when i heard Odessa and found out that every song on here sounded nothing like that one, I was utterly flabbergasted. This album was way more of a folk/country album with many orchestral elements with some songs even going as far as to just being orchestral pieces without any vocals at all. Even the vocals here are very Beatlesque. I actually did quite like this album in spite of my shock. The instruments (especially the violins) were handled really well and the songs were still catchy at points without being disco like the Bee Gees are known for. The country songs weren't my favorite but this album was never at any point bad. Best Song: I Laugh In Your Face Worst Song: Marley Purt Drive

Very good

Nice, but not mine, unfortunately.

Decent

no way this is the same band that made staying alive, wtf some cool songs on here but this was an absolute chore to listen to

kinda beatles-y, i dig it

Too beatlesesque, churclike , nasal and long.

Fine

6/10 - Some of the instrumental pieces were nice. The Bee Gees are just not what I expect bc it is not stayin alive

Going into this album, I was surprised by all the hate I saw in comments and reviews. Once I started listening, I honestly didn’t think it was that bad. Overall, it’s a pretty easygoing baroque pop album with some progressive touches sprinkled throughout. However, about halfway through, it started to feel like the album wasn’t really going anywhere, and from that point on, it became pretty boring.

Enjoyable listen and a few bookmarked songs to put on playlists later. Pretty easy listening

Das sollen die Bee Gees sein?! Die Stimme passt, aber sonst? Sehr konzertant. Viele Geiger, viel Vibrato in der Stimme. Ganz ungewohnt. Nicht mein Stil.

Good Song writing

Very moody, did not enjoy

I was expecting pretentious tosh. I got .. surprisingly catchy pretentious tosh.

Nothing grabbed my attention on here, but I didn't dislike it either.

not at all what i expected the bee gees to sound like based on brian regan's imitation

It was alright, better than I expected. Dragged on a bit too long, but solid mid table score nonetheless.

Nooop.

Pre-Disco Bee Gees? I didn't know that was a thing. It was definitely an interesting album to listen to. Very folksy, pretty Beatles-esque (though not as good).

Not bad. A few pretty good songs but overall not special. Liked the one about driving with the kids.

Not The Bee Gees I’m familiar with! What’s week for Beatles knock offs. I do have to give credit for the ambition this album required but none of it really connected with me.

Ok, nothing special

A lot of haters on this one. I'm neutral Will I listen to again: 10%

A more diverse album than I would have thought.

Somente chegando ao fim do disco consegui identificar o Bee Gees. Parece algo fora da curva, não que seja ruim mas longe do que conhecemos.

I love early bee gees but in no way does this beat Mr. Natural.

67/100. While the majority of the songs are enjoyable, the album's structure feels disjointed, with abrupt shifts between genres.

This album was a surprise. I assumed the Bee Gees were entirely 70's disco. I didn't imagine they were on their *sixth* album in 1969, and with such a different sound. I guess this is a concept album about a made-up ship, and I feel kind of neutral about that. The one song that caught my attention was Whisper Whisper. Everything else is just OK.

Interesting album it's strange to listen to the Bee Gees without their high pitch voice style, but nonetheless it's a good listening

This where you can understand how talented the bee gees were. This is a concept album from their 1960s run. Then they evolved into what they are known for. They disco era. But before that they were a regular good band but not very disctinct from others they evolved and left the others behind. Not great to me but its well done and recorded pretty decent concept albu But not a story I necessarily got into.

OKEE DOKEE. Now I am not one who is not compelled by the story of the Bee Gees (outside the fact that I now know they are not from California (!)) and I can hear the immense talent that really sits behind the brother's music. They really deserve the accolades they have received and are actually quite great overall. Now to this particular album. What genre is this? Now I may be one of the most open minded and genre inclusive people I know, but I was like "this sounds almost like choir music" "this sounds like a national anthem" "this sounds like contemporary? Elevator music or?" I suppose ultimately I found it kind of weird I guess?

Wow! I know that the Bee Gee's output before the mid-70s could be unusual to say the least but I wasn't expecting this strange! Not entirely dreadful but not great either. It is, at least, interesting.

J'aimais bien le son de cet album en le commençant, mais plus ça allait et plus je me lassais. Loin d'être un torture à écouter, mais j'estime qu'il est trop long pour son propre bien. Il aurait pu être largement réduit et le produit final aurait été plus intéressant. Au final ça donne quelque chose de très doux et monotone. 5/10

Really interesting. before they sold out to disco.

This is not the Bee Gees I was expecting which was a pleasant surprise. I have learned there is "sixties" Bee Gees and then there is disco Bee Gees, and probably some variations in between. Interesting mix of songs that span a range of genres from symphonic, to pop, to country, really all over the map.

Aw sweet a boomer nostalgia trip. It's amazing how this album manages to encompass both the fake hippie bullshit and their shift towards conservative neo-liberalism. You just know some cringe ass BOOMER has cried to With all nations. It's amazing how much this album nailed an entire generation like yeah all you cunts are peace and love and anti-establihment now, but by the 90s you'll vote conservative for 30 years out of fear for the price of your home going down. It's also worth questioning how influential ALL these bands could really be since the vocal production on all these fucking albums from this era sound identical. But the turn of the century boomer prediction does go crazy. 7/10 Fav tracks - Odessa (City on the Black Sea), You'll Never See My Face Again, Whisper Whisper, Lamplight, Seven Seas Symphony, With All Nations (International Anthem), First of May, The British Opera Least Fav - A few of the others

3.4 1x catch up on 9/30 decent and not what i expected. worth a second listen down the road

An album that doesn't have a single outstanding song on it - if you compare it to later albums, you wouldn't even notice that it's the Bee Gees. The only exception is the song "Lamplight".

Not great, but people seem unnecessarily harsh to this. Has some element of the Kinks or The Who that I dig.

Last Bee Gees album was ~700 albums ago and I am once again shocked this band is more than just the disco icons that they became. Really interesting, this double album was pretty good, but my interest was largely carried by the wide discrepancy between what I think of the Bee Gees and the music I was hearing. Odessa was my favourite song, which is a bad sign since it was the first one and there was an hour of music after that. Probably a 3.5.

Pretty good

Bee Gees do Sgt. Pepper, not as well.

I didn’t like this at first but it really grew on me, instrumental pop rock opera style. Still found it a bit long.

Surprisingly varied, and definitely better than the other Bee Gees album on this list. Still very much learning that they can be a fun band, rather than a serious one.

Higher than 3 but not quite a 4

Hmm, never even heard of this album before and had no idea what to expect. It is not the Bee Gees of the disco era. It is an interesting endeavor, a concept album about a ship. I have not read the details but the album is listenable. I give it a 3 for ambition.

очень олдиз поп, быстро устала

title track is pretty cool

I did not know that the Bee Gees had a prog rock start. I really like some of the songs here. But others were too long for me.

some good shit. it lost me, then got me, then lost me again. it's a pretty good sixties beatles-like album that i enjoyed

This could be rough listening for those accustomed to the bright, disco-infused chart toppers of the late 70’s. Provided you ignore the glittery part of their career and concentrate on this output as a “late 60’s” album, you’ll find an album that has its highs and has its lows. I believe if you trim the fat off this album you’ll find an overall higher score but this is still able to be considered a good album nonetheless.

Far from a masterpiece, but it's really solid. There is plenty of really fun stuff here, and its nice to hear what the Bee Gees were doing back before their disco stuff. Neat listen, some really good songs, and some less good.

Somewhere inbetween The Beach Boys and David Bowie, more tolerable for me than The Beach Boys but it meanders and seems overblown so it never reaches the self awareness and immediate power of Bowie. Appeal is drowned by ambition despite some good songs.

baroque pop？

This album is mostly music that sounds a little bit like the Beatles and is pretty nice. The later tracks sound like they belong in a soundtrack for a movie and I enjoyed those quite a lot.

Bee Gees without disco = Bee Gees without fun... nothing majorly wrong with the album, just not very interesting

It goes on way too long, but it wasn't bad and there were songs I liked (Marley Purt Drive, Suddenly, Whisper Whisper). I don't think I'll be listening to the full album again.

Pleasant early BeeGees Liked their disco stuff better

it was alright don’t think i would listen again

Easy listen. Not bad, a little redundant. Wasn’t familiar with this side of The Bee Gees.

Nice and pleasant. Almost boring.

Really a nice variety of sounds and each are executed quite well! A bit slow for my taste but it was a nice simple listen. 5/10

Favorite track: Give Your Best

Thought this was quite mid. I think it lags behind a lot of contemporary pop music, especially the Zombies, the Beatles, and the Beach Boys. The orchestral stuff is a bit much, and they also really struggle to find a catchy tune for a lot of this. Best Track: I Laugh in Your Face Worst Track: Seven Seas Symphony

Feels v over important Best Song: First of May Worst Song: The British Opera

This didn't really feel like a cohesive album, but there were some cool elements in there I guess. Not what I expected at all. 3/5