Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Everyone knows the Bee Gees for their cheesy 70s disco records, sung in impeccable falsetto harmonies by three brothers with bouffant hair and impressive gnashers, but today I was surprised to find that they actually started as a band in 1958 and released five albums before this wildly ambitious concept project, originally titled An America Opera. This opens with the title track which deals with the aftermath of a shipwreck in 1899. From that point it’s all over the place thematically and musically (ranging from orchestral to country to Sgt Peppers influences), and apparently led to the band breaking up for over a year as no one could agree on how it should be produced or what singles to release. Even the album cover caused problems - it was originally released as a double LP with gold embossed lettering and a red flock coating that caused record plant employees to suffer allergic reactions. Robin Gibb eventually rejoined his brothers in August 1970 and they went on to record another concept album, this time about the battle of Trafalgar. Eventually they discovered tight white suits and disco and the rest is history, much like this album. File under ‘What the heck were they thinking when they recorded this?’
You have to give yourself some time with this one. I have been listening to the Bee Gees pre 1975 albums for a couple of years now The first time I listened to Odessa I did not like it at all. I went back to it a few times and left it on while I was working. Then after enjoying it as background I did a close listen and really liked it that time. Now it pops up on the generator and I'm giving it 4 stars. Also keep in mind that this music is almost 60 years old (as of 2025). It was a different time.
Odd start and then album doesn’t feel cohesive. Great songs but it’s just all over the place.
Its ok but kind of disorganized
Not my thing that
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.
The Beatles, but with Bee Gees tell-tale quaver. Something about the blatant rip-off makes me mad. And I kind of hate the quaver. Give me disco era Bee Gees, or give me… not this. The music of “Sound of Love” is really beautiful. “Marley Purt Drive” sounds exactly like “The Weight” by The Band.
1.75. Not what I was expecting from The Bee Gees. I don’t love it but it was different.
Nothing about this sounded like the Bee Gee's I know and love.
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
The first few tracks kind of reminded me of a Decemberists album, a little folksy, different genres, but it lost me the further along it went
I mean, this was alright, and good enough that I sat through the whole thing... just didn't really make a terribly strong impression
Not bad. Corny as fuck but not bad at all.
Me gusta este álbum, sus canciones son mejores que los hitasos que otros. Por ahora no me han decepcionado los álbumes de Bee Gees en la lista.
'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.
This is a bollocks album – and I absolutely love it!
Abandoning the concept part of a concept album? -10,000 social credits!
Not as good as their hits. But enjoyed it
The Bee Gees are *the* disco band and thank god they found disco. It is so boring I wanted to quit. The opening tune is so strange. I like concept albums, but this ain't it. 2 stars.
in what world is this an album by the bee gees
I was not expecting a concept album from the Bee Gees.
beegees had a little identity crisis and wrote a boring beatles concept album.
7/10 Not just Stayin' Alive
much different than later BeeGees - music spanned from folk, country, pop, orchestral, hymnal... very interesting and shows off their talent as musicians
Barry: Hey Paul can I copy your homework Paul: Yeah just change the words a little so no one notices This album is so shamelessly derivative I can’t think of an excuse to give it more than one star. I couldn’t wait for it to be over. I will give credit where it’s due for the Bee Gee’s disco tracks but they will ring a little more hollow now to be sure.
Like many, my only exposure to the Bee Gees was disco going into this, so a concept album was the least of my expectations. Right off the jump, I found the vocal vibrato in the first couple tracks really grating, like it was either overdone or at too locked of a tempo. Melody Fair was pretty. Lamplight marks the return of the grating vibrato. The obligatory symphonic number in Seven Seas Symphony was pretty nice. First of May felt like the actual ending and while The British Opera was nice on its own, but it was a weird ending to the album when First of May was right there. An outro that didn't feel like one and didn't seem needed. Overall left a lot on the table and Jesus Christ Superstar did this so much better a year later.
1.75 - Not at all what I expected from a Bee Gees album. It felt like Christmas music at times.
Mostly background music but the last song “The British Opera” was a banger
I like strings. Pretentious
Pretty good. Unexpectedly so
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
Silly good!
I thought I was familiar with the Bee Gees, but I guess I never explored their pre-disco era work. And there is A LOT of it apparently. This almost sounds more country-like to be honest. Very slow, and almost too schmaltzy I felt. It got tiring about halfway through (and the fact that this is a double concept album didn't help matters...). Maybe I simply prefer the poppier Bee Gees sound.
A few good songs, but the rest is pretty boring. 3 stars or C-.
Come on man.
I didn't hate this, and I see the talent, but very much not my thing.
This was long. And weird. And boring. And I don't like his voice, or the constant warbling. Orchestration was too much. Allmusic calls this the spiritual successor to the Beatles? Psh.
Too long. Got bored.
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.
I always heard rumors about the pre-disco Bee-Gee's.
"Bee Gees? Nice ik heb wel zin in wat disco! Wacht? Wat? Dit is geen disco album? Dit is het politieke sad rock album van de Bee Gees? Maar er was mij fun beloofd!!!!?? Waarom sta ik nu te huilen in de discotheek? Waar is mijn night fever? Ok misschien moet ik me hier even overheen zetten, krijg ik halverwege een discoklapper en word het toch nog gezellig op dit album. Dat moet haast wel toch? Waarom zou iemand een saai folkrock achtig Bee Gees album op een lijst van beste en meest invloedrijke albums zetten? Dan moet je toch wel heel erg onuitstaanbaar zijn als muziek recensent... Oh Whisper Whisper is best wel wat meer fun, misschien dat het album nu dan eindelijk..! Nee nee wacht, wat is Lamplight? Een ballad? Een soort religieuze folkballad? Nee verdomme, nee! Oh nu zijn de laatste 2 nummers instrumentale opera nummers? Ik voel me niet serieus genomen, dit was niet waar ik op hoopte toen ik dit album aanzette. Tot overmaat van ramp krijg ik van de Spotify goden hierna meteen een disco nummer van Chic, dat is gewoon zout in open wonden strooien." FAVO: Melody Fair, Whisper Whisper
It seems like this was supposed to be a concept album but 90% of the songs have no relation (lyrically or sonically) to the concept and they aren’t even catchy or interesting. It’s like the shittiest possible version of the white album.
2.0 I had no clue there was a pre-disco Bee Gees. That fact was about the only thing that interested me from this selection but I can admit there is a certain amount of songwriting talent from the brothers. I was originally going to write my review with a reference to an internet clip I had seen where there is a guy in thailand snap chatting back to his friend in england. The person in thailand in engaging with a ladyboy and he is justifying to his friends, saying its like going to Turkey and not getting a kabob, going to Thailand and not shagging a ladyboy. Gotta do it. I guess my point was that non disco beegees is alot like not getting a kabob in turkey
Sometimes too boring, sometimes too avant garde. Not my cup of tea.
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.
This is slightly better than Trafalgar, but still nothing memorable.
I could not have been less excited for this one and it somehow exeeded those expectations. The most boring era of the Bee Gees when everyone around them was doing crazy and inventive things. I can't really recall any of what I listened to since it wasn't really memorable. Whisper Whisper was ok, but a bit weak for a pop song in 1969. Wholly forgettable, hard to listen through without wanting to do somwthing else.
At the beginning of this I was actually pretty intrigued. The opening track had me hooked and it was sounded like something I would never expect to hear from the Bee Gees. However, as it went on the tracklist became incredibly inconsistent. This album really worked for me when it leaned into the dramatic production matched by the harmonies of the vocals. These moments felt massive and I loved it. However for every one of those, you would get 3-4 Beatles like songs that really had nothing memorable going on. And I must say, occasionally I could feel the vocals grating at me, just a little. It’s all pretty listenable tho, but for me nothing special
One of the weirdest listening experiences I had during this game... I know and actually love disco bee gees. It used to be my guilty pleasure music before I understood this has no meaning. So listening to this was something I was planning on anyway. Such a weird thing. I must say I mostly like it. It has nothing to do with what we think when we think about the bee geese. Psychedelic and moody. Dark but funny in a way. Very ambitious but an unclear concept. I had a great moment with many tracks here. The title tracks ambition. Black Diamond with Robins unique vocals. The beautiful ballad Melody fair. The weird but super fun Whisper Whisper Another great robin led "Lamblight". Sound of Love features Barry vocals that hint the falsetto future. Seven Seas Symphony is a surprising and lovely instrumental piece. Love the main melody and hint of vocal harmonies in the background. I lough In your Face is one of my favorite songs on the record. Lyrically questionable and beautifully executed. First of May is a very strong finish (for me). One of Barry's best singing. I enjoyed it better the second time I think! And, man, although some songs here are skips, the strong one I just love. Plus it's a long album that works really well. Not boring at any point. Enough talking, I'll give it a flat 4.
I knew the Bee Gees made music that was different from their disco records, but I wasn't expecting this. It's very weird and pretty dreary. It's kind of a weird mix of styles and a loose "concept" album. I'm struggling a bit with Robin's voice. The combination of the piercing shrill tone quality with the intense vibrato is a little much for me (especially Black Diamond and Lamplight). And what's up with these random "symphonies"? What's the purpose of them, especially since the Bee Gees didn't perform on any of them (with the exception of Maurice playing piano on Seven Seas Symphony)? I guess they were trying to make some sort of "opera" originally, but them not being involved in the making of those songs is strange to me. I found many of these songs to be a little too languid for my taste. There's no doubt from listening to this album that the Bee Gees are talented musicians, but I prefer their disco hits.
It’s not really my cup of tea. In fact, I hate it.
I don't care much for the Bee Gees and this album certainly didn't do much to change my mind. I liked Edison for its strangeness, but the rest just sounds generic and unfocused. Got distracted by Kermit the pressed tape vibrato singer
Aurally inoffensive.
weird, weird, weird. What is this? Was pleasantly surprised by the symphonies in the middle. Who decided this was in here? There's like 1001 better albums by Britney Spears.
Opens strong, gets more and more annoying from there. Hard to make it through in one sitting.
could not listen to all of it. was not really my thing at all.
Very much not my style. Just generally too much. Too much strings, too much choir, too much echo, too grandiose, too much whining, too much harmonizing.... Edison was my favorite, but will never listen to any of these songs again. Barely made it through.
For someone who only knew the disco Bee Gees this is weird to discover. Ultimately, I can see why this album failed to make an impact on its original release. I kept waiting for it to embrace its space opera progressive rock destiny and it never did. But it did flirt with country, and the biggest claim they can make for that effort is they made a song that sounded kind of like (the far superior) "The Weight" by The Band. I didn't actively hate listening to it but I didn't really enjoy it either.
Expected disco. Expected positive, upbeat vibes. Not really sure what I got. Definitely know I wasn't keen on it. I'm very glad Bee Gees changed their style because this was dull, self-indulgent and not fun to listen to.
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.
Was waiting for this to be over.
Solid 3
nope
Not what you’d expect from The Bee Gees but I like it! Very ambitious to say the least, a double LP concept album.
Die Bee Gees, eine britisch-australische Band, nahmen Odessa 1968 überwiegend in den IBC Studios in London sowie teilweise in den Atlantic Studios in New York auf. Das Doppelalbum bewegt sich zwischen Baroque Pop, Psychedelic Pop und orchestraler Rockmusik. Bekannte Titel wie „First of May“, „Lamplight“ und „Marley Purt Drive“ zeigen die melodische Handschrift der Gibb-Brüder und ihren Hang zu aufwendigen Arrangements mit Orchesterbegleitung. Im Vergleich zu früheren Veröffentlichungen wirkt das Album konzeptioneller und geschlossener, zugleich aber auch schwerer zugänglich. Für mich ist Odessa ein ambitioniertes Werk, das weniger auf unmittelbare Hits setzt, sondern stärker auf Atmosphäre und kompositorische Dichte. Nicht jeder Song zündet sofort, doch die musikalische Sorgfalt bleibt hörbar.
Album 55 Top 3 "favorites" off the album: Seven Seas Symphony, Marley Purt Drive, Odessa (City On The Black Sea) It was nice for about a track and a half. Then the vibrato and nasal quality became too much, and it's all so slow except for Whisper Whisper which I didn't really rock with either. For maybe the second time on this project, I am asking for not a ballad. Marley Purt Drive made me laugh. Points back for that. Points as well for cello content. Seven Seas Symphony was pretty good. I was expecting... bops. Some grooves. Maybe even a little jam, ya know? Disco, if you will. Instead, I got a bland expression of love and sorrow and such that stayed largely at one volume level, no major instrumentation changes (the track started with the same number of instruments as it ended with and there was no development, is what I'm trying to say), and I was left wondering if the Bee Gees are actually *this* flavor of music and if the disco stuff was just a one-off. After some reading, I'm relieved that's not the case because I was going to lose my mind. Won't be coming back to this one.
5/10
I will admit that I like a lot of The Bee Gees pre-disco material, so I was looking forward to hearing this. However, this album disappointed me…nothing really memorable on here at all, at least I my book. It’s between two and three stars for me. I guess I will give it a two. I’m surprised this once is on the list.
man idc
Surprised me!
Hat mich gar nicht abgeholt
insert indie band album here.
Now why on Earth do we need to listen to a pre-disco Bee Gees album? What about this is so special? There are plenty of other albums like this from the same era that would've been much better inclusions... The dumb shit this list pulls never ceases to perplex me. Favorite track: Odessa
I watched an interview with Barry Gibb where he said that The Bee Gees were bigger than The Beatles and I feel like it explains this record in their catalogue… tbh, they nailed it because this is a more complete record than Sgt. Pepper.
Very prog-operatic. Not my thing.
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
I don't get this inclusion. The band hadn't found what made them special yet. Behind the times. Too long
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.
actually quite enjoyable
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.
Not for me. His voice gave me a headache.
Where is the disco? Not what I was expecting. And after seeing the hate directed at the boys in the band I'm going to cut them some slack. I can't see that the Gee'zers have ever done anything particularly bad (no Eric Clapton racist rants or rapes) outside of crimes to fashion. There's creativity and musicianship on show and some of the vocal harmonies were great (although the bleating vocal style I found a bit unpleasant). It's still only getting a 2 from me, but its 2 more than I thought I would award when they popped up.
I only know the popular Beegees tracks so this came as a suprise (and disappointment) to me. Its a fairly generic sound and there are no technical qualms however the entire album is very boring at best, and takes far too long to achieve very little. The lyrics are very puzzling to me, as if they are trying to write like more accomplished contemporary writers than they seem to have been (e.g I declared war on Spain ???? ).
I did not enjoy this, I found it annoying and had to keep pausing it for breaks, why is it so long?! I really disliked the weird nursery rhyme type songs (melody fair for example) Not what I was expecting from a Bee Gees album.
I don't want to be the person who doesn't like when a favorite musician or group explores other sounds. Whether the exploration leads to big hits or just is an exercise in creativity, it should be supported. So why did this album fucking piss me off? This was before the Bee Gees were huge in disco but, holy shit this was terrible. This Beatles-esque bad idea was a horrible listen. There was nothing that made this interesting. It actually made me angry. Why is this album on this list? Dying and not having to listen to this album is a good thing. I envy those who don't know this album exists. Stay happy people. Joy is not knowing this piece of waste.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would!
meh
Man these double albums are tough to get through. I guess these guys went on a long journey to end up where they ended up.
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
Sounds like any other Bee Gees album. Overall, really good. Definitely a classic album of theirs. One of their more acoustic albums. Potentially one of my favorites.
I didn't realize The Bee Gees had albums before disco. After listening to this, I'm not sure I wanted to find that out. This album ranged from "ok" to "what the hell is this?". Nobody needs a concept double album of The Bee Gees trying to sound like The Beatles or other popular 60s bands. 2.5
Don't really know quite what to make of this?
Niet verkeerd maar niet echt goed geluisterd of het echt goed is
Interesting. Different. Sounds Beatles-influenced.
Not my favorite. 2
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.
What is this? Have they been subjected to fashion of a concept album?
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 knew surface-level Bee Gees. Wasn’t familiar with their game.
kind of weird and not in a good way
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 as bad as I expected.
Easily their best 'early' album. And possibly a bit of a shock for those who only know 'the' Bee Gees. Love it.
Painful.
Well this was not what I was expecting at all from the Bee Gees, a band known for their disco offerings. I think my first impressions remained pretty much accurate for the entire album, a Beatles cover band made up of sheep. I wouldn't have been surprised to see a cartoon made with this as the soundtrack, where the main characters were all said sheep. This is the only explanation I can see for the singers impersonating sheep when they're not impersonating members of the Beatles. O(baa)de(baa)saaaa(baa)(baa)(baaaaaa)! Some of it is painfully bad, Edison is just so awful for example. Some of it is actually quite melodic, in a Beatles/ farmyard animals way of course. I would never listen to this again, but it's probably deserving of two stars.
Musical torture
Not my thing man
Very interesting album but still far from the avant garde qualities of their 1st album which is one of the better psychedelic gems, and the SNF soundtrack. 7/10 [DROP]
At a certain point, does this really matter in the long run? This is at least better than Trafalgar because it feels more like a Beatles-inspired record. But it drags and keeps dragging with idea after idea. It only became more pointless the more I sat through. If I'm late to my 10:20am tomorrow, I'm blaming it on Robin Gibb. The other guys are fine, but Robin Gibb's voice is grating to me. Once again, thank god for disco (4/10, 2/5 on this scale)
Not The Bee Gees I’m used to. It was a nice treat good songs but not my favs. 3
I enjoyed Marley Purt Drive. This was not the sound I was expecting from the Bee Gees. Whisper Whisper has a Beatles sound to it. Very folky. Previously, I was only familiar with their 70s sound.
The symphony stuff kind of threw me for a loop but I liked it.
I just … it’s a really knock off. No.
what the fuck was that
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.
Maybe the Beatles made it look easy. Stack up some vocal harmonies, throw some orchestral arrangements on your songs and you too can have your own *Sgt. Pepper's*. However, as ambitious as it might seem on the surface, *Odessa* has no real magic, no spark and no innovation. It's dreary and earnest (not a great combination) and lives in the shadow of much better, more free spirited pop of the late 60s.
Love old Bee Gees before they turned into like disco music
If you played this for me and told me it was The Bee Gees, I would literally have to Shazam it to know that you were telling the truth. Not at all what I expected from them, but still a very pretty-sounding album. I’m a sucker for mallet bells usage too.
40 songs… sounds a lot like the Beatles but I didn’t listen to the whole album.
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.
Really good album and a great reminder there was way more to the bee gees than dicso
I much prefer my bee gees disco.
Bit of a Bee Gees fan, but didn't care for this one.
Not really my thing
Let's face it, 60's Bee Gees is overwrought miserable dirge pop and this double (fucking hell, double) album is no different. They need more cocaine and tight trousers and luckily the 70s would give it to them. God this album is awful. Why would anyone think we need to listen to a failed concept album about the loss of a fictional ship in 1899? Best Tracks: Marley Purt Drive; Melody Fair; First of May
I've never liked what I've heard of the Bee Gees and I've learned to dread the appearance of a concept album on this list, so this was not off to a good start. Musically I didn't hate it, but the mix of styles and subjects felt all over the place and incoherent. Why are pieces that sound like film scores sitting next to country music and faintly psychedelic songs?
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.
Didn't sound like the bee gees at all! Sounded like the beatles. I liked the song about declaring war on spain
You know how every once in a while you'll watch a classic Hollywood movie that has a bad reputation but you think maybe those opinions are wrong and you go in hoping to enjoy the spectacle of the whole thing but you end up hating it in the end? This is a soundtrack to one of those movies.
Super bien, j’ai beaucoup aimé la vibe année 70’s - 80’. Je vais surement réécouter de mon côté
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
Dude, why does this band blow so hard? It takes a large amount of overcompensating to make this much beautiful composition sound so flat and emotionless. Track one has vocals that have perfected the sound of nails on chalkboard, and on a second listen, I thought I remembered Marley Purt Drive as a moment of relief on this album. No, it turns out it's still as dull, just not as insulting. Sound of Love was actually a decent song, though. But not an interesting moment after, unfortunately.
beatles-esque
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.
Not their best for sure, but I love 60's Bee Gees. So oneiric.
Sounds like CSN and Beatles
I'm not liking this much. I'm not a fan of the sing song voices
What a sleeper hit!! Who knew was a Bee gees could sound like this? There's like symphonic moments, banjo riffs, and ballads.
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.
Incredibly boring folk-y pop album thats waaaaay to long for what it gives you. Most of the songs have the same mellow beat. Damn near fell asleep. When I saw Bee Gees I was expecting disco which I don’t like and somehow this was worse than my expectations. Boring and tedious.
6/10 -
Album #30 Bee Gees: Odessa The Bee Gees are sort of like the chameleons of music; not to be confused with The Chameleons, who blow the Bee Gees out of the water. If you were to ask someone what Bee Gees album would be placed on a list documenting the most essential albums of all time, most would instantly go to their wildly successful disco-era, with songs such as Stayin' Alive and How Deep Is Your Love remaining culturally relevant long after disco faded. Or if you were perhaps more of a hipster, you would point to their earlier psychedelic albums, such as the Bee Gees’ 1st. As someone who never got into the band, I often hear mention of them followed swiftly by: “Their earlier stuff was actually better. But never once have I heard of their hour-long concept double album “Odessa”. The concept seems to revolve around a ship that has gone missing, though I didn’t delve too deep into the lyrics during my listen. I can understand why this album has received middling reviews on this website, as it certainly does feel like a weird selection. It almost feels like the Bee Gees are trying to do their best Beatles imitation at times, which for the 60s is not out of the ordinary. Side note, I am incredibly surprised to find out that they are actually Australian, as this seems like one of the most British albums of all time to me. The lyricism is quite simple, but perhaps that lends to them attempting to tell a story, I’m not sure. But the highlights for me come through the melody; there really isn’t a song here that isn’t at least pleasant and simple to listen to. I actually quite like the classical and orchestral instrumental tracks as well, though I can see how they would come across as boring. It’s not an album which I would recommend to everyone, as I myself didn’t exactly fall in love with it. But if you are a fan of pretentious baroque pop, with lush instrumentals, it is quite a nice album. But not one that will exactly blow you away. Best Tracks: Seven Seas Symphony, First of May, I Laugh In Your Face Worst Track: Whisper, Whisper Score out of 10: 5.5
Definitely wanted to like this. I knew it would be disco, but man I just could not get into it.
Just cannot handle their voices or insipid lyrics.
The Bee Gees doing budget beatles... Id rather just listen to the Beatles
2 out of 5. Nice enough production.
The Bee Gees do English folk with a splash of country... Really?
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!
boah idk:((( es ist halt lowk nicht so herausgestochen aber es ist schon sehr vibey!!
DNF
A concept album surrounding the concept of being boring
Arduous.
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...
4/5
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
Where’s the disco and the high pitched voices lads? Without them it’s a not very interesting country or folky or 60s guitar pop collection. Johnny 5 would never dance and learn to be human to any of this.
This was extremely boring
It does a lot and some of it works. Didn't hate it but it's not going in the rotation.
2.4 I've heard murmurings that the Bee Gees are underrated, being a solid outfit before their disco dies. Not on that showing I'm afraid. From Beatles rip offs (Melody Fair) to awful faux americana (Marley Purt Drive), that was a tough 64 minutes with whisper whisper being the only song I didn't immediately dislike. Also, stop trying to make vibrato happen. It's not going to happen.
I'm really glad I looked at what this album is before I started listening, and was primed for it a little bit. I'm still trying really hard not to let my disappointment at it not being disco impact my feelings about it and my rating, but even with that preparedness it's difficult. This was obviously not Saturday Night Fever (which I think should be on this list in place of Odessa, despite being technically a soundtrack (although I'd have no issue with the inclusion of soundtracks and maybe others would)) and so I knew I wasn't expecting "Stayin' Alive", "You Should Be Dancing", "More Than A Woman"... not to mention my personal favourite: "How Deep Is Your Love?", and yet I had still hoped for something similar at least. Again, good thing I checked first. Anyway, this album is quite long, and doesn't have many standouts... It's all a bit flat and miserable in a way. The one song I actually really enjoyed - "Never Say Never Again" - is unfortunately burdened with the terrible lyric "I never lived inside your hole, child". This gets a 2 from me, and a strong urge to go and listen to Saturday Night Fever instead.
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.
Another dud. Nothing all that wrong with it but its a big old nothing burger to this guy here. Whisper whisper was the only save this record got and it almost feels like a pity like. Its almost 20 tracks and over an hour I gotta pick something out of all that time spent. It will pop up sometime when im shuffling and I won't even know who it is. Thats the story I guess. Its fine enough but like why is it at all either?
Yes, when I think of The Bee Gees, I think of this weird knockoff of about five better bands with Yoko-esque singing added in. Not the music that defined an entire genre. No, it’s definitely this.
Okay, so I was quite drunk when I heard this album. It sounded like nothing I expected. And it was cheesy as hell. But it still kind of moved me. Pretty sure I'll listen to this again. That's my criteria for four stars.
70
classic rock before the disco. didn’t find anything to be memorable or playlist worthy
1. odezza - 0 2. face -1 3. diamond -0 4. marley - 1 5. edizon - 0 6. fair -1.5 7. zuddenly - 1 8. uuhizper - 1 9. lamp - 1.5 10. zound - 1 11. Best - 1 12. Seas -1 13. Nations - 1 14. Laugh- 1 15. Again - 1.5 16. May -1.5 17. opera - 1
cool
This was an enjoyable listen. Some touches of the psychedelic, particularly on the title track. Say what you like about the Bee Gees, but they certainly know how to write a tune
Too Slow for my liking. Not enough rhythm . Only good song was Never say never again.
I've had my ups and downs with the BG's over the years....would like to have given a 2.5
No es el más popular
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.
It's a far cry from their later disco falsetto days, we can definitely say that. Operatic and bombastic, you can tell it used to be a concept album, and a lot of high-falutin' stylings remain. Worth a go for sure,
Beatles cover
This album really surprised me. I’ve never heard the Bee Gees like this at all, and I didn’t expect it. I went in expecting some funky Bee Gees to energise my day, but instead found something more profound and emotionally rich. It’s much more serious, orchestral, and reflective than the version of the Bee Gees I was familiar with. It’s very different from the disco Bee Gees everyone knows later on. Not too confident about the Bee Gees pre disco albums. Can really hear their late 60s ambition here, with baroque pop, psychedelic folk, and soft rock all blended together. The arrangements are beautiful, strings everywhere, rich harmonies, and a very romantic, melancholic tone throughout. The double album length makes it a bit uneven for me however, there are moments that feel bloated, and it was a bit too long for me. Overall, it’s not something I’d listen to all the time. It feels like the Bee Gees at their most ambitious and artistic time, dramatic and emotional. My favourite tracks are Melody Fair and Whisper Whisper.
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.
Oof, long and not great - bad combo. The more country-sounding songs were the better ones. 2/5
This is an album I kinda wish I liked better than I do. I like this album more on the parts where where the Baroque pop or the symphonic pop shined, but when it really comes down to it when it comes to Baroque pop the Beatles in the stones did that better and when it comes to symphonic pop the Moody Blues did that better. But I think what really sends it kind of jarring is that it really does sound like what it is which was a failed concept album. All the pieces are there but they don't necessarily connect as well as they should. But as with all Bee Gees there are a lot of great Tunes scattered throughout the album which still makes it a pleasure to listen. (7.85)
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
CLIVE ANDERSON: And here we welcome Odessa by the Bee Gees which was a hit album back in 1969, or should I say ‘shit’ album because shit is one letter away from hit. And what an ugly bunch of bastards these freak show lads are. The band used to be known as Les Tosseurs but they’ll always be Les Tosseurs to me! BARRY GIBB: We’re getting on like a storm, aren’t we? In fact I might just leave. CLIVE: Don’t go! I’ve never had anyone leave before except Adele, Fever Ray, Franz Ferdinand and Christina Aguilera. BARRY GIBB: Well you’re the tosser, pal! CLIVE: Hey Maurice, won’t you stay to fill in the chat of your missing brothers? MAURICE GIBB: I’m sorry, I don’t do impressions. See ya later, Clive. CLIVE: But you have shown quite well that you do grandiosely shit Beatles and Scott Walker impressions?! And there we have it. The Bee Gees and Odessa, who look like they have just walked off the 1001 List as of this moment. Good night!
A surprisingly interesting album from the pre disco bee gees
Na. Not for me
Interesting. Good harmonies. Desperately wants to be The Beatles but falls very short. Didn't really like or dislike.
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
This is absolutely terrible. I was looking forward to some upbeat disco and instead got this mediocre garbage. Ugh 1
Me queda claro que este disco no es para todos. Inclusive no es para muchos fans de los Bee Gees, que no dudo que no entendieran qué demonios era esto que estaba lanzando la banda como una nueva entrega, tremendamente comercial y sobre todo con música que podría ser de un montón de grupos diferentes, pero no de los Bee Gees. Me tardé un poco en conectar y tal vez sea porque aunque me considero fan de los Bee Gees, ni de lejos soy un especialista ni conzoco toda su obra, entonces tal vez estaba un poco más receptivo. Pero de que resulta extraño y saca de onda, eso seguro. Para la tercera o cuarta canción no entendía nada de qué iba esto, pero sí me estaba gustando. Siento que este disco conceptual pudo ser algo similar a The Wall de Pink Floyd, guardando las distancias, pero algo se atravesó en el camino. No mala escucha, creo que el público ha sido un tanto injusto con este trabajo. Tiene muchos detalles que me parecen geniales.
man what a let down after hearing Trafalgar. The disco guys making a concept album about a missing ship in 1899. Okay cool I guess, but the lyrics are just capital b Bad, also way too many shades of Beatles. Too drawn out and overwrought, I feel like they pitched this for a broadway show and had to settle for this instead. It sucks because the Bee Gees are a legitimately good sounding band and the music they put out here is produced well, its just everything around it crashes and burns, like their fictional boat.
A bright shining example of why artists shouldn’t be allowed to make double albums or hell, even concept albums. I’d wager 99/100 of them are bloated, pretentious garbage. Nowhere nearly as deep or interesting as the artist thinks they are. But the line “it makes me laugh, you’ve got no friends” is very funny and that is a dope album cover!
Not bad 2.5/5
Oof this early Bee Gees stuff is really bad. This might be as awful as Trafalgar but it’s still pretty terrible. Super tedious psychedelic folk pop which sounds like an unkind parody of the genre.
This wasn’t very good at all, but it wasn’t as awful as Trafalgar, at least.
Meh. Bit weird and it goes on too long.
This turned out better than the first track would indicate, that song is atrocious. It's interesting to see how these guys started out, and the album goes on to be quite pleasant in the end.
this album is a collection of complete randomness
Yikes. Knowing what this band is capable of at its best, this was really bad.
What in the ever living fuck is this?!?!
Yes, Bee Gees! The quintessential disco music with a lot of memorable hits... ...This was before that, but not their debute album... so why does this deserve a spot here? the other album i got by them had one of their very small hits. this has none. this list is very confusing with its critera for what needs to be heard. Sounds like generic 60s background music and is very clearly inspired by the beatles. There is a reason why no one knows about this album (if they're not hardcore fans, i guess)
Not big on its title song but gets stronger by Side C. Fave track: I Laugh in Your Face
This was hard to listen to
There were a few songs I enjoyed but not near enough to warrant a double album. This is my first exposure to their pre disco days. It’s cool from the lens of their growth as a group but the album itself is poor. Rating: 1.9
Not enjoyable. Pretentious, overwrought, and another concept album that doesn't hold up over time.
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.
Normally there’s at least one track I like on even the worst album but this is utter bilge. I never want to see this album ever again, my day is ruined
Not for me
Not bad.
A double album? Uh-oh. First track is 7+ minutes long? Big uh-oh. So many similar tempo songs. Everything just kind of blends into one long meh. Y'know Dimery, I really would've been fine with not ever hearing this album.
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.
No conocía este disco ni ninguna de sus canciones. Entiendo que seguía la estela de las óperas-rock de esa época. Sinceramente es bonito, pero parecen canciones de Eurovisión. No puedo darle más de 2 estrellas.
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.
I love this record. I actually love it. Black Diamond is superb. That chorus is so good. Lamplight is the best song. Incredible. First of May is superb, a classic. Its probably too long, but i am gonna be hypocritical, because I like it.
The Bee Gees must have switched genres on a whim, or they simply followed whatever musical direction the money took them.
Wat een kattengejank
I thought disco Bee Gees already sucked, what the hell is this crap?
Well, this was a rather boring album. The concept sounds interesting on paper, but something went wrong between there and the execution of the album. If I wanted a good story about a ship and Odessa, I would watch the 1925 silent movie "Battleship Potemkin." If nothing else, I could have some peace and quiet without this bland concept album.
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.
The Good: We’re gonna be Jive Talkin’! The Bad: No disco in Odessa… The Ugly: Non-disco Bee Gees!!! Fuck me, that was horrid. Like many people of my generation, we know the Bee Gees for introducing us to John Travolta, white leisure suits and the power of the falsetto! As time went by, we probably got to see a documentary or two about these brothers and how they, single-handedly, were responsible for the collapse of the disco movement… So we have known that there was a period when the Bee Gees were just another group trying to get famous while jumping on the bandwagon of popular music at that time… regretfully for us, that time was the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, when tambourines were still considered critical additions to cool… To make things worse, this album is over an hour long of this pseudo hippy, singer-songwriter, folksy crap. To make things even worse than worse, the Bee Gees have 2 albums on this list, both hailing from the same dreadful period, while their opus majestus (is that spelled with a y?) is missing from the list as it is considered a compilation album / soundtrack, and fuck-face Dimery refuses to add these to the list. Sorry Barry, Robin and Maurice, you are responsible for iconic music, and should be celebrated, but I can’t give you more than 2* for this album which just isn’t at all to my liking.
Who knew that the Bee Gees did a concept album? Like the fictional ship that this album is about, this album appears to have sunk without trace; presumably this album was in response to the Moody Blues, their rivals at the time. Boring, with nothing of note, so perhaps it would be better if this album just disappeared below the waves again.
2.5 (63:49 but still a double vinyl record, not sure why. 17 tracks. 1969. Sixth studio album) So I totally associate the Bee Gees with disco, I'm guessing most everyone does, and the mid to late 70's. I had no idea by 1969 they had released six albums. The album opens with a long rock opera about (apparently, I had to google this) a made up shipwreck and I expected a rock opera. Not being a rock opera fan I wasn't terribly optimistic but given the Bee Gees success in the 70's I was intrigued. The album turned out to be mostly unrelated tracks with a 'sea shanty' theme. I really didn't find much in this album which I want to return to. I enjoyed the two instrumental tracks the most which is fairly damning in itself. It was hard to categorize what genre this album falls into chamber music? Pop Country (some tracks). I didn't hate it and I am super glad I did listen to it 'once' to understand the Bee Gees and the transition of music from the 60s to the 70s to 80s. It's easy for me to forget that music and entire genres (for example Disco) don't just 'happen' but a sound and a 'scene' evolves collaboratively over time.
Um classico!
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.
It's the beegees, I wanted something groooooovy
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.
A Bee Gees concept album? Not one disco ball in sight? Pass!
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
My first reaction was shock: I was expecting to hear something like "Stayin' Alive," but instead I heard strange psychedelic music. At first I thought it was just another piece of nonsense from the 60s, but the more I listened, the more I realized that it was actually very beautiful and uplifting music. The only downside is the frankly silly songs, which make up a good half of the album. For being able to surprise: 4 out of 5
The Bee Gees are out of their depth here. A band in the 60's making a double album rock opera is a task that's only really able to be fulfilled by rock greats such as Frank Zappa, the Beatles or the Who. The Bee Gees already had a bunch of albums released in the three years prior and they are more of a singles band to begin with. What you end up with is an album that has some pleasant songs but no hits and an overly optimistic runtime. Better off with a greatest hits of their 60's output.
The best thing I can say about this album is that it was released on my birthday… a few years before I was born, but still. Other than that, it’s not my style.
Huh, someone wanted to make their own White Album. Didn't enjoy, won't ever listen to this again. Didn't realize that disco actually helped the Bee Gees.
I have never in my life intentionally listened to a Bee Gees song, let alone album. I will never listen to this album again. This is what hubris, cocaine and ludes get you......
Not their best, but a start of an era.
Disappointing album. They weren't that good in the 60's
My apologies to the Bee Gees, I wasn't familiar with their game
No thanks. I'm down for a concept album, but this one is for sure not for me.
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
Overall: 4/10 I like the Bee Gees so I didn't expect to dislike this as much as I did. The biggest problem is that it's too long. The second problem is that it's incredibly boring. I'm not gonna diss it too much since the vocals are great and a couple of songs were interesting, but overall it's not for me. Fav Song: Suddenly
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.
If I were to rank these albums using letters of the alphabet, this one would go under Y. Not for yes, but Y as in WHY is it on the list? Nothing about it really stood out as impressive or even all that interesting. It just seemed like a rather bland pop rock album, which this list seems to favor heavily. Knowing plenty of Bee Gees songs are out there that I do like, the tracks here were disappointing. Most of it sounded like an imitation of the Beatles. Some of it was almost country, but not done all that well. One song, which was probably my favorite on the album, sounded like a rip off of The Weight by The Band. Nothing about the songs really made the album seem like a worthwhile listen. Another issue is the runtime. This is another record that almost certainly would've been better if it wasn't over an hour long. It apparently started off as a concept album, but ended up as a double album that may or may not have kept the concept. Included in what they did keep were three instrumental tracks. While I'm not someone who hates instrumentals, I think that if you need to fill that much space by including three of them on an otherwise vocal album, maybe you shouldn't be making a double album. By the time I got to the third one (the final track), I was over it. That's a lot of negative criticism, which may be a little unfair since, as a whole, I don't think I would say the album was outright bad. To me though it just wasn't very good or memorable, as I feel like an album should be to have a spot in this list. This one doesn't get more than a "fine" from me. Overall: 2/5
It’s no Saturday night fever
GAHH I did not enjoy this one bit. Yucky
Not for me. 1/5
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.
Was unfamiliar with most of these, but this album really slapped
Ei mikään erikoinen levy, en jaksanut kuunnella loppuun. 2/5.
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
Wow was really not expecting this to be great. I've only heard staying alive, but I do quite like that song, but I was just worried that the whole album would be that sort of thing but worse, but I guess they got to that stuff later on in their career. I really like the slightly mystical feeling with the strings and stuff makes it feel really interesting. I feel like it is quite derivative, even for the time, as quite a lot of this sounds like Sergeant Pepper's era Beatles or Donovan stuff, but I think there's quite a lot of interesting ideas, like the instrumental orchestral film soundtrack-esque bits. The vocal reverbs in particular are really nice, as well as the harmonies, which maybe could be seen as Beatles rip-offs, but I think they're done in slightly differently. Favourite songs: you'll never see my face again, Edison, melody fair, whisper whisper, seven seas sympathy, with all nations, I laugh in your face, never say never again, first of May. Overall around 7/10
didn't like it
I listened to this album a couple times and it went in one ear and out another. This was a boring listen: 1960s chanting folk rock that sounded like early/bad Genesis. Songs like "Whisper Whisper" picked things up but this isn't the fun Bee Gees that I enjoy from the 1970s. Top tracks: "Whisper Whisper," "Edison"
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
Rating: 5/10 Meh.
"When I was small And Christmas trees were tall Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo" Doo-doo indeed. I'm declaring war on Spain.
2/5
Meh
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!
An interesting take at a concept album. The story was interesting but didn’t feel the music too music
I'm pretty sure this is the worst album the Bee Gees ever made.
Very beatlesy
Standouts Marley Purt Drive
Some good melodies and orchestral pieces. But it's dreary and far too long
Lots of nice music here but just nothing I would chose for myself. Except maybe the song about the Sunday drive, not that anyone can afford a Sunday drive anymore.
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
Why did they select this Bee Gees album ?? The Bee Gees are great but this album , not for me. It’s terrible
I never knew Bee Gees before Disco
Didn’t know the Bee Gees had non disco stuff but this still wasn’t very good
What in the world is this? This is not the Bee Gees I was expecting, but it does confirm that I don't particularly like the way the Bee Gees sing. This is very warbly. The vocal style is just bad. The disco Bee Gees are all falsetto--this is all vibrato. This album is taking itself entirely too seriously. Some of the music is good. It's almost interesting, but it is overly long and suffers due to the singing. Bad Beatles ripoff. Strange/cringy lyrics. Some really awful songs (Marley Purt Drive, Edison, and Melody Fair is a particularly dreadful string of music). Whisper Whisper is bizarre. What is happening in this album? How did the Bee Gees survive this mess? The first song lasts about three hours, and the record just keeps going from there. Endless. Two stars for being weird.
Damnit why am I listening to a Bee Gee's album that's over an hour long? What did I do to deserve this, and more importantly, why is it a "must-listen" album? Even though I didn't like the last Bee Gee's album, that was also "not" a Bee Gee's album in the sense that it wasn't disco (which this also appears to be...at least from the Wikipedia article and from what I can tell based on the first song), I still try to give everything on this website a fair shake regardless of what my expectations are. Like, I get it, the Bee Gees before disco are really going for their best folk meets Beatles-esque "exploratory" era impression. But, who is the target audience for this? I feel like the curator of this is like, "Trust me bro, the Bee Gees were legit good before Saturday Night Fever!" But the Bee Gees, at least from my understanding, are only musically and culturally significant BECAUSE of their movie soundtrack disco era. Look at the top songs of theirs on Spotify..they're almost all from the same album and they're definitely all from the same two albums! No one cares about this other crap. Trafalgar was terrible. Why was that on the list? This one is probably worse because it's terrible AND long! Did I hate every track? No, there were some decent songs and some moments of songs I actually enjoyed, but the whole time I'm still thinking "what the hell is this? Why should I care?" Just put Saturday Night Fever on the list and call it a day. One can probably make the case we don't need any Bee Gees albums on this list, but if we're going to include one, it should be the one with all the hits. Also what's up with singing about Christmas trees in May? Oh well, at least it's the second-to-last song. God this sucked.
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
Oh no, those Gibb boys have done it again, and gone country! All in all this did not need to be a double album. Some very cool ideas that couldve been trimmed. You can definitely hear the influence from the Beatles, and it's interesting that this came out a few years before Sticky Fingers, which was also country-inflected. Never listened to a non-Disco BeeGee's album, but this was pretty decent.
..
I don’t even know what to say about this album. I was aware The Bee Gees had different styles before disco, mostly from watching the documentary about them a few years ago. I recall watching it and thinking how uninteresting they were before they found disco, and this record reinforced it. You can’t argue with a band taking a major swing, but this was most definitely a miss. All over the place and often laughable.
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
That vibrato is too much
Brilliant album. I’ve been pretty ignorant of the Bee Gees and only really knew their disco stuff. Little did I know they were a brilliant 60s pop band with a hint of psychedelia in there too