Reviews (page 4 of 7)
If you are a Saturday Night Fever BeeGee - good luck. The earlier stuff is very much Folk and little falsetto this brings out the musicality of the brothers Gibb.
was expecting disco, got knock off beatles instead, not bad 👍
Less of a snooze than "Trafalgar," but still not great. The People Demand Saturday Night Fever!!!
Definitely older BeeGees. Not a disco album. Recording quite good. Too long. Did not finish both discs.
bee gees but not disco :O
bG
Solid 3
I was intrigued to listen to this because I like 60’s Bee Gees songs a lot, and this was a double album from 1969 where I only knew one song (Run to Me). Appreciated the ambition, but overall didn’t love the songs. It was rereleased as a single album, and that was probably a good idea. This is the album to listen to: https://music.apple.com/us/album/best-of-bee-gees/1440901853
Pretty interesting mix between what sounded like the Beatles and Bowie. Might have to give this one another shot to see if it grows on me. Also didn’t know The Bee Gees had non-falsetto songs
2.5/5. Meh, I didn't really get this. It's not bad, but I'd never choose to put this on.
Sin pena ni gloria.
Total surprise! Pretty mega sound! Triumphant! Didn’t enjoy the first half. Loved the second. 3.4
Love Barry Gibb and his falsetto, but definitely don't love this album.
One recognizes that they likely viewed this as their Sgt. Peppers. As such, their ambition might be called hubristic; yet one senses they themselves were unconvinced or less than fully committed, anyway. One will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume the symphony was foisted upon them. The excess of melodrama comes directly from an excess of vibrato and the onslaught — nay, the avalanche — of mawkish orchestration. (Compare these schmaltzily-slathered-with-sentimentality songs with the aggressive, all-in, vibratoless approach to “Nights on Broadway”.) The ominous backing vocals are like bad and obvious show tunes. What does it say that the outright rip-offs and parodies are the best cuts? A coincidence, perhaps? There are moments, sure; such an overdone four-sided exercise, nearly Mahlerian at times, could scarcely avoid the odd winning melody or serendipitous harmony. And the vocal quality is strong throughout (vibrato surfeit notwithstanding). Like variety shows, platform shoes and smoking, this is a late-’60s relic best left unturned over and un-revisited. Give me the disco records, which make a far more meaningful — and inordinately more enjoyable— legacy. The best that might be said of this is that it’s good to know what came before Saturday Night Fever, and that it edges into “so-bad-it’s-good” territory.
Kinda boring and just not my music taste, still feels like a soundtrack for a movie.
3 stars
There were some interesting songs here... Look, call me uncultured or whatever, but I prefer the Bee Gees disco shit. 3/5
I liked this more than the other pre-disco Bee Gees album. Nothing special but I really didn't mind it and a couple songs were pretty good.
p165. 1969. 3 stars. Pros: well, they knew how to knockout a tune, and the production is excellent. Cons: suspect lyrics - something they never sorted throughout their long career - Robin Gibb's voice (the equivalent of vocal jelly) and a complete lack of any musical direction or coherence. It's a mess, but worth listening to.
Ganska fin platta.
I guess it's a little fun that this book likes the Bee Gees pre-disco stuff so much that they have 2 full albums here. Unfortunately, I just don't think Bee Gees' approach to baroque pop is all that exciting. I liked this one more than Trafalgar though I guess.
Sounds like a Beatles rip off
Saw Bee Gees and expected a disco album but instead got a weird concept album with sounds similar to the Beatles. Was pretty good.
Not at all what I expected from the Bee Gees. This was fine, but I'm more of a disco Bee Gees fan.
So this is definitely a super weird album. But I don't get the hate for it. I mean I would never have guessed this was the Bee Gees, maybe that's why? People see Bee Gees and you automatically think 'disco' but this is not that at all and (apparently) the Bee Gees did a lot of other stuff before they got famous for disco. Honestly I had no idea this album even existed. A sort of 60's folk rock concept album that occasionally delves into what seems like cheery film score. I wouldn't be surprised if they were intending this to be made into a film. But I don't know, man, this is not really for me. It's not bad for what it is I guess. 2.5/5 rounded to 3 just because of the surprise that this is the Bee Gees.
The Bee Gees 'Pet Sounds'. No really, this is a really deep album. Everybody knows the 'Saturday Night Fever' Bee Gees of the Disco era, but the absolute heavy hitters from before that period go unnoticed. For example, Odessa, while a weird idea for a concept album has some legs on it. 3.5/5
Some good songs in there but it got a bit bogged down in its tweeness by the end.
This is mellow 60s rock opera. I eventually tuned it out, but it wasn't bothersome. Hopefully, we'll get 70s Bee Gees soon.
Wow. I knew the Bee Gees had "another side", but this was even more different than I expected. And there's some quality stuff on here. Especially the stuff that isn't trying too hard to be artsy, rock opera / ballads. I'm glad I listened to this. But even so, it's not an "8 out of 10", which is largely would it would take to give this 4 stars. But it's good enough for 3.
3/5. It's like experimental soft rock? I did enjoy the album and I can even see many bands today taking inspiration from the experimentation. There are basic singles for sure, but I respect the ability to make a double album about a boat, I think? It's not even the whole album, unless there's a lot of hidden meaning I am missing. It is was enjoyable though, and some songs had that beauty this band can be known for. Also country songs sometimes? Respect the audacity. Best Song: Odessa, Lamplight, First of May
Too be honest I am shocked to see the Bee Gees had at least 6 albums before the 70s. Basically an album per year is a pretty good clip. This album actually sounded more like a Beatles album than I expected. A few tracks you could hear one of the Gibbs trying to hold back from going full Gibb like a Jimmy Fallon skit. Overall, pleasantly surprised with the offering, although it does seem a bit boring at points. Favorite track "Melody Fair" 3/5
Not at good as other albums, for me.
Pleasant, non-challenging. 3
As a child of the 70s, all I really knew of the Bee Gees was their Saturday Night Fever era disco music. I am blown away that their early music was inspired by the Beatles. Some of it sounds like Paul or John wrote it! While this concept album isn’t my favorite, the Gibb brothers’ harmonies are just. so. good.
Ihan hyvä pop-levy, muttei kuitenkaan ihan nelonen.
I enjoy each song individually and it seems like they all have the same feeling and should go on the same album. Don’t try to convince me there’s some kind of underlying story throughout the whole project. Writing is fairly good, production as well, vocals as well, instrumentation as well. It all is. There’s nothing bad here, but definitely nothing to write home about. Frankly, I’m underwhelmed and disappointed. 3/5
I - like most people - think of Disco when we think The Bee Gees; this is definitely not Disco. This is a more Folk, at times country, oriented Bee Gees. It was impressive. New respect for an old band.
Got kinda lost in the length of this one, lost my interest. Songs started sounding the same and I think this album could’ve been trimmed down a few songs
Not what I was expecting from The Bee Gees. Liked it better than I thought I would. A little slow and repetitive at times, and not too many stand out songs for me. I would rate 2.5 if I could but gonna go with 3 with the thought it could grow on me
Very enjoyable and not what you’d expect from the disco kings….
It's interesting to hear a pre-disco Bee Gees album, but this seems like an overwrought album. tracks 3, 5, 7, 13 and 17 probably could have been left off the album and it would probably made the album better. The rest of the album seems very derivative -Dylan, Beatles, Beach Boys. Give Your Best has an obvious country/bluegrass inflence, but it just comes off like it's mocking the music, almost Rocky Raccoon-ish. My picks for this album would be Melody Fair, Barley Purt Drive, and Never Say Never Again.
I have to say that I'm not familiar with any of the Bee Gee's music other than the disco hits of the 70s. (which is excellent btw!) So this was my first listen to this record. Billed as a concept album, this attempt falls short of an album like "Sgt. Pepper's" or the rock opera "Tommy", but it is good sixties rock and a very enjoyable listen. I think the production is very high quality but overdone and some of the musical interludes could have been scrapped for a tighter finished product.
The is a surprising album from the Bee Gees. This was a concept album, almost approaching sixties psychedelia at points. The concept of the album may have been lost in revisions and a significant rift in the band. The result is not a product of 70's disco stars - this is more the work of a country or folk band. Some tracks could be Creedence - without Forgerty's distinct sound. Other tracks on this odd mix are orchestrated pieces which could be part of a John Williams movie score. It is a strange mix, and a strange album, composed of pretty songs.
Not really what I was expecting. OK for once, not really worth listening again.
A bit long with too many slow songs
Somewhat decent baroque pop but this album is wayyyyy to long for what it has to offer.
Bee Gees heeft andere muziek dan Staying Alive??? The fuck Lang album, veel verschillende muziek, beetje klassieke dingen maar ook country Marley Purt Drive doet me denken aan "The Weight" van The Band Random ass volkslied ook in het midden (With All Nations) Wel oke
At a certain point I thought that Spotify started playing another album/artist. Marley Purt drive sounded so much like The Weight!
Man oh man am I glad they discovered disco. The sweet harmonic vocals are nice for sure but the melodrama... Kudos to the graphic designer for the font selection on this album. That blew me away way more than the music. Extra point for kerning!
Unexpectedly pleasant. Not The Bee Gees I thought it would be.
Not my favorite.
Not sure what they were going for here. Some decent Simon & Garfunkel feels, but just so-so for me.
This album is a bit odd, starts with a story about a ship wreck, has a song praising Thomas Edison, some operatic and orchestral music. I don't get it. But somehow Bee Gees still have a few songs on here that are just incredible (Whisper Whisper) and I can't justify a score lower than three. Really lovely voices too
Not at all what I expected! This is not what I think of when I think of the Bee Gees. It's a lengthy concept album that didn't leave me impressed.
7/10 - 3/5 Liked the sound, but I didn't listen to the whole thing. I've been waiting on a banger album and this just wasn't it.
It’s nice music but didn’t grab me at all
I can imagine when it came out… it made an impact. But once again? I don’t know how it is a “must” listen album
Surprising
This was... unexpected? I figured it would be classic BeeGees and it was not. Surprising. Not bad at all! I'd say 2.5 round up.
Didn't seem like the Bee Gees but was alright.
can’t believe this was pre 70s, damn
You ever create an album whose birth is so torturous that it leads to your band (temporarily) breaking up? Odessa is notable mostly for the streamlining of The Bee Gees which would enable their incredible 70s run, but it’s also an above-average baroque pop collection.
All over the place with influences of the 60s. A few good songs.
Überraschung. Ich kannte die Bee Gees letztlich nur vom Namen. Es ist teilweise etwas dick aufgetragen, aber ein schönes Konzeptalbum (?). Die Stimmen sind gut, aber nicht immer mein Geschmack. Musikalisch ist es ebenfalls gut.
Odd selection, but those voices are golden.
Not my favorite Bee Gees album, but a solid listen.
I know this album is thought to be one of their best. Not for me though. I love The Bee Gees but not this album so much
Pleasantly surprised. Had only heard a couple of these songs before. Sounds like a mix of Beatles songs and Elton John songs. They can def write a hook and a melody. Marley Purt Drive and Whisper Whisper are cool songs.
Heard of the Bee Gees, not the album. Pop from 1969. Not bad actually, was expecting it to be cheesy but quite enjoying. High 3 so far.
Smooth groove easy listening. Nothing particularly distinctive.
This was really interesting. Kinda had a Beatles/Kinks vibe
This album is the Bee Gees' most ambitious. It is sweeping concept/double album that draws heavily on the British Folk Revival while wading into symphonic pop, 60s pop, and even country. Throughout the album, it seemed as though the Bee Gees were doing a Beatles impression which isn't so much a criticism as an observation. I think overall this album works but it certainly could have used a producer who was willing to make some significant cuts.
I enjoyed this album. After reading some of the reviews I went in with low expectations. I think that kept me open and that led me to want to give this album another listen in the future.
It’s an ok album with no songs that are recognizable hits. It’s amazing that it comes from The Bee Gees as the band that I found myself comparing it to the most is The Fleet Foxes. Which I guess makes sense as the music is mellow with a lot of harmonizing. Also, is it just me, or does “The British Opera” melody sound an awful lot like the theme for The Polar Express?”
The Bee Gees really know how to turn tragedy into song and it's obvious how much they put into songcraft. (Also low-key this album art is 10/10.) As a whole I find the album kind of odd but I like it. The overwrought emotion of some numbers get to me a little and bum me out but the gall of the Brothers Gibb to make an album like this in a world where Jimi Hendrix was still fucking shit up is respectable.
This is some old school Bee Gees. Way before the disco era. It's just middle of the road later '60's type of folk music.
I always thought of the Bee Gees as a late-70s band, but it turns out they actually formed in 1642. This sounds like modern indie in places, but very dated and weirdly patriotic in others.
I (like alot of the common music consumer) haven’t heard too much by the Bee Gees “pre-disco” era. Listening to this was…. interesting. I kid you not, but I feel like I’ve heard “this” kind of album before but…. Better? Somebody like a Bowie or the Beatles have executed much more interestingly. I don’t know it just didn’t permeate like I wanted it to. It’s not bad per se, I know they have better in them. R.I.P to all the sunken ships out there. 3 out of 5 stars indeed.
This is so different than the disco falsetto music I've heard from them, but in a good way, this album is very lovely. Like a blend between The Beatles and The Band. More of their music that sounds like this should be more popular. Could've slimmed the run time a hair, maybe lose the instrumental tracks.
Another album that I would not have sought out on my own. Might never go back to it, but was worth a listen
Is this shit country? Wasn’t expecting it. Either way ew
2.5
It throws you off when you don't hear those high notes that own can only achieve with a voice from the Gibb family. Or very very very tight disco pants. This album is anything but disco. And no diss to disco. The Bee Gees were prominent and perhaps defined that genre. I say that because when I think of disco, I think of Stayin' Alive. And you do too. Admit it. The first song on the track sounds almost medieval. Not in a cliche, evil sense, but a thematic sense. Lyrically, it is poetic akin to something of Gordon Lightfoot. Marley Purt Drive sounds like it could be a song from The Band, and Melody Fair is simply a Beatles type song. Arguably with better melodies and harmonies. There is no doubt that The Bee Gees are incredible. I really hope those don't get sucked into the tight pants and bulging vortex of their disco era and over look their records before that. Very beautiful melodies, simple but purposeful instrumentation. I'm familiar with this type of Bee Gees as my mom listened to them. I prefer this to the disco stuff, but even the disco stuff is great! Fantastic listen. Would listen to them again.
Good
This seemed a bit darker than I was expecting from the "Stayin Alive" guys. Not really my cup of tea either way.
This one caught me off guard! I know some Bee Gees songs of course but nothing from this album. Not what I expected at all! This starts off incredibly beautiful. Interesting progressive pop type thing going on in the first track. Strong baroque vibes going on throughout this whole thing. It's definitely a little too long, some of these songs could have been shortened down or cut altogether I feel. Some really cool stuff on here though! I really like Marley Purt Drive which kinda sounds like that song The Weight from the Band which came out around the same time... Some stuff on here just rubs the wrong way I can't quite put my finger on it, maybe a bit melodramatic and tedious (Lamplight is a good example). I think maybe they were going for that melodramatic sound, but it comes off a but much on some of these songs. They tone is best on songs like First of May.,
Did not expect this from Bee Gees! It was not what I was hoping for either. But it was an interesting experience, heavily reminiscent of the Beatles in the 60s
Ved ikke helt hvad jeg skal sige til den her, men jeg lærte i hvert fald virkelig noget nyt om Bee Gees i dag! Ekstremt ambitiøs plade, anden halvdel var meget underlig. Jeg respekterer det en del selvom jeg ikke synes det hele virkede.
These are not the Bee Gees I was expecting! Where's the falsetto disco gone? Pleasantly not unpleasant. Not great either, though.
This album has completely thrown me off guard, not what I was expecting at all! Unsure what to make of it all.
Lots of tear jerkers. Done well, but not my taste. I don't hate it. I played the entire record and I don't remember any song.
HL: “Lamplight”, title track, “Melody Fair”, “The British Opera” A pleasant album. An hour of pleasantries November 15, 2023 (later)
Can't think of what to think. Sounded like early Bowie morphing into a Christmas album.
Good but a little weird
Eh, dit is toch pure palingsound? Sinds wanneer komen de Bee Gees uit Volendam? The Cats hadden dit gemaakt kunnen hebben, die licht bombastische harmonische samenzang, die uitgekiende arrangementjes, het gegalm. Met af en toe een raar uitstapje naar een ander genre (een Stones-achtig nummer, country, een 'International anthem'...) Maar waar zijn die gekke hoge stemmetjes gebleven, waar is de disco? Het luistert allemaal wel aardig weg, het is geproduceerd om door een ringetje te halen zo helder, maar er spat iets teveel suiker vanaf. Er is in die periode toch beter spul gemaakt, met meer ballen dan dit.
'Kan die Beatles-na-aap-band uit' wordt mij thuis gevraagd. Daarmee is gelijk duidelijk in welk hoekje dit gezocht moet worden en dat dat niet mijn hoekje is. Toch vind ik het iets prettiger dan de Beatles. Het is in de basis behoorlijk theatraal. Theater biedt vaak overdreven emoties om het maar duidelijk over te brengen. Nadeel is dat het soms erg nep wordt. Zet daar een realistische film tegenover. Daarin wordt vaak veel kleiner geacteerd. Veel echter. En, ironisch genoeg, dat komt dan bij mij vaak veel duidelijker over. De Bee Gees lijken te kiezen voor een theatrale muzikale achtergrond. Maar houden zich wat betreft de zang soms in. Het is in elk geval geen Staying Alive. Ergens pakt dat me toch wel.
I was ready not to finish this one, but it was surprisingly good. Drags a bit at the end, but not bad.
Priem
Wow, I feel the exact same way about this album as I do the other Bee Gees album I got. There are traces of something good. There are parts I quite like, but no one song is devoid of something boring. A lot of this album is just boring. Close to being something I like, but not there. This album started out really, really boring and I was worried I'd dislike this one more than Trafalgar, but it picked up after awhile and I'd say they're about even now. I think if I liked their voices more, i would maybe enjoy the music more, but there's just something about the vocals that doesn't do it for me. A low three. My favourite song was Melody Fair.
Not a bad album by any means but not The Bee Gees sound that is popular. This is even more unlike their sound than the previous album. This one is more folksy and a bit more melancholic and even a little pretentious. Some of the songs were interesting choices lyrically. All in all it was an alright album it may have been lowered rated if it wasn’t by The Bee Gees. 6.5/10
very good album, enjoyed it.
+1 for being ambitious chamber pop, -1 for being a “concept” album
An ambitious album that certainly was the Bee Gees' creative high point of their 60s works, but I think it would have worked far better as a single disc. Artful arrangements and gorgeous vocals, but way too many skippable tracks. Fave Songs: Lamplight, Marley Purt Drive,Never Say Never Again, Odessa (City on the Black Sea), Sound of Love, Whisper Whisper
Album 186 of 1001 Bee Gees - Odessa Rating : 3 / 5 Favorite Track : Marley Purt Drive I like the Bee Gees. I like a lot of their stuff before, during and after the disco years. This isn't one that really does it for me. It was an ok listen, but just never took off.
Caught me off guard, not what I was expecting at all. The pop folk worked well, I enjoyed it. Had never heard the song Marley Purt Drive, Bee Gees even thru some twang down on this track, I added this one to a playlist immediately. The Royal symphony type tracks weighed Odessa down like an anchor a bit. 3.5 stars
Weird! There are parts of it that sound like a Hans Zimmer soundtracks and other parts that sound like the B side to a Beatles album. I didn’t mind it!
Bom, mas esperava mais do Bee Gees.
Un buen grupo, pero con un disco que no le llego a pillar del todo. Le falta algo de intensidad o de variedad. Quizás un poco flojo. Pop tranquilo y facilón, estilo Beatles
Okay
Pretty good. Bee Gees get artsy. 7/10
I’m sure there’s so much brilliance here but at first listen it was probably mostly lost on me. Sorry!
Started off slow for me but had moments toward the end that I liked. Some songs sounded similar to the beatles toward the end.
Rating: 6/10
-this first song is very haunting -i only know the popular bee gees songs so -theres something about the bee gees man -these songs are all so beautiful -this definitely is not the best bee gees album -but i am still enjoying it!
This is not what I expected front the Bee Gees! I thought they were discos music. Lots of this was like The Band or Elton John or then orchestral. It was perfectly pleasant I thought and lots of song I thought were very good. Not sure overall how much I loved it. A 3.5 maybe?
interesting
I didn't even realize the Bee Gees were a band in the 60's. Surprising that they have an album on this list from the pre-disco era. But I guess their best stuff is on Saturday Night Fever or Staying Alive, which they produced but isn't all their own. The album isn't bad, I just don't know what makes it so special - they sound like a knock off of the Beatles on poppier songs like You'll Never See my Face Again (or Whisper, Whisper) or Elvis on the half country/half gospel sounding Black Diamond or the Who on country songs like Marley Purt Drive. All solid tunes, and the title track was a decent prog-ish attempt. So the album is a nice listen, just not sure what makes it unique. Perhaps it's the orchestral backing and motif and I may not be appreciating how novel it was at the time. But it was around the point I got to Seven Sea Symphony that I really got that soaring and orchestral feel - that was a sweet sounding instrumental piece. The album kind of picked up for me on Side Three and Four (except for Give Your Best, ugh). Lamplight, I Laugh in Your Face, and First of May were also delightful songs.
Sin pena ni gloria
An unexpected left-turn by The Bee Gees into narrative rock. Definitely dragged in places, but I appreciate the nerve in going from the brainless fun of ‘Staying Alive’ to an album-long concept-driven journey where each track serves the whole. Need more cool concept LPs on this list, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten one
albumi tehty 1969... neukkuaikoina... odessa palautettu neuvostokontrolliin herran vuonna 2022... secret attack... ei vieläkään uutisoitu..huomattu..western media... (2 päivää sitten oli myös osittainen ukraine konsepti, coincidink?) ja albumista se että tosiaan en näiltä ukoilta odotellutkaan näin syvällistä teosta, päässä huojui poppiluritus ennen kuuntelua...nyt respektiä (3) annettu.... rese 4 rese?...... no ok alkaa hyvin sitten mennään pitkälle tasaiselle tielle...telegraf roadesque...SILTI HYVÄ. odessa
This album was good. It was too long though. I was worried at first I was getting over an hour of disco so it was a relief that it wasn't disco.
If you would have told me that they had discovered never before released Beatles music and made an album, and this was it, I would have 100% believed you. I forget that The Bee Gees weren’t just a disco group, and this was a nice reminder of that. This album was good, nothing great, but I was impressed by how much they changed their sound in their career.
Grandeur? Meaningfulness? More like overdone and embarrassing. They sound like they could have made a credible folk rock band or, who knows, maybe even a disco band in the future. There’s talent here, especially with the vocals (though the over-reliance on the vibrato is tiresome). This seemed to be a band just waiting for the right trend or musical fad.
3.2 - Bold and ambitious, and beautiful at moments; however, taken as a whole, this is an uncomfortable mess and maybe the best example I’ve heard yet of a band unsure about its direction. Woof. Listening to “Odessa”, I can immediately picture a biopic scene - Barry is initially able to rally his reluctant bandmates around his vision of a concept opera about a sunken ship. Fast forward to the studio and they’re all listening to Barry’s billy goat bleatings: “OOOOODESSA” over thin orchestral strings. Barry is beaming with pride while the others look at each other with pained expressions. There are also copycat tracks of Beatles (“Melody Fair”) and CCR (“Melody Purt Drive”). And some forgettable classical style instrumentals.
There's a lot more BeeGees than I had expected of zero BeeGees albums on this list
Ne se trémoussent pas assez.
J'ai attendu tout l'album que les Bee Gees se réveillent en sursaut en nous envoyant un bon gros "Ah ah ah ah staying alive", mais ce moment n'est malheureusement jamais venu.
I think my total knowledge of the Bee Gees prior to this listening project was Saturday Night Fever/Staying Alive, so all this very English concept folk/rock/country is a pure surprise. This suffers from that musical theater problem I've complained of before - poetic quality suffering for the sake of a kind of weak narrative. Stylistically it is kind of scattered as well, but generally I liked it and found it agreeably odd.
Huh
Ik vind hier niet bijzonder veel aan. Het is wel aardig, maar er zijn eigenlijk niet echt hoogtepunten. Wel een paar dieptepunten, maar die zijn ook weer vrij zelden. 3 sterretjes dan maar.
I love the Bee Gees but admittedly I am a little unfamiliar with their pre-disco era. I can't say I'm exactly in love with this or preceding albums. In other words, thank god for disco. 5/10.
What was that? I would never have guessed the Bee Gees and I had no idea about their pre-disco era. I'll give it a 3 due to the unexpectedness of it
3.5/5. Didn’t even know the Bee Gees had a pre-70s era.
In this hefty double album from 1969, the Bee Gees invite us on board the Odessa for a one hour and four minute voyage. The concept sinks after just seven minutes, into a sea of treacly three-minute baroque pop songs. There the album would have remained, buried without trace and ignored by press and reviewers everywhere. However, after the Bee Gees broke into the mainstream, critics were forced to reassess their early work, landing “Odessa” in the “1001” hall of fame. I’ve been dimly aware of the Bee Gees’ pre-disco material for a while. My mum has long waxed lyrical about their hit “Massachusetts”, keenly watching archive footage of a doey eyed Robin Gibb performing it on Top of the Pops. I fell for “Massachusetts” too, but it isn’t here: in fact, the only hit worthy of a “best-of” compilation is “First of May”, with its winning lyric on the loss of childhood innocence as measured by one’s relative height against a Christmas tree. So the rest is either buried treasure or deserved landfill, depending on personal taste. After a couple of listens, I’m ending up somewhere in between. “Black Diamond”, “Sound of Love” and especially “Lamplight” might not be to everyone’s taste, but to me they’re all showstoppers: great dramatics and oceanic choruses, with soaring vocals. “Marley Purt Drive” is direct, to the point and oversimplified, but a decent pop song nonetheless. The grandiose instrumentals “Seven Seas Symphony” and “With All Nations (International Anthem)” are where I was most sold on the bombastic orchestral arrangements, though having them back-to-back is some bizarre sequencing. And if still in doubt of the band’s abilities pre-1975, just listen to the chorus of “I Laugh In Your Face” for a sign that those classic Bee Gees harmonies we all know and love were ready to take the world by storm. “Odessa” boasts several decent melodies, and shows assured songcraft, but the main issue is one of quality control, as the band !become bogged down in lightweight repetitions. “Edison”, “Melody Fair” and “Suddenly” bring very little the other songs hadn’t already brought, and too many tracks end up dissolving into a syrupy mush without substance or bite. That said, the diversions from this formula don’t work too well either: when “Whisper Whisper” crowbars in a danceable coda via a jarring edit, it feels glaringly out of place. “Give Your Best” functions as a change of pace, but still plays like a cringey attempt at a hoedown. Perhaps the biggest misstep is the title track, “Odessa (City on the Black Sea)”. Misleading audiences into thinking we’re in for a lengthy concept album, it lacks the tight structure, musical skill or diversity, and strength of storytelling to sell the Bee Gees as a high concept band. They should have ditched it altogether. Ultimately, what we‘re left with is a frustrating listen. “Odessa” could have been something much more special if trimmed down to its least pretentious cuts and most emotive ballads: as it is, it’s an enjoyable collection and worthwhile curio for fans of the band.
Wednesday at sunny Piero’s 22nd March.
This was a really good listen. Didn’t know they did music like this. Will def revisit this album. T3B 1. Lamplight 2. I Laugh In Your Face 3. Odessa (City On The Black Sea)
Not as bad as I thought - or better than I expected. The more I listened the more I liked it.... Then, while listening to it, my Mom died. Now, this album will forever be tied to that event.
I was not expecting to hear a Bee Gees album today, and I certainly wasn't expecting to (kind of) like it. I knew the Bee Gees started out very differently from their later disco style that became super popular, but this is almost like progressive rock. With maybe a bit of country rock thrown in as well. Very interesting. Probably not something I'll listen to a lot but I enjoyed it. 3 stars.
Not at all what I was expecting. I may listen to this again. Who knows.
6/17, 35%
Some pleasant 60s pop tunes. Nothing that really stands out though, even for a double album
Eh
3/5 It wasn't the worst thing in the world, it wasn't the best. There were good and bad in all of it. I liked that it was kind of eclectic and weird, but also it that made it feel disjointed. I like that they highlighted certain instruments like the oboe or whatever, but it got a bit too much overall. I'll listen to Marley Purt Drive again.
bizarres les types quand même
Beejeesus
It was better than I expected. Starts off strong. A bit long winded and bloated. I'm glad that I listened before I died, I don't know if I'll be running to listen to it again. If it was cut shorter it would be a solid 4 or 5 in my book.
good, but didnt find it too original
Я не понимаю почему это находится в 1001 альбоме, как и многие альбомы которые я прослушала За Одессу лайк Звучание однообразное тупо среднячок
Not my style
Heilt greit, mindre falsetto enn eg forventa
A bit twee. Well done, but not to my liking.
This was drastically different from what I was expecting from The Bee Gees and it made me think that they just did whatever was trendy but less good. This sounded a lot like the Beatles and some random orchestral music but had like nothing unique about it. Then in 76 the went to disco after no one liked them anymore and got successful again. This still wasn’t terrible, give your best and lamplight were good, but it’s destined to the same fate as trafalgar where I completely forget about it after like one day. Low 3
This was a wild listen. It gives you a view into the Bee Gees before they took over the disco genre. And frankly it's...good? Definitely not the Bee Gees you're used to, but they're such amazing songwriters. Every track is catchy. I may end up adding this to some sort of rotation. It's a nice change when I feel like hearing their vocals but tire of the Saturday Night Fever stuff Rating: 3/5 Favorite Track: Never Say Never Again
I was surprised, much more psychedelic rock style than disco.
Partial all to all Bee Gees genres
The opening song was damn beautiful... and the rest just didn't measure up to it. It was all beautiful, of course. Gorgeous arrangements and heavenly harmonies. But the songwriting here just didn't have enough substance to it to keep me going, especially for such a long ride. I really wanted to like this more than I did. An alluring facade.
Too cheesy. The only really good songs are "Odessa" and maybe "Edison".
way too long and slow and boring. plus they try to be the beatles too much
Nice pre-disco Bee-Gees
Sometimes felt like I was listening to The Beatles, other times Bowie.
There were some good tracks on here but it was also fairly meandering and long.
I think we got Spirits Having Flown earlier on this list but this is an album I knew nothing about and I'm a pretty decent bee gees fan. Odessa feels like their older stuff (because it is) but very interesting reading how it wasn't a hit at the time and got better with time. I don't know if I agree with that but it's the bee gees so even in the background it's worth listening to. No real stand outs on this one but fun overall.
The Bee Gees as I've never heard them before, in their early folksy pop arc? I didn't even know they made music like this, all I know is the disco stuff (strangely, I don't think their disco albums are on this list). It would've been really funny to have been a fan of these Bee Gees and then be completely devastated when they sold out to John Travolta or whatever. This isn't a bad album at all, it just sounds like a dozen other bands from the late '60s mixed in a blender: Beatles, Rolling Stone, Queen, I can't put my finger on it exactly but I'm currently listening to "Never Say Never Again" and it sounds precisely like some other band, can't think of the name to place it though. Very much reminds me of when I listened to Queen's catalog and heard their Zeppelin-y fantasy folk stuff they started with. I can't in good faith call this a must listen, especially if we don't get the true Bee Gees experience on this list. But it was pretty good, I'm not mad. Favorite tracks: Black Diamond, Marley Purt Drive, Melody Fair, I Laugh in Your Face. Album art: Odessa. Bold. Strong. Colors good. 3/5
Ik had kopstemmen all over verwacht, maar niets van dat al. Wat het wel was, daar ben ik nog niet helemaal over uit. Ik hoorde Disney, ik hoorde The Beatles. Verwarrend.
"Alright so we got a Bee Gees record for you." "Okay, but I'm not the biggest fan of disco." "It's over 1 hour in runtime." "That's... a lot of disco." "It's from 1969!" "That's... a bit early for disco?" "Also it's a failed baroque pop concept album about a fictional ship sinking in 1899." "It's a WHAT?" 60's Bee Gees where have you been all my life? There are some genuinely great songs on this - 'Marley Purt Drive', 'Give Your Best' and 'Seven Seas Symphony'. The lovey-dovey songs are a bit tedious to get through, and the entire album seems a bit disjointed. It left me longing to hear more about the sunken ship!
Easy listening, but not often listening, more average
I listen to the radio some hits of Bee Gees but I didn't know his beginning. Certenly, It's new for me and I like it.
Pop.
Liked this, actually. Was surprised that I liked it. I didn't love it, but it was good. 3.25/5
Fine piece of orchestral rock though not entirely riveting to me. Bigger fan of their cheesy disco output personally.
Not classic Bee Gees, who I mostly love for their later stuff, but I guess they had to start somewhere ! 3*
3, poetic
Much more mellow than expected. Enjoyed the orchestral aspect. Favorite tracks: Seven Seas Symphony and First of May.
hang on i'm confused. i thought this was the cardio-pulmonary resuscitation band? these songs are mellower than a cucumber there's a strong opening track, and i'm not mad at the album, just.. confused
has a cinematic quality to it but doesn't really hold your attention
Hmmmmm ok, ça en fait un peu trop mais alz Prefs: You'll Never See My Face Again, Marley Purt Drive, Melody Fair, Whisper Whisper, Lamplight, Give Your Best, I Laugh In Your Face Moins pref: Odessa (City On The Black Sea)
El disc més ambiciós dels Gibb. També el que marca el seu primer punt d'inflexió entre els seus anys psicodèlics i els anys al desert que van suposar els primers 70. Encara eren massa joves per una aventura així, i no arriben al port on segurament intentaven arribar, imagino que perseguint els resultats dels The Beatles poc abans amb 'Sgt. Pepper's'. Tot i així, continua sent un disc d'uns compositors magistrals i amb una inspiració per la melodia molt per sobre de la mitja. L'únic single que va transcendir els anys, 'First of May' està a l'alçada dels seus millors temes de l'època
A ono. Okej. Mislila sam da više volim beegees
Their most ambitious, experimental, yet coherent pre-disco album. You can tell by the felt on the vinyl, an attention grabber for any kid browsing the record store. They fit in well with their 60s pop rock contemporaries, most notably the Kinks, with this reminding me of the humorous concept album Arthur. They're still influenced by their former psychedelia, but here we see a lot more baroque pop, country, and folk. "Marley Purt Drive" sounds like The Band's "The Weight." There's an equal number of strengths and weaknesses. As expected, the highlights are in their vocals, and it's intriguing to see their voices used in such a different way than their disco masterpieces. I like the different styles, with more experimental production that works well in "Odessa" and "Edison." The strings are good as well as the experimental sounds, but the other instrumentals are severely lacking, especially the mulled drums and some of the guitars. The production does sound dated for 1969. It's way too long, and many songs can be cut. But for the most part, they just needed to be developed more: most felt like outtakes. Lack of hooks disinterested me. Favorites: Odessa, Marley Purt Drive, Edison, Melody Fair, Whisper Whisper, Give Your Best
it certainly has an epic quality about it, and the songs are generally pleasant and easy to listen to. much more symphonic than i expected and they throw in some curveballs like Give Your Best. Still, songs like Black Diamond and Marley Purt Drive and Never Say Never are pretty enjoyable. Solid.
Wow a totally unexpected sound from the Bee Gees. I'm trying to imagine if this was their only album what a epic little cult album it would be. I found in interesting and probably more interesting that their usual fare. I see that there is another album on this list so I guess I'll find out more then but for now there's some great stuff but also some cringe I guess so 3 stars it is. Fave: Never Say Never Again
The Bee Gees before their trademark Discopop and Falsetto wasn't bad music but unfortunately it was severely lacking identity and something to stand out from. In the end it's not a bad album but one that is without real highlight, too long and also rather repetitive
I believe that I had never listened to Bee Gees with attention before. This is a nice album and looks a little bit different from what I expected. It's still recognizable as Bee Gees, but it's purposely fancier. I probably never listen to it again in a row, but some songs maybe.
decent work listen. fast. Reminds me of how they evolved into disco superstars.
I was expecting disco, so when the first track played I was like "oh, very cool, they are starting out slow and going to speed up." When it didn't speed up I was like wtf, this is so boring. But then started enjoying it again after realizing just how versatile they are.
Not my cup of tea, but I can see why people do like them
Well, this sure shows I didn't know squat about the Bee Gees. Like most kids who grew up in the 70s and 80s, I knew these guys entirely based upon their success in the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack. They were one of those bands that when I was a teen who thought himself a cool hard-rockin' dude I would make fun of, but secretly bob my head up and down and tap my foot whenever I heard songs like 'Staying Alive' and I'd without a trace of irony in my voice I'd sing along to 'How Deep Is Your Love' when no one was around. This review is supposed to be about this album, so back to it I go. It's very new to me as far as Bee Gees music goes, and although it's not to my taste -- it's just too late-60s folksy for me -- I can hear in it how darn good these guys are.
This album was not what I was expecting. I was expecting something a little more disco-y like I thought the Bee gees were. No recognized songs
I liked this one better than Trafalgar
bara fínt
Moñas... luego movidos... instrumentales orquestales...
Sin pena ni gloria
TIL that before The Bee Gees were a disco band they were desperately trying to copy The Beatles, to varying degrees of success.
This is why I'm really enjoying the experience of going through this list. I never expected anything like this from the Bee Gees. I'm so grateful to have discovered this side of a group that I previously had only a singular vision of. Very cool.
I expected disco, so I was glad when that assumption didn't hold up. What I didn't expect is just how all over the place this album would be. The album sounds like it was pulled together from many directions, including psychedelic folk, light rock, country and the symphony. Some songs sound like David Bowie tracks ("You'll Never See My Face Again"). Others sound almost like CCR ("Marley Purt Drive"). Others still have a Beatles vibe ("Melody Fair", "Never Say Never Again", and my favorite track "Whisper Whisper"). I don't really get what pulls it all together to make it work, but somehow, the album manages to work. I think the comparison mentioned in the Wikipedia article to Sgt. Pepper is apt.
I prefer the Bee Gees in their disco era, but there's a lot to be said for their prog-pop era, before the falsetto took effect. Like, who writes a pop song that's an ode to Thomas Edison? The brothers Gibb, is who. The album is very much a product of the swingin' sixities, but it has an eye to the future and it demonstrates the raw talent the bros had. I initially didn't realise this was a double album which I feel perfectly fits the mood of the album.
Different sound to the one I am used to
At first I thought, I didn't realize how much I hated the Bee Gees until I heard this. It's sounds like someone shaking a baby on a helicopter. ah ah ah ah ah. But as it went on it got better. Still not a huge fan but one can for sure hear how they we're about to leave a stamp on the 70s.
Some really beautiful songs, but also some meandering, bland ones. Not what I was expecting, when thinking of the Bee Gees.
Man, that's a lot of Brothers Gibb.
Niet echt disco, lijkt me meer zo generiek poppy, slappere versie dan the beatles. Tot zelfs een beetje saai.
A weird one, for sure--this is not the Bee Gee hits that you know (like "Stayin' Alive"), it's a moody concept album, and it wasn't well-received (Wikipedia). But playing the opening track (Odessa, City on the Black Sea)--I get it. They're doing something with a bit more of a timeless sound. Most of the album has that oozy feeling that I dislike about music of the era, but some of it is timeless and innovative.
6,5/10
Before becoming the name synonymous with Disco, the Bee Gees made some pretty fancy pop. Odessa presents itself as this grand sweeping double album, the stuff of legendary bards. Akin to epic poems from ancient Greece, accompanied by orchestral strings upon strings, Odessa so badly wants to be larger than life. Simple gold lettering laid atop a royal red, it is simple yet effective in conveying to those who judge books by covers that this album is the last great album of the 60's. It's okay. I can appreciate the amount of effort that went into this though; a concept double album is a grand undertaking and with all the tensions on the group at the time, it would be no small feat to complete a project as ambitious as this. However, I find the Gibb brothers to be underwhelming songwriters. Not bad, just underwhelming. A bit boring, even. There are some good bits in there, but the whole product does not impress me as much as it would like to impress.
Not bad, but felt like a chore. Whisper whisper is good though.
Mature, mostly orchestral backed down beat folk/pop. Some 60s/70s dated styles. Good, but not my cup of tea.
i only knew the bee gees from saturday night fever so this was quite a nice surprise, its a decent album with their famous harmonies
Art Pop mit guter Schippe Folk. Der titelgebende Opener setzt die Weichen für einen opulenten Trip, den Kohlenwagen im Schlepp voll Pathos, der im Barock verzierten Zugwagen kräftig verfeuert wird. Diese Form des Reisens inspirierte über die Jahrzehnte von Scott Walker bis zum (ernsten) George Michael so einige, die sich der Eleganz und dem savoir vivre verpflichtet fühlten. Auf gesamter Strecke im omig-gemächlichen Tempo schwitzt der Pöpes im muffig-staubigen Samt-Sessel, das servierte Chateaubriand lässt sich mit dickem Portwein auch nicht ganz easy runterspülen und wären die Gesangsharmonien einmal nicht ganz so zuckrig, wäre ich auch nicht traurig. Es bleibt ein Gefühl wie nach Marzipankartoffeln: an Weihnachten mehr als ok, aber sonst… Dennoch mag ich es, hin und wieder darf, ja, muss es sein. Dickflüssige 3.3
Kinda like a chill concept album. Not bad ish
Odessa starts of with a great concept and a more melancholic sound than I would expect from the Bee Gees. The catchy melodies, orchestral arrangements and vibrato impressed me, and convinced me of this record's quality. The best thing I can say is that there is not a single terrible track, but there is not a single terrific one either. As I consider it to be an above average album, though not particularly my taste, a 3/5 is my score.
I don't dislike the Bee Gees but this album was not for me.
Not exactly what I was expecting from the Bee Gees. It was an okay album, it sounded very much like The Beatles and The Beach Boys. I really liked You'll Never See My Face Again and Marley Purt Drive, though. 3/5 stars.
I knew the disco friendly version of the Bee Gees is only a part of their work, but I had never heard much outside of their disco era. The Bee Gees use 17 tracks to give you a wide variety of musical styles that seems to sample from a selecton of what was popular at the time. There were things that reminded me of the Moody Blues version of prog rock, other songs that seemed to hint at the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and early Pink Floyd. "Marley Purt Drive" sounds like it could have been played by the Band. "Give Your Best" relies on some country fiddle and a backing banjo. The connecting link to most of the music is the backing orchestra on most of the tracks. The album was interesting and worth a listen, but some of the sweepingly dramatic orchestration and some warbly vocals (e.g. Robin singing lead on "Lamplight") would keep me from putting this album on for a full re-listen.
Achei Lamplight a cara dos beatles, aliás, várias do álbum, inclusive alguns diálogos que apareceram em algumas músicas. Nada parecido com as músicas mais famosas/baladinhas.
Folkige Bee Gees, irgendwie cool!
Hat noch nicht den typischen bee gees sound. Das macht es hörbar
Another fine album I guess? Nothing really stands out. I enjoyed Odessa It sounds like another song that I cant put my finger on, but I am sure its just the sound from the era?
Early Bee Gees is still new to me, so I was pleased to see this album pop up. First couple of songs seemed to be the Gibb’s acknowledgement that the Beatles were pretty fucking good. Their efforts fell short of that standard, but still not bad. “Marley Purt Drive” was the one track I truly enjoyed - made for a playlist that surprises your friends: ‘RYFKm!? this is The Bee Gees?!” After that, however, it slips. A few great moments paired with a lot of mediocrity. Solid #3.
Ehh it was pretty good, but like pretty similar to the other albums we've gotten from this decade.
Not bad, but pretty unspectacular and less than I was hoping for from the bee gees
This one falls in that Blood and Chocolate solid 3 category for me. I was shocked to put on a bee gees album and not feel like I was in a cocaine fueled dance off with John Travolta in the 70s! Took a second to get used to the Bee Gees copping the popular sound of other successful 60s bands but they made it work for them. Completely tolerable 60s pop/rock ripped straight from the Beatles. I also found myself totally into the orchestral interlude bits...might have been more interesting than the Gibbs proper songwriting. "Marley Purt Drive," was the standout track for me but it was a copy paste of "The Weight" by The Band. When the opening of the track began I started singing the lyrics to "The Weight" and it fit a little too perfectly. For a concept album about an old timey ship lost at sea this turned out just ok.
Me ha sorprendido, y mucho. No conocía mucho su discografía a parte de las famosas y he descubierto una gran instrumentalización. Me ha gustado
opening track has promise. yea i think this album needs another and deeper pass in order for me to really get it, but the sonic atmosphere is pleasant. though there is a bigger sonic change midway into the second side of the 1st LP. Give Your Best comes out of nowhere. nice climactic finish. yea i just missed a lot of the concept album stuff just listening to it at work
Moñas... luego movidos... instrumentales orquestales...
meh
Shockingly not too bad. I expected the screechy 70s, disco Bee Gees. This had a more 60s, concept album vibe. The instrumental tracks were very enjoyable. A little drag in the middle. But a pleasant surprise. 3.5
An den beegees ist noch keiner gestorben
No sabía que hacían música distinta a la conocida disco de siempre. Un disco por demás melódico pero un poco repetitivo y muy extenso. Las piezas instrumentales me parecen buenas pero para el track 17 no sé qué tan buena idea haya sido. 3.5 que baja a 3 estrellas porque al final se me hizo un poquito cansado. Songs: You'll Never See My Face Again, Whisper Whisper, Sound of Love, First of May
this seems cutesy. is this their most essential listen?
I have enjoyed the Bee Gees from time to time but largely I think of them as a band who has kind of a schtick for overly emotional songs and occasional disco party jams (Stayin Alive). This album felt slightly more sophisticated than my caricature at times, but at other times lived up to it. Some serious Beatles vibes at times. I get that it was in the air back then, but wow, dead ringer at certain moments. I kept finding myself thinking 'this is a kick ass song' and then the lyrics would all but ruin it for me.
Somber orchestral ballads. I didn’t hate it but was a bit disappointed this wasn’t from their disco era. I didn’t know they had such a different style before that. So interesting but wouldn’t really listen again
bom mas triste, já tem tristeza dms na vida
mt deprê mas bom
i kinda liked this, not what i expected. bit of a beatles vibe there.
It's boring but there are some pretty moments. Sounds a lot more like CCR and The Beatles than what I expected from a BeeGees album.
Country. Bleh.
Jamás me imaginé que los Bee Gees pudieran hacer algo así. Aunque sigo sin ser fan del falsetto y la temblorina de borrego que aplica Barry Gibb, este disco me cambió mucho la perspectiva de lo que fue esta banda. Los discos conceptuales en general me gustan, y en este además me gusta mucho que se animan a mezclar con cosas casi sinfónicas que para ese tiempo pocas bandas habían hecho. Le daría la 4 estrella si no supiera que en unos años fueron de eso a 'Night Fever'.
good
Average Bee Gee album. Does include some songs that are known. This album may have brought them onto the world stage, but was not part of their disco era releases that they are most well known for.
Very interesting album.... I was relunctant at first since I don't normally like the Bee Gees. However I was glady surprised! 1. This is clearly a concept album (Gabibo!!!) 2. It's not disco like other stuff I've heard from the Bee Gees. Good melodies, a bit more on the rock (almost prog) side, but a bit too slow paced for me and sometimes some weird Bee Gays sounds appear in songs... I was about to give 3 stars but imo the second half of the album is way better than the first, so I would say 3.5.
Wanted to like this but god, Barry’s vibrato is annoying
Like Nick said - a solid Blood & Chocolate 3. It was alright, but I remember looking up and realizing I was only on the fourth song when I thought I was like halfway through the album. I would have never guessed Marley Purt Drive was by the Bee Gees! I think the middle portion of the album was best. Didn’t really understand how it was a concept album but I also didn’t look much into the lyrics.
Best of the early albums. Lovely at times, 1960s weirdness but hints of the future.
Not bad.
-March 30th, 1969 Release Date (Spotify) -17 songs • 1H 4M - Not what I expected to hear from The Bee Gees. Expected 1970s staying alive but received more Prog-Rock-Pop vibes. Almost like The Beatles. -Marley Purt Drive -So far – coolest part of the album isn’t even the lyrics. The sound is nearly interchangeable with something like a Beatles Album. Some songs do something interesting with their direction. The most surprising part of the album is more the fact these kinda of sounds are coming from the same group associated with a disco scene -Suddenly -Whisper Whisper -Sound of Love — yo wtf is this song. It starts of so corny almost too much but ends with a combination of woodwind piano and brass. -
Unexpectedly fun.
Gotta give this a 3/5 cause even though it went for fucking FOREVER it was kinda cool at least some of the time. Kinda realised that there was this point in the late 60s where all those bands who'd just gotten popular on the back of the 60s rock a la Beatles sound had gotten sick of it, wanted to experiment etc - this is like 50% "safe" songs like the ones John Lennon started complaining about the beatles making about the same time, and then 50% trying to break away from the safe stuff, as if to say "ok the times are a-changing but we're just gonna dip our toes in for the moment". The first song is... huge. Totally aiming for the sky kinda stuff, wasn't expecting that kinda thing from a 60s band.
It's a shame that the two Bee Gees albums on this list are from their pre-disco era. I just can't help but feel like their 60s contemporaries were better in this genre. Some of the singing on this album is so stilted that it's a tough listen at times.
Beatles lite. With none of the flavor.
This was nice until I realized they were trying to sound like Bowie
348/1089 idkkkk i’m not really feeling this. just not super into Bee Gees trying to be a Beatles knock off. i think the instrumental tracks were my favourites tbh 23/100
a veces me pareció un Horror, a veces estuvo Ok.. 2/5.
I once heard the Bee Gees described as "singing dolphins" and now I truly understand why. I don't want what they're having.
Much like the last Bee Gees album, it was refreshing to hear that they don’t exclusively play disco music. But also at the same time, it’s less impressive the second time. I wanted to like this album but it’s so dry that I really struggled. I can appreciate that none of their music sounds like this album, this was a real bold change for them and it shows their songwriting ability. It was cool to have a few songs be super grand in scale and be almost orchestral. But at the end of the day I only saved the song “suddenly”. I actually really loved this song, it’s kinda silly and the instrumentation is really original and quirky. I also think a big reason why I like it is it’s pretty short. Which I can’t say about the album as a whole because it felt like it would never end. The only other song that I kinda liked was the song “Marley purt drive”. Which hilariously sounds like a negligent parent’s anthem about getting tired of your kids and just leaving them home. It also very depressingly reminded me that there was a time when gas was cheap enough to just “go for a drive”. Honestly at the end of the day I’m not sure this album belongs on this list. It’s just so dry and slow.
They have folk music?
Eh. Nothing I would ever return to
Eh. Nothing to say. Too much.
Not my favorite- didnt sound like the disco hits the BeeGees are known for. Kind of reminded me of a less catchy Beatles album. Not terrible, but didnt really enjoy it. Overall- 2.5/5
Only made it about 70% of the way through. Was actually curious to hear this one and learn more about early Bee Gees, but its bloated - both in run time and production wise - none of the songs really stood out, and it has that weird British fascination with the 19th century....probably caus thats when they were on top of the world. I could see myself revisiting this and it being interesting to me one day, but that day was not yesterday.
2 - not the best
Not as bad as I was expecting after Trafalgar but still not fantastic. Some cool anthems in here though
After a certain point the vibrato in his voice actually started to piss me off. Saturday night fever better be on this damn list
Well that was something
the bee gees suck ass
Boring as shit and pretty silly too. So many good alternatives for the era if you're thinking "epic chamber pop" type nonsense
Temu Beatles with some fiddle thrown in.
If this is what The Bee Gees were doing before Saturday Night Fever, then thank God for disco! 2⭐️
Pop, 1969 -> 2
Odessa is absolutely not what I expected from a Bee Gees album. Where are the chipmunk vocals and the disco pop? It’s actually the second Bee Gees album that I’ve gotten in this project, and Trafalgar had a similar element of surprise to it. It seems that before they were soundtracking John Travolta strutting down the street, they were trying out a very different sound. Odessa doesn’t sound like that later, high-pitched Bee Gees. Instead, it sounds like something that’s trying to emulate a sixties high-art concept piece like Sgt. Pepper or other themed albums like The Kinks’ Arthur or Village Green. “Trying” being the important word there. There are a lot of bad decisions and cringe here. I mean, I feel second-hand embarrassment for songs like the title track, the incredibly banal “Melody Fair”, the faux anthem “With All Nations”, and the theme and lyrical content of just about every song here. I think the biggest issue is how seriously they seem to take all of this, like this is a profound work of art. Which it is not. It’s not all bad though. If you ignore the ridiculous concept and themes, some of these tunes can be quite catchy and decent enough. Even if they're trying too hard, there are moments that are enjoyable enough. “Marley Purt Drive” is catchy, the Beach Boys-esque melody of “Edison” is enjoyable (if you ignore the nonsense lyrics), “I Laugh in Your Face” has a good chorus, and “Never Say Never Again” has that enjoyable sixties hippy vibe to it. If I heard this on the radio without knowing who it was, the Bee Gees would be the last band I'd guess. They’re doing their best Beach Boys, Beatles and Kinks impersonations here. But Pet Sounds it is not. Arthur or Village Green Preservation Society it is not. And Sgt. Pepper it certainly is not.
There’s nothing really memorable about this album. I liked the first half more than the second, but nothing really stood out overall.
The first song alone was bad enough to drop this shit yo a 1. Even the good songs up here, which do exist, are ruined by that terrible singing. He sounded like a toddler putting his hand rapidly over his mouth while yelling. Pretty awful stuff all around.
Odd one, and an album I'd never have expected from the Bee Gees.
This made me find how many albums they had released before they released Jive Talkin' It was on their tenth album... TENTH... how the fuck did they last that long?
🫤
Oddly similar to albums I do like for an album that I definitely don't like
Really was not a fan. Greatly enough the vocals pulled through to make it listenable.
Ooof I hate that I didn’t love this
Like the other Bee Gees album on this list it’s not what you’d expect from the disco guys. I don’t like the Bee Gees disco stuff, but I now realise I like it more than this. It’s really poor as an album. Even as a concept album it’s all over the place.
No, no, no. The Beegees wanting to be the beatles via a ridiculous concept album. None of the vocals, energy or fun you'd want. Plenty of mid level pastiche and waaay too long. Saved from 1 star just because there was obviously a lot of effort, money and talent thrown into the soundscape.
Epic, ambitious double album set. A couple of OK tracks but ultimately not for me.
I actually really enjoyed a few songs but outside of those songs I was bored and uninterested. I now know that The Bee Gees weren’t always a disco band which was interesting to learn but otherwise this is a skip.
So this is what british bands make when they get as much money as the beatles? Money’s not everything? Kidding, but this was ROUGH to get through.
I can’t figure out why this was included on the list. It felt like a long album with very little substance.
You wouldn’t think country sounding Beatles would be good. And it isn’t.
This is the Bee Gees album on here? This was one of the most boring albums I’ve sat through so far.
Nothing on here stood out or really grabbed me in anyway. Def not bad though.
Wow...I did not need to listen to this.
Did not like that
Not for me
Everyone, myself included, often forgets the pre-disco Bee Gees. They do have some great tunes from the 60s, but they don't really seem to be present on this fairly tired record. It's clearly ambitious, in keeping with a common mood in pop music at the time, but comes across as a fairly dilute tribute to Sgt Pepper/Pet Sounds/Ogdens Nut Gone Flake/etc.
Just terrible. I'm glad the Bee Gees found their groove in the late 70s, but this isn't it. If I wanted to listen to the Beatles, I'd just listen to the Beatles.
Too long and too self indulgent. I flipped through the book to see what else came out the year this came out and there were some absolutely classic albums there, this shouldn't be on the list
Not what I expected from the Bee Gees. I am only familiar with their later career disco work as the Squee-Gees and Barry Gibbs high, squeaky voice. Odessa was a surprise, much more toned down and better. Overall a little soft but had a range of style. Couple tracks stand out like " Marley Purt Drive" and "Whisper Whisper." "Melody Fair" and "Never Say Never Again" sounded like Lennon songs and were also decent. Not sailing this ship again but with 15 kids and a family on the skids, you gotta go for a Sunday drive...2.15 stars.
I had no clue that iconic disco band Bee Gees had a basis of weird artistic baroque pop in their bag. Not sure why Odessa would receive critical acclaim nowadays because despite being a concept album I found it to be pretty empty. There's a couple of OK songs, but for every one of them there are 2+ confusing snoozers. I agree with the fanbase that this was overall a miss and would lead to less interest in the band. I really only know a couple of the Bee Gees popular hits from Saturday Night Fever and other disco pop culture. Not sure if they were more of an auteur act from the onset and then later transitioned to something more popular, but I guess I welcome that move. If Odessa is one of their albums that is list worthy I feel like I'm fine missing the bus on the rest of their collection. 1.78 stars
Не покидает ощущение что мужики такие «а давайте сделаем крутой легендарный альбом» и у них не получилось Скучно, почти однообразно, нет хитов Как битлы и немного от Элтона джона есть что-то Короче хрень Не переслушаю
It's funny that's there are two Bee Gees albums on this list and neither are from their disco era. This baroque-pop stuff is alright, there are lots of bands who did a much better, more interesting job with it.
The warbling it opens with ain't a great start and although it improves somewhat, the concept album approach doesn't come close to The Beatles, whose Sgt Peppers they seem to be attempting to emulate at times. Like the majority of the albums on this list, not particularly horrible but not an album that warrants another listen
Sounded a bit like a Beatles/Bowie crossover to start, and then more of a we have the Beatles at home situation. Really not what I was expecting, was continuously waiting for staying alive to come on 2
Definitely not The Bee Gees I’m familiar with. They were trying some interesting stuff here but it didn’t really hit for me.
Yikes!