Odessa
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- Artist: Bee Gees
- Rating:
- Release Date: 1969 01
- Total Time: 63:47
- Genre: Rock
Review
The group members may disagree for personal reasons, but Odessa is easily the best and most enduring of the Bee Gees' albums of the 1960s. It was also their most improbable success, owing to the conflicts behind its making. The record started out as a concept album, to be called "Masterpeace" and then "The American Opera," but musical differences between Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb that would split the trio in two also forced the abandonment of the underlying concept. Instead, it became a double LP -- largely at the behest of their manager and the record labels; oddly enough, given that the group didn't plan on doing something that ambitious, Odessa is one of perhaps three double albums of the entire decade (the others being Blonde on Blonde and The Beatles) that don't seem stretched, and it also served as the group's most densely orchestrated album. Yet, amid the progressive rock sounds of the title track and ethereal ballads such as "Melody Fair" and "Lamplight" were country-flavored tunes like "Marlery Purt Drive" and the vaguely Dylanesque bluegrass number "Give Your Best," delicate pop ballads like "First of May" (which became the single off the album), and strange, offbeat rock numbers like "Edison" (whose introduction sounds like the Bee Gees parodying Cream's "White Room") and "Whisper Whisper" (the latter featuring a drum break, no less), interspersed with three heavily orchestrated instrumentals. Even the seeming "lesser" numbers such as "Suddenly" had catchy hooks and engaging acoustic guitar parts to carry them, all reminiscent of the Moody Blues' album cuts of the same era. Moreover, the title track, with its mix of acoustic guitar, solo cello, and full orchestra, was worthy of the Moody Blues at their boldest. The myriad sounds and textures made Odessa the most complex and challenging album in the group's history, and if one accepts the notion of the Bee Gees as successors to the Beatles, then Odessa was arguably their Sgt. Pepper album. The album was originally packaged in a red felt cover with gold lettering on front and back and an elaborate background painting for the gatefold interior, which made it a conversation piece just to look at. The CD reissue is surprisingly well-mastered and a bargain at mid-price. Ironically, the making of Odessa was to herald a split between the Gibb brothers that would leave the group sidelined for most of the next 18 months, and was the last to be heard from them as a trio for two years. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi| Odes to St. Chris (2006 Album by Below the Line) | |
| Odessa (2009 Album by Rune Lindbæk/Kanakas) |
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Odessa (album)
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| Odessa | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Bee Gees | ||||
| Released | March 1969 13 January 2009 (reissue) |
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| Recorded | July 12 - December 1968 IBC Studios and Atlantic Studios, New York |
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| Genre | Psychedelic pop, folk, acoustic, oldies, new romantic | |||
| Label | Polydor Atco Records (US/Canada) |
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| Producer | Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robert Stigwood | |||
| Bee Gees chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Glorious Noise | (recommended)[2] |
| Pitchfork Media | (7.2/10)[3] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [4] |
Odessa is the sixth studio album by the Bee Gees, released in 1969. It was the group's fourth album released internationally, and their only studio double LP. Odessa is noted in Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[5]
Odessa would be the final album for the band's original incarnation. Guitarist Vince Melouney would pursue other interests, and Robin Gibb would leave the band over personal and artistic differences with brother Barry Gibb. Barry and Maurice would continue to record with drummer Colin Petersen as the Bee Gees, but disintegrated when Petersen was fired.
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Contents
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History
After the recording of side one of the album, guitarist Vince Melouney left the group amicably, wanting to pursue a more bluesy direction. Prior to release there were disagreements over which song was to be released as a single (the Robin led "Lamplight" lost out to "First of May" a Barry solo vocal). This led to Robin Gibb leaving the group in late 1968,[6] though he would rejoin the group in 1970.
Album cover
Odessa was initially released on Atco Records in a red flocked cover with a gold lettering to the group's name and label symbol stamped in gold on the front and nothing but the flocking on the back, The gatefold has a large dotted image of people leaving a ship in a lifeboat, There are no photographs of the group and they are not named except as to all songs being written by B, R & M Gibb. Due to the high cost of production, as well as allergic reactions among workers during assembly, this design was discontinued.[5] It was later reissued in 1976 as an edited single-disc album with a plain red cover on RSO Records.
2009 reissue
Rhino Records had previously planned on an August 2008 release of the album containing three discs, which would contain mono and stereo versions along with selected rarities.[7] The release of the re-issue had been delayed until January 13, 2009. This edition restored the red flocking originally found on the LP.
Track listing
All compositions by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.
- LP 1
- Side one
- "Odessa (City on the Black Sea)" – 7:33 Lead Vocals by Robin
- "You'll Never See My Face Again" – 4:17 Lead Vocals by Barry
- "Black Diamond" – 3:29 Lead Vocals by Robin
- Side two
- "Marley Purt Drive" – 4:26 Lead Vocals by Barry
- "Edison" – 3:06 Lead Vocals by Barry
- "Melody Fair" – 3:50 Lead Vocals by Barry
- "Suddenly" – 2:30 Lead Vocals by Maurice
- "Whisper Whisper" – 3:25 Lead Vocals by Barry
- LP2
- Side one
- "Lamplight" – 4:47 Lead Vocals by Robin
- "Sound of Love" – 3:29 Lead Vocals by Barry
- "Give Your Best" – 3:28 Lead Vocals by Barry
- "Seven Seas Symphony [instrumental]" – 4:10
- "With All Nations (International Anthem) [instrumental]" – 1:47
- Side two
- "I Laugh in Your Face" – 4:10 Lead Vocals by Barry
- "Never Say Never Again" – 3:29 Lead Vocals by Barry
- "First of May" – 2:50 Lead Vocals by Barry
- "The British Opera [instrumental]" – 3:16
The 1976 single LP reissue deleted tracks 3, 5, 7-9, 12, and 17. Some early CD and cassette editions also omitted the track "With All Nations (International Anthem)".
Deluxe edition
On January 13, 2009, Reprise Records released a 3-CD set of Odessa, complete with remastered stereo and mono version of all 17 tracks, plus a bonus third disc with demos, alternate version, and three unreleased tracks. To date, Odessa was the last non-compilation album to be released, and the status of the re-release program is unknown.
Disc 1: stereo/Disc 2: mono
- Odessa (City On The Black Sea)
- You'll Never See My Face Again
- Black Diamond
- Marley Purt Drive
- Edison
- Melody Fair
- Suddenly
- Whisper Whisper
- Lamplight
- Sound Of Love
- Give Your Best
- Seven Seas Symphony
- With All Nations (International Anthem)
- I Laugh In Your Face
- Never Say Never Again
- First Of May
- The British Opera
Disc 3: "Sketches for Odessa" [all tracks previously unissued]
- Odessa (Demo) -
- You’ll Never See My Face Again” (Alternate Mix)
- Black Diamond (Demo)
- Marley Purt Drive (Alternate Mix)
- Barbara Came To Stay
- Edison (Alternate Mix)
- Melody Fair (Demo)
- Melody Fair (Alternate Mix)
- Suddenly (Alternate Mix)
- Whisper Whisper – Part Two (Alternate Version)
- Lamplight (Demo)
- Lamplight (Alternate Version)
- Sound Of Love (Alternate Mix)
- Give Your Best (Alternate Mix)
- Seven Seas Symphony (Demo)
- With All Nations (International Anthem) (Vocal Version)
- I Laugh In Your Face (Alternate Mix)
- Never Say Never Again (Alternate Mix)
- First Of May (Demo)
- First Of May (Alternate Mix)
- Nobody’s Someone
- Pity
- Odessa Promotional Spot
Personnel
- Barry Gibb - vocals, guitar
- Robin Gibb - vocals, organ, piano, mellotron
- Maurice Gibb - vocals, bass, piano, guitar, mellotron
- Vince Melouney - guitar ("Whisper, Whisper"), ("Marley Purt Drive"), ("Give Your Best"), ("Sound Of Love"), ("Edison")
- Colin Petersen - drums
- Guest musicians
- Bill Keith - banjo ("Marley Purt Drive"), ("Give Your Best")
- Tex Logan - fiddle ("Give Your Best")
- Paul Buckmaster - cello ("Odessa")
- Adrian Barber - engineer
References
- ^ Odessa (album) at Allmusic
- ^ Totale, Todd (2008-12-10). "Lost Classics: Bee Gees - Odessa". Glorious Noise. http://www.gloriousnoise.com/reviews/2008/bee_gees_odessa.php. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ a b 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. New York, NY: Universe, 2006. pg 165. (ISBN 0-7893-1371-5)
- ^ Bee Gees: The Authorized Biography by David Leaf. Chappell, 1979. (ISBN 978-0903443357)
- ^ Odessa Deluxe Edition
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Copyrights:
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums
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