1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - 147. Bee Gees - Odessa (1969)

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - 147. Bee Gees - Odessa (1969)
Bee Gees - Odessa (1969)
Label – Polydor
Producer – Robert Stigwood
Art Direction – Uncredited
Nationality – Australia/UK
Running Time – 63:36

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. Odessa (City On The Black Sea)
2. You'll Never See My Face Again
3. Black Diamond
4. Marley Purt Drive
5. Edison
6. Melody Fair
7. Suddenly
8. Whisper Whisper
9. Lamplight
10. Sound Of Love
11. Give Your Best
12. Seven Seas Symphony
13. I Laugh In Your Face
14. Never Say Never Again
15. First Of May
16. British Opera

“Odessa” is the Bee Gees seventh album, and their first released as a double LP. What an interesting listen. Those looking for the 1970’s disco Bee Gees need to look elsewhere, this is the 1960’s rock Bee Gees.
By 1968 when recording commenced, the Bee Gee’s had already been a group for almost 6 years and the cracks began to show within the group. Brother Robin felt that manager and producer Robert Stigwood had begun to favour Brother Barry as the ‘frontman’ of the group, and when the record was finally completed, Stigwood chose a Barry track as the lead single (“First of May”) as opposed to the Robin led "Lamplight". This was the final straw which led to Robin Gibb leaving the group in late 1968 before the lp was released. (He would of course rejoin the group several years later).
Initially the idea was to record a concept record based on the mythical loss of HMS Veronica in 1899. Working with the title of “Masterpeace” and then “The American Opera” it eventually evolved into the double-album “Odessa”. While a few tracks retain the initial concept (such as “Edison” and the title track) most racks have little if anything to do with the concept and the record does not tell any story of any kind.
Many critics felt this was the best Bee Gees record of the 60’s, and it’s a fine record with its rocking title track, the country-flavored "Marley Purt Drive" and "Give Your Best", plus some ballads such as "Melody Fair" and "First Of May" which was the only single from the album. (It was a minor hit.) The group members disagree (mostly for personal reasons I would assume) and have called the record a ‘disaster’ and ‘over-bloated’ with three heavily orchestrated instrumentals, (it was later reissued in 1976 as an edited single-disc album) and was a record their manager and the record label wanted them to do, rather then the record they would have liked to made. In fact, as the seventh album in four years – Barry Gibb stated the band actually would have preferred to just take a break – which they did for a year and a half after recording “Odessa”.
The album was originally packaged in a red flocked felt cover with gold lettering on front and back and an elaborate background painting for the gatefold interior. Due to the high cost of production, as well as allergic reactions among workers during assembly, this design was discontinued.
It is recommended.