Melody Fair was added to a 1971 British film "Melody" Here an excerpt. The guy who comes out of the pub is 60s/70s actor Roy Kinnear (he appeared in "Help"). His son Rory is well known for British TV appearances as well as appearing in four James Bond films. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BQnTCB_rX84.html
Think you. I think a lot of people will see this review and realize how the Bee Gees evolved. You are a mighty fine teacher and we all learn lot from you. Love all your shows.
You get high marks from me right off just for talking about non-fever era Bee Gees. These guys had so much great and varied music (I'm not a huge disco fan myself, but disco is only 2 or so albums out of 20+. The Odessa album took me quite a few listens to "get", now it is among my favorites. The title track in particular I think is quite genius, but it took me a bit to get there. I think the trick with this album is to not take the "concept" too seriously and just ride the wave. It is a bit all over the place, but I think it is packed full of great music. Thank you for the review, I really liked the idea of breaking it into parts, and I think I'll play with that a bit.
Very nice review. Also love the Bee Gees' Atco years -- way more than the disco years. "Holiday" and "To Love Somebody" are true gems from 1967. "Lonely Days" from '70 isn't too shabby, either.
You make Mondays worth looking forward to. LOL. I love it when you introduce me to something I’ve never heard before. I’ll give it some listens and get back to you!
I'm a fan of pre-disco Bee Gees music; much of it is superbly crafted but I share your views about the bloated nature of Odessa. Additionally, you brought a new understanding to me of the album's structure - thanks! I shall give it a spin again tonight. Fun fact about Melody Fair - It featured (as did First of May) in a charming, undervalued British film variously called "S.W.A.L.K." and "Melody" that flopped in the UK and US but was HUGE in Japan. It truly captures the essence of London/Estuary teenage life in the late 60's/early 70's and the music is used very well - I recommend it (if you can find it!).
noted, i'll remember that film. i'm SO glad i could help frame the chaotic structure of odessa. i feel it's what a lot of reviews/retrospectives of this album lack; some kind of meaningful comparison to what was going on in music at the time. having that going in would've helped so much with my understanding of odessa
My fav Bee gees albums are Horizontal 1968 Odessa 1969 Cucumber castle 1970 Trafalgar 1971 Mr. Natural 1974 One 1989 High civilization 1991 Still waters 1997 This is where I came in 2001
Oh my! Wasn’t expecting this. I love early Bee Gees. And unfortunately timely, Odessa (City on the Black Sea) is a timely reminder of the current war. Marley Purt Drive is a rare but lovely BG country offer. Never say never again is perhaps the last of their last early days ballads of worth. Thanks Abbie! Plus keeping that Circle Sky vibe 👍😂
Love this video. So happy you've chosen this album to review. Just wanted to say that Maurice's name is pronounced MORRIS not as the French Maurice. Hence the brocalled him Mo for a nickname.
I think this is the only album you have reviewed that I haven't heard a note of. I was never a big Bee Gees fan, but I will definitely give this a listen. Thank you for continuing to open our minds!
When you took off the boot that was so how I see you to be lol! Just a girl who comes in takes shoes off lol! Great episode! My mom was a huge fan of this album and band!
"Odessa" was the first album I saved my allowance to buy at age 11, circa 1969. The echo solo vocal close to "First of May" still gives me shivers. I think your comparisons to "White Album" & "Tommy" are spot-on. I would definitely NOT consider "Islands" to be King Crimson's best by any stretch, BUT you're never "wrong" for having any preference. (Give "Larks Tongues" some time to marinate. The closing section of "LTIA pt 1" is just INCREDIBLY powerful). THANKS for recognizing these gigantic classics for a new generation of listeners who don't know how bereft they are in this age of Spotify & social media.
Odessa is one of my favourite Bee Gees Albums I don't overthink it and view it as a concept album. I adore the Suites, Seven Seas Symphony is glorious!
Paul Buckmaster arranged the strings on Moonlight Mile for the Stones Sticky fingers LP. Robert Stigwood gave BGs more studio time and a bigger than normal budget, it was a gamble that backfired.
Abigail, thank you so much for doing this video! Odessa is my favorite Bee Gees album, and one of my favorite albums of all time. I think Lamplight is one of the best pop songs ever written, and the title song (Odessa) is not far behind. Thanks for all the new info you found on this album. I'm amazed that someone of your generation should find this album and love it as much as you seem to. Odessa came out while I was in college, so I think I'm correct in thinking that you're quite a bit younger than I am. But that just makes me even happier: to know that Odessa can still inspire new listeners. Keep up the good work, and thanks again!
I am a huge Bee Gees fan. I love all their stuff. Started out listening to SNF as a 13 year old. I made my way backward and have not regretted this mission. You are totally cool. Have asked my friends to subscribe to your channel!!!
I agree about The White Album and "Islands". I listened to some of "Odessa" once but wasn't impressed. I'll give it another try. Their post-disco album period actually had some good songs. There's a 3-disc deluxe version of this album with 3 outtakes in addition to the demos and alternate takes.
Love 60's era Bee Gees. Have never heard the entire album, but I do know First of May, Marley Purt Drive, Melody Fair and Lamplight. Another great video, Abbie.😃😃👍
That was educational! Most of what I know about the Bee Gees is from the great HBO Documentary How Can You Mend a Broken heart. I'm old enough to know all their great hits from that era. So I'll pass on this album but will try a few of the songs on RU-vid. Great video as always. I most definitely am looking forward to next week.
Fantastic! The Bee Gees must be one of the most underrated/hated bands. Their 60s output is up there with any of their contemporaries and I still say "To Love Somebody" is the greatest song ever written - imagine if Otis Redding had lived to record it (as was the intention), everyone else could have gone home. Edit: I agree with your assessment mostly- Bee Gees 1st, Horizontal and Idea are "better" albums, but I can forgive Odessa its bloatedness as it was uncharted territory for everyone. I'll forgive it anything for "Sound of Love" and "I laugh in your face" ( proto Bowie!) Double edit - if you like the medieval Bee Gees, Cucumber Castle has that in spades! That may be the Robin scepti in me though, as I almost always prefer Maurice and Barry's vocals, and I take Robins absence for that album as a small blessing
the bee gees 60s catalog is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. i totally forgot about "to love somebody" until it was mentioned here! went to like it on spotify and turns out i already had it there!! i think that early rock opera achilles heel can be attributed to just that: being uncharted territory
I take Robin's return to the group as a huge blessing. Don't forget he cowrote the majority of their songs, @90%, and Barry said he was a terrific songwriter. His voice was unique and unmatched (maybe not to your taste but certainly to mine and many others) and the three part harmonies and alternating leads, even in the same songs, unparalleled. All three were essential. Stigwood paid big bucks to buy out his contract with Vic Lewis so he must have considered him vital.
@@susieq9801 as I say a small blessing. I think it did both sides a favour (Robin certainly had the bigger hit with his solo album). I really like Two Years On, so I don't object to him returning, but I do think Maurice always feels a bit squeezed out by the other two brothers, which is a shame as I find him the most likeable Gibb!
@@leipherd8118 - Mo was absolutely a likeable guy and so undervalued. An amazing arranger and musician who knew just what chords and embellishments were needed in every song and pretty much their on stage musical director. He was also an experimenter who incorporated every new gadget into their music like the Moog synthesizer when it first came on the scene. I don't think anyone who knew them had a bad word to say about Mo and stated he was the backbone of the group. His voice was smooooth and versatile. He was squeezed out for sure. His value was obvious since when he died, so did the Bee Gees. Three very different brothers. Mo the extrovert with an innocent humor and everybody's friend. His twin the opposite, a dichotomy, zany and witty in private but a moody loner and introvert in public. Barry the level headed and self confident businessman and boss. A strange but essential brew! 😁😁They said themselves they needed to break up when they did because they were so very young and being pulled apart by the press and that they split as boys but came back together as men. A prime example at that time of Mo's lack of respect, he said followers told both Barry and Rob that they could go solo but "nobody ever said that" to him. He also said "The Bee Gees were the handsome one, the one with the teeth and the other one". That was so unfair and had to hurt. I liked Robin for his eccentricity and his social efforts, many under the radar - "Outreach" that gave opportunities to children, President of the British Heritage Society, President of the Composer's Union that got fair wages for composers and singers, his success at getting the Bomber Command Memorial built and his work on behalf of veterans and refugees including speaking in Parliament. All of the brothers were socially active but he seemed to be the most active and did so without accolades. He was surely eccentric and that appealed to me. All the best!
Who the heck ever heard of this record here in Brooklyn we only know one record and that my dear is The Saturday Night Fever soundrack, its all we know, its good enough and we like it that way!!! Just joshing was nice video and very informative thank you. 🙃
Hey Abigail! I've enjoyed Odessa since it was released. Always liked Marley Purt Drive. Paul Buckmaster is the mastermind behind the incredible string arrangements for Elton John. Check out the 1971 film Friends soundtrack. So glad to know you're a Donovan fan. A rare 'n wondrous double album is HMS Donovan (1971). Also A Gift From A Flower To A Garden double lp, Sunshine Superman 'n Mellow Yellow...all great!
Have you heard PP Arnold's The Turning Tide? After Odessa, with Robin leaving, Barry started producing an album for PP Arnold, but the recordings never made it off the shelf. Shortly thereafter she worked with Eric Clapton on a few tracks which ended up on the same shelf and about 5 years back they were put out as an album, omitting a few of the Barry tracks sadly!
wow i haven't heard of this project! gives some insight into what was happening with the bee gees post-odessa. shelved clapton tracks are of great interest to me (see the curious case of "devil road")
I’m always impressed with your extensive knowledge on all these great albums from way back. I’m not familiar with The Bee Gees older material but I’ve always been interested. And particularly loved your comparison to The Who’s Tommy. It leads me to one of my favorite Who songs that came from “ Who Are You “, “ Sister Disco. “ Thanks to this catchy, riveting tune when I first heard it in ‘79, i finally threw in the towel on Disco ( which I’m afraid to admit I once liked ). However, I did listen to the title track of the “ Odessa “ album, and found it very intriguing. I liked its ominous, moody and methodical sound. I will have to explore the remainder of this album even though it seems like a long, uncertain journey.
Paul Buckmaster arranged the strings on David Bowie's Space Oddity and worked again with Bowie on the famous lost soundtrack to the movie 🎬 The man who fell to earth 🌎 This score/ soundtrack was not used at the time as it was replaced by John Phillips from the Mamas and the Papas doing his version of the movie soundtrack. I believe some of the musical ideas 💡 that Bowie worked on ended up on the album Low including the Subterraneans I believe 🙏 😀
Good review. btw, from what I've heard, Maurice's name is pronounced like 'Morris'. I'll have to give King Crimson's Islands a listen. I detested disco music back in the day when it was the rage (I was a teen then) but these days I enjoy a lot of it. I guess you can say that people's tastes change over the years.
Gee, never heard of this one, tho I liked early Bee Gees a lot (Words, To Love Somebody) and even found myself respecting their disco stuff at the height of the"Punk Hates Disco" era. Somehow tho had no idea of the existence of this double concept l.p...I appreciate learning new things, thank u Abby. Never a dull Vinyl Monday moment! ♥ Btw, I hear you re. The White Album. I also think it's "best", tho I often enjoy the early live-in-studio stuff more, if that makes any sense. Now finding myself wondering -- did the Beatles (George Harrison's?) dentist friend live on "Marley Purt Drive" 😉
I suppose the perfect punk riposte to poncey red velvet would be "The Return of the Durutti Column" LP, which was originally released in a cover of coarse sandpaper. So when stored with your collection it had the subversive advantage of gradually destroying - in authentic 'Anarchy in the UK' style - all your other albums.
Storage tip. If your original pressing cover is shedding red fibers everywhere, spray it with hairspray. Just make sure to let it dry completely before putting it back in a sleeve.
Going by the songs that you (Abigail) like from `Odessa` I think you might like their debut "Bee Gees 1st" . In the U.K it was a 14 song set on the Polydor label. I don't know if the U.S release on Atco was `shortened` or not. Hopefully not.
consistent, i dig it! take that, elementary school teachers (i was referred to as "consistently inconsistent" more than once on report cards. how things have changed)
@@abigaildevoe gotta love teachers who come after you (universal you) personally instead of Constructively. Like it would help the learning process. Only detrimental to it. I can sympathize with you Abigail, because "the teachers that taught me weren't cool" either 😉
Hi Abigail! Happy New Year! What a wonderful description of this album. I'm so glad you reviewed it. I love "Odessa". The title cut was supposed to be a single "Odessa (Part One) and "Odessa" (Part Two) in the vein of The Beach Boys "Heroes and Villains". Robert Stigwood called the song "Odessa" one of the most beautiful songs he ever heard. I remember buying the first run of the CD version (full version with all tracks on Polydor) and loving it. When I went looking for it at a local CD shop (back in 94-95) I asked the guy what happened to "Odessa" (they sent it back)? He said "I sent it back to Polydor, because it sounds like bad un-released Beatles music". I've seen the double LP in plain red covers (the crushed velvet copies were making people sick at the record company). I have the velvet original. Definitely check out the 3 CD deluxe set of "Odessa" (comes in crushed velvet box) and has the mono mix (true mono mix) and a remastered stereo mix (better than the first release). The third disc has "Sketches of Odessa". Early versions of songs and demos and some unreleased material. You'll enjoy it. Thanks again for discussing this LP and for shining some new light on the concepts. P.S. The 1976 RSO reissue of "Odessa" supposedly has the tracks that were meant as the "Odessa" concept. Keep up the great work! 🙂 Nick The Record Lover
Early BeeGees we’re my favorite. I never listened to Odessa I must admit. After they went disco I didn’t listen to them although Saturday Night Fever is a great album. As usual love your videos.
Great review! Funnily enough, I didn't realize until recently that the Bee Gees had an entire decade-plus long career before Saturday Night Fever, but when I found an old copy of Odessa at my local record store (a cardboard, not a velvet unfortunately), I remember being immediately drawn in by both the gorgeous melodies and the sheer ambition of what the Gibb brothers were trying to accomplish. So glad you did a video on it, and completely agree with all the favorite song choices. "You'll Never See My Face Again" is the (low-key) highlight of the album, and a great underrated Bee Gees tune!
it's a shame some of the coolest, most experimental, and strongest standalone tracks outside of the odessa concept(s) were cut from the 76 rerelease. the ambition going into this project is admirable!
You're not alone. I think most people who were not teens in the 60's were unaware of anything before "disco", my least favorite era. I was a teen in the 60's. They were mobbed in the late 60's and considered the successors to The Beatles. When they played in London in '68 the mob actually pushed past McCartney to get at The Bee Gees. He said, "We had our time, now it's their turn."
@@abigaildevoe Absolutely! I was digging around online for other pressings of Odessa, and found out about a West German pressing of the album (I think it was offered through some sort of subscription) that kept "Suddenly", "Marley Purt Drive", the title track, and a few others, but unfortunately left off "Whisper Whisper."
the deluxe reissue of Odessa is wonderful, some lovely bonus tracks including a vocal version of "With All Nations (International Anthem)", an alternate version of "Never Say Never Again" with a bass VI as a lead guitar throughout, a couple of non-album tracks, and some interesting demos.
Hello, I'm a newbie to your channel. I have heard of Bee Gees through their disco period and beyond. I never heard their early songs. I never knew they were around since the '60s. I had a double disc set of their hits from the early '2000s. Those early songs were so enjoyable. I used to have the box set that had their first three albums. But I had to part ways with it cause I was moving at that point.The song First Of May is a great song but it's so sad. I never heard of a song that depressing in my life. Oh, and I had read that Patti Boyd book but I only read half of it.
I think of the lyrics to the song, "Odessa," as a descent into madness. The narrator has been driven to madness because the woman he loves has left because she loves another. Looking at the lyrics in this light, you see the clever interspersing of reality and madness. We go from "the neighbors that live next door..they haven't got their dog anymore" to "filing this berg to the shape of a ship." The phrase "...pray that I won't melt away..." is a metaphor for his mind melting into madness. Brilliant!
My favorite Bee Gee’s record. The title track is just incredible. They really were pumping out as much quality as their best contemporaries during the 60’s. Melodically as beautiful as The Zombies or The Beach Boys at their peak. I honestly don’t feel it’s length at all and I think it all flows together well despite its very different styles.
The brothers Gibb baby. Unlike my older cousin, I didn't swap out my Saturday Night Fever 8 track forLed Zeppelin IV at the first sight of running into friends on the street while cruising. I owned it, bay-bee
I was so glad you chose this relatively obscure album to review, as it's one of my faves. I've always thought of it as the Bee Gees' version of the White Album, as it seems to be a hodge podge of songs all thrown together. I think it's eclecticism adds to the interest, though it subverts any overarching concept. The three albums preceding it (BG's 1st, Horizontal, and Idea) are all wonderful early examples of their Beatlesque influences. Much of their early work is infused with intense tragedy and sadness, (i.e. Odessa & NY Mining Disaster 1941, along with I Started a Joke and I Laugh in Your Face, to name a few), yet they are leavened with happier, lighter fare to give balance to their albums. BTW Abi, if you enjoy an epic like Odessa, I would love to hear your impressions of the full-sided opus by Procol Harum, entitled In Held Twas in I, which takes up the back half of their album Shine on Brightly. It is an absolute masterpiece and it will blow your mind. Can't wait for your next installment of Vinyl Monday. Who says Mondays have to be depressing?
Love your reviewing of albums , fun to watch . I think the Bee Gees hit they're pinnacle with Saturday Night Fever , an absolute classic , with music to die for !!!
Thank you. I discovered this album about a year ago. It’s a classic. Also try and find a copy of “Bee Gee’s 1ST. It’s there second album 😀😀. My Favourite. Good Job. Cheers Aussie Vinyl Guy. ps. This is my second fav. 😀
I just discovered your channel and this video. Great reaction from you, I will definitely look into more of your videos. Odessa is also one of my favourite Bee Gees albums. I'm a fan since many years, and this one is a masterpiece. I can recommend you the album Robin Gibb made with his son RJ, "The Titanic Requiem". Classical music from a member of the Bee Gees. I'm usually not a fan of classical music, but I love this album.
There was a bit of disco that was pretty okay. The Bee Gees, Nile Rodgers and Chic and Donna Summer were able to add some depth to the musical style. The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack had some pretty groundbreaking production techniques that set the standards that rap and hip hop would use after the hey day of disco. Also, SNF had some really intense instrumental #s as well..
To me, the only unnecessary track in "Odessa" is "With all nations". That should have been replaced with "Pity" or "Nobody's Someone" , both of which ended up on the "Sketches for Odessa" CD in 2009. I wouldn't say that this album is bloated or overlong; if anything, I'd say that there was room for a fifth track on side four.
Conozco dos temas de este álbum, Lampligth y I de mayo, don excelentes, siempre los escucho. No conozco los otros temas, quizás los escuché y no los reconozco, veo cientos videos de los Bee Gees, me gusta mucho su etapa de los sesenta y principios de los setenta! Desde Uruguay!
Barry stated prior to Robin's death that "Odessa" was unfinished and wanted to revisit the album with Robin and perform it live. The group was disintegrating at the time and similar to Sgt. Pepper, the concept went away after recording started, which led to the album becoming a collection of different types of songs.
Paul Buckmaster worked with Elton John on his first few albums. I love Odessa and you’re right it doesn’t know what it wants to be. I think of it as if The Who made “Who’s Next” a double album. because that album was the result of a failed rock opera called “Lifehouse” (i think it was waaay too soon for Pete to try another opera after “Tommy”, but i love “Who’s Next” BTW) I also look at the album “Trafalgar” as an “Odessa-light” 😄 it’s like they were trying to go back to that, like a short “sequel”.
Those are great: "Flower Power" earings. Woody. Allen made a movie called; Sleeper. It was about what he thought the future might be like. One scene has a couple of robot tailors in a New York clothing store. One robot is complaining that the other robot purchases too much velvet. That's a really funny movie; that also stared Diane Keaton. She started the Annie Hall look in the 1970s. Ref. movie Anne Hall. The typical girl that moved to New York. At least that was my impression.
I would personally recommend these other albums: First Horizontal Idea Trafalgar Main Course (it’s NOT really disco, some songs like “Jive Talkin’” are more R&B, in fact the song was just added to the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack with some copies having the live version (Thats the version my sister had) it was never in the movie itself. There’s still some songs on there that sounds like the old stuff, my favorite being “Edge Of The Universe”)
Another album I neither have nor know (except "First of May" on "The Very Best of" - quite nice!). Maybe it's time to get to know "Odessa"? Because I like Bee Gees in general. Even classical 70s disco doesn't disgust me. Maybe because my Mom listened to a lot of it when I was a child. And especially since I've heard that the professional musicians say it's not so easy to play as it seems... Anyway what you said about "Odessa" intrigues me. I like 60s experiments, even more if they're eccentric. Baroque mixed with country and soul? Should not bore me. By the way: have you heard such an album like "Hounds of Love" by Kate Bush? Half of it (the 2nd one), titled "The Ninth Wave", is likewise a kind of opera about disaster on the sea, and likewise it's intentionally eclectic. You may like it! PS. And. Next time. Rolling Stones. "Let. It. Bleed". Really good. Album. With "Gimme Shelter". On it. Adequate hymn. For now. And brilliant. Title track. What I'm? Talking about? It's. Obvious.
So now I have heard "Odessa", I've just finished - a while ago. And, yes, it's somehow fascinating, with some beautiful songs. And, yes, it leaves some insufficiency. Too many ideas on one album, too many things and issues and subjects they tried to have done with one work. And, yes, still it's worth to give it a listen. And I still recommend "The Ninth Wave". I greet you (and you all) in another 14th of January. :)
You'll Never See My Face Again is one of my favorite Bee Gees tunes. I think The Posies should do a cover of it. Islands is my 2nd favorite Crimson album. I'm a Starless and Bible Black geek.
Great album ! Never better than when they were a 5 piece band with Vince Melourney and Colin Petertsen ! Colin Petersen even gets a drum solo on Wisper Wisper !!!!
Odessa? ship wreck. I'll check it out. I'd recommend read a couple Herman Melville novels. Go to a whaling museum; Mystic Seaport, or Nantucket. Then listen to the album called; Nantucket Sleh Ride, by the rock band; Mountain. I think that Mountains lead singer; Phellix Papiardi was from the Boston area. When he performd the song Goodbye Little Robin Marie. That's a great song. The average life expectancy of a man working on a whaling ship was 35 yrs old. I've always found maritime history interesting. Another Great show
one of my non-music interests is reading up on maritime disasters, most of it on the may island disaster and the costa concordia. think it was sparked by visiting the seaport as a kid, having ties to the area (you're never too far from water in new england,) and reading the poem fresh water by andrew motion as a teen
Robin got the idea for this song after seeing an old Russian silent movie about a mutiny and the disastrous results. I often wonder if this was the beginning of his interest in "Titanic" for which he wrote the orchestral piece "Titanic Requiem" for the anniversary of that disaster.
Interesting analysis. I have the 2 album re-issue in the standard sleeve. It is an interesting album, but challenging, I agree. Do Cucumber Castle next-the follow-up. Robin was not on that album.
Side 3 is amazing, Side 1 is also great, Side 4 is good but has a weak opener, Side 2 has "Melody Fair" and "Whisper Whisper" and little else. If you want more medieval-sounding music, try Amazing Blondel's "Fantasia Lindum" and "England" LPs if you haven't already
i thought i found a really good deal on this record, but it turned out to be the abridged version, which i didn’t know existed. even the single disc version is a bit of a slog though. love the earlier bee gees records!
Kevin Dobson I love that record. One of those unsung hero type of albums. Love "Dogs" and...ah the whole album is great! There's a film of them singing "Mr. Natural" on the Mike Douglas Show in 1974.
Interesting review. Not that I've ever heard the album or ever will. I'm just not a Bee Gees kind of guy from what I have heard in later years. I'm familiar with their disco era because it was on TV and I believe the late '70s saying that Disco Sucks haha. I don't mean to offend any BG's fans but that's just my opinion and lack of interest for them. They probably had a few good songs I'm sure. I don't like much modern music either. But ironically, one artist that I do like, had a song that I liked and I found out a year or so later it was a Bee Gees song. Imagine my surprise. But they're about as far away from my classic rock types of interest as you could get 😁 But you definitely helped me know not to try out any Bee gees from the '60s since I've never heard it before. It just doesn't sound very grabbing to me. Thanks for the honesty and interesting review... Brian in Fort Worth 🎶
A motherfuggin pan flute, 59 bucks at Guitar Center. I n 1967 my brother bought the Bee Gees album - first American release, called the Bee Gees. Even Barry was a teenager. It has a nice psychedelic cover and with songs like Holiday, Red Chair Fade Away, Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You - it is (deep breath): a perfect album. It is baroque, it is psychedelic, it is deep and complex rock and here's the fun part - I never even heard of Odessa. After the debut album (in America) I was not interested in anything that wasn't genius level Bee Gees. Eons later Saturday Night Fever (yes I'm a dancer) came along and White Soul owned the airwaves. I Close My Eyes, Turn of the Century, New York Mining Disaster 1941, I Can't See Nobody...every song is a gem. 3 or 4 songs were huge radio hits. Again, a phenomenal perfect record that apparently everybody forgot about. I'm hesitant about Odessa now that I'm aware of its existence.
odessa really is an album that throws you right into the deep end to see if you can swim, i don't blame you at all for being hesitant. bee gees 1st is absolutely on my radar now that i've posted this video. as fun and on-brand as a pan flute would be, that $59 might just go to an autoharp. gotta get rob tyner's "grande days" down on it!
@@abigaildevoe - Of course I had to check it out (Rob's vid). Definitely you want an autoharp. I have one bit of advice on the harp - keep it tuned! Autoharps are fantastic when you get used to the feel - they can also be quite heavy but I'm a walker, i.e. one who walks so I rate every instrument according to weight. Seriously you can get a "cane" or "reed" panflute for 12 bucks online and they weigh maybe an ounce. I have a cane flute for walking, it's loud and unpredictable and perfect. Panflutes are super lightweight and fit in a modest hemp shoulderbag. The bamboo panflutes goes into Chinese territory but any instrument, egg shakers or didgeridoo is simply an extension of the player. Here's the best tip I can offer as a "musician" - play your instrument till it plays itself (muscle memory like me learning Lovely Rita) then just start talkin'. I have 177 notebooks full of words (songs and song fragments). All I need do is generate a solid groove and start reading. Every notebook is a singular rock opera. Nobody seems to mind my crazy flute playing (best when you don't know what you are doing).
Dear Abi I’ve done my homework, and here are my thoughts on “Odessa.” First of all, I have a deeper appreciation for what you go through when you research these albums. I also listen to music very closely and, if I love it, research it as thoroughly as I can because I want to know precisely how such a glorious work of art came into being. I’m always telling people stuff like, “you gotta listen to the bass in ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Get your mind off the lead guitar and you’ll find that the bass is its perfect emotional counterpoint! Really, man, just listen!” and nobody ever does. I can tell it feels really gratifying to you when folks actually do listen. You turned me on to “Odessey and Oracle,” which is a gem I otherwise probably would’ve gotten through this life never having heard. So it was an easy decision to give this one a try. You weren’t kidding when you said, “A storm’s a’comin’!” I couldn’t come anywhere near deciphering it on the first, second or even third go-rounds. Many listens later I think I’ve come to the conclusion that somewhere in that meandering mess of a double album is a baroque pop masterpiece. For me, the bulk of that album proceeds from “Memory Fair” onwards. I believe that this hypothetical album would arguably stand up to “Pet Sounds” and fall somewhere between that and Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon,” although the work it reminds me of most is Beck’s “Sea Change.” The album I ‘found’ clocks in at around 35 minutes, which is comparable to the running time of “Pet Sounds,” so it wouldn’t be unnecessarily short. I would have left out the title track (it is a stately tune, but it promises way more than it can deliver, especially for a single album). They could have instead released it as a single, which I learned Stigwood wanted to do. I would cut out the country tracks (why on God’s green earth would a Brit try to do Americana anyways?) and probably use only one or two of the instrumentals, if any. As far as sequencing, though, I think that would be a unique challenge. There are a few really good openers and a few really good closers, and it would be hard for me to choose (I would probably end it on “Never Say Never Again.”). I tried to find the rereleased single album on RU-vid and Apple Music to compare, but it’s apparently not out there. Judging by the track listing, though, it would seem as much of a mess as the double. I wish that “Odessa” had been held up not because of its packaging, but because someone outside the storm the band was embroiled in had judiciously pruned and sequenced it correctly. I’ve never been a Bee Gees fan because I’ve found most of what they recorded to be offensively non-offensive. But the best songs here - with their aching melodies, adult themes, brilliant vocals and orchestration - really are something special. As to your other points: The White Album is my favorite Beatles record, too - by a country mile. One reason for that, along with the fact that it contains songs that I feel represent the Beatles’ creative peak, is that it’s…creepy. It’s the only creepy Beatles album. I think the reason it succeeds so well is down to its sequencing (John, Paul and George Martin reportedly sequenced it in a 24-hour marathon). I would never try to turn it into a single album. I am not a ‘Revolution 9’ hater. I actually think it’s the perfect release to all that came before it (I know a woman who swears it’s her favorite Beatles song!). And hearing ‘Goodnight’ afterwards…well, the sequencing is pretty great, isn’t it? I became obsessed with “Smile” after I heard its few finished tracks on the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” box set, which came out in 1993. I grieved the loss of the album it would have been had its ambition been realized. I felt so upset about it that I refused to listen to or even acknowledge any of the Beach Boys’ subsequent work until after Brian Wilson’s “Smile” came out in the early 2000s. It still isn’t what it could have been. Carl Wilson remarked that “Smiley Smile” was a bunt instead of a grand slam. I think Brian’s effort is a solid double. And I deeply appreciate the courage it took for him to face that painful past, which links directly to the onset of his mental illness. Anyways, now I can enjoy some of their later work, in particular some of Dennis’s songs (have you heard “Pacific Ocean Blue” and/or “Bambu?”). There are lots of reasons for “Smile”’s failure, but I think the last nail in the coffin was the negative reaction of the other guys in the band (particularly Mike Love) when they got off the road, came home and heard the tracks. I can feel a similar thing happening in “Odessa.” So, again, THANK YOU for being such a wunderkind. I will carefully listen to everything you share, because I know it will be a rewarding, enriching experience P.S. There is at least one good example of a failed, overambitious “Rock Opera” whittled down to one successful disc: “Who’s Next.” Arguably their best album.
man, this might be the most involved comment i've ever gotten on any video. thank YOU so much! and i'm so glad my video got you so involved in the process of odessa (yes, listening to it really is a process, if you know you know!) i would LOVE to see your stands-up-to-pet sounds-track listing of odessa. it doesn't have to be sequenced because i know that would be damn near impossible. would just be super fun to compare and contrast. again, thank you, no comment is too long or too involved for this comment section!
@@abigaildevoe okay, Abi, but realize you’re in for it. This could be a real kinship kind of thing. I was thinking the same thing about Odessa. I’m going to get really into the songs I think would work, and I’m going to try sequencing it. I TOTALLY want to hear what you would do, as well - especially since one of your favorite songs is “The Weigh-“ er “Marley Purt Drive.” Glad you’re down for this. 😊😎😜❤️😍 (but not in a weird way 😇).
@@abigaildevoe also, this tale really got me involved in the tragic story of Andy Gibb. I think you probably know about that. It’s just a heartbreaking story. There’s this wonderful clip of his very first meeting with Victoria Principal - on a talk show she just barged her way in on! And crazy poignant ‘these two people need to get a room” whenever you see them together in public. Their duet on The Everly Bros (love them!) song “All I Have to do is Dream” Just fucking Romeo and Juliet stuff. I’m going to take that tragic trip in their honor, because if that wasn’t true love I don’t think it exists!
@@abigaildevoe Dear Abi: As promised, here is my sequenced track-listing of “Odessa.” Of course I want to talk about how I got there first, so here goes: First of all, you’ve helped show me the difference between ‘concept album’ and ‘rock opera.’ If ‘Odessa’ was conceived as a rock opera, we both agree that it fails miserably. You emphasized that there are at least three plots going on, but that none of them are conclusive. When you suggested that the album could have been more successful as a cohesive statement if just ONE of them had been followed through, I went in search of the strongest theme I could find. This theme has to do with new love, hard realities setting in, and finally disillusionment. I’m guessing that this reminds you of ‘Pet Sounds,” which is one reason I think it stands up to Brian Wilson’s masterpiece. I actually think it goes “Pet Sounds” one better though, as it has a more ‘adult’ feel to it all-around. Now that I had my theme, I sought a way to frame it. Serendipity struck when I discovered a clip of Andy Gibb meeting Victoria Principal for the first time on the John Davidson Talk Show in 1981, and another of the two of them performing the Everly Brothers’ “All I Have to Do is Dream.” I don’t think anyone with a romantic bone in their body could watch these clips and not see a man and woman absolutely head over heels for each other. They ought to show this stuff in chemistry class. It’s a beautiful thing to behold, but we know that it ended in tragedy. She gave him the ultimatum of choosing her over his drug addiction, he couldn’t do it, she left, and it broke his heart so completely that he ended up having a nervous breakdown. A few years later he was dead of Myocarditis, an inflammatory heart virus brought on by cocaine abuse. I felt into this tragic love story and it ultimately informed my song choices and the track-listing of the ‘Odessa” that makes the most sense to me. Not every song I wanted on the album made it, but I’ll get to that. For now, here is the track-listing, sequenced for vinyl: SIDE ONE Melody Fair Sound of Love Suddenly Whisper Whisper Seven Seas Symphony (renamed and truncated) SIDE TWO With All Nations (re-named) First of May Lamplight You’ll Never See My Face Again Never Say Never Again This album clocks in at around 33 minutes. I programmed the tracks in this order and enjoyed listening to it, in the same way that I enjoy listening to Rycodisc’s sequencing of Big Star’s “Third.” It’s harrowing and kind of creepy, but its melodies are achingly beautiful, the voices are heavenly and the orchestration is brilliant. Most importantly, its tone is much more consistent than that of the “Odessa” we now know. However: The arc of new love turning sour doesn’t include an inciting incident. To make this theme more cohesive, one or two songs in the middle should identify what pissed this guy off so much that he just had to be done with her. ‘Melody Fair’ is an ode to an idealized woman as seen through a somewhat misogynistic lens. ‘Sound of Love’ is his dream of obtaining her, “Suddenly” and “Whisper Whisper” are how good this love feels, and “Seven Seas Symphony” closes the first side with a kind of wistful contentment. “With All Nations” opens side two with a statement of intent, and the next four songs wallow beautifully in his disillusionment. As-is, this could be a concept album about a misogynist getting schooled by a powerful woman and ending up a self-pitying recluse who blames her for the whole thing. But there is another possibility. If a certain lyric isn’t changed in “Whisper Whisper,” it could be construed as being about a romantic relationship with his SISTER. Ew. Here are some proposals of mine: To make it into a more cohesive and satisfying statement that isn’t quite so creepy, how about reworking the lyrics of the two songs I wanted to include but left off? Those would be “I Laugh in Your Face” and “Black Diamond.” If they can be made to identify the inciting incident - the turning point - then it makes for a more complete arc. Another suggestion I have is that “Seven Seas Symphony” and “British Opera” be cut up surgically, and parts of them used in between the songs as “movements.” I think “Seven Seas Symphony” (with a new title) can fade out at the end of Side One before it gets bombastic, but that the bombast might work somewhere else. I think even more could be done with “British Opera,” especially its stranger parts. I stopped short of trying to do this, because if I could I’d probably get all shroomed up and try to pitch it to RSO executives. As flawed and incomplete as my version is, I really enjoy listening to it that way. But I’m a freak. So, Abi, what are your thoughts on this? What is YOUR track-list? It would be very cool if you came up with a totally different album, but even cooler if you say that mine is genius and leave it at that. 😜 P..S. Let’s keep the bombast in Seven Seas and With All Nations. They make it a little bit Spinal Tap tongue-in cheek, and Seven Seas itself might be enough on its own to nail the crazy ups and downs of a love affair. If anything can be cut up into movements, I think British Opera is the best candidate.
🌠🌹hey abbey with a whole lotta records...I'm not a fan of the bee gee's..I went 2 Burlington vermont on friday..it was nice...happy new year..hope your doin alright..🌹
