Main menu
Fretplay home Submit tabs

The Bee Gees
The Bee Gees tabs The Bee Gees discography

Channels
Guitar channel Bass channel Guitar videos Reviews

Message Forum
Guitar forum Bass forum Bands and artists Promote your band Recent discussions All categories

Fretplay.com

The Bee Gees guitar tabs

CD reviews

Odessa (3 CD Deluxe Edition)

The Bee Gees - Odessa (3 CD Deluxe Edition) Audio CD

A fair review of the The Bee Gees "Odessa (3 CD Deluxe Edition)" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Bee Gees reviews here, or go back to the The Bee Gees tabs.

Band: The Bee Gees
Title: Odessa (3 CD Deluxe Edition)
Rating:

Release Date: 2009-01-13
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Odessa (City On The Black Sea)(Stereo) 2: You'll Never See My Face Again (Stereo) 3: Black Diamond (Stereo) 4: Marley Purt Drive (Stereo) 5: Edison (Stereo) 6: Melody Fair (Stereo) 7: Suddenly (Stereo) 8: Whisper Whisper (Stereo) 9: Lamplight (Stereo) 10: Sound Of Love (Stereo) 11: Give Your Best (Stereo) 12: Seven Seas Symphony (Stereo) 13: With All Nations (International Anthem)(Stereo) 14: I Laugh In Your Face (Stereo) 15: Never Say Never Again (Stereo) 16: First Of May (Stereo) 17: The British Opera (Stereo) 18: Odessa (City On The Black Sea)(Mono) 19: You'll Never See My Face Again (Mono) 20: Black Diamond (Mono) 21: Marley Purt Drive (Mono) 22: Edison (Mono) 23: Melody Fair (Mono) 24: Suddenly (Mono) 25: Whisper Whisper (Mono) 26: Lamplight (Mono) 27: Sound Of Love (Mono) 28: Give Your Best (Mono) 29: Seven Seas Symphony (Mono) 30: With All Nations (International Anthem)(Mono) 31: I Laugh In Your Face (Mono) 32: Never Say Never Again (Mono) 33: First Of May (Mono) 34: The British Opera (Mono) 35: Odessa (Demo) 36: You'll Never See My Face Again (Alternate Mix) 37: Black Diamond (Demo) 38: Marley Purt Drive (Alternate Mix) 39: Barbara Came To Stay 40: Edison (Alternate Mix) 41: Melody Fair (Demo) 42: Melody Fair (Alternate Mix) 43: Suddenly (Alternate Mix) 44: Whisper Whisper-Part Two (Alternate Version) 45: Lamplight (Demo) 46: Lamplight (Alternate Version) 47: Sound Of Love (Alternate Mix) 48: Give Your Best (Alternate Mix) 49: Seven Seas Symphony (Demo) 50: With All Nations (International Anthem)(Vocal Version) 51: I Laugh In Your Face (Alternate Mix) 52: Never Say Never Again (Alternate Mix) 53: First Of May (Demo) 54: First Of May (Alternate Mix) 55: Nobody's Someone 56: Pity 57: Odessa Promotional Spot

Oddess 3.
A bit disaapopointed with the album. Hi Guys. Does not have the usual Bee Gees music rhythm and sound. Maybe becuase it is so different I did not really enjoy it.

The Bee Gees' Masterpeace
It was by far their most ambitious release and was had a red-flocked cover and included a poster and sticker. Odessa was the Bee Gees' fourth internationally released album, and their first double album. At a certain point the title "Masterpeace" was considered.

The band was still a 5-piece band at the beginning of the recordings, but before the release of the album in 1969, guitarist Vince Melouney had left the group.

Though not a direct concept album there are themes about the ship Odessa that runs though the songs. Apart from some long, mostly instrumental orchestral pieces, the music is not really that different from the group's previous releases.

To be regarded as a real classic I find the album too uneven, with too many average songs. There are of course a lot songs, too, that ranks with the very best of their early works. I have always liked their music best without the big arrangements that often burdened good songs too much.

Simple songs with great melodies like, "Sudddenly", "You'll Never See My Face Again" and "I Laugh in Your Face" are still my favourites. I also used to like "Marley Purt Drive", but it seems the songs hasn't aged that well.

Among the classic ballads "Lamplight" is outstanding, and "Melody Fair" and "First of May" are both great songs.

This 3 CD version contains both mono and stereo versions of the original album, and the third CD contains some very interesting alternate versions along with some previously unreleased songs. Many of these are almost as good as the well-known versions, and a few maybe even better; I especially like the alternate mix of "You'll Never See My Face Again". The song "Barbara Came to Stay", is the same tune as "Edison", with different lyrics, and also one of the great additions. For fans of the group, this deluxe edition of one of their highly praised albums, of course is must.

Great reproduction of the original cover and a fine informative booklet too.

Last of Robin's Reign
In 1969 he was still surrounded by the great orchestration and actual band of the Bee Gees first fame. This album features some of the last of the majestic, ethereal vocals of Robin Gibb. This isn't for everyone, but wow. When he filed the berg into the shape of a ship and his girl moved to Finland, I laughed, I cried, I was made a better man. They don't make it like that any more. How to follow this, I will give you a hint. "It's a square dance Mr. Marshall".
Barry Gibb gives us the strangly threatening "You'll never see my face again" but seems to be headed in a country direction. It is also worthwhile That Maurice Gibb contributed the catchy "Suddenly". Where this album falls down perhaps is the overabundace of that generic early seventies acoustic guitar strumming. I guess "the times they were a changin. ".

Overrated
I find myself skipping over tracks to get to the ones I like, such as 'Melody Fair' and 'Lamplight'. Odessa, The Bee Gees' answer to The Beatles' White Album, has some fine tracks to be sure, but overall it's a ponderous, pretentious album that is difficult to listen to from beginning to end. 'Marley Purt Drive' I like less now, since it veers off into country-pop, which is not a direction the Bee Gees should have gone into. Again, good tracks here and there but too much orchestration and slightly less appealing tunes that those found on their first 3 albums. .

The 4th Amazing Release In Two Years -- Wow Times Four
Stop for a second. Let me say this for those of us who lived through the 60's and nearly died in the disco 70's -- which were led by this band: Get over it. Be gracious and allow those who love the dance hall Bee Gees their space. Now, take a deep breath and open up a chapter of stunning music that anyone who was alive and listening to music in the 60's will find astonishing.

I would recommend the following: Pick the CD re-release of the first four new Bee Gees set that you know best and buy that first. Doesn't matter if it the one with "To Love Somebody" and "Holiday" and "New York Mining Disaster", which is the one I recommend (their 1st).

Listen to it through one time. If you don't have a major musical reaction then pass on "Horizontal" "Idea" and "Odessa".

Now, I am pretty certain if you can hum those three Bee Gees songs you will melt upon listening to Bee Gee 1st. Simply an incredible package that resembles the power of the Beatles out-takes double CD sets (the third).

I would then order all three of the other sets as quick as I can. The wait for me was about a week for arrival and it seemed like a year.

Now "Odessa".

So aside from the "First of May" I didn't know this set but I knew it was legendary for early Bee Gees fans. That hit was minor in the USA. Most of us learned it from the band's greatest hits album and not on the radio.

This packaging is stunning. The music is immediately likable. A real treat in an age that has few.

Finally, to loosely quote Will Rogers, I would add that it's not such a bad idea to buy 60's music you've never heard before -- they aren't making any more of it.

Five Stars for all four re-releases.

You can see a complete list of all The Bee Gees discography, or go back to the The Bee Gees tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.