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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Having purchased all the previous Bee Gees' Rhino re-issues (with bonus tracks) I was eagerly awaiting this triple CD set....and on the whole it's a great collection, as with all the Series it's superbly remastered and has a wealth of Demos and unreleased tracks...
After Bee Gee's 1st, Idea and Horizontal - Odessa sees the Bee Gees' talent with song writing in the 60's at it's creative peak - I would liken their run of 60's albums to the run of albums from The Beatles from an almost identical time period - Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt Pepper's and their creative peak The Beatles (White Album)...
I mention this because as with the White Album, Odessa can be a little confusing and simplistic on first listen, with only the title track and several well known singles of initial interest....then, over time, the album as a whole grows to be a fully fledged musical classic with real depth and contrast....listen to it late at night with headphones and enjoy!
After Bee Gee's 1st, Idea and Horizontal - Odessa sees the Bee Gees' talent with song writing in the 60's at it's creative peak - I would liken their run of 60's albums to the run of albums from The Beatles from an almost identical time period - Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt Pepper's and their creative peak The Beatles (White Album)...
I mention this because as with the White Album, Odessa can be a little confusing and simplistic on first listen, with only the title track and several well known singles of initial interest....then, over time, the album as a whole grows to be a fully fledged musical classic with real depth and contrast....listen to it late at night with headphones and enjoy!
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Originally released in February 1969, and criminally ignored when compilers and critics list their `must buy' albums from the decade, this double album foray into `concept' territory is the next instalment in the Brothers Gibb reissue campaign, expanded to cover three CDs. What, a double album on a trio of compact discs? How can that be? As with their first three albums, `Odessa' (it was going to be called 'Masterpeace' or 'The American Opera') includes both stereo and mono versions with the third disc comprising of no less than 20 previously unissued demos, outtakes, and alternate mixes, along with two songs left off the original release and not heard until now. This might be a long review, but I'm sure you'll want to know about all the tracks on this third CD.
`Odessa' has a spoken intro from Barry with a few lyrical changes and is missing the "ba ba black sheep" bit but isn't that different other in the delivery and the length. Missing the orchestra and double tracking, `You'll Never See My Face Again' certainly benefits from what was added later whilst 'Black Diamond' is a piano and cello led early run through without the wordless backing vocals. As for `Marley Purt Drive', only Bee Gees die-hards would notice the minor differences between this alternate mix and the original (it's in the coda). `Barbara Came to Stay' was reworked with a different title and lyrics morphing into `Edison', which gets an outing in an alternate mix, complete with a couple of dreadful edits at the start of Barry's "oh, oh" vocal. The `Melody Fair' demo is taken at a faster pace than the finished article and knowing it was going to be filled with something, the Gibbs simply chant the title for the last minute or so. The second appearance of this song doesn't have the strings. Other than dispensing with the ocarina-sounding instrument at the beginning, most people would be hard pressed to differentiate between the alternate mix of `Suddenly' and the approved version. Recorded in two parts, `Whisper Whisper Part Two' is the final 65 seconds of that song, but played in a completely different tempo without drums and orchestration; the group was wise to remake this section. With a backing of guitar, drums and piano and with the opening lines of French yet to be added, `Lamplight' sounds rather sparse without the string accompaniment, but that's what makes these alternative versions interesting. This demo has a complete ending rather than the familiar fade out whilst an aternative mix is also included. What might have made a decent A side, `Sound of Love', in this bonus mix with nascent lyrics, to me, is actually better, the orchestra being kept to a minimum producing a more successful result. Another track that is improved is the single voiced `Give Your Best' mix. It also seems strangely out of place considering the other songs.
The first of three instrumental tracks on the original release, the bonus cut of `Seven Seas Symphony' is Maurice on solo piano for two minutes, immediately followed by an unearthed gem: a vocal version of `With All Nations'! Why the Gibbs decided to forgo this is unknown but these are the reasons why we clamour for such delights. It's short but effective. Originally a contender for a B-side, `I Laugh in Your Face' was remixed for `Odessa' but it's that first consideration that is heard here. Is it worth it? It doesn't sound as much of a dirge as the album version if that's any help. The weirdest selection on this disc with words added and removed, what can only be thought of as an experiment is the basis of the fuzz guitar heard throughout the alien mix of `Never Say Never Again'. But is it any good? If nothing else, it makes for interesting listening. `First of May' appears in two different forms on this third CD; the first is take two, which is a brief 90 second piano demo whilst the other is an entirely different Barry vocal mixed to the front, probably discarded because he had trouble reaching the high notes. Recorded during these sessions, both `Nobody's Someone' and `Pity' may have been left off the final running order due to space. Heard for the first time, the former is Barry, guitar, bass, drums and a 'plinky plink' style orchestral backing on a pleasant but nothing special song. The latter sounds like a demo to which the group never returned. With its piano and drums augmented by what could be a xylophone, it's all topped off with a creepy organ ending. The final track is an 'in store' advert for the album and, hence, is a complete waste of space and time. One minor aberration is the absence of an alternate version of `The British Opera'. Maybe such a thing no longer exists, which seems odd considering everything else appears to have been preserved.
This is the 40th Anniversary box set edition, complete with felt cover, poster and sticker (but no t shirt, unlike the USA issue) though there is a cheaper jewel case available for those who just want the music. Though not as good as the first three albums in this series in respect to bonus material, whichever one you buy (and the deluxe edition is quite expensive), this is how reissue campaigns should be undertaken and both Rhino and the Gibb brothers should be commended. The downside of this reissue campaign is that by keeping to schedule, we won't see the next instalment until May 2010.
`Odessa' has a spoken intro from Barry with a few lyrical changes and is missing the "ba ba black sheep" bit but isn't that different other in the delivery and the length. Missing the orchestra and double tracking, `You'll Never See My Face Again' certainly benefits from what was added later whilst 'Black Diamond' is a piano and cello led early run through without the wordless backing vocals. As for `Marley Purt Drive', only Bee Gees die-hards would notice the minor differences between this alternate mix and the original (it's in the coda). `Barbara Came to Stay' was reworked with a different title and lyrics morphing into `Edison', which gets an outing in an alternate mix, complete with a couple of dreadful edits at the start of Barry's "oh, oh" vocal. The `Melody Fair' demo is taken at a faster pace than the finished article and knowing it was going to be filled with something, the Gibbs simply chant the title for the last minute or so. The second appearance of this song doesn't have the strings. Other than dispensing with the ocarina-sounding instrument at the beginning, most people would be hard pressed to differentiate between the alternate mix of `Suddenly' and the approved version. Recorded in two parts, `Whisper Whisper Part Two' is the final 65 seconds of that song, but played in a completely different tempo without drums and orchestration; the group was wise to remake this section. With a backing of guitar, drums and piano and with the opening lines of French yet to be added, `Lamplight' sounds rather sparse without the string accompaniment, but that's what makes these alternative versions interesting. This demo has a complete ending rather than the familiar fade out whilst an aternative mix is also included. What might have made a decent A side, `Sound of Love', in this bonus mix with nascent lyrics, to me, is actually better, the orchestra being kept to a minimum producing a more successful result. Another track that is improved is the single voiced `Give Your Best' mix. It also seems strangely out of place considering the other songs.
The first of three instrumental tracks on the original release, the bonus cut of `Seven Seas Symphony' is Maurice on solo piano for two minutes, immediately followed by an unearthed gem: a vocal version of `With All Nations'! Why the Gibbs decided to forgo this is unknown but these are the reasons why we clamour for such delights. It's short but effective. Originally a contender for a B-side, `I Laugh in Your Face' was remixed for `Odessa' but it's that first consideration that is heard here. Is it worth it? It doesn't sound as much of a dirge as the album version if that's any help. The weirdest selection on this disc with words added and removed, what can only be thought of as an experiment is the basis of the fuzz guitar heard throughout the alien mix of `Never Say Never Again'. But is it any good? If nothing else, it makes for interesting listening. `First of May' appears in two different forms on this third CD; the first is take two, which is a brief 90 second piano demo whilst the other is an entirely different Barry vocal mixed to the front, probably discarded because he had trouble reaching the high notes. Recorded during these sessions, both `Nobody's Someone' and `Pity' may have been left off the final running order due to space. Heard for the first time, the former is Barry, guitar, bass, drums and a 'plinky plink' style orchestral backing on a pleasant but nothing special song. The latter sounds like a demo to which the group never returned. With its piano and drums augmented by what could be a xylophone, it's all topped off with a creepy organ ending. The final track is an 'in store' advert for the album and, hence, is a complete waste of space and time. One minor aberration is the absence of an alternate version of `The British Opera'. Maybe such a thing no longer exists, which seems odd considering everything else appears to have been preserved.
This is the 40th Anniversary box set edition, complete with felt cover, poster and sticker (but no t shirt, unlike the USA issue) though there is a cheaper jewel case available for those who just want the music. Though not as good as the first three albums in this series in respect to bonus material, whichever one you buy (and the deluxe edition is quite expensive), this is how reissue campaigns should be undertaken and both Rhino and the Gibb brothers should be commended. The downside of this reissue campaign is that by keeping to schedule, we won't see the next instalment until May 2010.
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
After forty years, the Gibb Brothers have finally re-released their most classic and eclectic of albums, "Odessa". Released at the height of their first popularity and the start of their ultimate eighteen-month breakup, these three musicians, barely out of their teens, produced their only double studio album. Originally coated in a red velvet cover, this is one of the most extravagant re-releases to date. Originally seventeen songs, varying from the near operatic, "Odessa (City On The Black Sea)" to country flavored tunes like, "Marley Purt Drive" and "Give Your Best", the Gibbs cover nearly every style of pop music available, including rock, orchestral, country and R&B.
Originally slated to be titled, "An American Opera" or "Masterpeace", this double album epitomizes the height of talent of the Bee Gees boundless creativity. In addition to two new studio songs, "Pity" and "Nobody's Someone", there are alternate and demo mixes that will surprise in their originality, beat and alternate verses. "Edison", "Lamplight", First Of May" and "Whisper, Whisper" all are given special treatment, sometimes twice. "Whisper, Whisper" is actually Part Two, a welcome addition to a song that originally ended too quickly on a fast, rock driven pace.
Of the three discs (57 songs), the stereo had been remixed to absolute, crystal clear perfection, bringing out all the muffled sounds that the original LP contained. The Mono mixes present the songs with emphasis on different vocals and instruments, while the third disc contains all the previously unreleased material.
Fan Joe Brennan of website "Gibb Songs" has this great explanation of Stereo vs. Mono recordings: "Odessa was recorded on 1-inch 8-track tape reels. Each of the 8 tracks can be played separately, and each might have the input from one or more microphones. Each of the 8 could be recorded at different times and places (like New York and London), or erased and re-recorded. To make stereo, you have to mix down to 2 tracks, and for mono, mix down to 1 track. While doing this you get to decide how relatively loud each track should be. That's where the differences come from. The source is the same 8 track master. Mono was for old record players, and for AM radio, which was where you heard the latest tunes on your transistor radio or car radio".
With three discs, a poster, extensive liner notes, photographs of the group, handwritten lyrics, single covers and reel-to-reel listings, a T-Shirt and a sticker all enclosed in a nifty red velvet covered box, this limited edition is a fan and collector's dream.
Originally slated to be titled, "An American Opera" or "Masterpeace", this double album epitomizes the height of talent of the Bee Gees boundless creativity. In addition to two new studio songs, "Pity" and "Nobody's Someone", there are alternate and demo mixes that will surprise in their originality, beat and alternate verses. "Edison", "Lamplight", First Of May" and "Whisper, Whisper" all are given special treatment, sometimes twice. "Whisper, Whisper" is actually Part Two, a welcome addition to a song that originally ended too quickly on a fast, rock driven pace.
Of the three discs (57 songs), the stereo had been remixed to absolute, crystal clear perfection, bringing out all the muffled sounds that the original LP contained. The Mono mixes present the songs with emphasis on different vocals and instruments, while the third disc contains all the previously unreleased material.
Fan Joe Brennan of website "Gibb Songs" has this great explanation of Stereo vs. Mono recordings: "Odessa was recorded on 1-inch 8-track tape reels. Each of the 8 tracks can be played separately, and each might have the input from one or more microphones. Each of the 8 could be recorded at different times and places (like New York and London), or erased and re-recorded. To make stereo, you have to mix down to 2 tracks, and for mono, mix down to 1 track. While doing this you get to decide how relatively loud each track should be. That's where the differences come from. The source is the same 8 track master. Mono was for old record players, and for AM radio, which was where you heard the latest tunes on your transistor radio or car radio".
With three discs, a poster, extensive liner notes, photographs of the group, handwritten lyrics, single covers and reel-to-reel listings, a T-Shirt and a sticker all enclosed in a nifty red velvet covered box, this limited edition is a fan and collector's dream.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Brilliant Album
Brilliant Album from the Bee Gees. I have the LP, which I bought in the 70's, but the sound quality of the CD's is much superior.
Published 20 months ago by Carterclan
Not really lightfooted
First Off, I'm not a Bee Gees fan. As a matter of fact, my wife bought this CD and I listen along occasionally.
And when doing that my ears hear a "songcycle". Read more
And when doing that my ears hear a "songcycle". Read more
Published 22 months ago by Koen Lesage
Classic era Bee Gees
Indispensible album for fans of 'Classic Era' Bee Gees.Listed as 'experimental' in its day ,it contains the powerful melody, harmony and songwriting we associate with the brothers... Read more
Published on 15 Mar 2010
My Personal Favourite Of All-Time by The Great Gibbs
I waited for this release for so long and was so pleased with the resulting package. Odessa was my favourite album from the time I first played my vinyl copy in the Sixties. Read more
Published on 23 Jan 2010 by Ms. Shirley J. Whitby
WONDERFUL REMINDER OF TALENT
Some 30 years after its original release, the Bee Gees exceptional album "Odessa" sparkles as freshly as it did on release. Read more
Published on 2 Jun 2009 by Maurice R. West
Bee Gees
If your a fan of The Moody Blues and their first seven albums then you will love this album it's very soft prog rock.
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Published on 1 Jun 2009 by Mr. V. HOLBROOK
A Masterpiece of Baroque Pop
Odessa is a lost masterpiece of late 1960s baroque pop. It's status as one of the band's best albums, and as a definitive statement of their pre-split incarnation is surely... Read more
Published on 30 May 2009 by Mr. J. A. Smith
Odessa - the single album that calls itself a double
I have little to add to the other reviews except my congratulations for an exceptional resmastering and packaging. Read more
Published on 9 May 2009 by J. Glass
Nothing short of stunning
The CD is alive and well. If proof were ever needed that CD is the finest sound delivery format ever to grace this earth then look no further. Read more
Published on 5 Feb 2009 by J. Milner
Bee Gees best?
Finally has this album almost got the treatment it deserves. It's a very good album with a mix of different styles. For a 5 star rating we should have got a 5.1 mix as well. Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2009 by Mats
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