Cucumber Castle

Bee Gees

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 9, 1997)
• Original Release Date: April 1970
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polydor / Umgd
• ASIN: B000001FNF
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #88,120 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Japanese reissue of 1970 album from one of the most successful brother acts in popular music. Universal. 2004. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bee Gees and Country are words that go together, August 15, 2003

By	kristin724 "kristin724" (New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews

My one complaint about Cucumber Castle is its length. At only 36 minutes, it seems cut short, despite having 12 songs. Of the 12 songs presented, they definately prove Barry and Maurice could hold their own without Robin. Cucumber Castle is of course the only album done by only two brothers. After a rift during the making of Odessa, Robin went solo. Barry and Maurice here make a worthy contribution to the Bee Gee catalogue.

Cucumber Castle takes the road less traveled. It is mainly a country style broken hearted sound, with a few stand outs. I like If I Only Had My Mind On Something Else. Of course, I like them all. I think Barry's voice is very strong on this album, and this track in particular. He's got a lot to prove without Robin backing him or to hand off to. The lyrics are well done in this opening track. Sometimes in the later songs the writing seems a bit thin lyrically. I.O.I.O is such a fun jubliant song in its beat and reggae feel, that its easy to forget the lyrics about the girl leaving. Maurice's background contribution defines the song. The arrangement of only the two voices is very well done. Although not a traditional song, indeed a Bee Gees classic! My only complaint is its too short.

Sweetheart was made famous by Engert somebody Hickdink , another one of those songs that people have to stop and say, "Wait? This is The Bee Gees?!" Again a love lost type song, but the tone is upbeat and easy to get stuck in your head. The vocals are particularly strong, again due to Maurice. As with The Lord, Bury Me Down By The River is again not your typical Bee Gees song. This is a very country gospel style album defined by this song, in my opinion. It seems very personal, and Barry is at top form. The simple arrangement is very well done and has a very southern gospel church feel. One might wonder about the lyrics, but to each his own when interpreting lyrics.

My Thing is a worthy song if only to hear Maurice sing lead. I'm not quite sure what this song is about. The lyrics are, well, short on words, but again its all in one's interpretation. But be careful, you will get this one stuck in your head, whether you love it or hate it.

Once the brothers came back together, Don't Forget To Remember was the song always added on compilations as representive of this album. (Usually along with Saved By The Bell, from Robin's Reign.) It's lyrics are top, as are the voices and arrangements, and the style is true to this broken hearted country sound, but I don't think its the best song on the album. In the Bee Gee songlist, Don't Forget to Rembember is just another easy listening sappy love song, and not exactly the best to represent the album. Still, its on par with If I Only Had My Mind on Something Else and thus Cucumber Castle starts and finishes on a strong note.

Those who enjoy Robin's vilbrato voice will not enjoy this album naturally. It is also tough to listen to each song and not wonder what Robin's parts would or should have been, and vice versa with Robin's Reign. As good as they are separately, the brothers are the best together. Cucumber Castle is a treat for Barry fans and worth a listen to anyone who doubts the Bee Gees can do country.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Unmistakably Very Good Album, November 7, 2000

By	Frank R. Schoonover (Niagara Falls, New York USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In 1970,the Bee Gees found themselves in an awkward position.Robin had left to record a solo album.(The brothers were having some bitter rivalries at the time).Barry and Maurice were at a loss of what to do."Should They Go Solo?" or "Should They Record Another Album Together?"Taking Robert Stigwood's advice, they decided to record and release their next album as the Bee Gees even though Robin was "Missing In Action"(M.I.A.).They were also set to star their own television film entitled Cucumber Castle(which would also star Maurice's then wife LULU).Likewise,the album of the same name would be released in May 1970.Cucumber Castle would be their first commercial flop in the U.S.A.It climbed to #94 and than disappeared without a trace(it sold modestly in the U.K. reaching #57).Also,three singles were released which were Don't Forget To Remember(U.K.#2 U.S.#73),If Only I Had My Mind on Something Else(U.S.#91)and I.O.I.O.(U.K.#47 U.S.#94).

It's sad that this album wasn't a commercial success.Artistically,Barry and Maurice soldier on as the troopers that they are.Though Robin is noticeably M.I.A.,the brothers do deliver a very good album with some musical experimentation on some songs.In particular,I.O.I.O has a strong calypso beat that actually makes you want to get up and dance.I Lay Down and Die has an infectious opening drum riff that sends shivers up the spine.The drums continue to dazzle throughout this song.Sweetheart is where pop and country meet and create a unique sound in itself.The Lord(which was featured in the TV film)is an interesting experiment in songwriting.It shows that the brothers are going to believe in Jesus and let the world believe in what it wants to.Bury Me Down By the River has a nice R&B like quality.Other songs like My Thing(which was also featured in the TV film),If Only I Had My Mind On Something Else,The Chance of Love,Turning Tide and Don't Forget To Remember(which was also featured in the TV film)feature some of the Bee Gees best guitar,piano,bass guitar and organ playing.Maurice also displays his versatility by playing the Mellotron.

The Bee Gees also show off their trademark balladry in songs such as Then You Left Me and I Was The Child(which were also featured in the TV film).Though it isn't their best album,the brothers do carry on.They alongside Robert Stigwood deliver a very good album that demonstrates that the Bee Gees are not afraid to experiment and go into different directions artistically.The album is also very entertaining.

Aside from Robin,the other noticeable absence is the song that has the same name as the album(a song entitled Cucumber Castle which appeared on their debut Bee Gees 1st three years earlier).For some unknown reason,the Bee Gees didn't rerecord that song for possible inclusion on the album or in the TV film.Nonetheless,it isn't a total loss.

Overall,Cucumber Castle is a very good album that no fan should be without.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kooky Kastle, August 31, 2004

By	Mark Champion "autumnfair" (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I wan't going to do this, and I'll try to keep a straight face. I mean, just check out that cover. This is approximately the second greatest album in the world, ever. I won't bother saying what the greatest is. CUCUMBER CASTLE is probably the Bee Gees' most wistful album, even without Robin, and that's saying a lot, folks. Don't let the kooky cover fool ya. Right off the bat, from track one, you know they'd rather be doing something else. And from then on it's pretty much one wistfest after another ('The Lord' is an exception, but what do you expect with a title like that?). And lush? CUCUMBER CASTLE makes the competition sound like morse code. It's almost over-orchestrated, in fact; 'Then You Left Me' has loads of Mellotron and drips with full orchestration and wonderfully choking, lachrymal vocals from Barry. Also great are the haunting 'I Was The Child', the faux-jazzy acoustic 'My Thing' (yet another transcendent Maurice moment) and the staccato-piano driven 'I Lay Down And Die' (love these titles!). But the greatest song here is the gospel/country 'Bury Me Down By The River', with backing vocals from PP Arnold. This astonishing little piece of work just soars into regions wherein the Brothers had previously only gazed longingly. Smashing, transcendent- -and I can't tell whether any of it means a damn thing. Don't care, either. The whole affair concludes with the Patsy Cline-stylized single, 'Don't Forget To Remember', its soaring chorus the perfect epitaph for the first phase of the Bee Gees' career. You really should hear CUCUMBER CASTLE; if you haven't already, it just might change your life.