A lovely album

I have always enjoyed Cucumber Castle great deal, but I have come to cherish this album since Maurice's tragic death in 2003. Written and recorded by Barry and Maurice after Robin briefly left the group, this collection of songs showcases Maurice's skills as a musician, songwriter, arranger and a harmonist, and let's us hear the beautiful but seldom-heard blend of Barry's and Maurice's voices. Not all of these songs rank among the strongest in the vast Bee Gees catalog, but the harmonies are magical, and the album is one of the most listenable, taken as a whole.



If the short but ugly dispute between Barry and Robin had any upside, it's the existence of this album, and the little bit of spotlight it gives to a man who spent more than his share of time in the shadows. I am grateful for all of Maurice's work, and every recording that gives fans a peek at the musical skills and tastes of the "quiet" Bee Gee who left us too soon.

Kooky Kastle

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.

The Bee Gees minus Robin

First Vince Melouney and Colin Petersen left the Bee Gees and now due to some kind of dispute,Robin Gibb left. Robin's departure was brief. He recorded his solo debut ROBIN'S REIGN while his twin Maurice and older brother Barry recorded this album. The title was first a track from the Gibbs' 1967 debut,BEE GEES 1ST. Robin returned for good,reconciling with his brothers to record the follow-up,2 YEARS ON. The only hit from this album is DON'T FORGET TO REMEMBER which would appear on 2001's THEIR GREATEST HITS-THE RECORD. SAVED BY THE BELL from ROBIN'S REIGN appeared on TGHTR as well. I think this was the worst album of their career. If Robin hadn't quit,I'd think otherwise.