The Bee Gees: Barry Gibb (vocals, guitar); Maurice Gibb (vocals, piano, organ, Mellotron, bass, background vocals).

Personnel: Barry Gibb (vocals, guitar); Maurice Gibb (vocals, piano, organ, Mellotron, bass guitar); P.P. Arnold (vocals); Geoff Bridgeford (drums).

An overlooked work in the Brothers Gibb catalog, Cucumber Castle is an excellent album that plays to the Bee Gees' strengths of melody, arrangement, and craftsmanship. Though at times one may miss the distinctive trembling vocals of Robin Gibb (the brothers had split up at this point), Barry and Maurice carry on with 12 cuts that continue in the tradition of their distinctive pop sound. Orchestral arrangements and Mellotrons abound, and the sound tends toward full productions, especially in "Then You Left Me" and "I Lay Down and Die." One can also hear country influences ("Sweetheart"), gospel ("Bury Me Down by the River"), and light jazz ("My Thing"). What sets this album above others is that there is not a bad cut on the album, and Barry's vocals are particularly strong and heartfelt. Although most of the cuts deal with the usual subject of love and particularly love lost, superb eye for detail in the arrangements of the songs give them added life. Adding a few songs with classic singalong melodies ("Sweetheart" and "Don't Forget to Remember") certainly doesn't hurt the cause. All in all, this is a fine album that cements the Brothers Gibb's reputation as superior pop songwriters and craftsmen. ~ Michael Ofjord

At the close of the '60s, the Bee Gees had been performing and recording for several years, and Robin Gibb decided it was time to take off on his own. He left the band to attempt a solo career. When ROBIN'S REIGN flopped, he was welcomed back into the fold, but during his absence, Barry and Maurice stuck together to record CUCUMBER CASTLE. Robin's keening warble was a key element of the Bee Gees' vocal blend, and it's missed here, but the other Gibbs are plenty talented enough to keep things interesting on their own.

"If I Only Had My Mind On Something Else" is an instant winner in the classic Bee Gees ballad mold, elegantly orchestrated, it veers into '60s Bacharach territory with admirable skill. "I Lay Down and Die" is an angst-ridden epic, a pop opera worthy of Roy Orbison, and "Bury Me Down By the River" shows the R&B/Gospel roots often displayed in this period of the band's work. Instead of scaling things down, it seems Robin's absence encouraged his brothers to pursue an even more ambitious, lushly arranged and elegantly written musical vision.

Rolling Stone (6/25/70, pp.58-60) - "...homogeneity is perhaps the key to the Bee Gees...three talented brothers--who sing, write, and produce. If you got hooked on them with the vastly underrated ODESSA, don't miss [CUCUMBER CASTLE]..."