Cucumber Castle

Cucumber Castle (1970) is the only Bee Gees record to not feature Robin Gibb, who, at the time, was working on a solo album. The name “Cucumber Castle” should be familiar to Bee Gees’ fans: it’s also the title of a song on Bee Gees 1st and the name of their 1970 television special. The hour-long comedy, originally aired on the BBC, featured brothers Barry and Maurice Gibb as the two sparring sons of a king, hence the medieval-inspired garb they sport on the album’s cover. The album itself features a collection of tracks with country, soul and folk influences. It opens with the dulcet “If I Only Hand My Mind on Something Else,” before fading into “I.O.I.O.” One of the more surprising tracks on the album, the catchy “I.O.I.O” is an upbeat rock track featuring Maurice Gibb on the perky chorus. The lush orchestration of the group’s 60s offerings is revisited on the pining “I Was the Child” and the gorgeous ballad “Turning Tide,” written for Barry’s wife Linda. The album’s big hit single is its final track, “Don’t Forget to Remember,” which features a country twang similar to tracks including “The Lord” and “Sweetheart,” yet is just as melodious as any of the group’s sentimental ballads.