Idea

‘Idea’ was the second album the Bee Gees would release in 1968, the crisp autumn response to winter’s darker ‘Horizontal.’ Robin Gibb’s unique vocals shine in “In the Summer of His Years,” and on the stunning often-covered single, “I Started a Joke.” Barry Gibb delivers a gorgeous performance on the affecting ballad “When the Swallows Fly.” The album’s other single, “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You,” is a standout track, with a strong bass line from Maurice Gibb. The song follows a man who is desperate to send a final missive to his wife before he is executed for killing her lover. This was the Bee Gees’ first track to break Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The group is more upbeat on rock tracks “Kitty Can,” “Indian Gin and Whisky Dry,” and “Such a Shame.” The latter is the only song on the record not written by the brothers, but guitarist Vince Melouney.