[1][2] The artwork on the Polydor release designed by Wolfgang Heilemann featured a "beehive" neon lightbulb with a group photo in its base, while the North American ATCO release designed by Klaus Voormann featured a composite head made from each band member.

The LP's opening track, "Let There Be Love", in a limited release as a single in early 1970, reached the Top 20 in the Netherlands.

"[8] The band started recording Idea in January 1968 after a Christmas holiday in Australia, and a few weeks after the Horizontal sessions.

By March, Barry, Maurice, and Colin participated on the track "By the Light of the Burning Candle" by The Marbles, a newly formed band at that time made up of members Graham Bonnet and Trevor Gordon.

In June, Robin recorded "The Band Will Meet Mr. Justice", "The People's Public Joke", "Indian Gin and Whisky Dry", "The Girl to Share Each Day", "Come Some Halloween or Christmas Day", "My Love Life Expired", and "Heaven in My Hand", a mono tape of seven songs which was credited only to him.

In the same month, they recorded "Completely Unoriginal", "Kilburn Towers", the Vince Melouney composition "Such a Shame", "Indian Gin and Whisky Dry", "When the Swallows Fly", "Idea", "Come Some Christmas Eve or Halloween", "Maypole News", "Men of Men", and "I Started a Joke".

In July, "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" was recorded in the same session as "I Laugh in Your Face" (released on Odessa, 1969) following the completion of the album, but was only included on the US version.

Jared Johnson, writing in the Atlanta Constitution, opined that Idea was 'a vast improvement' over the Bee Gees' previous LP, 'though they still haven't reached their full potential.

'[13] Mike Newsome, writing in the Lancaster Telegraph said that the album was 'packed with original Bee Gees ideas, imagination and inventiveness.

[15] Of 21st century critics, Allmusic's Bruce Eder describes "I Started a Joke" as very much of piece with their early work.

[10] This was to be the last Bee Gees album released while Vince Melouney was a member of the group: he left after the late 1968 European tour.