The Zombies Albums (3)
'Odessey and Oracle: 40th Anniversary Live Concert'
Release Date 1/1/2008
Tracks 23
Label Universal S.A.
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What The Critics Say
Odessey and Oracle was one of the flukiest (and best) albums of the 1960s, and one of the most enduring long-players to come out of the entire British psychedelic boom, mixing trippy melodies, ornate choruses, and lush Mellotron sounds with a solid hard rock base. But it was overlooked completely in England and barely got out in America (with a big push by Al Kooper, who was then a Columbia Records producer); and it was neglected in the U.S. until the single "Time of the Season," culled from the album, topped the charts nearly two years after it was recorded, by which time the group was long disbanded. Ironically, at the time of its recording in the summer of 1967, permanency was not much on the minds of the bandmembers. Odessey and Oracle was intended as a final statement, a bold last hurrah, having worked hard for three years only to see the quality of their gigs decline as the hits stopped coming. The results are consistently pleasing, surprising, and challenging: "Hung Up on a Dream" and "Changes" are some of the most powerful psychedelic pop/rock ever heard out of England, with a solid rhythm section, a hot Mellotron sound, and chiming, hard guitar, as well as highly melodic piano. "Changes" also benefits from radiant singing. "This Will Be Our Year" makes use of trumpets (one of the very few instances of real overdubbing) in a manner reminiscent of "Penny Lane"; and then there's "Time of the Season," the most well-known song in their output and a white soul classic. Not all of the album is that inspired, but it's all consistently interesting and very good listening, and superior to most other psychedelic albums this side of the Beatles' best and Pink Floyd's early work. Indeed, the only complaint one might have about the original LP is its relatively short running time, barely over 30 minutes, but even that's refreshing in an era where most musicians took their time making their point, and most of the CD reissues have bonus tracks to fill out the space available. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
'The Zombies (Featuring She's Not There and Tell Her No)'
Release Date 1/1/1965
Tracks 12
Label Parrot
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What The Critics Say
After the double-sided hit single "She's Not There" b/w "You Make Me Feel Good" topped the U.S. charts in the fall of 1964, Parrot Records quickly culled together this LP for 1965 release. The dozen tracks were taken from material the Zombies cut for their 1965 U.K. debut album, Begin Here. Also included are "It's Alright With Me" and "Sometimes" from the combo's self-titled EP. Regardless of presentation, The Zombies (Featuring She's Not There and Tell Her No) aptly portrays the quintet of Chris White (bass), Rod Argent (keyboards/vocals), Colin Blunstone (guitar/vocals), Paul Atkinson (guitar), and Hugh Grundy (drums) in terms of the band's fresh blend of intelligent Brit-pop. Their efforts are equally laudable on the strength of originals such as "Tell Her No" and "What More Can I Do" as they are on the blue-eyed soulful medley interpretation of the Miracles' "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" with Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me." This is stylistically complemented by the R&B rave-up on Muddy Waters' "I Got My Mojo Working" and the ultra hip jazzy arrangement of the Gershwin standard "Summertime." The Zombies' obvious appreciation for adeptly crafted melodies and rich vocal harmonies likewise made them favorites of pop fans as well as more discerning listeners. "Work 'n' Play" is an instrumental credited to producer Ken Jones. Initially, the piece was simply used to fill out the long-player. That was until the tune was more fully developed by the band, and under the direction of Argent's fiery lead harmonica they turn the proposed filler into a rock & roll killer. Those wishing to obtain a more thorough examination of this era are directed to the decidedly more thorough 2001 Repertoire reissue of Begin Here or the "final word" four-disc Zombie Heaven anthology from 1997. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
