Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent discuss their seminal 1968 album 'Odessey and Oracle', using The Beatles' mellotron and the inspiration behind many of their hits, including A Rose For Emily.
The Zombies were one of the best bands in the 60's. An album as good as 'Odessey and Oracle' can only be made by geniuses. And The Zombies certainly were.
It was my freshman year in college that I first heard "Time of the Season" in early 1969, without having ever listened to 'Odessey and Oracle'. My first thought was, "Wow, haven't heard from the Zombies in ages !" Little did I know then that the song was recorded almost two years earlier and the group had broken up more than a year before the song became a hit.
Rod mentioning Brian Wilson's bass playing innovations of Pet Sounds as a primary influence! It cannot be understated how important that album is for musical innovation. Pet Sounds will always be no.1, nothing comes close (of course) - but Odessey And Oracle is for me as good as, if not better than Rubber Soul
🎵 When Im 64 🎶 Ill still listen to the Genius Work of Pop-Art Zombies Album Odessey & Oracle! This album (which had a typo on the cover hence the misspelling) is so ahead of its time, its psychedelic power pop! The first song Is a love song to a girlfriend in prison & its adorable! The melodies & lyrics are so catchy & every song is great. I urge everyone to check out this album!
"The Butchers Tale" as the first American single is a mind blower. I love it, but the imagery if WW I trench warfare is very heavy. The pump organ is a very old-timey sonic texture. Chris singing at the top of his range and just hitting the notes adds to the stress that makes the horrific memories of the traumatized vet so real. I can only think that a person at the record company thought the antiwar message would appeal to the youth during the Viet Nam era it was released.
Tonight I was able to see one of my all time favorite bands, The Zombies. What a thrill it was to see and hear them perform. It was a great seeing Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone in concert after first hearing their album in 1964
Saw them in Ridgefield last night, May 8 2017. They remain very very special. Shame they were a bit anachronistic for the edgier late 60s music scene. I am happy that Odessey and Oracle has found the audience it deserves. It is one of the great albums ever recorded.
While it's true what they say here about not really having any band they considered a rival to The Zombies, another excellent group of the day, Procol Harum, were somewhat similar in having an artsiness about much of their work. Nice interview.
+Galantski Yeah, 'O&O' does have a Procul Harum thing going on... I'd also compare them to the American band Left Banke, who had two hits in '66/''67. LB was called "Baroque pop" by some journalists because of their unusual (for the day) arrangements and strings. Maybe one could call 'O&O' "Renaissance pop", especially on songs like "Changes", which has recently become my favorite song on the album.
Interesting tidbit about Dave Stewart. And for those wondering, no -- this isn't the Eurythmics' Dave Stewart. Egg was an early progressive rock trio usually lumped in with Canterbury style bands like Soft Machine, Caravan, and Hatfield and the North (which DS also played in.)
Great, bought so many albums back then, saw so many bands. Zombies forgotten by me apart from 2 great singles. Many American 60's reviewers picking this album as one of their best so it's time for me to get into it belatedly!
Sorry, kids, but I rate Odessey way higher than Sgt. Pepper - Odessey has NO filler, just killerthe whole way through, but Sgt Pepper , despite the amazing peaks, is way too patchy.
I think Pet Sounds is a more comparable album. The two are generally considered to be baroque pop masterpieces, while Sgt. Pepper leans closer to psychedelic rock/pop. I do prefer Odessey to Pepper regardless.
I hate when I go to a psychedelic album, people often compare 'em to Sgt. Pepper. Odessey and Oracle stands on its own for me. Sgt. Pepper maybe overrated cuz I think Revolver is more superior imo.
Odessey is my favourite British album of all time, no question. The Kinks, Beatles, Pretty Things, Smiths, Arctic Monkeys and Amy Winehouse have all made albums that have excited, inspired and touched me beyond belief over the years but this is my #1.
The zombies famous with she's not there happy to having the zombies UK British invasion ..famous in the 60s until today . Beatles influence with they .own unique style ..very welcome. .. I love it
