Artist – Album: The Zombies – Odessey & Oracle
Released: 19th
April 1968
Sounds Like: Everything you want a great 60's album to sound like
From the goofy misspelt title to the eye sore of the album
cover, there’s much on first glance at this Zombies record that doesn’t work.
Indeed, a first spin of the opening song ‘Care
of Cell 44’ may confirm your worst suspicions that this is the nothing more
than typical flower power fluff of the late 60’s, like the aural equivalent of
the original Batman TV series, or Austin Powers.
Repeated listens of that first song though reveal it to be
way more than a real life version of Spinal Tap’s ‘We Are the Flower People’. With an intriguing premise (written as a
letter to a soon-to-be released inmate from their love back home), playful song
structure – check out that middle choral harmony break, as good as anything the
Beach Boys put together – and a catchy, if insanely happy, tune. Its excellent
blend of simplicity and depth has seen it covered by many, including important
modern(ish) artists such as Elliott Smith and Of Montreal. Likewise, the entire
album is on one level a light hearted romp through the psychedelic pop, but
packed to the brim with hidden subtleties and nuances that prevent it from ever
going stale.
The well known hits like ‘This Will Be Our Year’ and ‘Time
of the Season’ obviously sparkle, and
if you’re not familiar with them then you’ve got some living to do, but the whole album is phenomenal. ‘Friends
of Mine’ and ‘I Want Her, She Wants
Me’ are delirious, infectious froth. ‘Maybe
After He’s Gone’ and ‘Brief Candles’ are
autumnal songs with a deep sense of longing; ‘Butcher’s Tale’ is a haunting war ballad, with a sombre verse but
stunning chorus; and ‘Hung Up On a Dream’
is a pocket psychedelic symphony.
Before today, fifteen of the one hundred and eight albums
reviewed on this blog had earned themselves that dreamt of score of ten out of
ten. This is number sixteen. And, despite its flaws, it may be my favourite of
the lot.
Albumaday... rating:
10/10
1. Care
of Cell 44 – 3:57
2. A
Rose for Emily – 2:19
3. Maybe
After He’s Gone – 2:34
4. Beechwood
Park – 2:44
5. Brief
Candles – 3:30
6. Hung
Up on a Dream – 3:02
7. Changes
– 3:20
8. I
Want Her, She Wants Me – 2:53
9. This
Will Be Our Year – 2:08
10. Butcher’s
Tale (Western Front 1914) – 2:48
11. Friends
of Mine – 2:18
12. Time
of the Season – 3:34
Listen to ‘This Will
Be Our Year’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf7wRe4AUtU
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Also released on the 19th April:
1971: The Doors – L.A. Woman
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Also released on the 19th April:
2005: Eels – Blinking Lights and Other Revelations
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