Odessey and Oracle

The British rock invasion of the 1960's was overwhelming and The Beatles, Stones, Who, Kinks etc. dominated the airwaves, and from 1966 on, following The Beatles lead, albums became more ambitious and musically creative. "Odessey and Oracle", by The Zombies, was one of those more adventurous albums.
The Zombies were a little different in that their music was driven by the keyboard playing of Rod Argent, not unlike The Animals, whose sound was propelled by the organ and piano playing of Alan Price. The Animals were much more blues and R and B oriented than The Zombies, and had the raw power of Eric Burdon's vocals. In contrast The Zombies had a much more delicate, classical-pop sound, owing much to the unique vocals of lead-singer Colin Blunstone.
The album "Odessey and Oracle" released in 1968 was the creative highpoint in their career and it echoed the music of The Beatles, The Left Banke, and The Bee Gees 1st album. The music has a very cohesive sound with all of the songs written by Rod Argent and bassist Chris White. There is much vocal and orchestral embellishment, highlighted by Argent's extensive and early use of the mellotron.
WARNING: If you are looking for some searing guitar and soulful-rockin' songs, or find Colin Blunstones vocal style annoying, then this album is NOT FOR YOU.
Since most of the rock groups of the '60s were guitar-driven, the list of great solos and riffs are too numerous to mention. On the other hand, keyboard solos are much rarer, a few examples would be Ray Manzareks work with The Doors (LIght My Fire), Alan Price with The Animals (House of the Rising Sun), Matthew Fisher in Procol Harum (Whiter Shade of Pale), Rod Argent's wurlitzer piano solos on "She's Not There" and "I Love You" and his organ solos on the final song of "O and O", "The Time of the Season". Unfortunately by the time the album was released in the U.S. and "Time.." had become a hit, The Zombies had been broken up for some time.
The album had not been a hit in England and it would not have even been released in the U.S. except for the advocacy of songwriter, musician, A & R man, Al Kooper. (Kooper, himself, had gained much of his fame from his keyboard work with Bob Dylan and particularly his organ playing on "Like a Rolling Stone").
The music and vocals are all excellent on "Odessey..", however some of the flowery lyrics don't hold up as well today. My favorite lyric is a line in "Time of the Season" that begins: "what's your name, who's your daddy .." and it always brings a smile to my face, and Colin Blunstones one-of-a-kind delivery makes it classic.

Man, this is probably my favorite album of all time. Wonderfully psychadelic (trust me!) and the music is so harmonious with lasting melodies. This album influenced many bands (all the way to Superdrag!) and i believe it will inspire you as well. IT'S THE BOMB!

Alright, it'd take about seven lives to go through a tenth of the psychedelic output from the mid sixties and I may still have a hell of a lot to discover end enjoy, but in my book, this is by far the best record I've ever heard. Better than anything the Beatles or Brian Wilson ever did in terms of LP, with the exception of 'Smile' probably.
All twelve tracks are killers, replete with spine-tingling vocal harmonies, light-hearted melodies and clever arrangements. Not a thing I do not adore about this record. Even the artwork does it for me.
After more than a zillion listenings I still unearth new tricks burried in the mix.
Standout tracks : 'Care of Cell 44'(gushing vocal harmonies, more intense than anything the Beach Boys ever did), 'A Rose For Emily' (rates higher than Macca's For No One'), 'Beechwood Park' (will make you want to purchase a tremolo FX pedal)...
You gotta own this album !

I bought this album on vinyl after hearing "Time of the Season" on "Rock Machine Turns You On" - probably the best "sampler album" ever released. When I was a lad, I used to buy Mono albums in preference to that new fangled Stereo stuff - how I regret that now :-)

Anyway, just before buying this album, I had purchased a stereo amp - but could not afford speakers - so I only had headphones. Thus, imagine my surprise - I played the first side of this album - Mono. Then, turned over - and - glorious Stereo! This is an affect that no-one today will probably experience. However, if you program the re-release CD, you can experience this effect as well. I wish I could hear that vinyl again - but alas - I lost it long ago.

As to the music, I do not need to repeat the superlatives - some tracks like "Brief Candles" are excellent - and others are best forgotten. Nevertheless, like "Butterfly" from The Hollies, this album is one that should never be forgotten.

Mint copies of the original record have sold for hundreds of dollars in specialty vinyl shops around for years. When this album was finally re-issued on CD I purchased it the first time I saw it on the store shelf.

The Zombies called it quits just after releasing "Odessey and Oracle" citing lack of funding to promote the record. Released in March (UK) and June (USA) of 1968, the album never gained any steam and was destined to fall hopelessly into obscurity. Only when "Time of The Season" became a surprise hit single in 1969, did the record label apply any interest to the record, "releasing" it once again with an alternate cover. CBS Records head of A&R, Al Cooper even persuaded Zombie's Rod Argent and Chris White to pony up their own advanced royalties from the album to go back into the studio to mix a stereo version specifically for the US market. It's a bittersweet story for a great band and a remarkable record that is a truly great example in mastery of the genre, to share in the spotlight with the likes of Sgt. Peppers and Pet Sounds.