When I was first pointed towards the direction of The Zombies, I was expecting a tonal approach more akin to the style of Cannibal Corpse that the lush harmonies of sixties psychedelic pop. Luckily enough though, the latter proved to be entirely the case. The high watermark of this St. Albans five piece’s brief existence Odessey And Oracle, represents their only record of original material and furthermore one of the most notable offerings from the considerable musical pallet of their era. Ironically, by the time Odessey was released in April 1968 the group had already split leaving the fate of their legacy to musician Al Kooper, who after extolling the LP’s virtues on numerous occasions convinced his label Columbia Records to give the record a push. Sultry album closer, ‘Time of the Season’ was eventually released as a single in 1969 and hit no.3 on the US Billboard chart. Forty years on the LP still remains a joy to listen to, kicking off with the euphoric ‘Care Of Cell 44’ before passing through the dreamy ‘Brief Candles’ and powerful protest song ‘Butcher’s Tale’ Odessey covers a wide musical landscape which has largely contributed to its continuing inclusion in many a ‘top albums’ list. Most recently it was ranked 80 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
‘Odessey and Oracle’ can be purchased for £8.98 at amazon.co.uk here
A modified line-up of the band will embark on a UK tour this month. Check out the dates at the band’s MySpace here
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