243. The Zombies, "Odessey and Oracle"

 


Do you want the good news first or the bad news?  OK, good news first: yes, this album is a stone cold classic, widely beloved and bearing one of the best songs ever (which we will discuss in more detail below); a psych-era gem; a record store clerk talisman.  The bad news?  Uhhhh, I guess it's not perfect?  This narrative device didn't work out great.

Let's talk about the good part first.  There are some absolute bangers on this album.  The first song, "Care of Cell 44," a song you know even if you don't recognize the title (which appears nowhere in the song), written from the perspective of a guy writing his girlfriend in prison, is a lovely pop confection, with Beach Boys-esque vocals and a Mellotron and the whole nine.  (There's also the deliciously contemporary tidbit that they wanted to call it "Care of Cell 69" and their American publisher wouldn't let them.  NICE.)  "A Rose for Emily" is baroque pop, all piano and delicate vocals, chamber music for flower children, based on a Faulkner short story.  "Time of the Season," the only hit at the time from the record, is nice but has been so overplayed now it just reads like easy listening to me, the kind of song playing as part of a K-Tel comp records commercial during Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (and if any of those references make sense to you, hello my fellow Gen Xer).

And then there's "This Will Be Our Year," one of the greatest songs in the history of rock music.  Do yourself a favor and take 2 minutes and 7 seconds - that's all it takes - and listen:


Wow.  The piano is not especially complex, but that vocal line is just mesmerizing.  Somehow it's sad and nostalgic but then hopeful and uplifting?  I can't figure it out exactly.  I also can't imagine how Chris White came up with that vocal melody, which Colin Blunstone just went to town with.  As you can imagine, it's been covered a ton, by everyone from Foo Fighters to OK Go to Susanna Hoffs.  This song is my "Waterloo Sunset."

As for the bad news, not every song is that great; some of them are overwrought and trying too hard.  Luckily, that's just a couple.  (I could live without "Changes," just to take an example.)  Most of this album is a psych-pop joy.  (BTW, The album cover artist misspelled "Odyssey" on the cover and ... they just kept it?  I mean, why not just have him fix it?  Weird.)

The Zombies broke up before this album was even released.  Rod Argent went on to prog success, and the others to less successful music careers.  Inevitably, the band has reformed in different configurations since.  Luckily they left this behind.

Does this album deserve to be in the Top 500? Most definitely.

Comments

  1. StephenDecember 10, 2021 at 12:18 PM

    Were I a pharoah, I'd want the snare and hi-hat sound on Care of Cell 44 buried with me in my sarcophagus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TKDecember 10, 2021 at 2:34 PM

      Well of course after reading this I had to go listen again and yes, that is a very pleasing hi hat and snare sound.

      Delete

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