The Zombies

1-6-09 The Zombies

ZOMBIES, THE KNIGHT RIDING (Collection) KNIGHT UK KNCD 110015

CD 1990 14 TRK Collection (60's recordings)

ZOMBIES, THE ODESSEY AND ORACLE DATE US TES 4013

LP 1968 12 TRKS 2nd cover, re-issue

ZOMBIES, THE ODESSEY AND ORACLE IMPERIAL JPN TECI-21220

CD 1968 28 TRKS ('04 issue) kami sleeve (14 x bonus tracks, both mono & stereo versions)

ZOMBIES, THE ROCK ROOTS (Collection) DECCA AUS VMP 1018

LP 1975? 16 TRK Collection (60's recordings)

ZOMBIES, THE SHE'S NOT THERE / TELL HER NO LONDON US 5N-59029

7" 1970? 2 TRKS with pic sleeve, re-issue

ZOMBIES, THE TIME OF THE SEASON / FRIENDS OF MINE EPIC/SONY JPN 06.5P-43

7" 1969? 2 TRKS with pic sleeve, re-issue

Always a bone of contention – whether or not I like The Zombies. Yes, I like The Zombies. As you can see, I have enough Zombies for a casual fan; a proper CD & LP for their acknowledged meisterwerk, “Odessey And Oracle” and all of their charting singles, as well as both a collection LP & CD covering their Decca era. I am not intended audience for a 5CD Zombies boxed set.

At some point in the 1990’s, it became decided that “Odessey And Oracle” was somehow under-rated, hence resulting in it becoming over-rated (in my humble opinion) – a similar scenario to Love’s “Forever Changes” (in the 80’s). I like “Odessey And Oracle” a lot, but I do not consider it to be any more important than, say, “Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake” by The Small Faces or Family “Music In A Doll’s House” (clearly the best LP of that era, for me).

In short, “Odessey And Oracle” has already received it’s fair due, with critical re-appraisal – and a new multiple-disc re-mastered CD issue. And the pop music history books have now been re-written to include it. I suspect the reason it was initially ‘left out’ of any assessment of pop music was it’s failure to chart in England. And we all know that thanks to Al Kooper, it got released in the US, and “Time Of The Season” was a fair-sized hit here.

More recently, I have become interested in Rod Argent’s work after The Zombies, notably his group simply called Argent. Everybody known their big hit, “Hold Your Head Up”, a very decent early 70’s hit single. I have a couple of their LP’s, and their “Best Of” (“Anthology”) CD.

And let’s not forget the wonderful work Colin Blunstone did with Dave Stewart (the keyboard player from Egg) – I love Gaskin & Stewart’s stuff! So, please – no more teasing me about how I don’t like or respect The Zombies!