Customer Reviews

Live at the Bloomsbury Theatre London

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Not much to say since after seeing them live I had a good idea of what to expect. While everyone knows the iconic hits, there are a number of hidden "gems" and the version of "Hold Your Head Up" is as great as it was live. If you like the Zombies, and that brief but exciting British invasion era, you should like this.

While Colin Blunstone hay have aged, his voice sounds almost as good as it did 40 years ago. Versions of "Care of Cell 44", "Time Of the Season", "Tell Her No" , and an uptempo cover of "What Becomes Of the Brokenhearted" incorporate the breathy vocals of Blunstone with the one of a kind keyboard playing of Rod Argent. This is a must own for true Zombies fans as it provides a very rare live performance from a band that broke up before their huge success with the album "Odessey and Oracle"

In the broadest sense, I think it's fair to say that the Zombies got a raw deal. They were one of the most talented and intelligent bands during the latter part of the British invasion, and yet they were thrown on the scrap heap of history. Two ridiculously catchy hit singles swept through America during our '64-'65 obsession with the London scene; "Tell Her No" and "She's Not There" combine raw rock and roll with a jazz sensibility that still sounds fresh today. Subsequently, their record company rewarded the band by refusing to issue their brilliant psychedelic album masterpiece entitled "Odessey and Oracle." Thankfully, Al Kooper (of Blood, Sweat & Tears, the Dylan sessions, et. al.) saw the folly of this decision and begged Columbia to right the situation. Eventually, the album saw daylight, but sold poorly, despite the extracted single that became a best seller. "Time of the Season" sounded ahead of its time in 1968, despite the fact that it was recorded nearly two years before its release. Eventually, the band collapsed under the weight of so much indifference, and the most we've heard since then is the occasional project by keyboardist Rod Argent.
"Live at Bloomsbury Theatre" celebrates the reunion of Rod Argent with vocalist Colin Blunstone. Technically, they alone cannot represent a reforming of the Zombies, since songwriter/vocalist Chris White has always been an integral part of the band. His absence is felt, but after so much time, it's nice to hear these tunes, even without White's crucial input. The CD is a generous 2-disk set containing 25 songs, while the DVD pairs the song selection down to a less unwieldy 15 tracks. The editing is a good thing, allowing the video to hold the viewer's interest significantly better than the CD collection. All of the major hits are here, including Argent's best-known solo work, such as "Hold Your Head Up" and "God Gave Rock and Roll to You." The performances are admirably executed, often utilizing a string section to augment that standard rock and roll configuration of the actual band. Argent sounds great and Blunstone is in fine voice throughout. In summation, "Live at the Bloomsbury" is a fine but faulted collection, never quite transcending its aura of nostalgia, while glossing over the absence of Chris White. B Tom Ryan

Here is another great group from the 60's & the 70's that got back together for one heck of a concert some may or may not know the name of the group Argent but if you know the song hold your head up or the Zombies biggest hit time of the season then this live 2-disc of them live in concert is a great way to remember them.

Rondall

I bought this video after watching a PBS special wherein Colin Blunstone was singing a few of the Zombies old hits (She's not there, Tell her no, Time of the season)from the'60's that I was familiar with. I am embarrassed to say that I was not familiar with all of the work that he and Rod Argent have done since those days. From the minute the video began, I was blown away by "Andorra" as well as all of the other songs "Mystified", "Sanctuary",and "This will be our year", to name but a few. The video is seamlessly well edited, and a unique pleasure to watch. In fact, we cannot stop watching it!

Having seen many of the super groups of the 60's and 70's I never had the pleasure to see the Zombies. They were one of my favorite groups but never got to experience a live concert. Last year I was able to see this concert and it definately proves that the Zombies are one of the greats which this album captures as good as possible.

This live 2 CD set is a great compilation of the best of the Zombies and the successor group Argent. I saw them in concert this past summer (July 2009) and they were great... this CD was for sale at the venue and I regret not having purchased it there. For whatever reason, in this recording, they have cut out all the intros and stories that they peppered us with during the concert, which I found helpful in gaining a greater appreciation for the Zombies, the foray into Argent after the breakup, and how the some of the group came back together. From the concert I learned that even the "replacements" had connections to the original band, however. And - the music, well performed as it is in this CD, is still the music. Unclear to me is why some of the tracks include a string ensemble.

The newly reformed Zombies band proves that it can still rock with plenty of power. Timeless classics such as an extended version of "She's Not There" and "Time Of The Season" are presented alongside Argent songs such as "Hold Your Head Up" and a few of Colin's solo songs. No, this isn't a complete reunion, as Chris White is not present for whatever reason, but nevertheless this 2-CD set captures The Zombies' original magic. The backup players are great, and add to the amazing sound significantly.

This is sort of the tour that never was. Since Odyssey and Oracle wasn't released until after The Zombies split, no one ever got to hear these songs live ... until now. It's like what The Doors did for LA Woman - in 2001, Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger hired a new frontman and toured with the album. This is The Zombies doing the same thing, and the results are tremendous.

The Zombies (with the same lineup featured here) played Hippiefest last year and I went. It was a very good performance. The Zombies have not lost their touch.

I have always been a fan of Argent. And to see them live on DVD after all these years, was a rare treat. I've watched the concert DVD a couple of times, yet, I can honestly say the price was worth it just to see Rod Argent play his craft. I'm just a sucker for Hammond B3 players. While the Leslie speakers aren't twirling on the sides, watching Rod play is pure "Pleasure". Colin is singing with passion, the drums and base play to the talent around them, the strings were a nice addition. The bands song selection included all thier major hits, especially God Gave Rock and Roll to You, and Hold Your Head Up.

Thanks for the reuniting of this great group! It's really a trip to be able to finally see one of my early hero's live, since I never had the chance to see Argent live in concert.

By the way, if you really like Rod Argent, look for "Red House". It's quite a departure of his "fury on the organ", more laid back and introspective, yet shows his talent as a composure.

JLMankin