Customer Reviews

Odessey & Oracle: Deluxe Edition

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4 star:		(2)
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First, off, let me say that I couldn't be a bigger fan of "Odessey and Oracle." I have the '98 30th Anniversary edition, and I love it to death. If this remaster is your best shot at getting the album, buy it, by all means. It's a very nearly perfect record, easily one of the best of the sixties.

Having said that, the clips that I've listened to of the bonus tracks sound completely out of character with the album at hand. Most of them sound much more like a group trying to ape the Rolling Stones' sound circa "Flowers" or "Between the Buttons," and while that's not a bad thing, necessarily, I simply don't think that they achieve anything near the craft or individuality of the album itself. For that reason, I doubt I'd even listen to them much.

Moreover, the previous issue included, as part of the stereo version of the original album, the stereo take of "This Will Be Our Year," certainly one of the highlights of an album full of them. Personally, I greatly prefer that version, which, for technical reasons, does not include the horn charts of the finished version. In my opinion, the horns do nothing for the song, and in some parts, they are downright obtrusive. If the new master included, even as a bonus cut, the "sans horns" version of that tune, I might consider it. As is, no thanks.

And, again, I just don't think that these bonus tracks, which were recorded apparently somewhat piece-meal for a follow-up album that was never released, really add to the value of the album.

Okay, that's it. Like I said, if this is the version that you can find, don't hesitate to get this amazing album in any form that you can. Me, I'm sticking with my tried and true Big Beat version. Like the Beach Boys "Pet Sounds," to which this record is often compared, bonus cuts are relatively beside the point. This record is a perfect, unique entity, and recordings made by the band shortly thereafter are simply superfluous.

Many bands (the Beatles, the Beach Boys) at least dabbled in psychedelica, but the Zombies are often overlooked. For the 30th anniversary of "Odessey and Oracles," the Zombies' best album was rereleased in a new form, proving that their enchanting psychedelic pop has aged exceeedingly well.

The Zombies were unusually good at taking perky, sweet, lush music and wrapping it around a more serious song, such as the upbeat "Care of Cell 44" (guy writing to his jailed girlfriend), or the lovely "A Rose For Emily," a poignant little song that tells of a lonely woman doomed to stay lonely. "And as the years go by/she will grow old and die/The roses in her garden fade away/Not one left for her grave..."

But the Zombies aren't all sadness wrapped in happy music. There are perky songs about being happy in love, losing a love and hoping she'll return, and reminiscing about "golden days and golden summer nights." The album ends on a reassuring note with the laid-back "Time of the Season," which sounds like the ultimate hippie anthem.

I have no memories of the 60s, since I was only born in the eighties. But "Odessey and Oracle" gives a rosy glow to that era,. Psychedelic flair minus the hazy, and every song is a gem. Though "Time of the Season" was the sleeper hit from the album, it's not the best or catchiest song on here -- it's just one of many excellent ones.

Rod Argent was definitely an outstanding songwriter. He was able to create atmospheric and beautiful songs with very simple writing ("Brief candles in her mind/bright and tiny gems of memory"). Perhaps his finest moment here is "I knew he when summer was her crown/and autumn sad/how brown her eyes," as a kick-off to a colorful look at a woman compared to all the seasons.

Colin Blunstone's vocals were well-suited to the music: a bit husky, quite pleasant and mellow. The music itself was generally based on guitar, gentle drums, pretty piano, and wavering Mellotron, with a bit of accordian coming in in one song. There's a rich interweaving of many instruments, in all sorts of pop music. Some is almost classical in tone, some is uptempo stuff that is perfect for the radio.

The Zombies were in peak form in "Odessey and Oracle," churning out some of the purest pop music ever. As sweet and exquisite as it was in the 1960s.

I've been wanting this album or about a year now, but i can't get the import. so i've been patienty looking and waiting for this album, and it finally came. It is finally available in the U.S for the first time in 15 years(according to the sticker). And i must say, it was well worth the wait. This album is amazing. I bought it only having heard Time of the Season, and even though there are no other songs on this album like it, i love every single song. in my opinion you can't go wrong with this cd. I love it. Also, i like this reissue better than the 30th anniversary edition because I, personally, don't need the mono and stereo mix of the album, just one is fine for me. and on this copy you only get the stereo, and then you get 10 bonus tracks. I'd rather more bous tracks than another a different mix of the album i already heard. But that's just me.

Especially the last part of "Hung Up On A Dream" that I could listen to forever. At points the lead vocals remind of "Chelsea Girl" era Nico, and that's a good thing. The idea that most people only view The Zombies as the band who sang "Time of the Season" and "She's Not There" is ridiculous, and I was one of those people only a few weeks ago.

Along with 'Arthur' (By The Kinks for those who are unlucky to not have heard it) and 'Forever Changes' (By Love, and you have to hear "Alone Again Or"), this is the third melodic masterpiece of the late 60s not made by The Beatles. So for those who believe The Zombies are only good for soundtracking an Austin Powers movie, this album shows why John Lennon and The Hollies both wanted to produce an album for the band.

There's no way this minor group - nearly broke, on the way to breaking up in 1967 and seemingly stuck in an artistic rut - could have been expected to produce such a masterpiece. The songwriting, the harmonies, the performances are exquisite. This album caught more of that evocative summer than anything outside of Sgt. Pepper. Not one clinker in the bunch. There's a reason why this album was ranked #82 in the Rolling Stone Top 500 albums of all time and why some music giants today consider this album one of the most influential ever. This reissue is as low-fi as the original recording. You can almost hear the scratches from a cheap turntable. Enjoy!

Hailed belatedly by some critics as the British "Pet Sounds," "Odessey and Oracle" is, like Brian Wilson's triumph, a keyboard and choral-based pop masterpiece that has aged far more gracefully than many other albums of the era. Its melodies, harmonies and arrangements are as sophisticated yet accessible as the Beatles' finest moments, and without the aid of a George Martin: The Zombies wrote, produced, arranged and performed the entire album. The extremely cool hit "Time of the Season" is, like "Good Vibrations" or "Eight Miles High," a zenith of 1960's pop-rock Other tracks hint at Anglican hymnody and neo-baroque psychedelia. "Changes" would not sound out of place on a John Renbourn Group album. Only the well-intentioned but jarring anti-war piece, "The Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)" detracts from the overall effect. It is simply out of place. Imagine if someone dropped "Eve of Destruction" into the middle of "Astral Weeks" or the Trinity's "Czechoslovakia" into the middle of "Pet Sounds" and you get the idea. But that's why God made bonus tracks and programmable cd players! This Fuel 2000 reissue is superior to the "30th Anniversary" version in that it features several additional songs rather than alternate mixes only. I usually program out "Butcher's Tale" and replace it with "Smokey Day," "Remember the Swan" and "I'll Call You Mine," all recorded after the "Odessey and Oracle" sessions and each equal or even superior to almost anything else on the album.

The Zombies were almost ignored by the record buyers through most of their relatively short career from 1963-68. They only managed to release two albums and about a dozen singles, of which only three hit the charts. Almost everything they did record was of very high standards.
This album, their second, from 1967 is usually considered their best recording moment; and it really is a great album. Both songwriters Rod Argent and Chris White contribute strong material.
Except for "Butcher`s Tale" for which I never really cared, there are no fillers here.
Then to the extensive inclusion of great bonus tracks.
Chris White`s "I`ll Call You Mine" was the B-side of the "Time of the Season" single and as such a very logical choice. A great recording
The White/Argent collaboration single "Imagine the Swan" was the follow up to their world-wide hit; unfortunately it failed undeservedly. It was recorded after Colin Blunstone had left the band; in fact they did record an album`s worth of material which recently has been released in Japan titled "Rest in Peace" which was the origal working title for their never released follow-up album. Most of these recordings are featured here as bonus tracks. Most of these recordings are up to the same standards as "Odessey and Oracle".

Besides "I`ll Call You Mine" and "Imagine The Swan" songs like "Smokey Day" and "I Could Spend the Day" are all-time Zombies favourites of mine.

The Zombies 'Odessey & Oracle' (with bonus tracks) may well be the best CD I've ever heard. I can't honestly say I've ever enjoyed a CD more. My son (age 17) picked it up on a whim, (he liked Time of the Season), last August, and I've been playing it ever since. I'm addicted to 'Odessey & Oracle'. I've listened to it countless times since then, like once or twice a day, nearly every day. It's the singing, the vocals. Euphoric! They are just so happy, just so glad to be there! This is a CD in which the band just loves to sing - joyous, baroque, harmonious Beach Boys Beatles Barclay James Harvest Steeleye Span-like, they just love to sing! The lead vocals, the harmony vocals, the second harmony vocals, the background sounds, the oohs and ahhs and Beatlely little accents and touches permeate the disc - this band just loves to sing. Euphoric, that's it. Every cut is a musical journey, every cut has something special to offer, including the bonus tracks, (on which they also love to sing). I have no idea how I missed this when it was new, but I did. It's magnificent. I'm forever indebted to my son for finding it for me. (good thing I had him!) If you don't have it, GET IT!!! NOW!

Found this album at a garage sale when I was 10, fell in love with it, & now years later am thrilled to find that it exceeds even my youthful enthusiasm. I've never before been moved to write a review on this site before, but this album is the exception (I'm listening to it as I type). Think about a "Something Else" -era Kinks infused with "Carrie Anne"ish Hollies vocal harmonies and "Ummagumma"-era Pink Floyd production values and you'd be starting on the right track - but there's so much more to "Odyssey" than that. "Time of the Season" is the radio track, of course, but a moody masterpiece like "Beechwood Park" and the immense, spacious, otherworldly "Hung Up On A Dream" actually put it to shame. Apart from the dreadful "Butcher's Tale," there isn't a bad cut in the bunch - and you can hear threads of the remainder of the disc woven throughout rock history from '67 onward. "Influential" doesn't begin to describe the impact of this disc; basically, the entire history of '60s britpop is rewritten in the course of 40 minutes by this sadly underrated band. "Odyssey" also benefits from seeming somehow timeless - despite some incredibly naive lyrics (to 21st-century ears) this is incredibly forward-looking music. And still, it oozes late-'60s England with every chord. And just _try_ to play along with it...never has sophistication so moved you to snap your fingers...