One Year [Import]

Colin Blunstone | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 16, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000251VE
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #236,326 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. She Loves the Way They Love Her

2. Misty Roses

3. Smokey Day

4. Caroline Goodbye

5. Though You Are Far Away

6. Mary Won't You Warm My Bed

7. Her Song

8. I Can't Live Without You

9. Let Me Come Closer to You

10. Say You Don't Mind

Editorial Reviews

2002 reissue of 1971 album (that's unavailable domestically), packaged in a digipak. Epic. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Post-Zombies Gem, July 5, 2004

By 

Leonardo Flores "Uplandmod" (Whittier, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Year (Audio CD)

The post Zombies album recorded with 3/5 of them after they broke up. If you're a fan of their music this is the one solo record you absolutely need to buy. The album can be split into two parts: The pure pop songs of Mary Won't You...,She Loves The WAY They love Her, Caroline Goodbye and the absolutely beautiful sting arrangements of such songs as Misty Roses and Say You Don't Mind. Very Crafty! The current Zombies Touring group (Featuring Colin and Rod Argent) played two songs from this LP in LA and brought a string Quartet with them. Misty Roses and Say You Don't Mind Live will be a memory I'll never forget. There is a reason why they played two songs off this LP: It's one of the BEST! Buy it and love it!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classy 70's pop masterpiece, April 11, 2008

By 

Elliot Knapp (Seattle, Washington United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: One Year (Audio CD)

One Year, so named for the year Colin Blunstone took off from the music business after the Zombies' failure to translate their incredible musicianship, songwriting and recording into commercial success, is nearly the equal (in quality) of the band's masterpiece, Odessey and Oracle. Not surprisingly, though, the album was even less successful than the Zombies' swan song. Luckily, all these years later, it's at last gaining some of the respect it deserves.

Essentially, the album is half finely-crafted 70's pop rock, half quirky ballads and more atmospheric tunes featuring primarily Blunstone's voice and incredibly compelling string arrangements. Of course, Blunstone's voice is the key draw--any fan of the Zombies is familiar with how ethereal, ghostly, and liquid it is, and One Year doesn't disappoint on the vocal front. The opener, "She Loves The Way They Love Her," is the first of several tracks that should have been hit singles, replete with a hook-laden vocal part and some screaming electric guitar. "Misty Roses" is a jazzy ballad; halfway through, the strings are introduced for the first time on the album, playing unusually dissonant lines, but it really works. When the vocal returns, it's backed only by the strings, and it's heavenly. "Smokey Day" is another slow-burner, with dual Blunstone vocals breathily harmonizing with one another in the darkness. "Caroline Goodbye" is another should-have-been hit single--the way Blunstone sings "no use pretending/I've known for a long time/your love ending," then wordlessly sighs is pure pop magic. Add "Mary Won't You Warm My Bed" to the list, with its springy beat and Blunstone's high-register vocal acrobatics. "Her Song" is one of the most successful string collaborations; instead of taking center stage as they do on other songs, they smoothly set a foundation for the singer's romantic pleadings. "I Can't Live Without You" is another of my string favorites--the cellos lay down a Gershwin-esque groove, and the soaring, wordless refrain is glorious (seriously). The album ends with the upbeat, searching "Say You Don't Mind," which displays more peppy strings and some of Blunstone's most hair-raising vocals. A fitting end to an emotionally-genuine and all-around catchy pop record.

Not only does he perform excellently on the album, Blunstone also reveals himself as a capable songwriting talent, independently penning four of the album's tracks (former Zombies Rod Argent and Chris White co-write three others). Although it doesn't really fit the bill of the psychedelic/baroque/jazz/ragtime/classical blend that made the Zombies tick, fans should be warmly rewarded by Blunstone's familiarly breathtaking pipes and the high standard of songwriting associated with the former group's members. The next one to check out is Ennismore, and after that, Journey--luckily they were both just released on a 2 on 1 (Ennismore/Journey)!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Absolute Beauty, July 22, 2004

By 

Juan Mobili (Valley Cottage, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Year (Audio CD)

What a gorgeous, gorgeous album this is!
Unlike many others, Colin Blunstone was not someone I knew or loved back when he fronted The Zombies nor when this album originally came out, yet I fell under its spell immediately upon the first listening.
I don't know if this has ever happened to you but this is one of those albums that, even as you hear each song for the first time, makes you feel that you are meeting again with an old friend or, more accurately, that you has just met a kindred spirit.
"Misty Roses," which you may know through Tim Hardin's original already, is simply breathtaking. In this version, it starts almost in a hush, a gentle guitar hinting bossa nova-like chords, as Blunstone glides over the melody, and then evolves into a string quartet interlude that, when you stopped expecting it, returns you to the original melody as he sings "If I believe in love forever / I'll forget the past / You are too lovely not to try."
The beauty does not end there, the self-penned "Caroline Goodbye" and Though You Are Far Away" ?in different ways? may remind you of Nick Drake's phrasing except than here the singing is backed by a full orchestra, ever so tastefully arranged.
"Her Song" and "Let Me Come Closer To You" are also gems, perfectly accompanied by Rod Argent and others ?who' together would go on to form the band Argent? and, again, showcasing the extensive, unforced emotional range of Blunstone?s voice.
All in all, as other people have already mentioned, this album is both a masterpiece of its time and unusually relevant by any current musical standards. Ultimately, this is an absolute, timeless beauty. Buy it now, and await with bated breath.