131. The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle (April 1968)

1. Care of Cell 44*

2. A Rose for Emily

3. Maybe After He's Gone

4. Beechwood Park

5. Brief Candles

6. Hung Up on a Dream

7. Changes

8. I Want Her. She Wants Me

9. This Will Be Our Year*

10. Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)

11. Friends of Mine

12. Time of the Season*

A

I feel like I've hopped in a time machine and travelled back to my second year at university. At the time, the combination of personal freedom, a decent internet connection, and spending a lot of time on the internet sifting through blogs, Pitchfork and Pop Matters, meant that I was constantly exploring music new and old. This is one of those albums that struck me at the time, and while I rarely listen to it these days it's still a personal favourite.

Musically, it's all quite difficult to categorise. The Zombies started out as a beat combo, as so many did, but didn't really manage to achieve much success. So they basically said "fuck it", and recorded an album of complex chamber pop, then broke up. Looking at the cover, you might think this is all hippy-drippy sunshine pop, and it's true that the most famous songs here (the ones that pop up in TV shows and advertisements) are glorious, up beat numbers. But there's a vein of darkness running through this music that keeps it grounded, and gives it a substance lacking in your typical pop album. I mean, "Care of Cell 44" is about someone counting the days until their beloved gets out of prison. "A Rose for Emily" may seem like just a sad ballad about a spinster, but it's actually based on Faulkner's classic Southern Gothic short story of the same name (which you should really read if you haven't - I won't spoil the ending but it has a great twist). "Brief Candles" explores the way an intense romantic experience can gradually fade into background noise the further you get from it. And then there's "A Butcher's Tale". Sandwiched between to glorious feelgood numbers, it's a truly harrowing account of life in the trenches, sung over a demonic organ vamp. Had cooler heads prevailed, it probably would have been left off the album. Which I'm glad it wasn't, as it's one of my favourite songs.

Stylistically, this album is hard to peg. From a modern perspective, it kind of sounds like eclectic indie pop. That type of music didn't exist in 1968, though. The song structures seem to owe a debt to the Kinks' more mannered works, with odd time changes and verses and chorus that sound like they're from different songs thrown in for good measure. There's also an obvious Beatles influence (think something like "Penny Lane"). The really great thing, though, is the vocals. Singer Colin Blundstone has a pure, smooth and almost feminine voice. And there are glorious multi-part harmonies throughout, some of which rival the Beach Boys for sheer prettiness and complexity. 

So really, this is a must have. It's complex musically, incredibly sophisticated and literate, but at the same time very pretty and fun. The stylistic range also means it's hard to get tired of it. A lot of bands have mined this particular sound since, but the Zombies really caught lightning in a bottle here.