The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle (1968 ) Review
The Zombies’ 1968 album Odyssey and Oracle is a 1960s classic that perfectly soundtracks the culture of the time. The album was recorded in Abbey Road Studios during the Summer of Love between June and November 1967. When the album was recorded The Zombies were on an extremely tight budget so many of the songs were only performed a few times with no b-sides or demos. At the time of release, the album was released to indifference including the famous single, “Time of the Season,” however, the album has had a lasting legacy and critical success over the years. The band broke up in late 1967 right before the album was released due to infighting and a lack of interest in the singles even though the album became more and more successful over time beginning with “Time of the Season” becoming a number 3 hit on the charts in 1969.
The album begins with “Care of Cell 44” which is about someone waiting for their lover to get out of jail. The reverb in these old 1960s psychedelic pop songs is always immaculate. The violin layer sounds great and it is crazy what people were able to accomplish with only four tracks. I like the bridge’s lyrics and melody because it brings the rest of the song back to reality since everything else is so optimistic except for this one section.
I love the piano part in “A Rose for Emily” because it gives me Victorian imagery which goes with the psychedelic Art Nouveau 60s style. Some of this brings to mind the early Syd Barrett-led Pink Floyd albums. The lyrics for this one have more to do with loneliness as opposed to the optimism in the opening track.
The third track on the album is “Maybe After He’s Gone,” which is a psychedelic folk song mixed with a few pop sections. With the exception of the chorus, the lyrics match the instrumental as they are both pretty somber compared to the rest of the album which is generally fairly upbeat. The Zombies are at the top of their game on this album writing such dreamy melodies (especially of their choruses.)
My favorite song on this album is probably “Beechwood Park.” This standout track brings such vivid and nostalgic imagery of summer and the beach. This is absolutely a must on any psychedelic summer playlist. Each section of the song is so well written that I genuinely can’t tell you what my favorite part of the song is. The instrumentation is fantastic from the combination of the tremolo guitar with the organ to the excellent drum fills.
“Brief Candles” is another gem on the album. The lyrics are interesting on this song I think it has something to do with a couple that has broken up and how their misery makes them happy because their good memories of each other are enough to keep them smiling.
“Hung up on a Dream” is a great mid-way point in the album. The way the melody hits when Colin Blunstone sings “a sweet confusion hit my mind” is so satisfying. It is baffling to me that this was pop music in the 1960s since it isn’t the same three chords repeating over and over and over for the entire song. Pop songs definitely were guilty of that back then as they still are today. The type of drumming on this song is right up my alley since I am a sucker for lots of drum fills that sound like the drummer is flailing all over the place. I enjoy that this song feels like a journey, it gives you so much to listen to within three minutes.
“Changes” like a majority of the songs on this album, has a solid and melodic chorus. It barely even feels like a chorus, it feels more like a release after the verses of just drums and vocals. The whole song feels like you’ve caught the best three minutes of some hippie drum circle.
“I Want Her She Wants Me” is the most upbeat and cheerful-sounding song on the album. It sort of reminds me of The Beach Boy’s surf sound but with much more of a sunshine, psychedelic twist to it. This is another song on this album that sounds like a time capsule into the Summer of Love.
“This Will Be Our Year” sounds like a proto-1970s piano ballad. I like the song and especially the instrumental breaks, however, I wish they went on longer and got a little more weird and psychedelic with it. It’s a pretty short song and keeps the album flowing, so I understand why they didn’t drag it out more.
“Butcher’s Tale (Western Front 1914)” is the most Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band-inspired song on the album. I love all the sci-fi-sounding electronic sounds scattered throughout the song and in the intro. Not generally a song people think of when they think of anti-Vietnam war songs, but pretty great nonetheless.
The second to last song on the album is “Friends of Mine” which sounds more like what you typically expect out of a 1960s psychedelic pop song. The song isn’t bad just the most dated sounding and it sort of reminds me of the music that plays while the Scooby Doo gang gets into shenanigans.
The final song of Odyssey and Oracle is “Time of the Season” which everyone already knows is a timeless song and undoubtedly a classic. It is one of the best songs of the 1960s that is part of the zeitgeist and perfectly reflects the sentiments of the Summer of Love. Every part of the song is amazing from the melodies and harmonies to the keys solo to the iconic bass line and everything else in between.
I heard this album on acid once and that’s the primary memory I have whenever I put this on. I may be biased because I adore this era of psychedelic rock and pop, but this is a fantastic album. It came out over 50 years and sure the production is a touch dated compared to something like Abbey Road but it still holds up very well. There might be a lull or two in the album but nothing I’d consider skipping if I’m listening from start to finish. It isn’t a concept album, but at the same time, it doesn’t just feel like a collection of singles. This is one of those albums where the album artwork perfectly matches the vibe of the album. The whole album gives me nostalgia for the time I lived in San Francisco so I am definitely biased with this one but either way it’s a near-perfect album, especially for the summer. If you like psychedelic era Beatles or early Pink Floyd this album is a no-brainer to listen to and a classic.
9/10 - Excellent