1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #131. The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle (1968)

The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle (1968)

Label – CBS
Producer – The Zombies
Art Direction – Terry Quick
Nationality – UK
Running Time – 33:31

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. Care Of Cell 44
2. 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

What a great record. Sadly the Zombies record “Odessey and Oracle” was all but overlooked completely in England and in the US, against label resistance, it was released in America. It was destined to become a “lost” classic until a strange thing happened. . Two singles, “Care Of Cell 44” and “Friends Of Mine”, had been released to total indifference to push the album, but it wasn’t until the single "Time of the Season," was released (a label executives insisted it was a hit) and it topped the charts nearly two years after it was recorded!!
By then, the group had long disbanded. But this record was recorded by the band knowing it would be their final release. They had worked hard for three years only to see the quality of their live shows suffer and the hits had long stopped coming. They decided to split, but they recorded one last record and broke up before the record had even reached the store shelves. While their first albums included several cover versions, “Odessey and Oracle” consisted entirely of original compositions by the group's two main songwriters, Rod Argent and Chris White.
I knew of them from their two massive hits – “She’s Not There” and “Time of The Season” but really that’s all I had ever heard by them, so this record was a pleasant surprise. Not that the entire album is full of coulda been hits, but it's all consistently interesting and very good listening, and superior to most other psychedelic albums that I have been listening to lately.
The famous misspelling of "odyssey" in the title was the result of a mistake by the designer of the LP cover Terry Quick. The band tried to cover this up at the time of release by claiming the misspelling was intentional.
In 2003, Rolling Stone placed the record in 80th place on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In addition it has appeared on a number of greatest albums lists. Stylus magazine selected it as the 196th on their 101-200 Favorite Albums List. The Guardian placed it 77th on their Top 100 Albums That Don’t Appear In All The Other Top 100 Albums Of All Time. Mojo magazine named it the 97th greatest album ever made. It placed 32nd on NME's list and 51st on Q magazine's list of the greatest British albums ever. It consistently ranks in the top 50 on the constantly changing Rate Your Music greatest ever albums list.
It is highly recommended.


You can purchase the CD here

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 26
Fats Domino is 82; Paul Cotton from Poco is 67; Jonathan Cain from Journey is 60; Tim Commerford from Audioslave is 42;

ON THIS DATE
1985 At the Grammy's: Best Rock Male Performance - Bruce Springsteen "Dancing In The Dark"
1996 At the 38th Grammy's: Best Hard Rock Performance - Pearl Jam “Spin The Black Circle”
2008 Buddy Miles dies at the age of 60. He had been the drummer for Jimi Hendrix. He had also performed with Carlos Santana and David Bowie

IN CONCERT
Saturday, February 27 YES Sea World Orlando
Saturday, February 27 BREAKING BENJAMIN/THREE DAYS GRACE St. Pete Times Forum Tampa
Saturday, April 24 THEORY OF A DEADMAN Embry Riddle University Daytona Beach
Saturday, July 3 PAT BENATAR/REO SPEEDWAGON Universal Studios Orlando

IN THE NEWS

Genesis Says Peter Gabriel Missing Rock Hall Induction Is No 'Snub'
Bon Jovi Tour Doubles As Homeless Research Mission
Billy Joel Dismisses Rumors He Yanked Tour With Elton John