Odyssey and Oracle is one of the most perfect albums of all time.

I am a big fan of the Zombies, and think Odyssey and Oracle is one of the most beautiful 😍 albums I've ever heard!

One of the best British album releases of all time! favourites for me are... Hung up on a dream, Brief candles, a rose for Emily and beechwood Park. Colin's vocals are a thing of beauty absolutely heartbreaking in delivery. Rods organ playing in Time of the Season is like a wild bird being set free, it soars triumphantly Ascending to unimaginable highs as the band leave the music business on a final blissful, blistering performance. The bowing out, from a truly great underrated band.

We all know the story about the million selling hit song, "Time of the Season" but I didn't know about the story behind the album, the break-up of the group and the fake Zombies groups. Thank you for the incredible story.

I can recall the first time I heard Odessey and Oracle and I remember being floored at how incredibly good it was. Not just Time Of The Season, but every single track is a beautiful piece in its own right. In 2017, I scored tickets to see the original band, minus Paul Atkinson who had passed on not long before. Of the hundreds of concerts I've been to in my lifetime, that show remains one of my all-time favourites. Even better, I got the opportunity to talk with bassist/songwriter Chris White and drummer Hugh Grundy. Both were absolutely charming, self-effacing and very down to earth. It was like talking with the next door neighbour. Considering my favourite part of any band is the rhythm section, this was an extra treat. We spoke at length about drumming techniques and the cool bass runs that filled Zombies songs and they were thrilled that someone had taken the time to notice the little things they added in. Though so very long in coming, it's a well deserved honour that Odessey and Oracle was finally recognised for the masterpiece that it is.

Years ago I discovered "Odessey and Oracle" when one of my neighbor's had a yardsale with records they did not want anymore, all I can say is someone else's trash was definitely my treasure, I listen to that beauty of an album on many an evening. "Time of the Season" is one of the coolest songs ever I've ever heard. What a great story about The Zombies using The Beatles instruments as they're own budget was tight ... I fall in love with the 60s more each day. Great work on this documentary YP and fantastic music as always. Thank you 💜🤍

A friend gave me a bunch of 45s back in the mid-70s. A couple of Elvis singles, a couple of Ricky Nelsons, "Black Land Farmer" by Frankie Miller, and "Time Of The Season"/'"Friends Of Mine" by the Zombies. I had never heard of the Zombies until that time. Seriously, there was such a wealth of great music around in the '60s that some of the best just never got the attention it deserved. Thank god the music is still around so we can catch up on all we missed.

enchanting album, the work was some of the finest of the period. glad it's reaping the accolades it is today.

Beechwood Park is such an underrated song. You can really hear the Strawberry Fields/ Penny Lane influence in it and it actually has a similar magic.

The word is overused, but "Odessey and Oracle" is the real thing, a masterpiece. It's so absolutely 1967 and surprised me at first in 1969. I bought it on the strength of the mega-hit "Time of the Season" which was unlike the rest of the album. With Colin Blunstone's foggy vocal, the organ and the minor key it was more like the Zombies of 1964-65. Still, I loved the album.

I love The Zombies. I feel so lucky I got to see them back in early 2017... I enjoyed every second of it. They put on such a great show; they've still got it!

I love Rod's follow-up band, Argent. They were truly underated & under-appreciated as well. Agent put out albums that I truly love. Argent + Rodford + Ballard + Henrit = great music !! 🚬😎

I recall hearing somewhere that the A-side in the States was “Friends of Mine” but some deejay flipped it over and suddenly got all these calls and that’s how “Time of the Season” got going. Saw them in 2018 when they reunited and played it in its entirety. One of my all time favorite shows. I bought an autographed copy in the lobby which I have framed. Best $50 I ever spent. Also had the original Date single of “Time…”. which I bought as a 7-year-old so I loved the reviewer’s comment about it appealing to those with “discerning taste”. Haha.

Shindig magazine recently did a very good feature on The Zombies and Colin Blunstone where Colin told some stories about rehearsing and recording Odyssey and Oracle.

This is such a wonderful channel. Thank you for all the effort that goes into it.

And the Zombies, now in their 70's, recently played a live concert in Nashville, according to what I heard from another KZfaq channel, where I've heard immense respect for Odyssey and Oracle.

Just got to see them live last weekend. Mind blowing!!!! Still resonates quite massively, an experience that only compares to hearing them on record for the first time. Collin's voice holding up extremely well, and Rod's organ equally authentic, yet more seasoned where appropriate. Brilliant flow of energy between band and audience. Starting the U.K.-leg of the tour now -Treat yourself if you get the chance!

🎶Good morning to you, I hope you're feeling better baby. Thinking of me while you are far awaaaay...🎶

Picked this up when I was nine years old… it is still one of my top 5 albums of all time and I believe it shaped a lot of me as a kid. I had the chance to meet and make an acquaintance with Paul Atkinson, the guitarist before he passed away and he shared many cool stories with me about his time with the Zombies, guitars and stories with the Beatles. In many ways I thought these guys were actually cooler than the Beatles…!

Still a highly underrated band (as they don't have a very extensive discography and disbanded before the 60s were over)..but this album is an iconic 60s pop gem

Love Blunstone's later "Andorra" which has some cool vocal touches.

This is my favorite page on You Tube. Thanks for these wonderful installments!

The chords throughout are outstanding. Rod Argent fab player. Story: I have three grown up children. Now. When they were young, they loved my taste in music. My youngest was the most impressed. Her fave album out of everything is THIS. In 2007 we went to see the Zombies, in a small venue in Cardiff. Maybe three hundred people. (Following week; they were playing a sell out tour in USA.) I managed to speak to a roadie, about my daughter and this album. He asked us to wait: She met Rod and Colin. We both did. They were amazed she liked them. She was only 13. They signed the album, took photos. No Smartphones then. They asked her which was her fave song; and it was the one you've got here. Up to the 5th min. They said they didn't play it anymore. Just before the last number, Rod asked for the light to be put on my daughter. Told everyone she was their youngest fan. Said they'd play it from memory. It was perfect. Thing is... This Will Be Our Year (another song from it) was rejigged by someone and it was in the Brit chart by a new artist. So my daughter could sing it to her friends; and she ended up playing the whole album to them. Most of them downloaded it. They still listen to it as adults. Thanks gents, for making my daughter so happy. We'll never forget you.

Thank you YP. Epic records (US) put out a two-album Zombies compilation called Time Of The Zombies in 1974. The second album in the set was the complete Odessey and Oracle album. I was lucky enough to read a review of it and picked it up when it came out. Love that album and love The Zombies.

Awesome so glade you did a show on the Zombie's there very cool and very underrated to this day but since they went into the hall there more well known and appreciated. Love me some Zombie's. Thanks for another cooolll show. T.C.B.

one of the greatest albums not just the 60s but also of all time.

Fascinating and informative - as ever from this channel. Such a beautiful album. The part about the fake "Zombies" and the ZZ Top guys is very funny!

Hey YP, big thank you for all the info here. One of my all time favorite albums, perfection really, a gem that sounds as fresh today as it did 55 years ago. Yikes, has it been that long? Al Kooper is mentioned in the vid and it was he who hipped me to this LP. I played it until the grooves were worn down and with every listen I was in awe. Care of Cell 44 ( "and it questionable taste..." ???) Changes, Butcher's Tale, A Rose For Emily, Brief Candles, Beechwood Park etc. What songwriting!! There's not a dud on the album. How could those singles from the LP not have been hits in the UK.? And how in heavens could they have missed out on Time of the Season? "This group seldom gets the success it deserves from British fans" I was under the impression that She's Not There and Tell Her No were big hits in the UK. Am I wrong? Zombies fans should watch Otto Preminger's excellent film Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) for a rare appearance by the Zombies singing on a TV in a bar scene.

Oh yes, before i forget. Thank you for giving special recognition to this marvelous recording. It’s not unusual for works of art to find their place in history far beyond their debut. ( Stravinsky coming to mind). However, the side bar, this being the band’s au revoir-AMF, was always particularly saddening. Nevertheless, we can rejoice that the guys, the real guys, can finally, a century later, belatedly, “cash in”. Bless.

Greatest thing to chappen to the whole youtube is this channel.

As mentioned, love your adaptive use of the themes from the songs to help the story along. Snatches of Beechwood Park, This Will Be Our Year, Rose For Emily, Changes--perfect!

"Time of the season" was originally a flop upon it's U.K. release? Is that what I just heard?. Oh well, I think we all agree on it's timeless greatness (no pun intended).

This is a fine LP. Totally recommended to anyone looking for a slightly melancholy soundtrack for the summer into the early days of autumn

Such a beautiful,autumnal feel to this album,i have never heard anything quite like it.Thank you for the upload and the information

“Brief candles” is a lyrical masterpiece. “This will be our year” is a standout for me.

Trivia fact. O&O was not originally mixed for stereo. The band did the mono version themselves. CBS demanded a stereo mix, so Argent & White paid studio time out of their own pockets to mix it themselves.

In it after Time of the season my favourite song is Beechwood Park. It has a wonderful sunshine psychedelic 67 feel about it with a nostalgic tone that really takes you back to the summer of 67. It is a crime that the public in Britain did not make those singles and album a hit

Love the style of this channel. Glad to see a video covering this monumental album too.

With much enjoyment I am discovering The Alan Bown Set because of your site! Thanks!

Excellent album

I love this album - great video!

Thanks for all your time doing these videos, this was superb yet again.

YP, Thank you ever so much for posting this. Here in the States, there was not much released on album. When London released "Early Days" in '69 to cash in on the success of O &), I grabbed it right away despite the drawing of the group on the cover. It looked like a 10 year old drew it and was one of the worst covers that i have seen. In the Early seventies Fusion magazine (Boston based) rated 'all' of the songs of the Zombies (38 maybe?) they were aware of and all got good reviews. I shouldn't prattle on, but the Zombies (and Hollies, kinks, and Yardbirds) were the mainstays of my listening in the sixties. Argent and White seemed to write nothing but quality stuff.

This made me want to find this album on Apple Music. How did I not know this music existed? It’s blooming marvellous. Love it. If 4 twenty something pretty blokes came up with this today, it’d sell like hotcakes and make pop music fun again. Just beautiful.

God, the Zombies are still in my top five after all these years. I can always hear them, no matter what, like the Beatles.

Finally the Rock and Roll of Hall of Fame inducted the Zombies in 2019. They were a bit slow on the uptake.

The Zombies did indeed reform after Time of the season and released 2 new singles in 1969. From the original members, only Rod Argent and Hugh Grundy returns, but the bass player was Jim Rodford who continues to play with Rod on the band Argent in the seventies.

Many. Beautifull songs.i remember when I loved her,my favorite,beechwood park.leave me be,she's not there,tell her no.ive got there early viynl LPS, and cds. Both a and b sides were always great,and for many British invasion groups as well.

Thank you YP!!!! This is one of my all-time favorite albums! Do I need to be ashamed to say that I would rather listen to this album than Sgt. Peppers? (Even though we can thank John for leaving his Mellotron behind!). Seems the Zombies had as much bad luck with record companies as the Yardbirds. I think Beechwood Park, Rose for Emily, and the monumental Hung up on a Dream are among the most gorgeous songs I've ever heard, but every song on the album is great! Plus a rare Chris White lead vocal on the anti-war song! Thanks again!

Although The Zombies were awfully unlucky to be overlooked when they produced their masterpiece, at least Odessey and Oracle was subsequently rediscovered and the band has had a career renaissance on the back of it. I wonder who or what was it that brought the record back into the public consciousness? Also, are there any other little known gems from that mid to late 60s period that remain to be unearthed?

One of the best albums ever!

This album is in a class of it's own !! . I cherish my Canadian press on Date LP. Great accurate doc - well produced and I enjoyed the instrumental re-tracks behind the video.

What a legacy to have been recorded at the home studios of the Beatles and Stones. I remember 93 KHJ and the Real Don Steele. I grew up in Los Angeles and listened to that AM station. Don Steele died of cancer in 1997 and today KHJ is either a Spanish language station or a news or talk radio station. Those call letters were retired back in the 1980s.

Really great you give more recognition for this wonderful album. Such music should never fall into opscurity. And this is the sad fate of Kaleidoscope/Fairfield Parlour. From home to home is my favourite album of all time. Peak of British Pop Rock, in the same tier as Revolver, SGT. Pepper or Odyssey and Oracle. Hope i will see such a documentary about this band and album, they realy deserve to be recognized. Keep on the good work!

Zombies don’t get the recognition they deserve. The fact that they had to practically beg to get into the phony RnR hall of fame is sad. But I know it meant a lot to them. So for that, I’m happy for them.

The Zombies did great music remember hearing Time of The Season on the radio when I was a kid I'm 67 now though that song was one of the best songs of the 60's the band had a cool name too

2UW's John Thompson of the late '60's show 'Thompson's Underground' (Sydney, Australia) obviously liked the album. He played 'Hung Up On a Dream' around October 1968 (I still have a recording of that show) and I was blown away by it. However it took me a few years to track down the album.

I bought the album in 1969 or 70,when Woolworths were having a clear out of poor sellers ,it cost £1 or less ,a great buy as I played it a hell of a lot,a very adventurous work ,but albums were just about to become heavier with a strong blues influence.The only thing that irritated me was that Woolworths put an awful sale sticker on the cover that couldn't be removed without tearing the colourful cover,it bothered me for years!

It's a famous story, but I do wish a documentary about an album would spend a few more minutes on the songs themselves, both musically and lyrically. The business side of pop music so often overwhelms any discussion of why one might want to listen to it now.

I heard about this album from Mikael Akerfeldt of prog/ metal band Opeth. He named it as one of the best albums ever.

I'm a huge Beatles fan but I've played this album more than sgt pepper

Fun fact: if you look closely to the right corner of the album´s cover you will see a naked goku

A great album.

I'll have to give The Zombies a better listen. I'm only familiar with some of their work.

Stunning LP.

Odessey and Oracle is like Pet Sounds, Smile, Rubber Soul, Sgt Pepper, and Magical Mystery Tour all in 1 album

Well told!

Sort of like what happened to Big Star over here in America. A lot of critical praise but that's all. And don't get me started on Tim Buckley. Still, score another one for John Peel. He got the Zombies. Always ahead of the game.

Saw them live a month ago, and they kicked ass

I love this album

TRES Cool

Fantastic album.

Time of the Season flopped?! It's one of the greatest songs of the era. ...and Al Kooper's taste was impeccable. I love all this early work, especially with Blues Project.

Mention of a fake Zombies doing the rounds , reminded me of seeing The Easybeats some years ago. For many years l had been under the illusion that the band were from Australia, with a Liverpudlian drummer. To give them credit, they did a great version of ‘ Friday On My Mind’, but when they chatted in between songs ,they all sounded as Brummie as Jeff Lynne . I had been deceived all those years😀

In my opinion "Hung Up On A Dream" is one of the most beautiful songs of 1968 or indeed of the 60s......"gentle love"......

Any season is the right season for the Colin Blunstone led Zombies. 🧟‍♂️ 🧟‍♀️

Nice subtle repurposing of “Cell No.” and “Changes” in the soundtrack. Do you have a program that does that? Very nice.

Great!

The Beatles were a vortex that sucked up so much of the hype back then. There were several psychedelic albums that deserved just as much acclaim as Sgt. Pepper's. The Pretty Things S.F. Sorrow is another album that is criminally underrated.

Influenced by both "Rubber Soul" and "Pet Sounds" but superior to both. I remember when it came out it was probably considered out of step with the era, but like Forever Changes by Love, and the Kinks "Village Green" has stood the test of time.

Odessey and Oracle would be enormously beloved and influencial on US Indie artists/ bands like Elliot Smith and Elephant 6 collective in the 1990s/2000s and there would be many cover versions of songs from the album

The cover looks like what some then 55 year old ad-man of the time might come up w as "Psychedelic"

Got the album on CD

An excellent album.

I want the Les Paul owned by the Alan Bown guitarist in that clip, pretty please.

I wonder if Care of Cell 44 is based off of a true situation. Criminally insane how over looked they were / are.

Is that a cover of Changes in the background?

Classic

Odd they didn't even bother to correct the spelling of the album title, and it's become a timeless classic.

I absolutely love this album. In fact I love The Zombies. A Rose for Emily and Hung up on a Dream really stand out as obviously Time of the Season does.

Who did the cool music cue for this? Excellent take on O&O.

Man I would love to see a vid about the monkeys

The breakup of the zombies is one of the most baffling things. They were just start to gain momentum commercially and critically in their new direction. They already had a string of hits to build on too. I think Argent perhaps wanted to save his creativity for something else. As did Collin. But the breakup of the zombies is weird. I’ve never met anyone that said anything negatively about any of their music. They were a musician’s band.

I'd love a similar deep dive into "Begin Here", I tend to think people largely ignore it in favour of Odessey, but it's just as an important and superb work and one of the most essential British Invasion albums. The Zombies never had good luck in the native UK, despite being one of the biggest icons of the British Invasion. Why do you think that is?

YP, what happened to the vid I posted of the Alan Bown? It's a cracking track and I wanted people to hear it who overwise might not know of the group.

have to wonder how the album wouldve done had the band been given the proper budget and studio backing

…very very late getting onboard with this album. Better late than never. I considered it the best album of 2021.

Possibly THE great lost psychedelic album. From my point of view "Time Of The Season" is one of the weaker tracks, and it's not exactly filler. "Hung Up On A Dream" is unbelievably good.

Great album front to back. Sounds so happy but some depressing lyrics

This album is a psychedelic gem and the world would be more boring without it.