Odessey And Oracle

Huh! I, of course, have heard a few of these songs never knowing the band The Zombies, however I now see that they are not a one hit wonder band at all, and worthy of a listen. In fact the only real thing I will say here is they fall under a sort of 60's pop psychedelic genre with clear, somewhat meaningful lyrics and are truly WORTH A LISTEN! Made me happy!

If every song had been like Time of the Season this would have been an easy 5, but honestly most of the majority of this album was too hippy-psychedelic concepty for me. Like a low rent Sgt. Pepper's album which I'm sure heavily influenced this. It's a shame because a lot of the Zombie's other hits are really good.

Time of the Season

Typical 60s sound. OK but not enticing

6.8/10

Love Time of the Season. The rest of the album is OK. Not jazzed.

I am skeptic to the beatles and all the other modern heavy rock sponsors like yes, genesis, hendrix. In 2025 the seed means nothing, so I only appreciate the hit - Time of the Season, Who's your daddy?

The first album on this list where I let it play a second time through straight. I knew Time of the Season but couldn’t have told you who sang it before today. Really enjoyed the album 8/10

lush instrumentals and bright harmonies. delightful and whimsical 60s british psychedelic pop. despite moments of repetition, with several tracks seeming to blend into one, the distinctive sound is nostalgic and evocative of the era; go-go boots, mod dresses and the zebra crossing on abbey road came to mind. 3/5

day 2: i’ve never listened to a beach boys album but this is what i imagine it would sound like. some nice harmonies and some interesting musical sections (trumpet in there somewhere?), but overall does nothing ambitious or outside of the box. not bad not amazing

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. This list’s psychedelic recommendations have mostly left me feeling frustrated and disoriented. But the Zombies have an immediately arresting sound. I was engaged all the way through to the clear highlight Time of the Season. Solid 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

monótono!!!

eh bacaninha, bem feito e menos psicodélico do que eu esperava mas nada demais não. divertidim!!

Mycket trevligt men helheten nådde inte hela vägen till en fyra. Time of the Season är en toppenlåt

Ganska behagligt sound!

Gammal hederlig musik! Inga konstigheter, bara bra melodier och vibe.

Pretty interesting uses of stereo - a relic of the time, I suppose. Some nice guitar on some songs, but the piano and vocals are obviously at the forefront. Was “Time of the Season” a single? If so, it seems like a weird choice!

4/5

Fav Song: Time of the Season

Not not Beatles

By 1968, it was almost impossible for a British band dabbling in psychedelia to avoid comparison with the Beatles. Yet the Zombies, on Odessey and Oracle, are closer in spirit to the Beach Boys, if the Beach Boys’ harmonies had been drilled not by a stern Californian father but by a choirmaster at St. Albans Cathedral. Their harmonies are exquisite, yes, but there’s something eerily juvenile in those stacked voices: they shimmer with purity, but purity here feels like an absence, a refusal of sex. As I say: Beach Boys. Argent's arrangements lean toward the baroque. Not so exciting as Wilson's, but, like him, Argent is unable to escape the bounds of pop. Romantic gestures abound, but they lack the bite or danger that psychedelia was beginning to explore. By the time this album appeared, the Beatles had already shattered the form with the fragmented brilliance of The White Album. Against that backdrop, the Zombies’ flirtations with poetics feel precious rather than daring. A Rose for Emily pretends toward Faulkner but never gets its hands dirty in Southern soil, while Butcher’s Tale risks reducing the Western Front to a curious trifle rather than elevating the pop song into tragedy. Still, it’s a lovely album to listen to: feather-light, beautifully crafted, but so airy it must be tethered to its era, lest it drift away into oblivion. Its afterlife is secured mostly by Time of the Season — ironically, the least psychedelic track here — which continues to soundtrack film and television montages of “the sixties.” That, perhaps, is the Zombies’ fate: remembered as a perfectly preserved echo of a time that was already slipping away when Odessey and Oracle first appeared. Something dead that keeps coming back to life. 2.5 I wish we’d had this on a weekend. First of all because listening on YouTube was annoying (this album is not on Deezer). Second because there are so many interesting things that are wrong with this album and I wish I could have an hour or two to pull them apart properly. I didn’t know Odessey and Oracle but I gather from my lunchtime read of its Wikipedia page yesterday that it is a ‘cult classic’. The squares (people listening to pop and rock music in 1968) didn’t ‘get’ this album, in any sense, and so the poor Zombies were obliged to break up. As ‘smartcookie2022’ on the YouTube comments puts it: ‘Fantastic ablum. The crime of the last century was this album not selling and being No. 1 around the world.’ And still only 802k views. History is a nightmare from which too many of us are still trying to awake. And I’ve only had a day and I’m not a morning person. So groggy and still scratching myself - excuse the confused take that here follows. Odessey and Oracle is a bit shit. It is at times bluntly derivative of the Beatles and the Beach Boys and given that there is a fair amount of musical talent on display on this record, that can’t help feeling like cynicism. McCartneyish bass lines, PennyLaneish plonky piano, mellotron, British brass-band horns, and there is even tabla at one point. Alongside there is the cooing of three-part backing vocal harmonies in the style of California’s best-selling. How could the Zombies miss? In a nutshell by being nowhere near as good as either. ‘A Rose for Emily’ is a poundshop Eleanor Rigby. ‘And as the years go by/ She will grow old and die/ The roses in her garden fade away/ Not one left for her grave’ I try to see the prettiness of the Zombie’s music in its own right (not a string quartet, to its minimal credit) but I can’t take my eyes off the gulf in imagination and poetry between it and The Beatles single of 18 months before. ‘Maybe After He’s Gone’ makes a bold attempt at out-Beach Boying ‘I’m Waiting for the Day’ by presenting a protagonist so pathetic that even Brian Wilson might wince. It does no good; the spirit of flaccidity is certainly present in the lyrics but the music hasn’t the elegance to distract us. The melody has a rigid, awkward contour characteristic of much of this album, perhaps as much to do with the performance as the writing; no swing, no freedom in the line, a mere locating of each note in an almost robotic way. A stick up its backside. Which brings us to the pronunciation. Now I’m not one to invoke Class Struggle every time News at Ten comes on or anything but the way, for example, your man sings the word ‘after’ in this song put my back up. It doesn’t feel right in a pop song. I don’t know whether that is (again) the Beatles fault for valorising Northern accents - I have never given the Fab Four any credit merely for being from Liverpool. But in any case - these Zombie voices don’t work for me. They are too RP. I don’t believe for a second that they have mates in prison, unless they were in for tax fraud but sure when does that ever happen? This sense of the Zombies as class intruders in pop music is reinforced by the antique poise of some of the lyrics. ‘A sweet vibration seemed to fill the air I stood astounded, staring hard At men with flowers resting in their hair A sweet confusion filled my mind Until I woke up only finding Everything was just a dream A dream unusual of its kind That gave me peace and blew my mind’ (Hung Up on a Dream) Your hole, Percy. This sort of cod-Romantic shit is all over this album and it is excruciating. I know other artists were doing this in the 60s but taken with the album’s other sins the horror really pops. I do actually like some of the music here with the reservation that almost every musical idea worth celebrating on Odessey.. is reused without variation two or three times in a song. Yes pop music often does that but you know who doesn’t? The Beatles and The Beach Boys at their peak in the couple of years before the Zombies released this album. The Zombies know they are doing us wrong and they don’t care. And that is, presumably, the banality of evil. 2/5

Strong 3,5

Gorgeous listen, made me a bit misty at points

This was so pretty. Dreamy harmonies and just the right touch of sadness. It’s melodic the whole way through, never boring, and a couple tracks really stuck with me. Loved this one. The most liked review was also awesome to read.

I've always found Time of the Season to be a decent song, but an entire album in that vein is a little much to take. However ... I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I was driving through rural Oregon while listening, and it was a nice soundtrack for that. And I'll give them an extra star for their crazy story.

This sounds very modern, very indie, very not my jam in larger than one song doses. So, historically interesting and no doubt meritorious, but only getting 3 stars from me because I'll never listen to it again.

Some probably find this too precious but I’m a sucker for orchestral pop. I was introduced to this album by This Will Be Our Year which is the best song by a fair margin. Some of the tracks took time to grow on me but did with the exception of only a couple. Colin Blunstone has one of my favorite rock/pop voices of any era.

Good, varied stuff. Btw OK Go recorded an excellent (albeit not especially innovative) cover of This Will Be Our Year.

3.5/5 - You need to hear this because it has a couple solid hits, and so you know the music behind the insane back story of the "Fake Zombies." Go look it up on Wikipedia. The album cover and misspelling of Odessey are pretty classic as well. I'd probably have to spend more time with this to really get into the album cuts, but I like it overall. Rounding up to 4 for the Fake Zombies story.

21.00, hima, sennheiser, qobuz JES

so good

Fluffy and light. 60's / early 70's soft, almost psychedelic rock. Okay to have in the background.

The Zombies’ sound blends elements of The Beatles, The Monkees, The Beach Boys, and at times, early pieces of Queen. The harmonies are impeccable and they cover a wide range on this album - from classic barbershop-style pop to ominous psychedelic rock. Not really ‘fuzzy guitar’ psychedelic rock, it’s more the organs, glockenspiels, and woodwinds kind. I had high hopes for this album after the Young Rascals album I reviewed a few weeks ago. This album is a perfectly cliche late 60s pop/rock album, but it leans more pop and that's not what I wanted. “Time Of The Season” is a classic, and there’s a reason it’s used so often in tv/movies to quickly establish a scene in the late 60s, but beyond that, there's not much here for me.

Why did I never realize the 'good morning to you' song is about someone in prison

Känns som att det borde vara bra men jag är bara uttråkad

Better hippie stuff than normal!

Favourite Track: beechwood park, time of the season

I listened to half of this album. It's nice. It's not my kind of music.

I won’t remember this

Genuinely easy listening, soothing and gentle. I liked it best when they got spooky on "Time of the Season" - this song really stood out from the rest of the tracks which were like Beatles lite.

A better Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.

Just barely a five!

Less high profile than Beach Boys but a very similar sound. Very catchy in places

One great song, two ok songs and the remainder just sort of drivel.

Hung up on a Dream is perfect. Dang I really like this album.

Was really vibing with it until Butcher's tale. Def was not a fan of that song

For reasons I can’t put my finger on, this agreed with me more than other late 60s music that is stylistically similar.

An album of songs that are in the album.

An uneven ride with a few gems. From the plink plonk to the WAHHHHHH, it’s not bad, not great, but I do love the softness in his voice.

eh

A standard rock record with some high moments

An important record to be sure.

Mannn talk about a Tale of Two Different 70s, some stuff was absolutely awesome and trailblazing... and then you have the boring milquetoast stuff like this

I've never listened to this album (20). Not a big fan of psychedelic pop from this era, too much pop and not enough psych.

Time of the Season is a good song and this is a good recording. The rest of the record is fairly middle-of-the-road 1960s psychedelic. Lots of tiny cymbals and isolated vocals. Doesn't do it for me.

banger

Pretty cool album! Nothing to write home about imo but well worth a listen

Love the zombies!

Really enjoyed this. Brief candles especially.

This was a really good and fun album. I've only ever heard the last track.

At its best when it's talking about a dude being eaten by flies and writing jail letters, at its worst when it is trying to be a rip off of The Beatles. But still, it was better than I thought it would be, especially since this isn't my type of music typically.

another great record

Really enjoyed most of this

I saw some of the comments saying this is something like "baroque-leaning psych pop". This is mostly too light and pop for my tastes. Oh, Time of the Season, ya, even I know this one, was used in movies and stuff. It's good, but ya, the rest is forgettable.

This album is a miracle, a brilliant shimmering diamond. It captures the spirit of that romantic, pure, youthful, idealized world of the 1960s better than any other album. The songwriting is pop perfection. Catchy hook after catchy hook, while also maintaining a high degree of intricacy. None of the songs are simple 4-chord pop fluff; many of them weave between keys or employ strange and complex chords, without compromising the allure of the music. I love the vocals, both the lead and those in the background. And I love the lush sound quality of the album as well; many songs have that magical mellotron-sound popular in the late 60s. A thoroughly charming, delightful listen.

Понравилось вначале, потом немного поднадоело. Тем неожиданнее финальная развязка - классная последняя песня (неожиданная даже несмотря на то, что я её знал). 6,5 из 10.

Somewhat interesting. Not what I'd expect for a group called The Zombies.

Great melodies and performances. Very good players and the production is perfect. It sounds like when it was recorded but in the way that you want - like a document not something that got stranded there. Nothing typical about it but you also feel like it is familiar.

it wwas something. the big song at the end saved, i think. not super notable otherwise, but nice

The album became good with the last song. Everything else just sounds like a standard 60s band.

I thought this was going to be a straight up Beatles knockoff, but it has a pretty unique sound once you dig in. Things did feel repetitive towards the back end though. Over all I liked but didn’t love this one.

While I've never sat and listened to the whole thing in one go before, I've heard quite a lot of it before and it's great.

Increasingly obsessed with this. A conglomeration of everything that made the '60s great.

Fun, a little whiny, but I think that's kind of the genre. Easy listening

Time of the Season aside, this album has the aesthetic and sound of the WaWa Hoagie Fest. I get that this might have been new and innovative in the time that it came out - but now its aged into completely flat, smooth marketing material to sell sandwiches in the summertime. Art truly is a cruel mistress.

Inoffensive, slightly interesting. Very Beatles-esque but without the avant-garde-ness. Not bad, but not my cup of tea.

kan vokse på en

One of my favorite of the era.

Time of the season was the only song I really loved but its ok

03

I don’t think it holds up

few really big, strong moments. Has aged better than a lot of records from this era

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one but it was a pleasant surprise. A decent listen.

A slog

Damn,the beatles really overshadowed other bands in the 60s.Honestly prefer some of this psych to em.Also,GOKU?? 8.7

Another unexpectedly fantastic album. I want it on vinyl.

Fucking fire psychedelic pop. The mixing has great layers.

chill. 60s. psychedelic.

great

Of all the things I was expecting with that combination of band name, album name, and album cover, Beatles was not anywhere in my top 5. I was expecting something closer to Jimi Hendrix's flavor of psych rock. It's fine, but really nothing noteworthy, or notable for that matter. I've heard this sound before in like 5 different bands from the same year. Changes was a good standout, though.

Great album, first time listening in a couple years and its more of a banger than I remembered

What a wild story this band has, good album

A lovely album—reminds me of The Beatles, mixed with a little bit of Chicago! I wasn’t familiar with the Zombies’s discography but I really enjoyed this album’s songs! Great harmonies and mixing!!

There's some albums that have cover art that I just want to have in my home as decoration. This one is a strong candidate if I can find it. The album? It's got that classic late 60's sound. But with better production value. Do I like it? It's fine, but nothing I'd play on purpose. But I also wouldn't take it off the turntable early.

Time of the Season is an all-timer for me. The rest of the album was pretty good, but nothing to write home about.

I enjoyed the sound of this. Sort of early Beatles meets Beach Boys with a touch of psychedelica and Dusty Springfield. I particularly liked the last track, “Time of the Season” which I seem to have “liked” on Spotify previously. It sounds like the sort of thing that might be on movie soundtracks. Other than that one, I don’t think there’s a lot of catchy tunes. But I might return to it.

Classic from its time, really enjoyed.

Tis a bop

"released to critical and commercial indifference" - Yeah, I can see that. This is what "twee" and "quaint" were invented for. I do notice how this can be experienced as a noteworthy shuffle of 60s sounds, ... [...] ... but later, revisting it right now, I am thinking about highlighting the Britishness of it, maybe mention an LSD infused cup of tea as a likely good companion to the album, back then, in a Bridport/Dorsey cottage... which has me thinking... I don't love this, but it's got a thing going for it. "This Will Be Our Year" is playing right now, I would be lying if this wasn't a 4.

This is one of those albums that would change what I think depending on my mood of the day. Eight years old when released, I have recollections of songs on the radio, of which I had no control over. Thus absorbing British pop of the time. I don't recall any of The Zombies, however, the style and sound is so generic of the time. On an exceptional good mood day this is 3 stars, otherwise 1 star.

Really enjoyed this. It felt like a combination of what I enjoyed of the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

not really for me

Fín, nokkur góð lög þarna en alls ekki það góð í heild sinni.

groovy with good melodies, heavy two channel action

Enjoyed this album. Very good sound and production, some lovely songs, Beatles-esque vibes

There are a lot of 1968 albums on this list. Not an album I know or have listened do but everyone know the giant hit single "Time Of The Season". Not sure how well it stands up today, it sounds dated. "Care of Cell 44" and "A Rose For Emily" are nice songs but forgettable. "Maybe After He's Gone" was solid. "Beechwood Park" feels like it would be a good candidate for a updated remake. "This Will Be Our Year" was a nice little ditty. I read all about the album but I wasn't as impressed as the writers were. It's good, has one all time great hit and some decent filler but not a T1001 album in my book. 3 stars

I think I want to give this a 3.5 just because I liked it more than pet sounds but not that much more? Idk I just wish there were some more options and this was out of 10

Mixing sounds quite modern for 1968 Very good mood

Way more fun and engaging than I originally expected. Listened twice. Care of cell 44, rose for Emily, this will be our year, dreaming of you, and butchers tale, were personal favs among others.

I liked this one! Super chill.

Wow, I enjoyed this so much. Time is the season eat the only song I recognized but I loved the entire album.

cool, but something is missing for a 4th star. nice psych rock. ok i changed my mind, i dont know whats missing for the 4th one

Fun Beach Boy-esque harmonies and a tinge of 60s psychedelics. There was a point in my life where I would have listened to this over and over again. A Rose for Emily is a brutal song, but I really did enjoy the album.

I honestly loved this one. You can hear a lot of Elliott Smith influences, especially a great example of a more sophisticated version of 60s pop

Maybe After He’s Gone // Brief Candles // I Want Her She Wants Me // Butcher’s Tale // Time of the Season 3.5/5

It is okay just a bit dated nothing memorable really bit wishy washy nothing exciting or ground breaking yet not offensive.

What a little gem. Owes a heavy debt to Pet Sounds and all the other usual suspects, but it's pretty distinctive melodically, with some poignant lyrics, some brilliant vocal harmonies and arrangements, and some groovy rhythms. It has an autumnal, melancholy vibe. May have sounded a bit dated by mid-1968 when it came out, which might account for its relative obscurity. Nevertheless it's a great album.

A cute album and I love the fake zombies story I read here in the comments

Enjoyed it.

Quintessential 60s. Baroque Pop. Funny origin story. Can't go wrong.

It’s like The Beach Boys are trying to be psychedelic and British but only have half the talent. It’s not bad it’s just meh

Nice fun music, but not really what I'm digging at the minute. I can see why it's on the list though.

Some classics, but some a little dated. Amazing for an album 58 years old!

I mean cmonnnn. One of the best albums ever made. Every time I listen I have a new fav. I think as time goes on tho care of cell 44 and a rose for Emily r my favs lol. What a wonderful album that has aged beautifully

Awesome classic so great such a wonderful experience to get to hear this again with fresh ears. One of my favorites ever.

good

Deserves to stand proud in the pantheon of the late-sixties psych-pop pillars: Forever Changes, Sgt. Pepper, etc. Progressive and baroque, equally indulgent in simple melodies and studio-created multi-layered textures, it conjures the fleeting moments of long-ago in an inexplicable, phantasmagorical, and utterly magic manner.

This album was very light going, not aure it was my kinda vibe though.

I will not pretend I am an expert on drugs of any kind, but I don't hear the "made by drugs" or "made for drugs" psychedelic pop is meant to have. This just sounds like average English pop music seemingly best described as "ugh". This is the kind of stuff the English send to Eurovision, and then they don't understand why no one votes for them. I think I know the last song from a beer ad?

The genre of the album is boring to me, but I appreciate the little stories the songs tell. The lyrics aren't your generic pop song.

Not really a big fan of the genre

I enjoyed it, very 60s

Appreciated the different take on that classic 60s psychedelic pop sound. It just didn’t quite come together for me.

“the warmth of your love is like the warmth of the sun, and this will be our year, took a long time to come” I love this album so much. it feels like a hug on every listen

This happened and I was there and I would return to this again

Dear Diary, This album is a high three for sure. But then I ate a burrito bowl while listening and almost fell asleep in the middle of the work day. .

I knew "Time of the Season" like probably everyone does, even if they don't know who sings it. Didn't realize the entire album was that same level. Really solid.

Meh, it has a couple of nice bangers but it's not up to the point of quality that Beatles, Love or whatever.

This sucked booooooo

Jawn was nuts

Much better

This sounds like if Church Hymns were written by hippies

Not bad. Near bad though. I expected more from a band with that name; nope, replacement level 1968.

Me gustó el disco, amé la historia alrededor del disco.

ok album. has a very recognizable song.

Nice album 7/10

The Zombies are endlessly charming and have n irrefutable control of music theory. Putting "The Butcher" after "This Will Be Our Year" is the most dastardly move in album order I think I've ever heard

Eh. Not sure what the big deal is just because there's a single iconic song.

very funky and fun, probably not something that I would listen to regularly

i heart this album

I enjoyed this. A couple of tracks were very evocative of good times. Lyrics on some tracks were very Ray Davies meets Syd Barrett. Liked it a lot.

This was disappointing for me. I had higher hopes. Still, it was good, I liked it more on second listen, and I have nothing bad to say about the songs.

Some good songs, but the production gets in the way. Most songs sound cluttered, like they are going of r a Beach Boys sound. When the songs are more stripped down, they are at their best

It's an alright album, nice to listen to, time of the season really stands out as a single I didn't feel the other songs stood out as much.

L'autre fois j'en avais un peu plein le cul du rock psychédélique, mais un bon break me fais apprécier à sa juste valeur cet album, ou bien il est juste au dessus de la moyenne.

I like Time of the Season, and the rest of it is on a par. Not a bad album.

😁

Catchy hooks, jangly guitars, lovely vocals and harmonies, poetic lyrics. What's not to like. Couple of overly cheesy parts in my opinion preventing the full 5.

Extremely pleasant listen. Total Beatles vibes, but still unique and lovely. Maybe not the most standout album, but this was really wonderful to listen to. Fave songs: The whole album, perhaps maybe not "Butcher's Tale"

Classic rock goodness

A few good hits but I reminder of why the 70s was probably the worst decade of music (so sleepy)

Un Chef d'Oeuvre du même niveau que Pet Sounds ou Sgt Pepper.

Produit de qualité. Écoute un peu pénible. 3.49 étoiles.

Major disconnect between me and the global reviews here. I think there's one great song, the last one, and certainly not the one with a roll call of happy married couples.

Back story was more interesting than the music

Boring

So many hits! Loved this album.

Great

Fico muito feliz que esse desafio dos 1001 álbuns me fez ouvir esse disco. Riquíssimo musicalmente! Bela experiência. QoA Vesper.

3,5

Pop rock from the 60’s with tinges of The Beach Boys. Varied instrumentation. That said, just did not land with me.

Too Beatles-esque for me but still some cool stuff here

Just not for me. Have it 1 and a half listens after not liking it and seeing all the high reviews.

Quite a pleasant album to listen through all the way. Nothing stood out as being stellar but it managed to keep fairly upbeat and enjoyable the whole way through.

Psychedelic rock tends to blend together for me, but this is a standout. The harmonies were reminiscent of The Beach Boys, but less cheesy. I’ve only heard Time of the Season prior to this, but I’d definitely listen to this again! Also the lore to this one is crazy

The perfect autumn record. A total hidden gem of the 60s. So many different styles explored and perfected. Excellent stuff all around. This one has earned its place in history.

4.5 08.14.2025

Ik weet niet of het heel flauw is om dit de Britse Beach Boys te noemen, maar het klinkt wel als de Britse Beach Boys. De zanger klinkt af en toe als Nick Drake (track 6). En een vleugje Beatles natuurlijk. Ik vind dit helemaal niet onaardig. De enige twijfel is of je dit gehoord moet hebben, maar ik vind het dus eigenlijk wel leuk. Ik wist niet van het bestaan hiervan en dan is dit wel een leuke ontdekking. Redelijk upbeat liedjes, mooie oohtjes en aahtjes, een goeie productie vanuit een legendarische studio, licht psychedelisch. Ik durf hier wel 4 sterren voor uit te delen en dat doe ik niet alleen zodat ik van de 3-streak af ben. Maar het helpt wel.

me ha parecido bastante igual todo el album, aunque es chulo

solid, if generic british invasion fodder time of the season is a classic though

A couple solid songs but not exactly my taste

Is it gay to say Time of The Season is sexy? I don’t want to bang this dude, but someone surely does. Feels like an appropriate descriptor. All time song. Anyway, immediately regretting giving Billy 4 stars, because I gotta go 3 here and I’d rather listen to this I think. Main reason it falls flat is because when psychedelia misses the mark it misses big. Interesting that this sound/movement had already jumped the shark by ‘68. Some great songs in here for sure though.

Like a cross between The Beach Boys and the Beatles, but with its own panache. ‘What’s your name who is your daddy is he rich like me?’ is one of my favorite creepy lines in rock, repeats in my head from to time (I’m broke). But there is way more to this band than I thought. First off the album sounds amazin. But the songs are so assured and complete - Care of cell 44, rose for Emily (English majors ftw) changes, this will be our year, are all such unique compositions. I can’t decide if the fact that they didn’t get famous off this album and the singer (whose voice I love) spent years as a car salesman afterward is cool or just a travesty. Huge find. Thank you bountiful list god.

Care of Cell 44 and Time Of The Season are huge hits that deserve their incessant radio presence. The rest of the album is entertaining, but doesnt reach those heights. Love the instrumentation- lots of piano, great harmonies, Blunstons vocals are solid Also wasn't surprised to read that this was recorded at Abbey Road. The weird flute was definitely calling on some Beatles stuff. Some of the songs even resemble Beatles hits - A Rose For Emily sounds just like For No One off of Revolver. Crazy to read how bootstrapped this project was and how they disbanded after. The talent and sound is so clear to me? Ill definitely be returning to this again to get the middle of this album another run

I love Time of the Season so was excited for this. Other than that song, I liked but didn't love pretty much everything. Feels like a pretty generic 70s baroque-influenced pop/rock band. Some nice harmonies and fun instrumentals, but nothing special other than Time of the Season

Sweet little jangle psych album that feels incredibly dated. Beautiful harmonies, intricate phrasing, and a general ease to the album. But, it feels so simple. I think I'll listen to Pet Sounds instead.

Time of the Season and 11 other related tracks

Extremely 60s, but consistently good songs and interesting music make it a great listen today.

Это хорошо. Ну прям вот хорошо. Вот ооооочень хорошо. Не ну не отлично прям, но ооооооооочень хорошо!

Nice

Really dig it, probably a 3.5, but not a common ‘go to’ genre so giving it a 3 for now. Needs more relistens.

The three songs I already knew (A Rose for Emily, This Will Be Our Year and Time of the Season) are all great but the rest of the album is all a bit of a psychedelic mush to my ears.

I couldn't get into this. it was just okay

Sian would give a 4 :)

The first song, a Beach Boys derivative that is weirdly upbeat given that it's a song for a lover in prison, is fantastic. Ridiculous and I love it. I shouldn't have been surprised because The Time Of The Season is one of my most favorite ridiculous tracks ever. I mean, which one is it, the time or the season? And the lyrics to me sound like the soundtrack to a date rape. Anyway, not particularly original music but very much of its time and amusing, if unintentionally.

It's hard not to hear the Zombies--or at least this album--as a sort of British Beach Boys, although not nearly as successful or well-received at the time. I was glad that their radio classic "Time of the season" didn't sound completely out of place on the album, although funny to read that it took a CBS producer in the US to fish the album out of the trashbin and decide that Americans would respond to the antiwar theme of "Butcher's tale (Western Front 1914)", and from that eventually led to their one-hit-wonder "Time" more than a year after the band had broken up. Overall, though, I can also see why they failed to get much traction with studios or fans alike; I'm not entirely sure I understand why they're now considered so highly, I'll admit. In addition to "Time of the season", I also largely enjoyed "Hung up on a dream" and "Changes" (despite the latter's heavy-handed seasons-as-metaphors), as well as the Beatles/Kinks-esque "Friends of mine", but it seemed like there were far more trite duds like "A rose for Emily" or "Brief candles" to counter-balance the infrequent solid tracks. A shame that the album didn't include their other hit "She's not there". I greatly appreciated the brief running-time, though, and it was heart-warming to read that the surviving band members were able to play songs from this album many decades after it came out--better late than never!

Enjoyed but their songs tend to sound a little similar.

excellent listen

Strange ... Ibland låter det som Beatles och nästan lika bra. Ibland låter det som alla brittiska sextiotalsband pre-Beatles, platt och dåligt producerat. Gammalt helt enkelt. En trea

Not bad. It's OK for me.

Nice one, very psychadelic, 4

I'm happy that the Zombies are still going strong. Their album is also good. It's a bit too similar to the Beatles to me. But "Odessey and Oracle" has some surprises of its own. "Brief Candles" is my favourite song on the album. 3 stars for "Odessey and Oracle".

probably a good album but u wouldn’t be able to tell bc it’s MIXED LIKE PURE SHIT. lyrics are good, so wish I could hear them. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT LISTEN WITH HEADPHONES.

I quite liked this, and that story in the top review is crazy and hilarious. Might give this another listen, but for now it is a solid 4 stars.

Not bad for psychedelic stuff - fun to listen to

Lindo, pero un poco tranqui en general. Siento una familiaridad que quizá es que los conocía, o es que suenan a todo lo de la época. No sé ni me importa. Nota: 3.0 Nota:

Odessey and Oracle is one of the best psychedelic pop-rock albums ever. Fantastic songwriting, vocal harmonies and organ playing and overall it has a very British sound. It's really unbelieveable that this gem was overlooked upon release and the consequence was that the band split up - and while later Time of the Season became a major hit in the US, some agency made two other fake Zombies band and send them touring to make money. Crazy story which would be impossible to do today. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this album today and it deserves no doubt 5 stars.

Nice one, very psychadelic, 4

8.5/10 Wow, huge surprise and I’m surprised this isn’t more well known. Psychedelic, baroque pop rock from the top drawer. Very much its own thing, but clearly influenced by Pet Sounds. Very British sensibility. The keyboards and organs in particular are excellent. Best: Care of Cell 44

colin bluntstone what a voice

Four stars for Time of the Season and Care of Cell 44

Really enjoyed this one. Of course "Time of the Season" is a pure classic.

Unremarkable

This album feels more modern than 60s/70s. The album, and especially the "I Want Her She Wants Me" song makes me think of Belle and Sebastian.

Honestly kind of a banger album

A fun listen, 60s music is interesting to dig into

I saw that Bryan reviewed this poorly and I was sad (“Time of the Season” is such a cool song). Now I know bryan was right. This album makes 35 minutes feel like an hour. It is actually bad, not just mediocre. Everything but the aforementioned best song are incredibly boring and simple songs. And at the end when Time came on I was just ready for it to be over. Today I learned that the Alan Parsons Project guy is from the Zombies

A couple great songs. Mostly unremarkable. 7/10

This album puts a smile on my face every time I listen to it. Some fun and explorative psychedelic pop that obviously influenced a lot of my favorite artists since. Artists like The Shins, Ben Folds and Animal Collective come to mind while I listen to this classic.

I those these folks would sound like The Cranberries for some reason...This has a very Beach Boys vibe. I'm not mad. This is actually a cool album. I love the music and vocals. I'll give this sucker a 4, and I'll listen to their other albums.

This was a fun surprise. I really dug it. Except for the last track which I’ve heard too many times. Plus it has the best Beach Boys song about your love getting out of prison that Brian Wilson never wrote.

very jolly

I want to extend an apology to the Zombies. I initially saw this album and thought it was just going to be another forgettable psychedelic album. What I instead got what a very nice collection of baroque pop. It didn’t sound super dated, like only those who were stoned at the time would enjoy it. The harmonies were great and the production was great. How the fuck was this reviewed indifferently back then? While I don’t see this sitting among my top-rated albums, I appreciate the talent on display here and I apologize for assuming this would be more 60’s psych crap. Sincerely, this dumbass. Favorite track: Time Of The Season Other hits: A Rose for Emily, Brief Candles, Butcher’s Tale (Western Front 1914), This Will Be Our Year, Care of Cell 44, Friends of Mine

Buena producción, los ingleses tuvieron una vara difícil de superar, pero estos estuvieron tan cerca...tan cerca. No sé puede ganar siempre, estaba difícil.

I liked this one. Time Of The Season was the only one I had heard before but others were good also. Best song: Butcher's Tale Notable(s): This Will Be Our Year, Care Of Cell 44, A Rose For Emily

This album was so cool, interesting songs and vocal layers. Piano driven.

Classic art/chamber pop album

I love this! It reminds me of The Beach Boys a little bit! Also, I didn't realize that “Time of the Season” was from here! I love that song. This album rocks!

I like this one.. Variety of instruments and vocals in a fun way Chaotic in a good way

Not bad. Good album

When this was recorded, guitar rock/pop music was only 10 years old. They are caught somewhere between wanting to sound like early Beatles and Sgt Peppers Beatles. Time of the Season is a classic, but This Will Be Our Year is a personal all-time favorite.

Couldn't get into it...dated and boring

No los conocía para nada, pero me gusto bastante. Re la onda "The beach boys". Todas las canciones me gustaron, no se si alguna entra a mi lista, pero verdaderamente disfrute escuchar este álbum. Volveré. Canción favorita: Time of the season/ Brief Candles/ Care of Cell of 44

I'm aware of The Zombies, but only really from _Time of the Season_ which is a good song, and whilst I'm not averse to a bit of 60s psychedelia, I mostly found this a bit pedestrian. Somewhat reminiscent of **The Kinks**, early **Pink Floyd** and some of **The Beatles** trippier moments and yet I don't think they square up well to any of those 3, at least not on this showing. Despite only being 35 minutes, it felt long and with little variation to keep me interested. As I understand, this wasn't particularly well received on release and has only gained acclaim later, after they'd split. I'm more inclined to agree with the original critique as I really don't hear anything special here.

One of the artsier psychedelic rock albums from this era. Closes with the brilliant "Time of the Season". I wasn't blown away or anything, but enjoyed what I heard to some extent.

Pretty solid, with some Beatles-esque sounds and a few tracks I previously knew too. Won't rush back, but no complaints.

Clichê. Essa palavra que eu escolheria pra descrever este álbum. Mas eu não a vejo como sendo inerentemente pejorativa. Pelo contrário, eu tenho um certo carinho por clichês. E este disco é inegavelmente um grande clichê do que se espera de um LP de Rock da década de 1960. Se fizer uma cartela de bingo de tudo que a década de 1960 foi famosa por produzir no âmbito da música popular, esse álbum iria gabaritar a cartela. Logo, acho que é fácil ver que o seu aproveitamento dessas canções depende muito do quanto você gosta da década de 1960 e do seu som. Eu, particularmente, tenho a década de 60 como uma das minhas favoritas, logo, eu adorei este disco, de capa a capa. Gostei de todas as faixas, e achei maravilhosas as composições e os vocais daqui. Certamente este disco merece mais atenção, visto que apenas uma faixa dele é reconhecida popularmente. Não vejo defeito nenhum neste disco. Entrega demais, sem frear em momento algum. 5/5

Very much of its time. Very easy and enjoyable. Nice way to start a week.

Nice enough Album. Not 100% to my taste in parts but good 60s pop nonetheless. Aside from Time of The Season which I was familiar with, really enjoyed Hung Up On A Dream. Decent.

liked most songs except the butcher one. really liked the first three tracks and tracks 8 and 11

Me gustaron algunas canciones y la portada

Hadn't head of The Zombies before, but I am on board for this! It was a really nice album. Very chill, great vibes. Not a single dud on this album, with Maybe After He's Gone and Beechwood Park really standing out. Then we hit the last track, Time Of The Season. I had no idea that this song was on this album. Always a great song. Hard to pick a best song. Obviously, Time Of The Season is a solid pick, but Maybe After He's Gone and Beechwood Park are also good candidates. I think I'll go with one of the lesser known tracks. Best song: Beechwood Park

Late 60s pop with a psychedelic, timeless track to finish the album.

I liked it. Not too much stuck out besides the opening track.

Seasons of Change is a classic from the late 60s; the rest of the album is not as great or doesn't translate to someone born in 1971.

Good 60s album, felt like all of their hits were on here and the other stuff was still enjoyable.

It was pretty good. Nothing show-stopping, but good.

Ha! I was listening to this but thinking it was an band from the early 2000s. I was thinking "this is decent but they are just copping on 60's rock. how come they can't bring anything new to the table." And was quite ready to give them a crappy review. Only when almost done and I head the last song which was the first I recognized, I looked up and saw this was in fact the 1968 band and they were authentic of their period. So much better.

Overrated, yes. But still a layered melodic gem. Odessey and Oracle is a classic for a reason, even if the praise sometimes drowns the music.

looooove his voice so bad man

I've heard of this psychedelic rock band. Not sure if I have listened to much of their material. Interested to check this out. Typical psychedelic music at the time. Nothing special yet. I am familiar with the last track on the album. Classic psychedelic track. 3-stars

Ok, 2/5 but time of the season is easily a top 100 song of all time

I really enjoyed this album even had a song I recognised on it. I saved a few of the songs during my first listen and will probably like more on a second.

One of the best pop albums of all time, no faults in this. Happy, beautiful, and interesting.

Firstly, such a crazy story about the Zombies (and fake Zombies!). Also feels pretty common that albums flopped and only got their critical acclaim later. As for the album, 60s psychedelia with a kind of cross of The Monkeys, Beach Boys, Nick Drake. Didn’t grab me particularly. Felt very of its time and nothing too exciting but nothing bad either. Baroque pop is a new one on me. Feels a very English band and album. ‘Butchers Tale’ a bit left field and that was the single they chose to release?! No wonder it flopped. Was glad to finish the album but ‘Time of the season’ such a great finish and track. Different feel to the rest. (2.5)

I don't get it. Maybe you, like, had to be there, man. 2/5, I won't be back.

Classic no skips

One of my favorites of all time. Listened for many years and will continue to.

Time of the Season dominated my transistor radio when I was ten. Classic.

Time of the Season is a spectacular song! Wasn't too crazy about the rest of the album.

Banger, could be wrong but sounded like the beach boys to me (compliment).

Kind of a mix of the Beach Boys, the Monkees, and the Beatles.

Baroque og pskykedlisk pop som er præget af klassiske instrument arrangementer og eksperimenterende lyde. Det var en lyd som blev udviklet af the beatles og beachboys i 60'erne. Man kan tydeligt høre inspirationen også. De lavede en Van Gogh og blev først populære efter at bandet var gået i opløsning. De var nogle af de første sammen med beatles og beachboys til at lave LP'erne som var en samlet lytteoplevelse og ikke bare singler, så det er rimelig cool Jeg synes det var et meget godt album tbh, men ikke noget jeg synes er sådan meeeeega godt, men der er mange interessente hooks og eksperimenterene lyde og akkorder som jeg synes er værd at genbesøge. Det lyder sgu cool. jeg vil sige mellem 3 og 3,5, så derfor en 3'er.

One of my favorite albums that starts off strong and ends even stronger

Very definitive sound of the 60’s. Lots of cute love songs, nothing other than butcher’s tale that I was overly impressed with. Butcher’s tale is awesome. I actually think I like chris white’s voice more than colin blunstone’s. Worth a relisten later

I had only ever heard Time of the Season, very pleased with the rest of the album overall.

This was fine

Ok.

Very strong album. Keyboards and vocals fantastic

Bof

Standard brittisk rock, lite ospännande men inte dåligt

I went into listening to this expecting something more like Surrealistic Pillow, and got something more akin to an early Pink Floyd project. Very psychedelic, but serious in its own way. The piano is omnipresent throughout the album, laying a foundation for the sparse yet wide feeling instrumentation. Most notable in my opinion is the ethereal sound of the Mellotron. The vocal harmonies and call and responses throughout the album are very Beach Boys-esque. The performance is solid throughout, but remains laid back, which makes for easier listening all the way through. The mix isn’t the greatest, but I can forgive that because it came out in 1968, and not a lot from that time was mixed well by modern standards. Overall a very chill album, definitely worth a revisit or 2

Amazing album!

Good stuff

Another great discovery! This is a wonderful album that fills that Pet Sounds and Abbey Road-esque hole in my heart. The opener and closer are bangers, the middle can get slow but the harmonies and brightness of it make up for it. Very glad to rate this a 4.5, bumped up because why not

Hadn't really listened to the Zombies before, a chill start to the journey

Boring generic 60s album. 1/5 + time of the season = 2/5

It was just alright. A well crafted 60s album with a huge hit and a cult following. However, it wasn't that much for me.

So close to perfection. It's more like 4.5.

The classic ‘nam song Weird WW1 song that is haunting and out of place but maybe my favorite

Classic

Not something I’d pull off the shelf, but it’s quality music and I’m sure I would’ve loved it while getting blazed in a field with all my friends in ‘68.

Hippy, dippy, trippy. Sounds like every other good album that came out in this decade. If I were judging this based on the band name, I would have been wrong.

3 if it were playing in the background anywhere but my own device. I gave it a full listen but would skip most of it in any other case, so 2.5. ———————————— My non-musician scoring system. 5 - Love it. Would play anytime, buy, see live… 4 - Good music. 3 - Average playlist. Depends on time and setting. 2 - I can’t listen to whole songs. 1 - No.

Vad är detta? Beatles eller? Fast bättre? Wow.

The complete track panning fad that plagued rock from the late 60's onward is the bane of my existence - so naturally this list loads you up on psych rock album after psych rock album. And that's what this album is to my ears - just another psych rock record. I know there's a lot of praise for it, and I can see a few reasons it deserves a bit of love; this album is very sonically clean for something out of 1968. I also think there are nuggets of good melodies and ideas like the chorus of "Maybe After He's Gone". But so few songs left me feeling satisfied from start to finish. "Beechwood Park" very much sounds like something a you'd hear on a good soundsystem as you walk into a record store - which has to count for something. I couldve gone without the middle part of the album from tracks 5-8 tbh. Just the usual stuff youd hear in a British psych rock album. "This Will Be Our Year" is a pretty neat, hopeful track that warrants the many ways it's lived on into modern times. So interesting that they chose to end the album with the clear hit in "Time of the Season" - I suppose they figured that with the way vinyl records were are listened to that it would nudge people to sit through the whole record with patience. I think the song is much better than erything else on the album because of the tone shift - it's much spookier, sporting a bit of edge in it's composition. Just not enough good to get over all the mid 2/5

Angenehm zu hörendes Rock-Album. Gute Melodien, die Epoche hört man aber schon raus. 3-4/5

Great psychedelic album. A blend of folk, doo-wop, and rock. Lots of highlights throughout the album. “This Will Be Our Year” is a personal favorite. It’s a wonderful little gem of a song. And I can’t think of another example of a band saving a song as great as “Time of the Season” for the final track of the album. It feels like a humblebrag, like they believed in the rest of the material enough to let it all play out and then say, “Oh yeah, ‘Time of the Season.’ Did you guys want to hear that one too?” It’s a fantastic song that’s become representative of a whole decade. But also it’s so cool. It’s impossible to not groove when you hear it. They tapped into something magic with that one.

"Time of the Season" is one of my favorite songs from this era. It's really remarkable and feels like a real piece of art- the song moves in a way that the band doesn't care about formula for what sounds right traditionally; it has weird stabbing snares, wonderful rubato, and a nice arrangement in the space (with the backing vocals as a highlight). It's really wild to me that this is the last song on the album. I will always smile when I hear this song. "A Rose for Emily" is a a wonderful short Eleanor Rigby-esque theme song for the fantastic podcast "S-Town" and hearing it for the first time in almost a decade was awesome. Those two tracks are great. The rest of the album isn't nearly as strong, and it makes me lean more towards a 3/5, but "Time of the Season" is just SO good that this has to be a 4. It's a true standout song in an era of standout songs.

That is distilled 60’s.

how can I be sure this is by the real zombys

Another band I have never heard of before! The album art is so enticing and does a great job of encapsulating the journey the music takes you on. The first half of the album felt like it blended really well, I found myself getting carried away by the music and when I looked at my phone, I was on a different song than I was before. I don't know if this album has any songs that I would be dying to listen to again, but I did enjoy a couple of them. This is more of a listening experience that a song album, if that makes sense.

The Zombies are the forgotten psychedelic group of the 1960's. Lost in the fold of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, The Kinks, Velvet Underground, and more that have seen varying levels of commercial success, The Zombies have yet to become a true household name. That's a shame because their second studio album, Odyssey And Oracle, is a marvel of psychedelic production and songwriting. The first side of this album is particularly great. Care Of Cell 44 shows a higher energy version of The Zombies while still maintaining a Baroque sort of beauty and a super great bassline before A Rose For Emily slows it down to a more stripped back, piano led ballad. Brief Candles is one of my favorite songs here, with its high tempo, layered production. The way the bass and piano sound together, and especially when that organ comes in during the chorus, is fantastic. This song also shows off the wonderful vocal harmonies that The Zombies are capable of. The other song that really showcases the vocal chops on display is the ballad Changes. This is not one of my favorite songs here, but the vocals are inspired and in some ways this song has a bit of an African feel to it. At some points throughout Odyssey And Oracle, The Zombies' experiments don't work. From I Want Her She Wants Me to Butcher's Tale is not a very interesting stretch of songs, and Butcher's Tale in particular is quite boring. However, the last two songs are quite good. Friends Of Mine is a fun bit of piano-dominated pop rock and the closer is the finest and most popular song on the album. Time Of The Season does not necessarily sound like it would be a hit. The song ends on an organ jam and the chorus is pretty much just the title of the song sung in harmony. But man, this song is such a fucking classic. I had no idea The Zombies were responsible for this song. Odyssey And Oracle is a great psychedelic pop album that really should get more recognition and should be considered a part of the pantheon. The first seven songs are fantastic and it features one of the best songs of the era in Time Of The Season. Some experiments don't work, but overall, it's somewhere between a 4 and a 4.5. Favs: Care Of Cell 44 Brief Candles Time Of The Season Least Fav: Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)

Pretty ok, though didn't appreciate being told I'd never find love 2 tracks in. Might have to blame my parents for liking the name :|

Love the cover and the album. Didn’t think I would know any of their songs but I sure did. Kind of had Beatles vibe, really enjoyed.

Come on? So good, right? Right.

2.5 - Meh

Some real hippy-dippy stuff. The whole thing felt elevated by Time of the Season, though. That song feels like it's on a whole different level.

Good album... a little strange. Especially since it's not a "mono version" as it says 🥴 Maybe a little flat sound for my taste.

Sweet