Line Out - Comments on The Zombies @ the Triple Door 3/12/07

Comment by elswinger

elswinger — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 11:47:32 -0800

This is exactly why I didn't go see thrm. I love the Zombies, but I have no desire to listen to 60-year olds rock, Blues or country? Sure.

Oddysey & Oracle is a great album and kind of a sad story. The production benefited because the Zombies were able to use the same studio and equipment the Beatles used when they were recording Sgt. Pepper. The sad part is the record company, Ode, fucked around for a year before releasing it and by then it seemed quaint next to Beggars Banquet and the White Album.

By the time O&O came out, the Zombies had broken up by then and Argent had already formed his own self-named band, who's only real hit was Hold Your Head Up, with it's wicked long organ solo.

Time of the Season didn't really become a hit until 1969, and then again in 1973 when a two record best of "Time of the Zombies" came out (I wore my copy out by the way).

Comment by Robin Pecknold

Robin Pecknold — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:20:59 -0800

I don't like being confronted with the reality that, for many artists, the whole late sixties psych thing was just a phase on their way to fake tans, muscle T's and 8 minute guitar solos. The Zombies need to go the Brian Wilson/Arthur Lee route - just play Odessey and Oracle in its entirety, note for note. With Chris White and sixties instruments, and a Mellotron.

I was there last night and I thought it was terrible, most of the time it felt like an Emerald Queen Casino show or something. They've got one of my favorite records in their pocket and they mostly ignored it. Colin Blunstone's voice sounded great though!

Comment by elswinger

elswinger — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:09:47 -0800

I'd be in for that, Colin won't be able to hit the high notes without a pitch shifter. A couple years ago Genesis released a box set of the Peter Gabriel years with a complete performance of their masterpiece, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Apparently Peter didn't like a couple of his vocal passages so he overdubbed them and he must have gone down a couple octaves. I have bootlegs of the show they used an it was totally unnecessary for the overdub.

I have the CD of Arthur Lee and the latest incarnation of Love doing all of Forever Changes, and The Pretty Things doing all of S.F. Sorrow (with Dave Gilmour as special guest) and they are every bit as good if not better as Brian Wilson's recent performances of Pet Sounds and Smile. Even the Who into the 90's were still able to do Tommy pretty well (even if it did lack Keith's manic drum beats).

Comment by nipper

nipper — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:56:03 -0800

Ari your's is the EXACT criticism I've heard re: Zombies since the boys started touring again. oh well. I still have yet to see 'em.

BTW. I saw Love @ EMP. BEST SHOW EVER.

Comment by jiff

jiff — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 16:13:24 -0800

Thanks for the reviews. "Pointing in the air"? Up? Thanking God like athletes after a good play?

Comment by segal

segal — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 18:53:08 -0800

I saw Love @ EMP. BEST SHOW EVER.

Arthur's voice was shot when I saw him in Cleveland on that tour. The music was fantastic, but poor Mr. Lee had lost most of his range.