Concert Review: Zombies Invade the Park
Monday, October 12, 2015
A British Invasion of sorts arrived in Cranston Saturday night, as the Park Theatre welcomed a legendary band to town. The Zombies, psychedelic pop rockers from outside London who had their first #1 hit over 50 years ago, played an especially satisfying show of classics and rarities.
They brought celebrated hits, new songs, and a re-creation of their classic rock masterpiece, Odyssey and Oracle, an album recorded in 1968 that was released with little fanfare but went on to become a critical favorite.
First Set – Hits Old and New
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe first of two sets saw a number of tunes from their just released album Still Got That Hunger. The album is getting solid reviews in the mainstream press; it’s a fun listen, with some cool arrangements and a nostalgic feel, a sound reminiscent of late 70’s Steely Dan (Check out “And We Were Young Again”).
Concet highlights from the new album included the New Orleans influenced “Edge of the Rainbow,” with its bluesy riffs, and “I Want You Back Again,” a supercharged version of a song first recorded in 1965 and frequently covered by Tom Petty. “If it’s good enough for Tom Petty, it’s good enough for us.” noted founding member Rod Argent in his introduction.
Over the course of the evening, Argent and co-founder Colin Blunstone shared stories about the new album, which was released last Friday. On stage, lead vocalist Blunstone appears as breezy and earnest as a 19 year old kid just making it to the big time. You get the sense that this band doesn’t take its celebrity status for granted. They’ve known success, but they also disappeared from the limelight for decades. No doubt, they're back!
The early hits were also featured in the first set. “Tell Her No,” (63 times in the song, by the way) and a cover of the Miracles “Really Got a Hold on Me” were crowd pleasers, as was Argent’s own “Hold Your Head Up,” which got the crowd on its feet. Argent’s extended keyboard solo had more depth than the original radio version, to the delight of those assembled. “She’s Not There,” their first big hit closed the first set. It was another reminder of how The Zombies sound is centered more around keyboards and less around guitars.
Odyssey and Oracle
Simply put, the Zombies Odyssey and Oracle is one of the great albums of all time positioned alongside 60’s gems like The Beach Boys Pet Sounds and The Beatles Sgt. Pepper. Clocking in at a mere 35 minutes, the album actually ended up being release after the band broke up in 1968. It was a while before it caught on, it was a cult favorite until the 1980’s when a larger audience began to recognize its significance.
The promised “note for note” recreation of the album opened with the up tempo letter to prison known as “Care of Cell 44.” The Pet Sounds influence is apparent, (the Zombies were listening to the Brian Wilson masterpiece at the time) and although a gloomy subject, the song is a pleasant rocker.
Next up was “A Rose for Emily,” perhaps a response to the Beatles “Eleanor Rigby,” and likely based on the William Faulkner’s short story of the same title. The song is a poignant ballad highlighting Blunstone’s strong vocal range.
“She watches her flowers grow
While lovers come and go
To give each other roses from her tree
But not a rose for Emily...”
“Maybe After He’s Gone,” a hopeless love song born of lonliness, was next. The song has a nice acoustic lead, and wall of sound-like Mama’s and Papa’s harmonies. The lyrics read of desperation and sadness:
“She told me she loved me, With words as soft as morning rain
But the light that fell upon me, Turned to shadow when he came
Maybe after he's gone, She'll come back, Love me again”
The set included all original surviving members of the band including bass player Chris White, who wrote half the songs on the album. With Argent accompanying on pipe organ (which was pretty cool to hear), White took lead vocal on the haunting “Butcher’s Tale (Western Front 1914),” a song about a meat butcher sent off to World War I. It’s a hidden protest song written at the height of the Viet Nam War. The lyrics evoke a familiar universal theme…
“And the preacher in his pulpit
Sermoned ‘Go and fight, do what is right’
But he don't have to hear these guns
And I bet he sleeps at night.”
Time of the Season
Odyssey and Oracle has influenced numerous artists since its release including Paul Weller of The Jam who noted its “autumnal sound.” He’s onto something - introspective lyrics about prison, war, and post-summer breakups construct a weighty tone - it’s an album of changing leaves and cooling temperatures.
And it closes of course, with “Time of the Season,” the 1969 hit penned by Argent and featuring a jazzy extended solo matched only by the Doors “Light My Fire.” Rob seemed to go off script a little, happily expanding his keyboard solo. No complaints here – the song remains strong after 46 years.
Albums like Odyssey don’t come along too often, and Rhode Island was lucky to get a spot on the tour the night after the band played New York City. The Zombies are widely appreciated by a younger audience and have become a favorite on the music festival circuit.
As always, the Park Theatre served as a great venue for the show. There’s a crowd friendly atmosphere not to mention reasonably priced tickets and drinks– refreshing in this age of ticketflation. They’ve got some great shows ahead this fall - Check out the complete schedule here.
Ken Abrams review Roots, Rock and Blues for GoLocal. E-Mail him here.
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