The Zombies – R.I.P. LP

Description

In 1969,the Zombieslanded their biggest hit with the moody, light psychedelia of “Time of the Season,” but it was too late for the group to enjoy it much, as they had been broken up for over a year when the track fromOdessey and Oraclebelatedly took off on American radio. However, no one in the record business will ever pass on an opportunity to follow up a hit, and since original membersRod Argent(keyboards) andChris White(bass) had been writing songs together with a new group in mind, it took only so much persuading to get them to cut a few singles under the namethe Zombies, most patterned after the languid but artful tone ofOdessey and Oracle. The Zombies’ American record label initially intended to combine the tracks with some unreleased studio outtakes to fashion an album calledR.I.P., but since none of theArgent/Whitesingles became a major breakout, the plan was scrapped, and the scattered tunes popped up on a handful of compilation albums and box sets. In 2014, Varese Sarabande finally assembled the songs into their proposed sequence and gaveR.I.P.an official release, with the first half of the album featuring theArgent/Whitesides, and the reworkedZombiesouttakes (many with overdubbed horns and strings) on what would have been side two. As one might expect, the album has something of a split personality, since original lead singerColin Blunstonedoesn’t appear on theArgent/Whitenumbers, and the sudden reappearance of his distinctive voice at the midway point gives the feeling that things have shifted gears. Also, while theArgent/Whitetunes “Imagine the Swan” and “Smokey Day” capture the feel of theOdessey and Oracle-era group, “She Loves the Way They Love Her” takes the music is a different direction altogether, and “Conversation on Floral Street” is a rollicking instrumental that more closely resemblesArgent‘s later work on his own. The second-half material sounds like solid vintageZombies, albeit with a bit more gingerbread than usual, and though none of these songs rank with their finest work, they’re good enough to serve as a reminder of just how many great sides the group released in their time, especially “If It Don’t Work Out” and “Walking in the Sun.” This release also includes monophonic single mixes for three of the tunes, along with excellent liner notes fromAndrew Sandoval.R.I.P.isn’t quite the Great LostZombiesAlbum, but it’s a fine set of worthwhile rarities, and it’s good to finally have this material collected in one place at last; fans of this great band will certainly want this in their collection. -All Music Guide