I Saw The Zombies Last Night

I just wanted to say that I saw The Zombies at The Aladdin Theatre here in Portland, Or. last night, and they were fabulous.

I'll be honest, I'm a latecomer in appreciation of this band. RSD and these forums got me to pay a little closer attention this last year.

Man....Colin Blunstone may be the benchmark of how good a voice that's been around since the early 60's, can remain.

What a truly enjoyable show that was put on by Colin Blunstone, Rod Argent and band. The setlist was great, with fine selections from their most recent album, as well as other periods, including Odyssey and Oracle, the big hits, and the big hit from Argent. The guys looked great, and told wonderful stories. The opening act, Et Tu Bruce, featuring the son of Chris White, was also great.

If you have any chance at all, catch this act while you can....you won't be disappointed. Here's a link to their tour dates:

http://thezombies.net/future/

 

I saw them two years ago and had a similar experience up in San Juan Capistrano. I thought Colin's voice was great and I've been wanting to see them again. It looks like Santa Ana is the closest they will be to San Diego this year. Hmmm.

Rod Argent's tales cracked me up. He was charming, but he never missed an opportunity to drop "I wrote this song" in any story.

 

Saw them a few years ago, for free, at the Mohegan Sun casino. They were, as others have stated, excellent, and Colin sounds really good. The set list was probably a bit too predictable, and it doesn't sound much has changed there. So I'm not sure I'd want to see them again. But it was definitely worth seeing.

 

I saw them a few years ago in Boston, as part of a show put on by Little Steven. Due to some sort of scheduling conflict at the club they had to play a shortened set. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't cut two Argent songs (Hold Your Head Up and God Gave Rock'nRoll To You) and instead dropped a couple of Zombies songs. I also thought the long guitar solos that were added to a couple of songs were a bit out of place. Other than those minor complaints, it was a great show. Bluntstone's voice and Argent's organ playing were both excellent. Not sure that I'd go see them again, but it was well worth it for that one show.

 

True, but when I last saw the Zombies he also pointed out that he didn't write "Hold Your Head Up," even though people think he did.

 

Yeah, he said the same last night. He gave all the credit to Chris White, and said it was born in the Zombies period.

 

This is what blew me away.....his voice....amazingly intact. He has taken great care of his instrument.

 

I love how those guys got/get along after the Zombies broke up. Rod also had very kind words for Colin's solo albums.

I know it's a stretch, but I wish they'd play some Alan Parsons Project songs that Colin sang. I guess I'll never hear those live.

 

"Old & Wise" was done earlier, before there was new Zombies material. Colin also sang "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," which he had a UK hit with.

 

That's what I get for waiting until 2011 to see them live. I'm glad they have some good newer songs from Breathe Out Breathe In to play. I thought that was a strong album.

 

Well, my friend, they DID do one of his Alan Parsons Project tunes last night. This is the first time I've ever seen them, so I wouldn't know how rare an event that might be. Here is the set list from last night:

• 1. I Love You
     
     
  2. Can't Nobody Love You
     (Solomon Burke cover)
  3. Breathe Out, Breathe In
     
     
  4. I Want You Back Again
     
     
  5. What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
     (Jimmy Ruffin cover)
  6. I Don't Believe in Miracles
     (Colin Blunstone song)
  7. Show Me the Way
     (Rod Argent on lead vocals)
  8. Any Other Way
     
     
  9. A Rose for Emily
     
     
  10. Care of Cell 44
      
      
  11. This Will Be Our Year
      
      
  12. I Want Her She Wants Me
      (Rod Argent on lead vocals)
  13. Time of the Season
      
      
  14. A Moment in Time
      
      
  15. Tell Her No
      
      
  16. You've Really Got a Hold on Me/Bring It on Home to Me
      (Smokey Robinson cover)
  17. Old and Wise
      (The Alan Parsons Project cover)
  18. Hold Your Head Up
      (Argent cover)
  19. She's Not There
      
      
  20. Just Out of Reach
      
      
  21. Summertime
      (George Gershwin cover)

 

I'm glad to hear The Zombies are still sounding good.

 

Must be some confusion here. Russ Ballard wrote "Hold Your Head Up," and it didn't come along until the third Argent album.

 

I'm envious. I am REALLY envious of the folks that got to see them with Arthur Lee and Love a few years ago.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_White_(musician)

I don't know, that's Wikipedia.........but definitely last night, he made a big point, prior to playing it, to say how the song had its roots in The Zombies, and that Chris White was responsible for 90% of that song (he either said 80 or 90% specifically). Those were his words.

 

I'm glad "I Don't Believe in Miracles" is still in the set. I wish they were still doing "Say You Don't Mind" as they did when I saw them on their first tour years ago. (At that time, they hadn't yet reverted to the Zombies name, and were still going by Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone.) I've written here many times before about how Colin's vocal on the bridge of that song totally blew me away.

I saw them a second time a couple of years after that and they were also good...though I agree I could completely do without "Hold Your Head Up" and "God Gave Rock and Roll to You."

Someone also made the comment about extended guitar solos, and for me this was the only down note of the Zombies shows. Their guitarist, while undeniably talented, played in a generic Stratocaster-slinger manner that was totally at odds with The Zombies' music. I believe I read recently that this guy is no longer with the band. I can only hope his replacement plays in a more appropriate style.

I like some of the chestnuts they've dropped in like the Miracles/Sam Cooke medley and "Can't Nobody Love You." Also nice that they brought back "Just Out of Reach," one of only two songs Colin wrote for The Zombies.

 

Yikes! Apparently I'm mistaken...Russ Ballard sang "Hold Your Head Up" but didn't write it. My apologies.

 

Yes, that was the second Zombies show I saw, and is among the best concerts I've ever attended.

It was also only the second show Love/Baby Lemonade had played since being rejoined by original Love guitarist Johnny Echols.

Besides the great songs, expertly played, what really amazed me that night, unexpectedly so, was Arthur Lee's voice. It's absolutely true that Colin Blunstone's voice is as wonderful as it was nearly 50 years ago. Arthur's, in fact, had actually gotten much better than it was back in the day. Amazingly strong and subtly nuanced...the whole show was just so damn good.

 

I think they've basically decided that all the Argent material is part of the Zombies history. There are two Argent remakes (both really odd choices!) on the new Zombies album.

What really kills me is that I've seen the Zombies four times and they've never done my favorite, "Just Out of Reach." Now I miss them and they finally do it!

 

I thought the same a while back until I realized I was confusing it with with "Liar".

 

Oh I completely agree that Argent is part of The Zombies' history. I just wish they would pick better Argent songs than those two. I absolutely love Argent's debut album and most of Ring of Hands. I understand going with the mass popularity angle, however.

They did that at the second show I saw, and I was really tickled by it.

 

Saw the San Juan Capistrano show at the Coach House a couple of years back, and got to see them twice on the Moody Blues Cruise-they are just outstanding live, some of the most memorable live music I've been priveleged to hear. Everyone I spoke with on the cruise was effusive with praise for the Zombies, and they're nice guys, too.

 

For a little while they had "Whenever You're Ready" in the setlist, which was really cool. Last time I saw them was a few months back where they shared a triple bill with Et Tu Bruce and Al Kooper. They had to shorten their set because of curfew, but they still played for over an hour.

 

Saw them twice in recent years - at the same small club here in town. Both fabulous shows with many poignant and mindblowing moments during a perfect set. (Bluntstone was wandering around the bar when we came in just checkin out the atmosphere and getting the feel of the room, I suppose.)

Don't miss them if they come your way - they won't be around forever.

 

Sure they will--they're ZOMBIES! Just don't let them bite or scratch you.