DCC Archive recommendation for Odessey and Oracle on CD?

Regarding the Zombies' Odessey and Oracle... I've never heard it (except for Time of the Season, of course). People tell me I would like it. So I see there's two CD versions out now: the Big Beat "30th Anniversary Edition" with the album in stereo and mono, and the Repertoire version with other bonus tracks. And apparently there was a Rhino version years ago also? Anyway, the question I ask you, my esteemed cohorts, is which one sounds the best?

 

I've got the Big Beat version, as well as the HIGHLY recommended Zombie Heaven Box from Big Beat (virtually everything they ever did) and I've never had a reason to look for anything else. It is a great album! I discovered it only a few years ago and it immediately became one of my all-time favorites albums and The Zombies one of my all-time favorite bands. Can't believe they weren't appreciated more.

 

Look for an official looking, but really a bootleg of BBC performances in the early years. What's interesting about this, is that it is more representative of their actual live act was like. Fans would be surprised that not EVERYTHING they played was "She's Not There" and the "Odessy" album...essentially they were more a very pedestrian, covers band, than any of us would like to admit!

There is also very good, recently released book by Helter Skelter, that includes new interviews from the band members...a fresh look back, if you will on why they ended it all.

 

Jason,

I would definitely recommend the Big Beat release of Odessey & Oracle. I haven't heard the Repertoire CD so this may be OK - but I have heard the Rhino release and would not particulary recommend it (I'll leave Rhino related rants for another post...).

The main advantage to the Big Beat CD is the inclusion of the entire album in mono (If only other labels would follow this ethos....another rant coming soon!). I like both mixes but the mono certainly has the edge for me. Everything blends together in that magical way that is only possible in mono.

I'm not saying that the stereo mix is no good - far from it, but the Big Beat release gives us that rare opportunity to hear one of the greatest LPs of all time in the way it was intended to be heard.

Enjoy!

 

YAY! I get to be the Zombies expert!

OK, friends...here're all of the issues of O&O I know about, along with some quality judgements. Right off the bat, BTW, let me state that the recent Big Beat issue is the only one you really *need*; nice, very analogue sound, and inclusion of both mixes. However, I do wish someone would remix the album, as the bonus tracks are of a fidelity ridiculously above the regular album tracks...but anyway, I digress:

a) Razor CD. Never actually seen this one. I've heard of a CD that uses the old "Man standing in temple" picture, so this could be it. To judge from the Meet the Zombies CD, it has decent sound.

b) Rhino CD. Common, but nothing special.

c) Old Repertoire. This is where it gets interesting. BOth Repertoire and Teichiku have two separate issues of their Zombies titles, with the early ones being the ones to get (later ones just crib the audio from Zombie HEaven/Big Beat). Firstly, let's get to the Repertoire. A bit hissy, but altogether fine. The real stash, however, are the bonus tracks...most are essentially common, but these are the non Time of the Zombies/Zombie HEaven mixes, and it shows (these are also availible, BTW, on Meet the Zombies and quite a few other pre Big Beat compilations). The Repertoire, however, is the best place to find the alternate Smokey Day, and it is absolutely PACKED with tracks.

d) Old Teichiku. Like the Repertoire, but has some NR and re-EQ, and is thus not preferable. It also skimps out on some tracks (Repertoire had two Zombies CDs--Begin Here and O and O--while Teichiku had the aforementioned two plus a leftovers comp called I Love You).

e) New Teichiku. Is exactly the same as the Big Beat, but has different bonus tracks (the real bonus tracks migrate to a disc called RIP Plus)

f) New Repertoire...haven't heard, but have been told it ALSO cribs the Big Beat Audio.

g/h) Big Beat issues.

Keep in mind, this doesn't cover its various appearences in boxed-sets (Teichiku LOVES reissuing the same thing hundreds of times, for example) et cetera

-D

 

Wow. Thanks Dave. So let's see if I have this straight: In your opinion, the best mastering job on O&O is the Big Beat version? And since the new Repertoires have that version, I will be getting the same mastering job either way, with the only difference being the bonus tracks? So do the newest Repertoires have different bonus tracks than the older ones?

 

That is what I"ve *heard* about the new Repertoire...I already own enough copies of the album, thanks..^_^ (btw, of course, it is excellent).


I don't have the track lineup handy, but I think the new Repertoire is supposed to duplicate the older one, but have its audio Zombie-heaven-ized.

Get the Big Beat. You'll be happy you did, as you can get the other "bonus tracks" when you decide to fanatically collect the rest of the catalogue.

BTW, don't expect O&O to be an audiophile delight...the album sounds...well, the tape's holding out as well as it can..^_^

-D

 

I'll just add to David G's post that the "man in the temple" issue was the very first issue of the album on CD, in 1986, on the "Rock Machine" label. Paul Atkinson stated in a 1988 interview in Action Plus magazine that the tape used for that one was a few generations down, but it was the best they had until the Rhino issue of '87. Also, while the Rhino issue has been Inglotized sonically (nothing worse than trying to brighten up a fairly bad recording that just doesn't have the frequencies to support it), that issue is notable in that "I'll Call You Mine" (while technically not an O&O album cut) was remixed and released in stereo for the first time there (the later box set included the overdubbed "RIP version"). BTW...this is all kind of timely because I just scored the 1977 remake (4/5's of the original band!) of "Time Of The Season" on CD this week!. : )

 

That remixed I'll Call You Mine is probably the one on the Repertoire CD (btw, Zombie Heaven has TWO I'll Call You Mine's).

Glad to finally learn about the man-in-the-temple disc...so I'm guessing that's NOT the Razor Records version, then? Cool...pumps up our count a bit.

And is the version of TOTS you're referring to the one on the Blunstone BBC disc?

-D

 

David - Rock Machine was actually a division of Razor so they were basically one in the same. The re-recordings from '77 (Time of the Season and She's Not There) are completely different than the ones released on the Blunstone hits package in 89. The '77 recordings featured Tim Renwick filling in for Paul Atkinson and were only available only on the Canadian vinyl K-Tel Cruisin' series (not the US versions though). Luckily, K-Tels stuff today resides in the hands of Dominion and Madacy and here is where one can find these tunes on CD. I had SNT on a Diminion package but finally scored TOTS this week on a Madacy package.

 

One correction - This Colin Blunstone Hits package I made reference to in my previous post was actually released in 1991, not 89. Again, the '77 Zombies re-recordings are completely different than these.