Odessey and Oracle
| Odessey and Oracle | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by The Zombies | ||||
| Released | 19 April 1968 | |||
| Recorded | 1 June – 7 November 1967 | |||
| Studio | Abbey Road and Olympic Studios, London, England | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:18 | |||
| Label | CBS | |||
| Producer | The Zombies | |||
| The Zombies chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  |
| BBC Music | (very favourable) |
| Robert Christgau | A− |
| Pitchfork | 9.3/10 |
| PopMatters | (very favourable) |
| Rolling Stone | (favourable) |
Odessey and Oracle is the second studio album by the English rock band The Zombies. It was originally released in April 1968, on the label CBS. The album was recorded over a period of three months between June and August 1967, in sessions that took place at Abbey Road and Olympic Studios, in London. "Time of the Season" was released as a single and became a surprise hit in early 1969.
The album was received indifferently on release, but has since become critically acclaimed. It ranked number 100 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Odessey and Oracle was recorded in 1967 after The Zombies signed a recording contact with the CBS label. They began work on the album in June 1967. Nine of the twelve songs were recorded at EMI's Abbey Road Studios. "Friends of Mine" was recorded on 1 June, "A Rose for Emily" was started on 1 June and completed on 10 July (take 5 reduction of take 3), "This Will Be Our Year" was recorded on 2 June (take 4) and 15 August (horn overdub), "Hung Up on a Dream" was recorded on 10-11 July (take 7 reduction of take 3), and "Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)" was recorded on 20 July (take 1). In late July, when Abbey Road was unavailable, The Zombies temporarily shifted base to Olympic Studios where they recorded "Beechwood Park", "Maybe After He's Gone" and "I Want Her, She Wants Me". They returned to Abbey Road Studios in mid-August to record "Care of Cell 44" (take 5 reduction of take 4) and "Brief Candles" (take 10 reduction of take 9) on 16-17 August and "Time of the Season" (August, date unknown). The sessions ended in November and the final track to be recorded was "Changes" (take 5) on 7 November 1967.
Because the album was recorded to a tight budget and deadline, The Zombies worked quickly in the studio, having rehearsed rigorously beforehand. This meant that there would be no outtakes or unused songs recorded during the sessions. Cello and Mellotron parts were added to "A Rose for Emily" but discarded at the final mixing stage.
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