So why is The Zombies’ I Love You on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
I’ve long been a big fan of The Zombies, and consider them to be – at least from the perspective of my generation in the U.S. – one of the least appreciated big time bands from the 1960s, and certainly of the British Invasion era.
I’ll make an admission: I sometimes fall prey to assuming that if Spotify carries a band or artist, that that means that it will automatically include its entire catalog of music. Most often they will carry the full catalog – and especially studio album releases – but in rare cases, such as with The Zombies, Spotify will offer most of the output but not all of it.
So it was that I was able come around to I Love You, released by The Zombies in 1966, during the the long research process for this here best 1,000 albums ever project. And a true gem it is.
There are countless reasons why a particular song, album, or even band becomes “popular” or not. That said, I find it genuinely surprising that “Gotta Get A Hold Of Myself” isn’t in the conversation in terms of great songs from the ‘60s.
It’s got hints of mystery a la The Rolling Stones or early Doors, insanely great harmonizing on a par with The Byrds, and a Beatles-y knack for wonderful song craftsmanship and construction.
Not bad, right?
“Indication” is pure rock/pop bliss, and is peppy and zippy as all get out. And don’t get me started on that keyboard.
The title track, “I Love You,” is a swinging, crooning blast. I’ll call out again how great the vocals are on this and every Zombies track, really. Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone are a vocal pair for the ages.
Pop culture stuff that has something to do with The Zombies’ I Love You
I was fortunate enough to have access to cable television and occasional visits to the local video store (Blockbuster) when I was a kid, but I also made a serious effort to watch nearly every movie (VHS) that our local library in Commack, New York had to offer.
So it was that I got my hands on the original zombie masterpiece, George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead from 1968.
I didn’t know much about it going in, and certainly I had no idea that the entire concept of people stuck in a remote cabin beset by a zombie apocalypse stemmed from this film. Which is a pretty incredible way to stumble into a movie like this, really.
I recall being mesmerized by how seriously the film took its subject matter, which made me invest in the characters and hope that at least some of them would make it to the other side (unbitten, that is).
And then that ending… man, that has really stayed with me.
If you haven’t seen Night of the Living Dead – even if you’re not a big horror movie fan – I highly recommend it.
Some stats & info about The Zombies – I Love You
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, British Invasion, British Bands
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4 out of 5 stars
- When was I Love You released? 1966
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #430 out of 1,000
The Zombies’ I Love You on YouTube
Quick note that typically I’ll link separately to all of the individual songs that I mention. I don’t have that option with I Love You, so dig on in to the entire album on YouTube and have at it!
A lyrical snippet from The Zombies’ I Love You that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Got to get a hold of myself, got to make believe I don’t care.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.