So why is The Zombies’ Begin Here on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
There’s a general consensus among critics that The Zombies’ final album, Odessey and Oracle (1968), stands as their masterpiece.
It’s an amazing album to be sure, and in fact I have it slotted at #375 of the best 1,000 albums ever. But for me, Begin Here, which appropriately is The Zombies’ debut LP, is better by just (insert image of a hand holding the thumb an inch apart from the forefinger here).
There’s a pure and rich and deeply compelling mid-‘60s British Invasion sound on Begin Here that is both sensational and maddening from the perspective of wondering why The Zombies never had the breakthrough popularity in the U.S. to put them in the same league as The Who or The Rolling Stones (or even those four other lads from Liverpool way).
Just behind the fantastic “Time of the Season,” “She’s Not There” is the best known Zombies song. It has all of the qualities I mention about Begin Here above, and also includes a deeply intriguing and mysterious vibe thrown down by keyboardist Rod Argent. It builds magnificently into the chorus, and by the time we hit the end of the song, I’m always wanting more.
Well, let me tell you ’bout the way she looked
The way she’d act and the color of her hair
Her voice was soft and cool
Her eyes were clear and bright
But she’s not there
“I Can’t Make Up My Mind” is classic British Invasion with stunning harmonies from Colin Blunstone and crew. I also realized at some point that I dig this sound so much as it reminds me a bit of stuff that Ray Manzarek would do a few years later with The Doors.
And “What More Can I Do” is an example of a song where I’m kind of baffled that it isn’t considered one of the very best British rock songs to emerge out of the 1960s. That’s to say: it’s groovy and it’s swinging and it rocks.
Some stats & info about The Zombies – Begin Here
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, British Bands, British Invasion, Garage Rock
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 3.5 out of 5 stars
- When was Begin Here released? 1965
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #265 out of 1,000
The Zombies’ Begin Here on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from The Zombies’ Begin Here that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
But it’s too late to say you’re sorry: how would I know, why should I care? Please don’t bother trying to find her – she’s not there.
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.