Begin Here

The Zombies’ first album is often ignored or looked down on as a dowdy sibling to the — admittedly magnificent — Odessey and Oracle, or not as original as contemporary records by The Kinks or The Beatles thanks to being about a third covers. But this is not fair. It is a truly glorious record in its own right, one of the best encapsulations of British mod/beat/blues on the cusp of turning weird, its acapella sections and strange sound effects presaging psychedelia, its atmospheres reliably smoky and moody. And the covers don’t detract from that: Bo Diddley and Sam Cooke songs and a sublime “Summertime” are delivered with assurance and individuality — and a very particular young man’s yearning for a world of experience — that stands this record apart.