Search - The Zombies :: The Zombies - Greatest Hits

Great sound, uninspired tracklisting

David Goodwin | Westchester, NY United States | 09/13/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"To say that the Zombies have "several" Greatest Hits compilations would be understating it just a tad; that's like saying the Who milk their fans for cash "every once in a while." This late in the game, if another entry is going to be made in the Zombies Greatest Hits pantheon, it ought to have *something* special about it and offer something previous sets haven't; otherwise, another "Great Pop Bands of the 60s" set doesn't really have an audience. Thankfully, The Zombies Greatest Hits from Audiofidelity *does* have several things going for it.For one, these twenty tracks have never sounded better. Barring some dropouts inherent in the source material, this really sounds stellar, easily beating even the Decca Stereo Anthology on some tracks (although to be fair, that set attempts to duplicate the EQ and 'verb of the original mono mixes, whereas many of the stereo mixes presented here are under no such illusion). For another, this disc is an SACD hybrid (meaning it plays on almost all regular CD players--some DVD players have trouble with hybrid discs--as well as on SACD players), and is cheap, to boot. Now, granted, many people have troubled discerning a huge "night and day" difference between the high resolution and CD layers, but it's still a nice thought, and who'd have thought the Zombies would ever be considered for a SACD entry?So yes. Enough with audiofetishism for now, and on to the music. Unfortunately, the main failing of this set is its slightly uninspired track selection. The compilers were clearly more fond of the earlier, British-invasion stylings of the group as opposed to their more developed Odessey and Oracle vibe; consequently, the vision presented of the group is a bit skewed (although in all honesty almost every Zombies comp has the same problem). I love "I Don't Want To Know" and "It's Alright With Me," but I can't help feeling that they're not necessarily the best tracks for a "Greatest Hits" compilation.Indeed, the tracklisting is very, very similar to this disc's predecessor, the DCC "Greatest Hits" compilation. However, whereas that disc actually had a unique track (the "organ intro" version of Imagine the Swan), this disc doesn't actually have anything unavailable elsewhere. Collectors who're satisfied with the quality of the DCC disc thus don't "need" this, as all of its tracks and mixes do appear elsewhere.The verdict? If you're just getting into the Zombies, I humbly suggest that one pick up a slightly more comprehensive collection. The Big Beat discs, for example, are far more attractive in track selection, cover art, and liner notes. However, the sound on this disc just can't be beat, so for the "experienced" Zombies listener, this is one Greatest Hits compilation that shouldn't be idly passed over."

5 stars for sound - 4 stars for content

Andreas Martin | 06/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Zombies only had a few hits, but they released a series of singles, EPs and two albums with a consistent quality that guarantees their place in rock history. Their entire studio ouput (if one ignores mono/stereo/alternate mix variations) can be found on the box set Zombie Heaven. The most obvious advantage of this CD is its astounding sound quality. Steve Hoffman has proved again what can be done with old and sometimes problematic tapes. Here, the voices sound crystal clear, the instruments full and the air and ambience of those recordings is still present. No noise reduction, no apparent digital manipulation has been done. It sounds like 1964/1965, but as if you listened to it live in the studio during the recording. Whenever there was a choice for one of the songs, the stereo mix was used for this compilation. The track selection is not without fault. While the big hits are all presented here (She's Not There, Tell Her No, Leave Me Be, Time Of the Season), some of their minor single successes (She's Coming Home, Whenever You're Ready, Is This The Dream) are not included. Also, only one song from their masterpiece "Odessey & Oracle" means that the "British Invasion" aspect of their earlier songs is emphasized, while their later "psychedelic" era is left out. But let us simply hope that a second Zombies CD/SACD from Audio Fidelity will solve this problem.It should be noted that this disc does NOT require SACD compability. A regular CD player is sufficient in order to play the CD layer.Resumee:
Recommended both for new fans (who will get the big hits plus some B-sides and album tracks) and for experienced collectors (who will get upgraded sound quality)."

SEXY, SPOOKY BRITISH ROCK

steendean | Fayetteville, NC United States | 01/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One thing's for sure: you've never heard anyone like the Zombies. This early British group came and went like a flash, but they left a plethora of haunting, completely original-sounding songs in the wake of all the other British soundalike groups. You can't really compare them to anyone. On this cd, you get just enough to satisfy the "casual" Zombies fan and to whet the appetite of a potential Zombies maniac. Songs like "Time of the Season" and "Tell her No" are here, but folks, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Listen to "I Can't Make Up My Mind" or the just plain eerie "Imagine the Swan". This is weird stuff, but it's good weird stuff: just formulaic enough for pop radio, but just edgy and dark enough to satisfy those of us who find the Beatles a little, well, blase. The Zombies are way out there, and once you listen to them, you'll be glad you went along for the ride."