The Zombies Never Die: Colin Blunstone on the Resurrection of Odessey and Oracle in Mono

The Sharp Notes with Evan Toth

Few albums in the history of rock music have had a journey as unlikely—or as triumphant—as Odessey and Oracle. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios in 1967 during the final months of the original Zombies, the record was released only after the band had already broken up. And yet, what emerged from that bittersweet moment was a British psych-pop masterpiece: an album that gave us “Time of the Season,” and later earned its place on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and today, it stands as a landmark of 1960s pop imagination.

This year marks a particularly special milestone: the first U.S. release of the band’s original mono mix—remastered, beautifully presented, and accompanied by new liner notes from David Fricke. For longtime fans, it’s a chance to hear the record as it was originally intended in 1968.

Today, Colin Blunstone returns to this podcast for the second time—not to rehash the myth of Odessey and Oracle, but to explore what it really felt like to be part of the band in that moment, when the record was both a swan song and, ultimately, a timeless resurrection. Our conversation is less about track-by-track analysis and more about the emotions behind the music, and the way history has finally caught up with one of the greatest rock albums ever made.