“There’s loving everywhere but none for you / Not a rose for Emily”

The Zombies turn away from the Summer of Love’s naïve idealism, facing the harsh reality on the coin’s other side. However, you wouldn’t initially guess it from their gorgeous arrangements and harmonies. There exists no ’60s pop album more bittersweet than Odessey and Oracle. It’s more blatant and less in denial than Brian Wilson at his lowest songwriting themes. It’s more willing to revel in the tone of heartbreak and helplessness than any entire Beatles album. Odessey and Oracle is a truly special album both thematically and in the unusually incredible strength of all of its songs. This is an album that has stood the test of time so well that it renders many other albums of its era obsolete.

This is one of the very few ’60s albums I would say I prefer the stereo remix over the original mono, even considering other psych albums. For the record, I have the remix on the Zombie Heaven anthology. I think it’s wonderful, and I recommend it.