Zombie Heaven - attn: Xenu

[balthazar]

I've been eyeing the Zombie Heaven boxed set for a while now. I've got the DCC Steve Hoffman-produced best-of disc (the 15-track version), but it's missing some songs I enjoy. I've been curious how the sound compares on Zombie Heaven, and whether it's a worthwhile investment.

Xenu, Luke said you were a fan of the Zombies and other similar Brit-pop groups (e.g. Small Faces), and that you might be able to help me out.

[seth]

I can't answer your question about the sound quality comparison, but I can say that the box is great and definitely worth getting (at the best price you can, of course).

[lschwart]

I think the box sounds great! Good enough, in fact, to keep me from spending my presently depleted reserves on the newer Hoffman Hybrid SACD. The tracks that that disk shares with the box do sound better, but the box is still good enough for me right now. Also: it's got just about everything you could want in one form or another. I'm sure absoule completists could come up with this or that, but for most of us it's the whole shebang!

L.

[Xenu]

I've been eyeing the Zombie Heaven boxed set for a while now. I've got the DCC Steve Hoffman-produced best-of disc (the 15-track version), but it's missing some songs I enjoy. I've been curious how the sound compares on Zombie Heaven, and whether it's a worthwhile investment.

Xenu, Luke said you were a fan of the Zombies and other similar Brit-pop groups (e.g. Small Faces), and that you might be able to help me out.

I'm half asleep at present, so bear with me, and if I stop making sense call me on it.

"Zombie Heaven"--indeed, the entire set of Big Beat remasters--has a very distinctive sound to it; it isn't quite as "pure" as STeve's attempt, but it's damn good. The thing is, it's a bit of an investment; of course, it's the best way to get everything together in one place (although AFAIK Teichiku Japan and Repertoire have spent some effort cannibalizing the boxed set into several different configurations!). And heck, it's one of the best sets out there, so I'd definitely advise you to get it.

The fun with the Zombies is that there're several distinct "sets" of mixes used for different projects. Big Beat uses the mono mixes of all of the early stuff, and then uses the "Time of the Zombies" mixes for the post-Odessey, "RIP" material (although I think they kinda screw up with their "Imagine the Swan"...back to that in a sec). Before Big Beat came along, however, most comps used stereo mixes (some good, some bad) of the early stuff, and used distinctly-different mixes of the RIP material.

And then Big Beat made the "Decca Stereo Anthology," which consists of *new* stereo remixes of the early material (it doesn't sound as good as the SACD, but this isn't surprising; the stereo mixes Steve mostly uses always sounded crisper than their mono counterparts, and the Decca Stereo Anthology set tries to "match" the sound of their remixes to the mono mixes).

AS FAR AS STEVE'S DISCS GO:

The SACD sounds good, even better than the DCC disc. The thing is, his SACD has nothing "unique" (its one unique track, "Don't Cry For Me,"'s single mix, is on the earler DCC comp), whereas the DCC is the only place to find the "organ intro up" version of Imagine the Swan, AFAIK.

For the rest of the miscellaneous mixes, you have several choices, but probably the easiest way to do it is to track down the old Repertoire "Begin Here" and "Odessey" discs (I think the newer digipaks revert to the Zombie HEaven masterings). You get the stereo mixes of the early stuff, plus the RIP alternates of "Smokey Day," "Girl Help Me," the alt-stereo "Don't Cry For Me", &c. Of these, there's one mix from vinyl which has not yet made it to CD (the second stereo mix of "Girl Help Me").


....

That help?

[Xenu]

I should add that the Zombies--unlike, say, the Small Faces--have for the uninitiated a nice, well-thought reissue program catering to them. While "Zombie Heaven" is necessary for completists (and "Odessey" is only less so, as many people want the mono mix), you can safely ignore the Big Beat "Begin Here" and "Complete Singles" reissues, as they're almost totally superfluous. Compare this to the thousand "Small Faces Greatest Hits" comps, each with one or two new tracks!

[balthazar]

Thanks for the response from everyone. The set is sounding more and more worthwhile.

My first exposure to the Zombies was a compilation my parents had. If I remember correctly it was called _The Zombies: The Best and the Rest_. It seems to be out of print, and the best thing I was able to find was the DCC disc. There are of course some songs from _Best and the Rest_ that aren't on the DCC disc.

It looks like I'll be getting the Heaven box when I've got the money for it.

[Chris M]

I'll preface this with the fact that I'm a stereo guy but some of the original stereo mixes used on the AF Zombies SACD are very weak IMO. While the fidelity is much better than the mono's the mixes just have no drive or cohesion IMO. The worst offenders IMO are Indication and She Does Everything for Me. Those songs flat out rock in mono but just lay there and die on the original ('69?) stereo mixes. While I appreciate the sonics SACD I fond myself reaching for the Zombie Heaven box every time.

Chris

[Mike Hunte]

My religion prohibits me from listening to any music that contains zombies.

[Xenu]

Thanks for the response from everyone. The set is sounding more and more worthwhile.

My first exposure to the Zombies was a compilation my parents had. If I remember correctly it was called _The Zombies: The Best and the Rest_. It seems to be out of print, and the best thing I was able to find was the DCC disc. There are of course some songs from _Best and the Rest_ that aren't on the DCC disc.

It looks like I'll be getting the Heaven box when I've got the money for it.

"Best and the Rest" was a cheapie budget compilation that actually debuted "Girl Help Me" and "I Can Spend the Day," two excellent songs that later showed up on Zombie Heaven (although the variant of GHM on "Best and the Rest" has never shown up on CD).

Definitely shop around for Zombie Heaven. Prices for the title tends to fluctuate...I found mine for $50 or so.

[balthazar]

"Girl Help Me" was one of my favorites from that compilation.

_Zombie Heaven_ is out of stock from Barnes and Noble, but Amazon's got it. Looks like nice packaging, too.

[Chris M]

Anyone know of the current Zombies US tour has all 5 original memebers? I know Rod and Colin are part of the line up.

Chris

[Xenu]

Paul Atkinson is apparently in poor health currently. I think the "Zombies" are just Rod and Colin, continuing with the other three's blessing...they've been touring as Blunstone/Argent for some time now, and I guess (correctly) figure that the re-tooled name might help a bit.

[Rspaight]

They're playing here in Lexington on Valentine's Day... I'm thinking of going.

Ryan

[Xenu]

I don't think they're coming near IL, sadly.

[Xenu]

The Rod/Colin duo has been the quintessential example of bands always playing where I'm not (NY if I'm at school, Chicago if I'm at home). Apparently, their concerts tend to be pretty intimate affairs, with frequent autograph/yak sessions afterwards.