The Zombies, known for making one of the most famous psychedelic albums of all time, had a surprisingly varied career. Despite only having released two original lineup albums, one in 1964 and another in 1968, there’s enough studio or studio-passing tracks that there could have been an album a year from ‘64 to ‘68, and we could get even more if you count the solo eras of the two main members. Despite the consistent quality of music, one issue that would be hard to avoid with those hypothetical albums also afflicts Begin Here. There is a lack of cohesion. Some of these songs prioritize romantic singing and an environment-filling organ. Other tracks are beefy rockers with strangely less focus on the famous Colin Blunstone’s vocals and Rod Argent’s keyboard. The consequence of this is not a bad album, but an unfocused one. As such, treating this as a compilation helps the experience.
The opening track is “Road Runner”, which has a beautifully fiery lead guitar. Blunstone, like other singers like Roger Daltrey, can’t quite capture the elegance of original performer Bo Diddley, but is still good. That guitar and interplay with the drums really makes the song. “Summertime” plays to the band’s natural strengths. It’s a warm ballad with breathy vocals and nice harmonies. The keyboard has clear jazz influences. The bass and drums add a perfect backing to amplify the intended tone. While the group isn’t known for their covers, they’ve managed some extremely cohesive ones that add in the jazz and R&B leanings of the five living dead, a sound all their own.
“I Can’t Make Up My Mind” has similar positives, with more intense playing and singing. The organ, especially its solo, provides some class and texture. Without it, you’d basically have a different band, as it contrasts the hard hitting guitar and drums. “The Way I Feel Inside” showcases how strong Colin’s voice and Rod’s playing are, though compositionally and lyrically the track is too simplistic, so the intended effect of “less is more” isn’t reached. The full band demo adds some much needed energy. “Work ‘n’ Play” follows and is pretty jarring. It’s a nice reminder of the R&B, but is similarly dull and notably lacking any vocal work. Rod Argent plays harmonica and not very well, though the whole track coasts on being upbeat and fun, though it would have more value on a rarities compilation where this would be more of a curio than album filler.
“You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me/Bring It On Home to Me” is the third track to not have the magnetic and razor sharp playing of the band, but the vocal harmonies help make up for that. This shows how even though the band has a wonderful sound, they should have put more work into making their covers feel distinct. Colin’s vocals seem flat when compared to the originals, most notable in the section of the song that’s close to spoken word, where you’d expect Smokey Robinson to be aching his heart out. “She’s Not There” rightfully is one of the group’s most famous songs. It has all the previous positives. One favorite is the clean and prominent bassline thumping in the back. Every member gets at least a little section to show off, though the piece feels cohesive due to how tight they fit together and how infectious their spirit is.
“Sticks and Stones” is another rocker and cover. The electric drumming and amusing singing made this a personal favorite on the album, though it lacks the sophistication or exceptionally thoughtful playing of the best of the group. The rocking covers might work better in a live setting. The band is playing like they want to show off, but there’s obviously no audience to do that to. This is also a strange opener to a side. Why not pick something like the more exciting “She’s Not There”? “Can’t Nobody Love You” is another great one, due to Colin’s smooth voice gliding effortlessly off the organ and drums in this ballad. The name checking of other R&B singers is a favorite part, as if cementing this song into history.
Next are four originals in a row. “Woman” seems like a cover, but isn’t. Colin’s rocking voice feels more natural here, with his scream and the organ solo showcasing playfulness and more familiarity with the track, as if it was well rehearsed. There’s an added level of excitement, especially in the backing vocals. It’s like they really wanted to give their take on this type of song. “I Don’t Want to Know” and “I Remember When I Loved Her” are also derivative of the band’s influences, but the personal touches make it special. The vocal harmonies and on point playing are two of the biggest keys to success, which is something that propels any track they’re featured on. Loved Her has especially haunting keyboard, though also especially vapid lyrics. “What More Can I Do” is the best of these four. The singing and playing have a sense of tension, like the singer is pained by the conflict going on. There’s expectedly many little touches, like the drumming at the very end.
“I Got My Mojo Working” can be best defined as chaotic. The singing is dirty, notably less refined than what came before it. The instruments blast out, with the drums particularly blaring. A harmonica solo is the most telling example of this, seeming to defy a time signature. The track as a whole resembles an early punk band and as such is a little magical in its own right, but demonstrates the less mindful side of the Zombies and is frankly their weakest cut. It doesn’t at all fit with the other songs on this album, which seem to have a clear focus and intent. This one is by comparison an informal jam. It being the end of the album and having Argent singing lead makes it feel tacked on, as if to be a surprise. That might work in other circumstances, but here wastes the tension and pathos built up by the previous “romantic” tracks.
OVERVIEW
Begin Here isn’t just a strong debut, it’s many strong debuts. As was common at the time, the Zombies followed trends and here seemed to be trying to follow several trends. You could argue they were setting the groundwork. If the jazzy stuff was successful, they could build off that here. If the R&B material won, then they’d pursue that direction. To compare them to an influence of theirs, basically all Beach Boys songs have complex harmonies, which gives them a definable sound. The Zombies sometimes have complex harmonies, others more basic ones, and sometimes not any at all. The group may have been successful if they stuck in a lane, but it’s hard to deny the quality of what’s available. Even the weaker tracks have solid playing and Blunstone to love. Criticisms of either of those mainly come down to those elements just being serviceable, as opposed to exceptional.
The Filme Diary 