Reviews
 Keep It Simple
Van Morrison
Roger McGuinn @ the Huntington IMAC, Long Island, NY - April 4, 2008
Emily Saxe @ the Allen Room/Jazz at Lincoln Center - April 5, 2008
Another Country
Tift Merritt
Be Your Own Pet
Get Awkward
Paul McCartney – The McCartney Years (DVD)
Juno – Music from the Motion Picture
Various Artists
Yes - Their Definitive Story
Day and Night Driving
Seven Mary Three
InterMedia Arts Center 2/2/08
Huntington, NY
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Zombies
In the broadest sense, I think it’s fair to say that the Zombies got a raw deal. They were one of the most talented and intelligent bands during the latter part of the British invasion, and yet they were thrown on the scrap heap of history. Two ridiculously catchy hit singles swept through America during our ’64-’65 obsession with the London scene; “Tell Her No” and “She’s Not There” combine raw rock and roll with a jazz sensibility that still sounds fresh today.
Subsequently, their record company rewarded the band by refusing to issue their brilliant psychedelic album masterpiece entitled “Odessey and Oracle.” Thankfully, Al Kooper (of Blood, Sweat & Tears, the Dylan sessions, et. al.) saw the folly of this decision and begged Columbia to right the situation. Eventually, the album saw daylight, but sold poorly, despite the extracted single that became a best seller. “Time of the Season” sounded ahead of its time in 1968, despite the fact that it was recorded nearly two years before its release. Eventually, the band collapsed under the weight of so much indifference, and the most we’ve heard since then is the occasional project by keyboardist Rod Argent.
“Live at Bloomsbury Theatre” celebrates the reunion of Rod Argent with vocalist Colin Blunstone. Technically, they alone cannot represent a reforming of the Zombies, since songwriter/vocalist Chris White has always been an integral part of the band. His absence is felt, but after so much time, it’s nice to hear these tunes, even without White’s crucial input.
The CD is a generous 2-disk set containing 25 songs, while the DVD pairs the song selection down to a less unwieldy 15 tracks. The editing is a good thing, allowing the video to hold the viewer’s interest significantly better than the CD collection.
All of the major hits are here, including Argent’s best-known solo work, such as “Hold Your Head Up” and “God Gave Rock and Roll to You.” The performances are admirably executed, often utilizing a string section to augment that standard rock and roll configuration of the actual band. Argent sounds great and Blunstone is in fine voice throughout. In summation, “Live at the Bloomsbury” is a fine but faulted collection, never quite transcending its aura of nostalgia, while glossing over the absence of Chris White,
Grade: 
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