Begin Here

For their first album and pre-Oyssey and Oracle singles like the phenomenal masterpiece Tell Her No... THIS is a MUST BUY. Not only because this expands beyond the first British version of the album to include the other songs on the American version but the sound is OUTSTANDING!!! I am hearing details on this that I have never heard before in the masterful persuasive keyboard techniques of Rod Argent, the guitar playing of the late Paul Atkinson and everyone else. The sound is just incredible on this disc and I am glad I didn't buy the America cd version of the first album that I originally intended because of this versions superior sound quality. This is one of the best albums I have bought in ages and if you want to see a great show see these guys on the current Odyssey and Oracle tour which features 4 of the 5 originals minus Paul of course. Colin has not only retained all of his range but he is an even better singer than he was back then.

This review is for "Begin Here - The Complete Decca Mono Recordings". (For whatever reason it is cataloged along with other issues of the original album.)If you like mono sound and you think you might like this music, just buy it. You won't be disappointed. I wasn't particularly familiar with the early work of The Zombies when I did. At first I thought I made a mistake and I still give the original album only 3*. The R&B covers are not very exciting and in retrospect, they lessen the impact of the originals. (It might have made sense at the time but it doesn't hold up well today.) However, the second CD is phenomenal - all 22 tracks range from good to great. This means that the best way to listen to this material is to augment CD2 with the originals from CD1 (which when put into proper context are all quite good). It is a bit of a pain to do so but once you do, you'll join the multitudes who realized that the Zombies never got the acclaim that they deserved. And that is before they even started on Odessey and Oracle.Instead of getting the Zombie Heaven boxed set (Zombie Heaven), I think you will get the best bang for your buck by buying either this or The Decca Stereo Anthology (The Decca Stereo Anthology) and Odessey and Oracle - the CBS Years (Odyssey & Oracle).

The Zombies started recording c1962, a year after Argent assembled the original team. Fans should consider this a 'best-of' collection of Zombies material prior to the group's final 60s release, Odyssey & Oracle, in '68. Listening to these gems today reminds the listener, 1) of the incredible talent of composers Rod Argent & Chris White, 2) of how well the performances stack up against comparable period fare from The Beatles and other bands of the British Invasion, 3) that some of this materials is intended largely 'for fans only' (the outtakes). Bottom line, any fan of 60s pop-rock/Brit Inv material will enjoy 'Begin Here'. Recommended.

Great sound quality and mono recordings. "Tell Her No" is the track that sold me into purchasing this. Both CDs are great and are full of passionate quality musicianship. The music is so alive and I think these guys were better than The Beatles! The music was more lively and energetic than most bands from this era. I would recommend this album set and "Odessey & Oracle: 40th Anniversary Edition". With music from this era (in my opinion) sounds far superior in mono. Thanks.

This is true rock n roll. Any fan of the Zombies will want to own this album. I purchased the vinyl version and was quite impressed. The Zombies music really defines the era of the sixties. I wish they had stayed together longer but will enjoy their few albums.

Bought as a gift.

Love this album.

Very good cd