The Zombies • Begin Here

 

Review from AllMusic (by Mark Deming):
Given all this, the Zombies' first album, 1965's Begin Here, is a bit of a disappointment; while it's an inarguably fine set of songs, half of the tunes are covers, mostly of R&B standards, and while the band plays them with genuine passion and impressive skill, the truth is there were plenty of bands on the U.K. Beat scene who could play "I Got My Mojo Working," "Road Runner," or "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" at least as well if not better. It's on the originals, written by Argent and bass guitarist Chris White, where one hears what really made the Zombies special. "She's Not There" was an international hit, and the slightly ominous rumble of Argent's electric piano, the emphatic lead vocal from Blunstone, and the melodic lift of the harmonies give it a sound not quite like anyone else around at the time, while "I Can't Make Up My Mind" and "I Don't Want to Know" are similarly well-crafted and thoughtful. "Woman" and "What More Can I Do" are hard-driving R&B numbers that allow the group's individual personality to shine through (especially in Argent and White's forceful instrumental work), and "I Remember When I Loved Her" is a moody and atmospheric piece that anticipates the tone of the group's masterful final album Odessey and Oracle. Given the wealth of fine original tunes that the Zombies released on various non-LP singles and EPs during this period, it's a shame that so much of Begin Here was given over to covers; it's still a fine album and certainly better than what most of their peers had to offer in 1965, but what could have been an achievement on a par with the Kinks' Face to Face or the Beatles' Rubber Soul ended up being something quite good instead of an unqualified triumph.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/begin-here-mw0000208339

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Reseña de AllMusic (por Mark Deming):
Dado todo esto, el primer álbum de los Zombies, Begin Here de 1965, es algo decepcionante; si bien es un conjunto de canciones innegablemente buenas, la mitad de los temas son versiones, en su mayoría de estándares de R&B, y aunque la banda los toca con genuina pasión e impresionante habilidad, la verdad es que había muchas bandas en la escena Beat del Reino Unido que podían tocar "I Got My Mojo Working," "Road Runner," o "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" igual de bien o mejor. Es en los originales, escritos por Argent y el bajista Chris White, donde se escucha lo que realmente hacía especiales a los Zombies. "She's Not There" fue un éxito internacional, y el rumble levemente ominoso del piano eléctrico de Argent, la voz principal enfática de Blunstone, y el impulso melódico de las armonías le dan un sonido que no se parece al de nadie más en ese momento, mientras que "I Can't Make Up My Mind" e "I Don't Want to Know" están igualmente bien elaboradas y son reflexivas. "Woman" y "What More Can I Do" son números de R&B contundentes que permiten que la personalidad individual del grupo brille (especialmente en el trabajo instrumental vigoroso de Argent y White), e "I Remember When I Loved Her" es una pieza oscura y atmosférica que anticipa el tono del magistral álbum final del grupo Odessey and Oracle. Dada la riqueza de finos originales que los Zombies lanzaron en varios singles y EPs fuera del LP durante este período, es una lástima que tanto de Begin Here se haya dedicado a versiones; sigue siendo un buen álbum y ciertamente mejor que lo que la mayoría de sus contemporáneos tenían para ofrecer en 1965, pero lo que podría haber sido un logro comparable al Face to Face de los Kinks o al Rubber Soul de los Beatles terminó siendo algo bastante bueno en lugar de un triunfo sin reservas.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/begin-here-mw0000208339

Tracks:
1 - Road Runner
2 - Summertime
3 - I Can't Make Up My Mind
4 - The Way I Feel Inside
5 - Work 'n' Play
6 - You've Really Got a Hold on Me / Bring It On Home to Me
7 - She's Not There
8 - Sticks and Stones
9 - Can't Nobody Love You
10 - Woman
11 - I Don't Want to Know
12 - I Remember When I Loved Her
13 - What More Can I Do
14 - I Got My Mojo Working


Credits:
Colin Blunstone - Lead Vocals, Tambourine, Guitar
Rod Argent - Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals (track 14), Harmonica (tracks 5, 14)
Paul Atkinson - Guitar
Chris White - Bass, Backing Vocals
Hugh Grundy - Drums

Additional:
Ken Jones - Piano (track 5), Tambourine (track 12), Producer
Dezo Hoffmann - Cover Photography

Compositions:
"Road Runner" - Bo Diddley
"Summertime" - George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward
"I Can't Make Up My Mind" - Chris White
"The Way I Feel Inside" - Rod Argent
"Work 'n' Play" - Ken Jones
"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson
"Bring It On Home to Me" - Sam Cooke
"She's Not There" - Rod Argent
"Sticks and Stones" - Henry Glover, Titus Turner
"Can't Nobody Love You" - Phillip Mitchell
"Woman" - Rod Argent
"I Don't Want to Know" - Chris White
"I Remember When I Loved Her" - Rod Argent
"What More Can I Do" - Chris White
"I Got My Mojo Working" - Preston Foster, McKinley Morganfield

Recorded June 12 - December 12, 1964 at Decca Studios, London

Label: Decca LK 4679
Country: UK
Released: April 9, 1965
Genre: Pop/Rock
Style: Beat, R&B, British Invasion
Duration: 33:30

Sources:
https://www.allmusic.com/album/begin-here-mw0000208339
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begin_Here

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