The 500 - #100 - Odessey and Oracle - The Zombies

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

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Album: #100

Album Title: Odessey and Oracle

Artist: The Zombies

Genre: Chamber Pop, Baroque Pop, Psychedelic Pop

Recorded: EMI and Olympic Studios, London, England

Released: April, 1968

My age at release: Three

How familiar was I with it before this week: A couple of songs

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #243 - dropping 143 spots

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: A Rose For Emily

Right from the start, something didn't sit right when I first saw this record coming up on Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Albums list. Then it hit me. Odessey and Oracle is spelled wrong. Initially, I assumed the missing "y"  a  psychedelic statement but, as it turns out, it was just a typographical error.

The album cover designer, Terry Quirk, who was a friend of Zombie's bassist Chris White, made the mistake. By the time it was noticed, the record was ready for release and the band was on the verge of breaking up. In fact, the five members were already investigating new careers.

• Vocalist Colin Blunstone was training to be an insurance broker/clerk. 
• Drummer, Hugh Grundy had lined up a job in banking. 
• White, who was also the primary songwriter, planned to return to his studies to become a teacher. 
• Organist Rod Argent and guitarist Paul Atkinson were weighing the options of returning to university, or pursuing music with a new group. (They would chose the latter and the rock group Argent was formed in 1969).

The typo should have been an exclamation mark on a short and forgettable career. Instead, it marked an important milestone for the group. Sixty five years after forming in St. Albans, England, The Zombies remain one of the most beloved bands of The British Invasion.

They had enjoyed moderate success with the hit She's Not There from their debut record Begin Here, but The Zombies never quite broke through the way many of their British Invasion peers did. By the time they entered the studio in 1967, the band was running low on money, momentum and optimism. However, this is what made Odessey and Oracle special. It was forged by a group that more or less thought the end had arrived. Instead of chasing trends or desperately searching for a hit, they simply made the album they wanted to make. It was one filled with gorgeous harmonies, imaginative arrangements and songs that often disguised loneliness, regret and uncertainty, set within delightful melodies structured like finely crafted Baroque-Pop symphonies.

A Rose For Emily, described as a "whirling mini-symphony"
by Irish Independent critic Ed Power, is one of several
gorgeous tracks on the record.

Throughout the beautiful arrangements, the thing that stood out to me was White's bass work. Rather than simply following the chord changes or reinforcing the melody, he frequently slipped into what musicians call a countermelody, which is defined as an independent musical line that complements the song while charting its own course. It's a style of bass playing I've always loved. Some of my favourite bassists include Geddy Lee of Rush, Chris Squire of Yes, John Entwistle of The Who and Steve Harris of Iron Maiden They built entire careers on the idea that the bass could be more than a supporting instrument.

So, I decided to do a little research into the history of countermelody or, as it is sometimes called, contrapuntal bass playing. Fittingly, for the Baroque Pop record Odessey and Oracle, the origins of countermelody can be traced all the way back to the most famous Baroque composers, Johann Sebastian Bach. 

In Bach's music, every voice had its own identity. Rather than one melody sitting on top of simple accompaniment, multiple melodic lines, including the bass line, would weave around one another, each contributing to the whole while maintaining its own character. 

Johann Sebastian Bach

Centuries later, jazz bassists began creating walking bass lines that moved independently beneath the melody. However, in the early days of rock and roll the bass was often relegated to a simpler role, dutifully outlining the chord changes and staying out of the way. That changed when Elvis Presley's bass player, Bill Black, introduced a slap technique that brought rhythm and energy to tracks, including That's All Right.

Bill Black (right) performing with Elvis.

Then along came players like James Jamerson at Motown records who is credited with transforming the bass from a time-keeping instrument to one that provided a melodic voice. Jamerson filled songs with inventive runs and syncopated rhythms that seemed to have a conversation with the main melody. He became a massive influence on Beatle Paul McCartney who increasingly treated the bass like a melodic instrument, particularly on one of my favourite Beatles' songs, Something.

Sheet music for Something shows the complexity
of the bass melody.

By the late 1960s, musicians were pushing the idea even further. Not only was Chris White of The Zombies creating subtle countermelodies on Odessey and Oracle, John Entwistle of The Who was playing complex bass runs that often sounded like the lead guitar operating in the lower register. It is surprising how much is going on when listening to an isolated track of his bass work on the song Won't Get Fooled Again.

From there, progressive rock embraced the concept wholeheartedly. Chris Squire of Yes turned the bass into a second lead instrument, while Geddy Lee of Rush filled every available space with intricate melodic runs that somehow never overwhelm the songs.

Geddy Lee on the cover of Bass Guitar magazine
(October, 2019).

Heavy metal adopted the idea in its own way. Steve Harris of Iron Maiden used galloping, highly melodic bass lines that often carried as much momentum as the guitars. Listening to Harris, you get the sense that the bass isn't following the song so much as pulling it forward.

Steve Harris of Iron Maiden.

Today, contrapuntal bass playing can be heard across genres -- from progressive rock and metal to indie rock and modern jazz. Yet the basic idea remains the same as it was in Bach's day -- music becomes more interesting when the bass stops blindly following everyone else and starts having a conversation of its own.

Odessey and Oracle finally found an audience after The Zombies had already given up on it. When the album was released in 1968 it barely made a ripple and the band broke up, with most members moving into "civilian life". Then, the strangest thing happened. A rock radio station in Boise, Idaho, introduced the record's final track, Time Of The Season, into regular rotation. It quickly found an audience, and by the spring of 1969 it was sitting near the top of the American charts.

Album jacket for the single, Time Of The Season.

Unfortunately, by the time Time of the Season climbed the charts, The Zombies no longer existed. However, this was not the end of their collective Odyssey. The band reunited briefly in 1991 and later returned for a remarkable second act that introduced their music to a new generation of listeners.

This autumn, they will perform at the third Begin Here Festival in St. Albans, England, the city where their journey began more than six decades ago. Four of the band's five original members will be part of the celebration. The only absence will be guitarist Paul Atkinson, who died of cancer in 2004. Chris White will be present, playing his countermelodic basslines at 83 years of age.

The 500 - #151 - Funeral - Arcde Fire

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #151
Album Title: Funeral

Artist: Arcade Fire

Genre: Art Rock, Chamber Pop, Baroque Pop, Symphonic Pop

Recorded: Hotel2Tango, Montreal, Canada

Released: September, 2004

My age at release: 39
How familiar was I with it before this week: A couple songs

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #500 - dropping 249 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Wake Up

On May 10, 2025, actor Walton Goggins made his long-awaited debut as host of Saturday Night Live (SNL), appearing in the penultimate episode of the show's milestone 50th season. For my wife and me, longtime admirers of his work, it felt like a victory lap. We've enjoyed Goggins for years, captivated by his ability to effortlessly shift between razor-sharp comedy and riveting drama in standout roles from Justified and Vice Principals to Django Unchained and The Righteous Gemstones.

The Internet agreed and social media lit up in celebration. Goggins had already crashed into the cultural mainstream with his Emmy Award nomination in The White Lotus Season 3, and his SNL hosting gig only affirmed what fans already knew: He was not just having a moment, he was defining one.

At 53, Goggins is more than a scene-stealer. He's a creative force whose career spans acting, filmmaking, photography, travel, brand design, and entrepreneurship as co-owner of a gin and whisky distillery. That night on SNL, his magnetic energy reminded us why he's not merely part of the zeitgeist, currently, he is the zeitgeist.

On the same episode, Canadian indie rock stalwarts Arcade Fire returned as musical guests, promoting their seventh studio album, Pink Elephant. Longtime favorites of SNL creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels, this marked Arcade Fire’s sixth appearance on the show in 18 years – a record unmatched by any band in the modern era, surpassed only by Kanye West, who appeared seven times between 2005 and 2018. Yet, unlike guest host Walton Goggins, Arcade Fire's performance drew mixed reactions on social media, with fans divided over their current creative direction.

The group formed in Montreal in 2001 when high school friends Win Butler and Josh Deu began collaborating on music. They soon invited Régine Chassagne, then a music student at McGill University, to join. The lineup expanded with multi-instrumentalists over the next two years, but in 2003, Deu departed to pursue filmmaking and visual art, though he continued contributing creatively through web content and music videos.

That same summer, 2023, the newly solidified band featured Win and William Butler, Chassagne, Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and Howard Bilerman, They began recording what would become their iconic debut, Funeral.

The album’s title and emotional weight stemmed from personal losses suffered during its production:

• In June, 2003, Chassagne lost her grandmother to Parkinson’s disease.
• In February, 2004, the Butler brothers' grandfather, legendary swing guitarist Alvino Rey, passed away.
• Just weeks later, Richard Reed Parry’s aunt, described by him as the “family matriarch,” died of cancer.

These losses fueled the album’s raw emotional core, helping Funeral become one of the most critically acclaimed debuts of its generation and the record was nothing short of a revelation.

The album earned universal acclaim upon release, receiving a towering 9.7/10 rating from Pitchfork, which named it the Best Album of 2004. It was later ranked #2 on their list of the decade’s best, second only to Radiohead’s Kid A (#67 on The 500). The record also received a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album, cementing its place in indie rock history.

Radiohead's Kid A Album Cover

In addition, It garnered star-studded endorsements from music legends who weren’t shy with their admiration, including Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie who collectively have 13 records on The 500. Springsteen championed Arcade Fire’s emotional intensity and ambition and Bowie praised the band’s “uninhibited passion” and described their sweeping orchestral sound as a “kaleidoscopic, dizzy sort of rush.”

On September 8, 2005, Bowie joined the band on stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York for a stunning performance of their anthemic single Wake Up. It marked one of Bowie’s first appearances following a medical hiatus, a moment both poignant and electrifying, etched into music folklore. It can be seen here.

Bowie performing with Arcade Fire 2005.

Funeral didn’t just succeed, it re-defined indie rock, fusing Baroque pop and art rock, with anthemic power and orchestral flourishes that punctuate raw, grief-fueled storytelling. Its impact echoed for years, inspiring new indie-rock bands that embraced:

• Expansive lineups and layered instrumentation
• Concept albums with emotional or political themes
• Theatrical performances more akin to communal rites than typical rock shows

Arcade Fire released a succession of critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums, including Neon Bible, Reflektor, and my personal favourite, The Suburbs, an album introduced to me by friend James Spangenberg during a cottage weekend with friends in 2017.

Suburbs Album Cover.

They became known for pushing sonic boundaries while remaining emotionally grounded. Their stature grew steadily, with regular invitations to perform on Saturday Night Live, where they sometimes even appeared in comedy sketches alongside the cast – a rare crossover earned only by true favorites.

In August, 2022, Pitchfork published a detailed investigation in which four individuals accused Arcade Fire front-man Win Butler of sexual misconduct. The accusers – three women and one gender-fluid person– were all between the ages of 18 and 23 at the time of the alleged incidents, which reportedly took place between 2015 and 2020. In November, a fifth person using the pseudonym “Sabina” came forward, describing a prolonged three-year relationship with Butler that she characterized as manipulative and emotionally abusive.

In response, Butler, who is married to bandmate Régine Chassagne, acknowledged engaging in extramarital affairs. He stated, “I have had consensual relationships outside of my marriage. The majority of these relationships were short-lived, and my wife is aware – our marriage has, in the past, been more unconventional than some.”

Butler and wife, Chassagne.

The reaction from fans was swift and divided. For many, the allegations struck a dissonant chord against the band’s long-standing image of emotional sincerity and progressive ideals. Some expressed deep disappointment, feeling unable to continue engaging with the music in the same way. Others attempted to compartmentalize, choosing to uphold their appreciation for the band’s art while grappling with discomfort over Butler’s alleged behavior. A vocal minority defended Butler, pointing to the absence of legal charges and his insistence on consent, although this defense was often criticized as tone-deaf to the experiences of the accusers.

The legacy of a band like Arcade Fire, particularly their landmark debut Funeral, is now entangled in a cultural and moral reckoning. Allegations against front-man Butler have sparked calls for boycotts and cancellations – reactions that, though emotionally understandable, invite more difficult questions. What becomes of the other band members — Chassagne, Parry, Kingsbury who, along with Butler, are still with the band and had no involvement in the alleged misconduct? Should their creative legacies and financial futures be tethered to accusations about the behavior of one person?

After the story broke, several radio stations removed Arcade Fire’s music from rotation. Album sales dipped, ticket demand slowed, and when the band was announced as musical guest on the Walton Goggins-hosted SNL episode last May, backlash flared again. Fans and commentators debated the ethics of spotlighting a group still navigating unresolved controversy.

Arcade Fire Perform on SNL.

For me, this dilemma echoed the fate of The Cosby Show, which was pulled from syndication following the revelations about Bill Cosby. While Cosby himself was rightly held accountable, the show's removal also meant that actors, writers, and crew, many of whom depended on residuals, lost a vital source of income. They, too, were collateral damage in a conflict they did not choose to participate in. The question isn't whether we should hold powerful figures accountable – we must – but whether our mechanisms for doing so are precise or indiscriminate. In our rush to condemn, are we also sanctioning the work of those who did nothing wrong?

I won’t claim a moral position here. It's not my place to do so. However, as events unfolded, I found myself thinking about that collateral damage. About the musicians and collaborators whose lives are tied to the art they helped build, yet who are now tainted by someone else’s actions. They’re left in a kind of limbo: revered, implicated, and uncertain. It’s one thing to call for accountability; it’s another to ask whether our efforts to achieve it leave enough room for nuance.

Perhaps the most honest response is simply to live with that discomfort—to acknowledge that art and its makers are never immune to contradiction. Funeral can still crack open a heart, even if the band behind it is now fractured by moral dissonance.

To erase the music entirely may feel justified, but it also risks silencing the creativity of those who had no voice in the allegations. So maybe the better question isn’t whether to listen, but how to listen – with nuance and space for uncomfortable truths. We’re often forced to negotiate lines between reverence and responsibility, and some lines refuse to be neatly drawn.

The 500 - #166 - Imperial Bedroom - Elvis Costello

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #166
Album Title: Imperial Bedroom

Artist: Elvis Costello

Genre: New Wave, Baroque Pop, Art Rock

Recorded: Air Studios, London, England

Released: July, 1982

My age at release: 16
How familiar was I with it before this week: One song

Is it on the 2020 list? No
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Man Out Of Time

For the past twelve years, more than half of my students have been multi-language learners. Some arrive in my class directly from another country and speak almost no English. Most are well on their way to becoming strong English speakers, with several years of experience behind them. No matter their level, I am amazed at how quickly their language skills evolve. My job is, typically, helping them refine their grammar skills and navigate the trickier aspects of the English language -- irregular spellings, rich vocabulary and, often the hardest part, idioms and word play.

Imperial Bedroom, the seventh studio album from Elvis Costello, brims with layered lyrics, clever word play and surprising turns of phrase. Costello is able to blend evocative storytelling with biting sarcasm in his exploration of love, regret and disillusionment. In Shabby Doll, Costello uses the image of a worn out rag doll as a metaphor for someone being cruelly manipulated and discarded in a failed relationship.

Album cover for Shabby Doll single.

However, the stand out track for me is Man Out Of Time, the second single released from this week’s subject, Imperial Bedroom.  The title evokes a sense of desperation and plays on multiple meanings. Is this a person who feels out of place in their own era, or is it someone who has lost relevance? Perhaps it is simply a man who is literally running out of time. In it, the English singer-songwriter flexes his sharp and playful linguistic dexterity, writing with shifting perspectives and fragmented imagery, all of which contribute to a feeling of instability and disorientation. My favourite two verses read:

There`s a tuppeny hapenny millionaire
Looking for a fourpenny one
With a tight grip on the short hairs
Of the public imagination

But for his private wife and kids somehow
Real life becomes a rumour
Days of Dutch Courage
Just three French letters and a German sense of humour

There is so much going on with these eight lines and I loved wrestling with their meaning. In particular, I loved the inclusion of idiomatic phrases lifted from British soldier vernacular, circa 1945. 

• Dutch Courage (alcohol induced bravery),
• French Letters (condoms)
• German sense of humour (irony and a straight-faced, resigned acceptance of life's absurdity)

Recently, my wife and I have been watching a new HBO series called The Pitt. It is a medical drama set in the Emergency Room of The Pittsburgh Trauma Hospital that takes place in real time over 15 one hour-long episodes. The show offers a realistic window into the world of medical professionals under the most stressful circumstances. Consequently, the language and medical jargon they use is not explained to the viewers. One is simply immersed in the chaos and, much like the medical students depicted in the show, figure things out as they happen.

Costello's writing on Imperial Bedroom is similar. It is rich with word play, regional idioms and references that are left for the listener to decipher and interpret. Add to this the ambitious musical choices Costello and his band, The Attractions, create and it is easy to see why this album ranked in the top 200 on The 500. The record, produced by Geoff Emerick, best known for his work with The Beatles, reinvents the Post-Punk and New Wave sound of Costello's earlier releases. It contains orchestral flourishes, jazz influences and even Baroque Pop, a sound made famous by The Beatles with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys -- #1 and #2 respectively on The 500.

Album covers for Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper's.

Unsurprisingly, critics and fans have consider Imperial Bedroom to be Costello's "Sgt. Pepper moment". However, despite the strength of his record, it did not make the 2020 ticket. The updated list placed more emphasis on diversity of genre and contemporary cultural impact. As a result, many selected albums, including Imperial Bedroom, were shuffled down or bounced off to make way for new material, such as To Pimp A Butterfly from Kendrick Lamar and Lemonade by Beyoncé.  But, who knows, with another list likely to be released in the next few years, this clever, witty and ambitious record may crack the docket again. After all, I constantly have a new batch of music listeners to teach the joys of word play.

The 500 - #249 - Automatic For The People - R.E.M.

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #249
Album Title: Automatic For The People
Artist: R.E.M.
Genre: Post-Punk, Alternative Rock, Baroque Pop, Rock
Recorded: Three Studios - Woodstock, NY; Athens GA; New Orleans, LA.
Released: October, 1992
My age at release: 27
How familiar was I with it before this week: Very

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #96, up 153 spots from 249 since 2012
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Try Not To Breathe

In September, 2019, I wrote a blog post about Document, the fifth record from American rock band R.E.M. In that post, I wrote:

"I went through a heavy R.E.M. phase in 1992 when the commercially successful juggernaut record Automatic For The People was released. Soon, the entire R.E.M. catalogue was in my collection -- even more obscure releases, such as the live acoustic record Blue."

Needless to say, I was excited to get a chance to revisit and write about Automatic For The People, the eighth studio release from the influential quartet from Athens, Georgia.

R.E.M. (1983) are (l-r) Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe.

If you were a friend of mine between 1983 and 2000, I probably made a mixed cassette for you. If it was after 1993, I guarantee the updated cassette would contain at least one track from R.E.M. Likely something from either Automatic For The People or R.E.M. Blue, the acoustic record released following the group's appearance on MTV's Unplugged television program.

In 1992, I upgraded most of my stereo system which included the purchase of a JVC XL-M415TN CD Player. Back then, this gorgeous, buffed, black-silver chunk of audio hardware was the latest in hi-fi electronics. The user was able to pre-load a cartridge containing six compact discs. However...and hold onto your hat with this one...one could also swap an additional seventh disc (on the fly no less), through a CD port conveniently located on the front of the unit. To top it off, there was a remote control that allowed you to switch discs or tracks from a distance!

Promotional poster for XL-M415TN CD Player from JVC.

In this day of "on-demand", streaming music services and voice-activated speakers, that technology is archaic. However, at the time, it was an impressive upgrade and many of my friends were duly impressed. I would even use it when mixing music for parties, including several events at a  Kelsey's restaurant where I worked. Switching between discs and songs wasn't seamless, but fairly quick...for the time.

Working the tables near the upstairs bar at Kelsey's - London, Ontario (1994)

At home, I had  a handful of compact discs that never left that player, and Automatic For The People was one of them. It is one of those albums that I call "all killer, no filler" and I love every track and the order in which they are presented. Listening to it again this week felt like getting a warm hug from the early-’90s -- a time when, flush with cash from bartending, I enjoyed the wonderful, chaotic madness that comes with twenty-something independence.

Me (left) serving tequila shots at the bar. (1994).

In 2017, R.E.M. released a 25th Anniversary version of their multi-platinum record. Remastered from the original analog tapes, it sounds incredible through my Spotify account and Sonos speakers. However, if you purchase the boxset  presented in Dolby Atmos Sound, you will enjoy an even higher quality sound that provides a rich, three-dimensional  spacious surround experience. Unfortunately, I don't have access to the boxset, yet. I am eagerly looking forward to hearing the lush string orchestrations that were arranged by the legendary John Paul Jones, best known as the bass and keyboard player for Led Zeppelin.  

Automatic For The People 25th Anniversary boxset (2017).

The boxset also contains 13 live tracks from a November, 1992, performance at the iconic venue, The 40 Watt Club. Located in their hometown of Athens, Georgia, it, along with CBGB's in New York and the Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles, was instrumental in launching the punk rock and new wave scene of the late ‘70s in America.

Front of the iconic 40-Watt Club in Athens, Georgia

As you might imagine, it was difficult to pick only one  single track for my own playlist of The 500. Eventually I settled on Try Not Breathe, the second track on the first side. In part, this was because of an episode of the Song Exploder podcast I listened to several years ago. On that 2017 installment of the short, weekly podcast, creator and host, Hrishikesh Hirway talked with R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe and guitarist Mike Mills about creating the song.

Mills revealed that the opening melody was originally crafted by guitarist Peter Buck on the Appalachian dulcimer, a stringed instrument played on the lap with a history that goes back to the Scottish/Irish immigrants to North America in the early19th century. The vibrato and "twang" of this unusual instrument gives the song a beautiful, but hauntingly ethereal quality.

An Appalachian Dulcimer.

In the same podcast, singer Stipe revealed that the lyric, "I have seen things that you will never see" was inspired by the final, tragic and beautiful 42-word monologue of the android Roy Batty in my favourite film, Blade Runner. The correlation between the lyric and the movie  was something I had long suspected and I was thrilled to learn I was right.

Rutger Hauer as the ill-fated replicant, Roy Batty.

There is so much I could write about I could write about Automatic For The People.  It is certainly my favourite from R.E.M. and likely in my top twenty of all time. Perhaps I’ll get around to cataloguing my Top 20 in my final post when I finish my epic commentary on The 500 list.  Thanks for reading and do yourself a favour...go listen to this incredible record again.