And it’s no wonder the Zombies have still got it.
Of all the 60s originals, Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone are the ones who didn’t gorge themselves on blow-out tours and too much recording together, so although it’s 51 years since She’s Not There, their eagerness is fuelled by the 30 or so years in which they were still friends, and sometime collaborators, but not fully-functioning Zombies. That’s why, newly septuagenarian, they do those things with the energy and enthusiasm of people half their age. A redoubtable line-up with Rod’s former Argent colleague Jim Rodford on bass, son Steve on drums and guitarist Tom Toomey has helped maintain the extraordinary energy levels. Lead song Chasing The Past signals that the group is in probably the rudest health of its life, Blunstone’s uniquely expressive voice ever the perfect foil for Argent’s organ/piano sorcery. Rod pens all but one song, embracing the blues that informed the Zombies’ teenage emergence (Moving On), the band’s history (New York) and age-appropriate reflection (And We Were Young Again). As they justly earn plaudits not always in evidence first time around, the results are uniformly charming.
