argent god gave rock and roll to you live

'Rock and Roll', known more for its covers by KISS and Christian rock band Petra, is awkwardly positioned at the end of the set, following 'Tell Her No' and 'She's Not There', and preceding 'Summertime'. For Argent, however, 'Hold Your Head Up' and the Russ Ballard-penned 'God Gave Rock and Roll To You'- despite being younger than the Zombies material- sound dated and quaint. Blunstone's definitive interpretation of Tim Hardin's 'Misty Roses' is given a six-minute, string-aided spotlight, followed by 'I Don't Believe in Angels', from Ennismore. While neither are especially essential, Blunstone's solo efforts have aged much better than Argent's, and both are highlighted.

Argent and Blunstone's love for American soul is represented with a fine cover of 'What Becomes of the Brokenhearted', but 'Old and Wise', which Blunstone sang on Alan Parsons' Eye in the Sky, feels out of place, if not thematically appropriate. 'Just Out of Reach', their contribution to the Otto Preminger 1965 beat-mystery Bunny Lake Is Missing (in which they made a cameo) is also present, but it's overshadowed by being positioned near the end of the set. The 1966 single 'Indication' is offered, but without its defining middle section, a Byrdsian raga-rumble, replaced here by Argent's keyboards to limited effect. This is a welcome inclusion, if not a necessity for a band whose legacy is as much defined by its balance of classic and cult statuses. Odessey and the early singles are well-represented, but the set is filled out with more obscure curios. 'A Rose for Emily', the Zombies' own 'Eleanor Rigby', sounds even more affecting and tender with maturity, and 'Care of Cell 44', while definitely more earthbound than the original, still retains much of its original punch.

The initial test comes on 'This Will Be Our Year', Odessey's most poignant and hopeful song, and Blunstone recaptures the strained, boyish naïveté that made the song unforgettable in the first place. But instead of fading away with time, it's aged incredibly well. He was the Zombies' Art Garfunkel, more or less, and without his voice, the concert would lack its most fundamental component. The most pleasant surprise is the remarkable preservation of Blunstone's sui generis tenor. The band smartly sticks to the original arrangements, and more often than not proves that Argent and Blunstone not only retain their respective chops, but that their best work most definitely deserves another curtain call. Questionable song selection (especially the new material) occasionally drags down the set, but otherwise Bloomsbury is a highly enjoyable live record. The setlist covers hits and rarities, as well as solo efforts from Blunstone and Argent, covers, and four songs from the duo's two recent records, 2002's Out of the Shadows, and As Far as I Can See, from 2004. Recorded in London in 2005, the set sees the pair run through 25 songs, while expanding the group's known inventory significantly. The Zombies' current incarnation is put to the test on Rhino's 2xCD Live at the Bloomsbury Theatre, featuring Argent and Blunstone performing on stage for the first time in three decades. And while the band is considered a longshot to make the white middle-class boomer canon (The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), an indie pop generation that worships the soundtracks to Wes Anderson's precious filmic dioramas has the band on its Mount Rushmore. Their three hits mark the beginning of the British Invasion and the end of the first wave of psychedelia, and their brief catalog is completely contained within the 1960s, only adding to the sense of nostalgia and aura. The nearly 40 years since their split have been very kind to the Zombies, though, with the 30th anniversary re-release of Odessey capping a revisionist historiography that situates the record in both the psychedelic and progressive pop canons.

Argent god gave rock and roll to you live