The Zombies: “Different Game” (2023) Vinyl Review

The Zombies, known for such great hits as “She’s Not There,” “Tell Her No,” “She’s Coming Home” and “Time Of The Season,” were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2019. The next year, as we all know, the pandemic shut everything down. No tours, no concerts, no fun. But as Rod Argent indicates in the liner notes of the band’s new album, there was a bright side to this break in touring. “For the first time in ages I had the luxury of time and space to unhurriedly finish nine songs,” Argent writes. This new album, titled Different Game, features all original material, most of it composed by Rod Argent. And the music is really good. It’s unclear how much that is due to that extra time, and how much of it is due to Rod Argent simply being a talented songwriter, but the results should please fans of the band and earn The Zombies some new fans as well. The Zombies are made up of Rod Argent on piano, electric piano, mellotron, harmonica and backing vocals; Colin Blunstone on lead vocals; Tom Toomey on guitar and backing vocals; Søren Koch on bass and backing vocals; and Steve Rodford on drums and percussion. Joining them on this release are Q Strings, made up of Laura Stanford on violin, Ellie Stanford on violin, Amy Stanford on viola, and Jess Cox on cello. The album is presented on red vinyl.

Side A

The Zombies open the new album with its title track, “Different Game.” This is a beautiful song, in the same general realm as something like Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade Of Pale,” featuring excellent vocal work and some wonderful stuff on keys. “I know that you’ve been lonely/Can see that you’re in pain/Looking through the years/To when you were younger.” Things certainly have changed, and this song is about how those changes can impact an individual. The presence of the strings adds greatly to the song’s beauty. The track concludes with just strings, a surprising and moving moment. This is a fantastic start to the album. The band switches gears with “Dropped Reeling & Stupid,” which begins with some cool work on keys, and kicks in to become a strong number with blues and soul elements, as well as a bit of funk. This song directly addresses someone who is not treating him well: “Stop being so cruel/You know you make me feel bad/Stop being so mean/You’re everything that I had.” For me, it is that work on keys that really makes this track stand out, particularly that great lead during the instrumental section in the middle.

“Rediscover” begins with some really nice vocal work, sounding like one of those great vocal groups of the 1960s. Seriously, they sound incredible. Then as the song kicks in, it retains something of a mid-1960s vibe. Interestingly, this one also addresses a woman directly, and again someone who means everything to him, but this song has a much sweeter, positive vibe to it. “Everything is changed/Since I met you/Now I feel I’m living so sweetly/And my eyes can surely see/Everything as it should be/Since you’re everything to me.” That’s followed by “Runaway,” a slower, soulful number with a vocal performance that at times feels intimate. This one also features some great stuff on keys. The first side then ends with “You Could Be My Love,” a love song with a passionate vocal performance, supported mainly by piano. This one also features the strings, but it is that vocal performance that stands out here. “We’d share our fortune/Underneath the blue moon/Or find a new moon/To climb through stars above.” I also love that ending on piano.

Side B

The second side opens with “Merry-Go-Round,” which has a great energy right from the start, Rod Argent rocking the keys. The band will be touring soon, and I think this one will stand out in a live concert setting. It’s a delicious and fun tune with a good rhythm and some nice backing vocals. And it is encouraging: “So come on, just keep on running/I know that you can cover the ground/It’s your time/Just keep it coming.” That’s followed by “Love You While I Can,” which begins with some pretty work on guitar. It’s another love song. Yes, there are quite a few love songs on this record. But then again, what is more important than love? “We two can take the world by the hand/I will love you all I can.” And as the others join on backing vocals, the song takes on a bit more power.

“I Want To Fly” has an interesting opening with strings, and an unusual tone. The strings remain prominent voices throughout this track, and Rory Dempsey joins the group on bass for this one. “I want to fly/Leave the ordinary world/And say goodbye.” Colin Blunstone’s voice rises on those lines as if he is flying, or about to fly. This is the album’s most intriguing track. Then “Got To Move On” is a solid number with some groovy work on keys and wonderful stuff on harmonica, as well as a strong vocal performance. “Keep turning to me/Sweet tears in your eyes/You say we have to be free/But still the tears come/Falling down.” And I really like the guitar work in that instrumental section in the middle, the way it works with the keyboard. This is another of the disc’s highlights. The album concludes with “The Sun Will Rise Again,” the only song not written by Rod Argent. It was composed by Colin Blunstone. This is a pretty number with a tender vocal performance and some gentle guitar work. “Don’t let this emptiness get hold of you/The sun will rise again/Close your eyes/Don’t be afraid to dream/Everything must change.”

Record Track List

Side A

1. Different Game
2. Dropped Reeling & Stupid
3. Rediscover
4. Runaway
5. You Could Be My Love

Side B

1. Merry-Go-Round
2. Love You While I Can
3. I Want To Fly
4. Got To Move On
5. The Sun Will Rise Again

Different Game was released on March 31, 2023, and is available on vinyl and CD.