‘Odessey and Oracle’: The classic 1960s album Jeff Lynne loved everything about
Under Jeff Lynne’s innovation, Electric Light Orchestra’s sound has become synonymous with the 1970s, opening a portal into the futuristic visions of progressive rock, while utilising a pop sensibility for an anthemic, immortal tone across their discography.
Operatic in both scope and sound, ELO uniquely combined classical elements with the expansive energy of prog rock and contemporary pop melodies, heard best on their 1977 double album, Out of the Blue.
As a founding member and primary writer, Lynne was never afraid to lean into what some may see as the strange, whether that be the literal UFOs and laser beams that consumed their stage presence on tour, or their later retrofuturist concept album, 1981’s Time, a science fiction tale that challenges romance in the midst of technological advancement. In Lynne’s mind, music became its own entity that he could personify, bringing new life to the rock world.
For the man, an inspiration that rang deeply from his youth was The Beatles, as when he first heard Revolver in 1966, he was encountering something, in his words, “majestic”, an album that transcended time and convention. The Beatles’ spirit for reinvention stuck with Lynne when conceptualising ELO’s output, which made him want to find out how songwriting could grow beyond mere poetry, and genres can blend to create a sonic life that has remained unheard of.
The guitarist sought his answers in the midst of a time in the rock world that saw punk begin to simplify composition, wherein he imagined something far more elaborate, and as ELO’s music persists across generations, they proved their capture of a timeless excitement through a perfect harmony of the classic and modern.
Lynne’s inventive spirit was influenced by many, from the teen idol pop of Del Shannon to the country-rock of his later Traveling Wilburys bandmate Roy Orbison, but one album in particular reverberates in his memory as the closest to perfection, and that’s The Zombies’ 1968 classic, Odessey and Oracle.
Speaking with The Quietus, Lynne’s list is packed with bands from the British invasion period, from The Beatles to The Who, including The Zombies, who came to sudden prominence during this period, too, but with a more brooding outlook. He recounted how he was reintroduced to the album, saying, “My friend, Ian La Frenais, gave me that, a cassette of it. He goes, ‘Bet you haven’t heard this for a few years’, because he’d found it in his drawer. And he gave [it] to me, and I played it for months, it must have been. I just loved all the songs on it.”
Odessey and Oracle was the second studio album from the English rock band, entirely self-financed after being dropped by their former label. The collection leans into the psychedelia of the era with a pop flair, complete with compelling pianos, guitar riffs and vocal harmonies, as Lynne continues, “I love Colin Blunstone’s voice on it. And lovely, crafted songs. Great harmonies, what more could you want?”
While springing from the hippie idealism of the time, The Zombies were more introspective, suggesting a more sombre perspective that is continually resonant today. From the haunting tale of ‘Time of the Season’ to the love-inspired optimism of ‘This Will Be Our Year’, there is a duality across Odessey and Oracle that makes it a cult classic. While the members of The Zombies went on to have a fluctuating career, their album was an instant prototype that defined their era. “I love The Zombies,” Lynne concluded, “This strikes me as lovely all the way through”.
