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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Absolute Beauty, 23 Jul 2004
What a gorgeous, gorgeous album this is!
Unlike many others, Colin Blunstone was not someone I knew or loved back when he fronted The Zombies nor when this album originally came out, yet I fell under its spell immediately upon the first listening.
I don't know if this has ever happened to you but this is one of those albums that, even as you hear each song for the first time, makes you feel that you are meeting again with an old friend or, more accurately, that you has just met a kindred spirit.
"Misty Roses," which you may know through Tim Hardin's original already, is simply breathtaking. In this version, it starts almost in a hush, a gentle guitar hinting bossa nova-like chords, as Blunstone glides over the melody, and then evolves into a string quartet interlude that, when you stopped expecting it, returns you to the original melody as he sings "If I believe in love forever / I'll forget the past / You are too lovely not to try."
The beauty does not end there, the self-penned "Caroline Goodbye" and Though You Are Far Away" ?in different ways? may remind you of Nick Drake's phrasing except than here the singing is backed by a full orchestra, ever so tastefully arranged.
"Her Song" and "Let Me Come Closer To You" are also gems, perfectly accompanied by Rod Argent and others ?who' together would go on to form the band Argent? and, again, showcasing the extensive, unforced emotional range of Blunstone?s voice.
All in all, as other people have already mentioned, this album is both a masterpiece of its time and unusually relevant by any current musical standards. Ultimately, this is an absolute, timeless beauty. Buy it now, and await with bated breath.
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