Zager and Evans - 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)

This was an interesting score. A Canadian first pressing of the Zager and Evans classic 2525 (Exordium & Terminus). Finding albums like this for a buck always seems like a surreal score. The vinyl was is passable shape with some expected wear, but nothing too visible. It did though clean up remarkably well, and then while I was putting it into the sleeve I dropped it on the floor. 

Putting the record on there's something undeniably appealing about "In the Year 2525" that seemed to sum up all of trepidation people were feeling about the future and the headlong charge to oblivion through the wanton pursuit of technology. Or something, it's a lot to take in for my little brain. It's always been a weird and goofy song that managed to go number one all over the world. Heck, even the official science fiction nerds who ran the Hugo Awards nominated it for some type of special award - although it's not clear if they won or not but it's an interesting bit of trivia.

Reading the back cover, Ted Daryll who produced the album seemed convinced that Zager and Evans were on to something special and had something to say. Heck he even made a backhanded reference to Robert Heinlein's Door into Summer when he wrote, "From out of Nebraska, Denny and Rick have emerged with one of the hottest records of '69 and with it a fresh approach to the conscience and heard of the listener. Much like "2525" which opened a sober door to the future, the boys are into more thought-provoking analyses in this their first album." Okay maybe door into the future and the door into summer is a stretch, but the point was it really seemed like a lot of people really thought this was just the start of something for the two lads from Nebraska. It wasn't. 1971's Food for the Mind would mark the end of the band's recorded output, and like their previous releases it too would fail to chart or yield any singles.

Listening to 2525 with the benefit of hindsight the era of the folk rock was coming to an end. Even Peter Paul and Mary wouldn't make it into the '70s. To borrow from Dylan, "For the times they are a-changin’" 

However, as a time capsule this really is a pretty solid album, and of course the hit overshadows the rest of the album, but that doesn't mean the rest are relegated to being filler.  If anything, many of the songs are underdeveloped. "Woman" doesn't even break two minutes and had the makings of a really good song but just finished as it was getting going. The entire album is under half an hour, and if as Ted Daryll is to be believed and Zager and Evans had something to say - it's too bad they didn't take the opportunity to say more while they had their chance.

In the end Zager and Evans would be filed away with the other one hit wonders, but if you are able to find the album don't dismiss it too quickly, it's worth a listen.