Blonde on Blonde - Contrasts (Reissue) (1969/2010)

BLONDE ON BLONDE (taking their name from BOB DYLAN's 1966 album) were formed in Newport, South Wales in 1967 by drummer Les Hicks, bass guitar / keyboard player Richard Hopkins and guitar / sitar and lute player Gareth Johnson. The vocalist / guitarist Ralph Denyer was found via Melody Maker magazine, and Simon Lawrence joined the band playing 12-string guitar.

In 1968 the band moved to London to give out concerts, and their publicity led them to be signed for Pye Record label in late 1968. A single "All Day All Night / Country Life" was released in November of the same year. Then was recorded their debut long player ablum "Contrasts", which was issued by Pye in mid-1969 and produced by Barry Murray.

Musically the group was exploring the areas pioneered by 1967 psychedelic acts like PINK FLOYD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE and CREAM, but in a much larger scale of influences than them, having a more wider musical palette than the bands influenced which them, offering much to the listener open to their style, with slightly varying production quality. Their music is a dance between contrasts of free impressionism paired with predefined melodic more carefully constructed elements, varying from streetwise side to high levels of spirituality, from folk tones, classical guitar runs and mantra like instrumental runs, bursting with oriental musical influences, introducing cosmic drones running hypnotically on varying time scales, and all this paired with hard rock tones of heavy psychedelic guitar similar to JIMI HENDRIX and 1960's work of PETE TOWNSHED. There is also a strong drum/bass presence with tender pianos, cembalos and organs. Their lyrics are quite basic trippy poems, but also thoughtful, emotional and interesting at their best, little in the spirit of THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND which two songs they covered ("No Sleep Blues" and "I Need My Friend".) Also the most psychedelic records of THE BEATLES were an obvious influence (they covered "Eleanor Rigby"). There is melancholy in their music, but there is also hope and happiness among it. Like the name of their first album suggests, the band is full of contrasts, as different elements meet in successful manner, often interesting and unique results are born...