BLONDE ON BLONDE Contrasts 1969 ORIGINAL RED PYE label RUBBLE PROG PSYCH LP HEAR

$

45

BLONDE ON BLONDE "CONTRASTS" LP

ORIGINAL 1969 LP ON THE South African PYE label, STEREO PYR 2185

It's a red label PYE that isn't the UK press - not sure, but I think it's a South African pressing

COVER IN VG shape, nice flipback gatefold is flimsy and has creasing, some lamination bubbling but seams intact and altogether still nice

VINYL has lots of fingerprints, "hazy" spots, could use a cleaning, plays VG

The title “Contrasts” could refer to one of two things – either the contrast of the furry tarantula crawling up the smooth leg of the nude cover model, or maybe the contrast of Side 1 (all quintessential electric English freakbeat and popsike) with Side 2 (basically Blonde on Blonde unplugged).  Can’t help you at all with the name of the band, though – why any English band pushing heavy prog-based psych rock would name themselves after a seminal Dylan double album remains as much a mystery to me as a crying gorilla eating cakes and books on the shore (obscure Fleetwood Mac reference requirement satisfied).  The music’s hardly an enigma, however, and that’s still the main reason why you’re gonna try to outbid everyone else on this little platter, isn’t it?  Basically, if you’ve heard any of Blonde on Blonde’s contributions to the “Circus Days” compilations, this album’s like that, only rawer, crunchier and heavier, and consequently BETTER.  The Blonde on Blonde here is a year younger, and a year leaner than the Blonde on Blonde who gave you “Circles” and “Castles in the Sky” – and a group who still clearly had aspirations of being the Who or the Creation on the crunching and slashing popsike opener “Ride With Captain Max”.  Or being the Status Quo on “I Need My Friend”, whose buzzing fuzz licks and jagged staccato guitar remind me a lot of “Pictures of Matchstickmen” or something the Smoke might’ve done in 1968.  Or being the Blossom Toes, Tomorrow or the Pretty Things on the sitar-laden cosmic freakout “Spinning Wheel”, one of the all-time greatest English popsike creations EVER!  “Its message is explicit and real” is all the liner notes have to say about this masterpiece, and it’s hard to believe that no one’s picked up on this one for a compilation of any kind.  Here’s what explicit and real about it – it’s a PERFECT combination of Eastern Indian sitar exotica married to a classic crunchy pounding English freakbeat backdrop.  Explicitly genius, real good.  But as good as Side 1 gets, the band mysteriously pull back on Side 2, which begins with a nice but unnecessary cover of the Beatles “Eleanor Rigby”, then settles into a string of 4 straight acoustic folky baroque songs that sound like early Strawbs.  Much of it is pleasant but unremarkable, especially considering the band was on fire for much of Side 1.  BIG exception, however – the closing track, the absolutely GORGEOUS “Jeanette Isabella”, who must have been a very pretty woman to warrant such a beautiful song.  Maybe she’s the one on the cover with the tarantula crawling up her leg…  

HEAR IT!

PLEASE NOTE I NO LONGER SHIP TO ITALY DUE TO A CORRUPT POSTAL SYSTEM (THERE, NOT HERE).  BUYERS FROM ITALY AGREE TO PAY FOR GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL INSURED ONLY!

The less exciting stuff

Media mail shipping with delivery confirmation starts at $4.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  Overseas shipping has, unfortunately, gone way up in the fast few months, which translates to $15 for the first LP to Canada ($3 each one thereafter) and $24 for the first LP everywhere else in the world, with each add'l LP an extra $5 (so it pays to buy more, nudge nudge wink wink).   I accept payments through Paypal. 

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

 For more security and international tracking, you may request GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL - but bear in mind the cost of this service is upwards of $30.  For expensive items, however, it may be well worth it.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a cost-effective way of tracking parcels to foreign countries yet, and shipping times vary depending on your country’s postal system.   Italy in particular seems to be really bad at delivering packages quickly, or delivering packages at all, now that you mention it.  I will always email you when your package ships, but once it’s on its way, please don’t ask me when it will arrive because I don’t know.  If the world’s postal systems can ever agree on a universal tracking system that’s affordable, I’ll be the first to use it.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town.