Perfect Crime - Blonde On Blonde Album Review

 

 

PERFECT CRIME is another name of the Norwegian group BLONDE ON BLONDE. In 1989, the self-titled debut album “Labyrinth Of Love” by BLONDE ON BLONDE was released as limited edition private pressing. The album sold out soon and became a rare collector’s item. Their second CD got released in 1990 under the band name of PERFECT CRIME and was called “Blonde On Blonde”. Why this happened is a secret which only the band knows. However, the second effort marked a big improvement for the Norwegian outfit. All tracks have been remastered and now offer an updated sound, contemporary sound und will please all friends of the bands which have been waiting for this re-issue for too long.

Now I don’t want to sing the praises of record labels too much, but if it wasn’t for the likes of Rock Candy, and in this instance Yesterrock, then many, many, lost classics would be sat in just a few peoples houses and treated like great works of art. I for one have a mate who just sits at home in his masturbatory listening to long lost classics like these labels offer up to us mere mortals who never got the chance to buy the first time around.

'Blonde On Blonde' is one of those albums that just got released at the wrong bloody time. It was 1990 and grunge was about to fuck up this lovely genre of music. Yes the genre needed it a bit as it had gone so far up its own arse, AOR was tickling its own tonsils. Bands like Perfect Crime definitely deserve to be given a second chance (and listen).

They fall into the typical female fronted artistes such as Saraya, If Only, and Femme Fatale, and are not out of place with such decent luminaries, and just missed the boat by about two years. They have a singer with the looks, and more importantly the voice, and a great bloody set of musicians behind her to make the thing tick over in Willy Bendiksen / Don Airey / Bernie Marsden, guys who are still going strong 23 years later

‘Into the Water’ and ‘Shame On You’ are great slices of AOR – great female vocals with a slight hint of gruffness. Marvellous! The likes of ‘One Of These Days’, ‘Liar’, ‘Lying Eyes’, ‘Key In The Door’ and the Whitesnake-esque closer ‘Stripped To The Bone’ are long lost classics and still sound great 20-odd years later. ‘Love Me Or Leave Me’ has the typical early 90s ‘horns’ section that any self respecting band had to have.

An old, (and new) classic AOR album. Buy it before it disappears again!! A fave of 1990 and 2013

90/100 Essential long lost classic!

Line-Up:

Bente H. Smaavik (Lead Vocals)

Jimmy Iversen / Bernie Marsden (Guitars)

Steinar Eikum (Bass)

Wild Willy Bendiksen (Drums)

Don Airey (Keyboards)

Tracklist:

1. Into The Water

2. Shame On You

3. One Of These Days

4. Love Me Or Leave Me

5. Perfect Crime

6. Liar

7. Am I Right

8. Lying Eyes

9. Key In The Door

10. Stripped To The Bone

 

Label:Yesterrock

Release date: 05.04.2012