Blondie - Blondie
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Free Music Notes for Blondie
Free Music Review: '60s girlgroup sound meets '70s punk energy
Hit: 4 Stars
Though they'd get more famous, Blondie never got better than their debut. Their mixture of '60s girl-group pop and '70s punk energy was a unique sound among their New York contemporaries. While the Ramones were stripping rock 'n' roll to its 1'30" essence, Blondie matched the hook-filled melodies of the Brill Building with lyrics that pushed the Shangri-La's bad girl stance a few paces forward.Debbie Harry's vocals - alone, double-tracked or backed by harmonies - and the band's songs (only drummer Clement Burke didn't contribute songwriting) were at once heartfelt odes to the of 1960s while at the same time thoroughly modern in attitude. "X Offender" "Rip Her to Shreds" and "In the Flesh" are too in-your-face (and perhaps too ironic) to have actually been recorded by early-60s girl-groups, yet their spirit leaves one to imagine how great they would sound if sent back in time to the Shangri-Las.
Richard Gottehrer's production is spot-on, adding a polish that elevates these tracks to stand with their Brill Building inspirations. At the same time, the buzzing Farfisa organ and Clem Burke's power drumming keep an edge that plants these tracks firmly in the mid-70s.
Capitol's reissue adds five bonus tracks to the original dozen, all of which are more interesting for their historical peek into the band's development than for their musicality. A pre-LP single featuring "X Offender" and "In the Sun" shows the band still balancing their sound. The double-tracked vocal on the former pales in comparison to the LP version, and the melody on the latter (as well as its rambunctious spirit) had yet to fully emerge. An Alan Betrock produced take of the Shangri-Las "Out in the Streets" is fine, but doesn't capture the tortured mood of the original, while "The Thin Line" and "Platinum Blonde" sound like the demo track that they are - a band with an original idea that isn't yet fully expressed.
4-1/2 stars, if Amazon allowed fractional ratings.
Free Music Review: Platinum Blondie!
Hit: 4 Stars
Oh, this record is absolutely marvellous! Yes, even better than "Parallel Lines" - their usually most celebrated album. Nonetheless, I like "Blondie" better, because the songs aren't as over-familiar as those on "P.L.". The only beef I have with this reissue is the inclusion of below par extra tracks a la "Platinum Blonde" and "The Thin Line" --- not prima Blondie material that. The cover of the Shangri-Las "Out in the Street" is OK, although they bettered that one on "No Exit".
From the original album I only ever disliked the very silly closing "The Attack of the Giant Ants". The almost-equally-stupidly-titled yet finger-snapping "A Shark in Jets Clothing" is one of the best cuts here/there, though, and deserves a belated and celebrated recognition (retro movie music supervisors out there take note!)
"X Offender", "In the Flesh", "Kung Fu Girls", "In the Sun", "Rifle Range", and ALL the (at least) first 10 songs on this CD are amongst some of the (still) freshest and best pure pop music recorded (as Homer Simpson would say) during those turbulent times that were the 1970's.
Stay in the sun and don't fall overboard --- buy this CD today!
Free Music Review: My favorite Blondie album - with awesome extras.
Hit: 4 Stars
The first Blondie record is possibly also the best Blondie record. Nowhere else do you see the girl-group meets CBGB's sound so perfectly captured. And the closing "Giant Ants" is a classic track. But the real reason to write home about this CD is the bonus tracks. "Out in the Streets" is easily one of Blondie's best recordings, and the rest of the extras are nearly as great. My one complaint is the omission of the pre-"Heart of Glass" recording, "Once I Had a Love," which, chronologically speaking, belonged on this CD (all of the other 1975 demos are here). Instead it was added onto the deluxe edition of "Parallel Lines," which makes some sense I guess. This problem knocks a five star album down to four, because every time I listen to this it bugs me.Free Music Review: The First Album Is Always the Most Fun
Hit: 4 Stars
So, here comes the band Blondie. It's all on in this album, In The Flesh, Rip Her to Shreds and X-Offender, all great tunes that energizer the listener. Also Rifle Range should have been a single, although it was on the Heart Of Glass 12 inch single. As well Kung Fu Girls and Attack Of The Giant Ants with it's El Mocombo ending is fantastic. This album is a reflection of the pre-pistols era and nobody cuts it better than Blondie. Check out the bonus tracks. A Lot of fun .Free Music Review: Pretty Cool Actually
Hit: 3 Stars
Laying the blueprint for future Blondie records to follow, their self titled debut shows that sweet girl group melodies can combine with the sharp bite of CCGB styled punk to form immaculate pop. The sense of humour is more than ever evident, although sometimes they come accross as just a little too silly, and while boasting sparkling pop songs, it is evident in terms of melody and structure the group is obviously still in development.Best Tracks: X Offender, Rip Her To Shreds, In The Sun.