Blondie

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Blondie

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Wow, an 80's album in the middle of the 70's? Strange but true. Deborah Harry was the architypal 80's vocalist, infusing Blondie's songs with a pop sensibility that was missing from her punk pals Patti Smith and Chrissie Hynde. It's not difficult to imagine Cyndi Lauper, Belinda Carlisle or even the early Madonna singing these tunes. In that sense Deborah Harry was without doubt the most influential American female vocalist of the late 70's/early 80's.

On their first album Blondie perfectly mix 60's bubblegum pop with garage rock and it's the keyboard that makes all the difference (another one of their innovations that would become standard in the 80's). If Blondie can be described as punk it was their humour and irreverence that made them so, subverting classic pop styles with black and ironic humour e.g. 'Rip Her To Shreds' and 'Attack Of The Giant Ants'. It's also interesting to hear the reggae influence of the time on a track like 'Man Overboard'. 'Heart Of Glass' was also originally written as a reggae tune, but by the time Blondie was gaining some success, the producers took it and turned it into a disco hit, the reason being apparently that "Americans don't buy reggae". Other notable tracks reflecting their time include 'Kung Fu Girl' (Bruce Lee movies being huge in the 70's).

Respect must also be given to Chris Stein for his foresight and musical knowledge in knowing what would instantly appeal to an audience overdosed on rock pretentiousness.

Blissful!

With mod, 60s girl group, surf band and B grade science fiction horror references bundled up with a mid 70s lower Manhattan street sensibility, Blondie's infectious comic book-like career starter is a fascinating debut.

The choice of Richard Gotterher as producer, a prolific composer in the 60s responsible for songs like `My Boyfriend's Back' and `I Want Candy', was an inspired one and a perfect fit for this initially unusual band. (As a fake Australian band called The Strangeloves, Americans Gotterher, Bob Feldman and Gerry Goldstein, had a massive US hit with `I Want Candy' in 1965 - they claimed to be Australian brothers Giles, Miles and Niles Strange, who had become rich from cross-breeding the long-haired Gottehrer sheep on their Aussie farm and decided to use their money to form a band!)

Gottehrer brought his sensibilities to Chris Stein's love of 60s girl groups, producing a cool and quirky set that informed Blondie's first four albums as well as their 1999 comeback, `No Exit'. Most representative of their approach are the opening track, `X Offender', with its spoken word intro over drums, `Little Girl Lies', `In the Sun' and `Shark in Jets Clothing'.

Not only does `Blondie' introduce the now legendary image, vocal chords, phrasing and unique lyrical sensibilities of Deborah Harry, it unveiled the equally talented Stein and keyboardist/composer Jimmy Destri. Along with Drummer Clem Burke, they would become the core of the band.

Apart from `X Offender' (Harry and bassist Gary Valentine), tracks that most represent their then burgeoning ability to mix their odd influences with an incredible pop sensibility are `Look Good in Blue' (Destri), `Rip Her to Shreds', `Rifle Range' (both Stein) and the deliriously slow and wistful `In the Flesh' (Harry/Stein). These five are the album's soaring high points and, apart from a couple of duds that take the concept too far (`Kung Fu Girls', `Attack of the Giant Ants'), the rest are enjoyably adequate filler.

Slightly over-lauded as people look back on their now legendary oeuvre, `Blondie' is nevertheless a great and individual debut and a far better purchase than a Greatest Hits set. The 2001 remaster has an additional five tracks that are either available on other rarities compilations or are live tracks, so don't add much to the original release. Though, the remaster is superb.