BLONDIE
Sight & Sound
Another year, another Blondie retrospective. This time around though, it's a double pack with a bonus DVD of many of the groups' biggest hits. As no copy of the DVD was supplied for review, however, here I'll just be talking about the CD.
You'd need to have been living in a cave on Mars not to have heard of Blondie before. For that reason, I'll not spend much time on an introduction to the group, other than to say that they were one of the defining forces on the charts in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. As is often the case though, individual achievements could never match the success of the collective (although Debbie Harry certainly had her moments), and inevitably, they reformed and recorded a couple of fairly solid comeback albums.
A quick run down on the track list reveals that, with the exception of only a couple of very minor hits, every Blondie track of note is present and correct. The album kicks off with the seminal Blondie hit, "Heart Of Glass" which continues to shine more than 25 years after it first graced the charts. It may be on every compilation going, but most people would admit that they never tire of this particular track, and to many, it is the groups defining moment. "Atomic", "Call Me" and "The Tide Is High" all sit up front in pride of place, thankfully in their original versions. "Atomic" in particular has been remixed enough times to make up an album of it's own. Not bad for a track that was recorded very quickly as an album filler!
The timeless "Rapture" and Motown-esque "Maria" follow. Both key milestones in the Blondie timeline. "Rapture" for being Debbie's introduction to rap and the Chic Organisation, and "Maria" being their first UK number one in nearly two decades.
Clumped together, and arguably more for the appreciation of the core fan base, are several early Blondie recordings that nevertheless represent an important part of groups history. "In The Flesh", "X Offender" and "Rip Her To Shreds" may not have the production gloss of later singles, but they do demonstrate that Blondie were a versatile and evolving unit, and not just a Debbie Harry vehicle. Whilst image is vital to the success of any artist, there's no doubt these earlier recordings far surpass anything on, say, "The Hunter", by which time Blondie had effectively ceased to be a band for many, who chose to focus most of their attention on the lead singer.
"Denis", "Picture This", "Dreaming" and the remarkable non-single "One Way Or Another" soundtrack why Debbie Harry did ultimately become "Blondie" to us though. Vocally, she shines, with a distinctive, gutsy voice that many have tried to emulate, but few have succeeded. Throw in her charisma and movie star looks, and by the time you get to "Island Of Lost Souls", it's difficult to visualise the band supporting her.
Closing off the collection is a rather baffling mash-up mix featuring "Rapture". Good for completists I guess. A remix of their last top 20 hit "Good Boys" is also included. This one isn't a Blondie classic, but does have something about it that prompted me to play it a few times.
Overall, a good value purchase for anyone looking to add a bit of Blondie to their collection, but equally a good upgrade to your existing "Best Of".
You'd need to have been living in a cave on Mars not to have heard of Blondie before. For that reason, I'll not spend much time on an introduction to the group, other than to say that they were one of the defining forces on the charts in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. As is often the case though, individual achievements could never match the success of the collective (although Debbie Harry certainly had her moments), and inevitably, they reformed and recorded a couple of fairly solid comeback albums.
A quick run down on the track list reveals that, with the exception of only a couple of very minor hits, every Blondie track of note is present and correct. The album kicks off with the seminal Blondie hit, "Heart Of Glass" which continues to shine more than 25 years after it first graced the charts. It may be on every compilation going, but most people would admit that they never tire of this particular track, and to many, it is the groups defining moment. "Atomic", "Call Me" and "The Tide Is High" all sit up front in pride of place, thankfully in their original versions. "Atomic" in particular has been remixed enough times to make up an album of it's own. Not bad for a track that was recorded very quickly as an album filler!
The timeless "Rapture" and Motown-esque "Maria" follow. Both key milestones in the Blondie timeline. "Rapture" for being Debbie's introduction to rap and the Chic Organisation, and "Maria" being their first UK number one in nearly two decades.
Clumped together, and arguably more for the appreciation of the core fan base, are several early Blondie recordings that nevertheless represent an important part of groups history. "In The Flesh", "X Offender" and "Rip Her To Shreds" may not have the production gloss of later singles, but they do demonstrate that Blondie were a versatile and evolving unit, and not just a Debbie Harry vehicle. Whilst image is vital to the success of any artist, there's no doubt these earlier recordings far surpass anything on, say, "The Hunter", by which time Blondie had effectively ceased to be a band for many, who chose to focus most of their attention on the lead singer.
"Denis", "Picture This", "Dreaming" and the remarkable non-single "One Way Or Another" soundtrack why Debbie Harry did ultimately become "Blondie" to us though. Vocally, she shines, with a distinctive, gutsy voice that many have tried to emulate, but few have succeeded. Throw in her charisma and movie star looks, and by the time you get to "Island Of Lost Souls", it's difficult to visualise the band supporting her.
Closing off the collection is a rather baffling mash-up mix featuring "Rapture". Good for completists I guess. A remix of their last top 20 hit "Good Boys" is also included. This one isn't a Blondie classic, but does have something about it that prompted me to play it a few times.
Overall, a good value purchase for anyone looking to add a bit of Blondie to their collection, but equally a good upgrade to your existing "Best Of".
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