Blondie "Panic of Girls" (2011)

Panic of Girls
release date: Jun. 1, 2011
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,08]
producer: Jeff Saltzman
label: Five Seven / EMI - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "D-Day" - 2. "What I Heard" (live) (better performance) - 3. "Mother" - 8. "Sunday Smile"

9th studio album by Blondie. This doesn't feel like the usual comeback albums. The previous album Curse of Blondie was a decent album, but that was released in 2003, so once again the band tries to fuel a comeback. I actually think they succeed rather well with this, although, I have seen and heard Deborah Harry sing live, and... well, she never had a great singing voice in the first place, but at least she was able to hit most notes in the past, but the new millennium does not provide her with much luck. It isn't too noticeable on the album so what the heck. This is a fine pop / rock album with at least a few fine songs.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

Blondie "At the BBC" (2010) (live)

At the BBC (live)
release date: Oct. 4, 2010
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: ?
label: Chrysalis Records - nationality: USA

[ concert extract ]

Live album by Blondie released more than 30 years following the recordings. The album is from one concert arranged by BBC Radio 1 at The Apollo Theatre, Glasgow on Dec. 31, 1979. Although, the concert was held at a relatively early point of its career, the band still manages to put together a fine collection of strong tunes.
The album was released as a double disc containing a dvd with most tracks from the concert and a few sessions from Top of The Pops, which makes it a fine bargain. Soundwise: well, it's from a period where punk rock had pointed very strictly that it should be authentic / garage-like, so this is not over-produced - actually it leaves out the producer credits, and it may just likely have been recorded as is without any major editing - and refreshingly far from modern times' X-factor productions, and in a way more than adequate.
It's a fine release showcasing the special new wave and mainstream pop / rock blend that Blondie represented without ever being pure art rock, dirty enough to be punk or new wave but they really understood how to appeal to more than a minor set of fans incorporating inspiration from a huge variety of styles and genres, and actually producing highly original music.

Blondie "Greatest Hits" (2005)

Greatest Hits (compilation)
release date: 2005
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: various
label: EMI / Capitol Records - nationality: USA

22 track compilation album by Blondie. This is one of the better compilations with Blondie, although, it still miss several great compositions. The last three tracks are not any of the band's best, and it's really a mystery how they ended up here. Two are taken from the most recent come-back album The Curse of Blondie from 2003, which doesn't contribute with great material, and the last track is a remix of The Doors "Riders on the Storm" and Blondie's track "The Rapture", a really odd inclusion. Luckily they come at the end so may just skip them, but then tracks like "In the Sun", "Fan Mail", "I Didn't Have the Nerve to Say No", "Die Young Stay Pretty" should be here to call it a true best of album. The album was released in an expanded version called Greatest Hits (Sight & Sound) with a dvd containing 17 video tracks.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Blondie "The Curse of Blondie" (2003)

The Curse of Blondie
release date: Oct. 13, 2003
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,86]
producer: Steve Thompson
label: Sanctuary Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Shakedown" - 2. "Good Boys" (live)

8th studio album by Blondie following the band's comeback album No Exit from 1999, an album that sold well, although, it wasn't really good. This is a better album but the album failed to chart, and I suspect the predecessor helped burying the (brand of the) band. Blondie tries hard to come out as a resurrected synthpop band with something to offer, but it's really far from essential.
[ allmusic.com, Blender, The Guardian 3 / 5, Rolling Stone, Slant 2 / 5, Uncut 5 / 5 stars ]

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Blondie "No Exit" (1999)

No Exit
release date: Feb. 23, 1999
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,68]
producer: Craig Leon
label: Beyond Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Forgive and Forget" - 3. "Maria" (live)

7th studio album by Blondie released as the band's comeback album 17 years since its so far final album The Hunter (1982). Great expectations were attributed band and album, and a first (and only) fine single, "Maria" (written by Jimmy Destri) helped pave the way for the album, which eventually reached number #3 on the UK album charts list. As with the old classic Blondie hits, they share the signature of Jimmy Destri, and all three singles (tracks #3, #6, and #4) from the album were written or co-written by Destri.
To put it simple: the music here doesn't justify the expectations, and the fine sales around the world are the sheer result of a strong brand. However, with this contribution to the band's legacy it's also hard to release new material and still attract consumers. "Maria" and the second track, "Forgive and Forget" are the only fine songs on a well-produced album, which feature several mediocre and what's worse: several poor compositions almost putting it on level with the 17 year old predecessor The Hunter. This is really nowhere to start a Blondie collection but a must-have for fans - just to complete the collection.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 2,5 / 5 stars ]

Blondie "The Essential Collection" (1997)

The Essential Collection (compilation)
release date: 1997
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5]
producer: various
label: EMI - nationality: USA

14 track best of compilation by Blondie. The album is identical to two other best of albums: Denis, a Dutch release issued in 1996 by Disky Records, and the 2006 album The Blondie Collection released by EMI. It's really hard to find one fine best of album with Blondie, and it doesn't help much that a vast number of so-called best of Blondie albums have been issued. Most of these releases have 4-5 great tracks and a number of misplaced not-best-of songs, and then always miss several great tracks as well - or so it seems. This is not better or worse than most other compilations by Blondie. However, here I miss great songs like "In the Sun", "Fan Mail", "I Didn't Have the Nerve to Say No", "Heart of Glass", "Dreaming", and "Atomic", which sort of tells what kind of release it really is, or: not. The album comes with two different front covers, and: it's really NOT essential.
[ allmusic.com 2 / 5 stars ]

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Australian cover

alt. album 
"Denis", 1996 
(same track listing)

Blondie "The Platinum Collection" (1994)

The Platinum Collection (compilation)
release date: Nov. 1, 1994
format: digital (2 cd)
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Richard Gottehrer / Mike Chapman / Alan Betrock
label: Chrysalis Records - nationality: USA

47 track 2 disc compilation album by Blondie. This is the one: The Ultimate, The Essential, and The Platinum best of Blondie album. There are so many compilations out there with this band, but most of them don't really contain enough great tracks to be what they are promoted as. This one hold what it promises. Of course 47 tracks is a lot, and hits and misses, they should be able to embrace the essential compositions. Aside from containing great tracks this is fine in more than one respect: it reflects a chronological order of the band's single releases, so one is able to sense the progression in sound and style, and then it contains all US and UK singles - both A- and B-sides from 1976 to 1982, which is the band's artistic period. If you don't want to collect all albums, and shuffle through more than 200 compositions of varied quality, this is more than a good alternative. The only downside to it is the decision to include a number of mediocre songs from the later period, but this is not just a best of collection, although, it may be judged as such. It's primary goal is to include all singles from the 7-year period, and naturally, they can't all be great - luckily (except "Once I Had A Love") the least interesting songs fall as the last 10 tracks. Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

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UK and Australian cover

Blondie "Blonde and Beyond" (1993)

Blonde and Beyond (compilation)
release date: Nov. 16, 1993
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: various
label: Chrysalis Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 3. "Sunday Girl (French Version)" (UK 12" single "Sunday Girl", 1978) - 12. "Once I Had a Love" (Early Version of 'Heart of Glass', 1976) - 15. "Call Me (Spanish Version)" (org. version appears on 'The Hunter', 1982) - 16. "Heart of Glass (Disco Version)" (org. version appears on 'Parallel Lines', 1978) - 17. "Ring of Fire" (Live) (from the soundtrack 'Roadie', 1980) - 18. "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" (Live) (rec. at The Paradise Club, Boston, Nov. 4, 1978) - 19. "Heroes" (Live) (rec. at The Hammersmith Odeon, Jan. 12, 1980. Taken from the UK 12" single 'Atomic', 1980)

19 track compilation by Blondie. In some ways this is justified by putting together rarities, B-sides, alternate tracks and live versions, but that is all scattered as it also contains several ordinary album versions of familiar songs, just to fill out the album, or what? Anyway, among the good things are a French version of "Sunday Girl", a Spanish version of "Call Me", two demo tracks, "Once I Had a Love" (an early version of "Heart of Glass"), "Heart of Glass (Disco version)", and three live covers, which makes it nine tracks worth the lot.

Blondie "The Hunter" (1982)

The Hunter
release date: May 24, 1982
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,55]
producer: Mike Chapman
label: Chrysalis Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 3. "Dragonfly" (3 / 5) - 4. "For Your Eyes Only"

6th and so far final studio album by Blondie follows 1½ years after Autoamerican (Nov. 1980). Again, Mike Chapman is producer on an album that initially burried the band and didn't see them release any new material until 1999. The album may be regarded as a record label contract obligation. Musically, they have nothing new to offer, and the album is really a mediocre release. And what a sad way to end a great band. It's mainstream pop / rock with hints of disco and... calypso [!].
Allegedly, the band had been offered to record what was to be the title track for the new James Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only" composed by Bill Conti and Michael Leeson, but the band rejected the song, and Debbie Harry and Chris Stein then wrote their own title song for the film; however, the Conti and Leeson song then went to Sheena Easton who secured the song in the film but the (lesser) Stein and Harry song is found here. The cover fits the album fine, as being quite tasteless.
Not recommended.
[ allmusic.com 1,5 / 5, Rolling Stone Album Guide 2 / 5 stars ]

Debbie Harry "Kookoo" (1981)

Kookoo [debut]
release date: Aug. 8, 1981
format: vinyl / digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,72]
producer: Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards
label: Chrysalis - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Jump Jump" - 2. "The Jam Was Moving" - 3. "Chrome" - 4. "Surrender" - 6. "Backfired"

Studio album debut by Blondie-vocalist Deborah Ann Harry released under her stage moniker Debbie Harry. The style is rather different from what one might expect. The simplistic uptempo new wave has been exchanged with a more funky form carried out by the three prominent members of the American disco band Chic, songwriter / guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers and songwriter / bassist and producer Bernard Edwards and drummer Tony Thompson. The guest trio contributes with a disco and dance pop style and Rodgers and Edwards are the primary songwriters on four of the albums ten tracks and they are co-writers on two. The remaining four songs are written by Harry and Chris Stein with whom she mostly writes material for Blondie and who also contribute as guitarist on the album. Two of the songs (tracks #8 and #10) are credited all four main songwriters.
The two Chic songwriters are credited a vast number of classics within the world of disco, and they later on contributed with their [magic] qualities on Diana (e.g. "I'm Coming Out") by Diana Ross, "Let's Dance" (title song) by David Bowie and Madonna's Like a Virgin album - all that is part of the highs of modern popular music, but here the result is not good. Harry and Stein's punchy new wave style, their admiration for reggae and funk in a simplistic form collide with the much more orchestrated and varied sounds and shapes of disco. Or: that's how it sounds like 'cause what really lacks here is a bunch a good songs. In fact, there's hardly any. The production sound is fine, though, and initial parts of songs are truly far from bad, but the overall picture is bland and it leaves me kinda thinking "was that it?"
The best thing about the album, which puts it on the shelve among classic albums, is actually the front cover artwork made by Swiss artist H.R. Giger.
I acquired the album at some point in the mid-80s just because it was a solo album by Harry but never played it much, as I soon found it lesser album with little connection to the music by Blondie.
[ allmusic.com 1,5 / 5 Rolling Stone 2 / 5 stars ]

Blondie "Autoamerican" (1980)

Autoamerican
release date: Nov. 1980
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,86]
producer: Mike Chapman
label: Chrysalis Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 4. "The Tide Is High" - 5. "Angels on the Balcony" - 8. "Rapture" - 11. "Walk Like Me"

5th studio album by Blondie is the third consecutive album produced by Mike Chapman. Like its predecessor Eat to the Beat (Oct. 1979) was received as a step down compared to Parallel Lines (1978), this one marks another (big) step down. 1980 was a difficult year for many artists in the respect that no one had the slightest idea of what direction new music styles like punk rock, post-punk, and new wave would take music to in the new decade, and Blondie here proves unable to show any direction whatsoever. Autoamerican only contains one fine composition, and even that has divided fans. The album contains a vast variety of genres and styles making it the most unclear album to date by this band. Generally, it feels more laid-back with its inclusion of jazz pop, reggae, and funk-inspired music, tracks inspired by pop standards, as well as bits of new wave. I never really liked the album, and I'm closer at handing it 2,5 and sometimes even just 2 'cause it's basically one big mess. Still, the album made it to number #3 on the UK album charts list, number #7 in the US, and the single "The Tide Is High" secured the band another top of the charts hit single in both the UK and the US as well as in a number of other countries. The relative success may be with thanks to their fine predecessors, and simply because people purchased the album without listening to it.
Not recommended.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 1 / 5 stars ]

Blondie "Eat to the Beat" (1979)

Eat to the Beat
release date: Oct. 1979
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: Mike Chapman
label: Chrysalis Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Dreaming" (4 / 5) - 3. "Union City Blue" ( 4 / 5) - 4. "Shayla" - (3 / 5) - 7. "Die Young Stay Pretty" - 9. "Atomic" (4 / 5)

4th studio album by Blondie follows one year after Parallel Lines (Sep. 1978), which was the band's world-wide triumphant album with a style that put the band in a league of their own blending both new wave, pop, and disco. Once again, Mike Chapman is in the producer seat but the album is not as great as its predecessor. Yes, "Dreaming", "Union City Blue", and "Atomic" are great tracks, and the reggae-inspired "Die Young Stay Pretty" and a few others are fine, but the rest are mediocre compositions that don't come near the same quality. The title track (by Debbie Harry and bassist Nigel Harrison) sounds like Blondie laying out a blueprint for The Pretenders. Basically, here the band does what they did before Parallel Lines, trying hard to sound attractive to everyone, they get stuck in-between styles and genres being neither pure pop / rock nor edgy or alternative enough to be rock or new wave... entirely. Still, the band was extremely popular and the album ended up on top of the UK albums chart list, and the first single from the album "Dreaming" went to number #2 on the UK singles charts, however, "Atomic", the fourth single release from the album, Blondie made a real dance floor monster hit, which went all the way to the top of the UK singles lists as it did in many other countries.
Uneven but still recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone Album Guide 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Blondie "Parallel Lines" (1978)

Parallel Lines
release date: Sep. 1978
format: cd (2001 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Mike Chapman
label: Chrysalis records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: 1. "Hanging on the Telephone" 4,5 / 5) - 2. "One Way or Another" (4 / 5) - 3. "Picture This" (4 / 5) - 4. "Fade Away and Radiate" (4 / 5) - 5. "Pretty Baby" - 6. "I Know But I Don't Know" - 7. "11:59" - 8. "Will Anything Happen?" - 9. "Sunday Girl" - 10. "Heart of Glass" (5 / 5) - 11. "I'm Gonna Love You Too" (4 / 5) - 12. "Just Go Away"

3rd studio album by Blondie following only 7 months after Plastic Letters (Feb. 1978) is the first of four consecutive albums with producer Mike Chapman. The album has been reissued a number of times with various bonus tracks. My copy is a 2001 remaster with 4 bonus tracks.
I think, the album was the second that I ever listened to with the band but it's undoubtedly the band's best ever. It's also the album that put Blondie on a primarily pop / rock shelf and not entirely in the new wave category. Although, the tracks have various writers and composers, this also remains the band's most uniform release, perhaps thanks to Mike Chapman who saw the band's potential in one genre or more precisely: he helped finding and holding on to the style of Blondie and sending a clear message that the band is not dirty garage rock energetic 'up yours' attitudes of new wave but sophisticated and classy pop / rock with a taste for disco. Not only does the album have several great tracks, it also has one mission instead of pointing in various directions. The album is the only by Blondie to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", and it was the band's first album to make it all the way to number #1 in the UK. Furthermore, six singles were released from the album - meaing half of all songs on the album became A-side singles.
If you only want one album with Blondie, this is the easy choice. Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5 stars, Rolling Stone, Blender, Slant Magazine 4,5 / 5 ]

Blondie "Plastic Letters" (1978)

Plastic Letters
release date: 1978
format: vinyl (CHR 1166) / cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Richard Gottehrer
label: Chrysalis Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Fan Mail" (4 / 5) - 2. "Denis" (4 / 5) - 3. "Bermuda Triangle Blues (Flight 45)" - 4. "Youth Nabbed as Sniper" - 6. "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence Dear" - 7. "I'm on E" - 8. "I Didn't Have the Nerve to Say No"

2nd studio album by Blondie following one year after Blondie (Dec. 1976) is produced by Richard Gottehrer, who also produced the majority of the tracks on the debut. The album was was due to be released in late '77 and was released in Dec. 1977 in Japan only with a different tracklisting - the official release being Feb. 1978. 
This was the first album I listened to with the band 'round about 1978. I had a friend who was a big fan but it didn't get me that much, although we always played Blondie while playing an ice hockey board game we both had. I generally found it more than just okay, some tracks were great but... And that's pretty much how I see it today too. I don't know if I think it's better or worse than the debut. The style is in the same ball game, only the pop / rock aspect may be more prevalent. All throughout the band's many albums, they always played new wave, pop / rock to various degrees, and this album follows in the footsteps with some of the energy of the first album. Especially "Fan Mail" is a great energetic track with both Hammond organ, surf guitar and a catchy and direct new wave chorus and it seems like a perfect follow-up to "X Offender" from the debut album. Most memorable track is possibly "Denis", which is a modern classic but apart from those two, the album is a bit too varied. The band always stood with their feet on two grounds: trying to be new wave and fresh, up on the beat, and running along in the shadow of Talking Heads, and at the same time Blondie represented a much wider aspect of contemporary pop / rock with influences from 1970s prog. rock and traditional pop, which ultimately was a good choice, appealing to a varied and very broad crowd, but that also made their albums extremely broad. Plastic Letters easily surpassed the debut (which reached number #75) on the UK albums chart list peaking as high as number #10 in the UK, but only to number #72 in the US, already depicting how the band would attract a bigger crowd in Europe compared to the domestic market.
[ allmusic.com hands it 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone Album Guide 3 / 5 stars ]

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Blondie "Blondie" (1976)

Blondie [debut]
release date: Dec. 1976
format: vinyl (1977 reissue) / cd (2001 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]
producer: Richard Gottehrer, Craig Leon, Alan Betrock
label: Chrysalis / Capitol - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "X Offender" (5 / 5) - 2. "Little Girl Lies" - 3. "In the Flesh" - 5. "In the Sun" - 7. "Man Overboard" - 8. "Rip Her to Shreds" - 10. "Kung Fu Girls"

Studio debut album by Blondie originally released on the small label Private Stock Records but already reissued by Chrysalis in Sep. '77. As is the case with most of Blondie albums the single tracks are credited various songwriters, which often has shaped their style in different directions, and made their single albums stand as non-uniform products with some great tracks but also some superfluous or misplaced songs and basically a huge variety of styles involved.
This, the band's debut came out much unnoticed at a time when punk rock and new wave had attracted everyone's attention, and maybe therefore a specific direction is hard to find here."X Offender" (written by Deborah Harry and composed by Gary Valentine) is simply THE track of the album right there among the first new wave songs and in terms of taking part of developing a new style. In my mind, it's also one of the band's best tracks ever. "In the Sun" (by Chris Stein) is a quite fine track as well but the remaining material sounds as if coming from a different band of another time. I don't think, I came across the album until around 1980 - at least not after hearing Parallel Lines (1978). The 2001 reissue comes with five additional demo recordings.
An interesting debut, and in a music historical context, it's way more valued than it works as a stand-alone album. I still (try to) enjoy it, though.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone Album Guide 4 / 5 stars ]