Customer Reviews

Best of Blondie

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Blondie, depending who you ask, were a seminal punk/new wave act from New York that managed to place the new sound onto the charts and help usher out disco and bring in the MTV age. Held down by blonde bombshell Debbie Harry (where they got their name)and sometime boyfriend guitarist Chris Stein, the band managed a string of hits in the late 70s/early 80s (particularly in the U.K. where they had their biggest chart success). Along the way, the band helped bring more mainstream consciousness of reggae ("The Tide is High") and rap ("Rapture") as well as glances back at 60s girl groups ("In the Flesh") and doo-wop ("Denis" was a gender switched version of Randy and the Rainbows' 1963 Top 10 hit "Denise"). They also influenced many female musicians of the day and later including Madonna, Tina Weymouth of the Talking Heads, Annie Lennox, and Gwen Stefani.

PROS:
Very nearly everything on here is at least good, and "One Way or Another" and "Call Me" are some of the best pop singles ever in my opinion.

CONS:
So why the 3 star rating only? As many others have noted, there's a better sounding (remastered), more comprehensive package out there (19 songs instead of 12 including all the songs on this package). Those extra songs include the band's 1999 comeback smash "Maria" (a U.K. #1 and Top 40 in the U.S.), the band's final U.S. top 40 hit from their first time together (1982's "Island of Lost Souls"), U.K. #2 "Denis" plus "Picture This" (a #12 U.K. charter).

BOTTOM LINE:
Get "Greatest Hits" (ASIN:B00006IM9Q) instead. Better sound, better song selection..If you find yourself really loving that one, move on to their album "Parallel Lines" (remastered with some bonus material) as your next one from Harry's band.

If the number of times I listen to it each year means anything, "The Best of Blondie" is the best greatest hits CD in my collection. Yes, the New Wave classics like "Dreaming," "Hanging on the Telephone," "One Way Or Another" and "Call Me" are here, but like with most artists the songs I really seem to enjoy are those great songs that never got a lot of air play, like "Atomic," "Sunday Girl" and my personal favorite, "(I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear." Yes, it would be nice to have a bit more representation from the punk stage of vocalist Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein (e.g., "I'm Not Living in the Real World"), but you do get the proto-rap hit "Rapture." What else can I say, except that pretty much everybody I know has this CD and loves it.

I don't know why Debbie Harry never became a mega-star like Madonna. Maybe her promotion was poor; maybe the time just wasn't right. Anyway, she and the group Blondie are GREAT! And in my opinion, Madonna is just a Blondie wannabe. She can't even compare to Debbie Harry.

An excellent best-of from one of my all-time fave bands. I kind of wish they'd included more early stuff rather than sticking to just the hits - only because I'm curious to hear it. Still, the tracks here are some of the best new wave pop of the late '70s and early '80s. This album also gave me a chance to hear Blondie singles that either flopped when they were released in America or were not released here. "Sunday Girl," "Dreaming," "Atomic," and especially "In The Flesh" are all great songs that should have been bigger U.S. hits than they were. My fave cuts are "The Tide Is High," "Rapture," "One Way Or Another," "Dreaming," and especially "Rip Her To Shreds," a classic that doesn't get much airplay anymore. But every song is a classic! Their comeback album (No Exit) is excellent too; "Maria" is one of my all-time Blondie faves. Viva Debbie Harry, Chris Stein & Co. - they will continue to rock for years to come!

Many women try to rock, and few to this day do it as well as Debbie Harry. This album shows why. With many collections, don't trust the words "the best of." Too often, greatest hits collections are a poorly selected group of songs produced for the purpose of releasing some ...new stuff. Not here, though. The Best of Blondie lives up to its name, and if you want to buy just one Blondie album, THIS IS IT. Debbie Harry rocks -- through sweetness to tongue-in-cheek anger. It's just fun music that rocks.

This album is a great introduction to one of the most innovative groups of musicians ever! Every song is a gem. And you'll get hooked! But No exit at the same time to compare and contrast, and soon you'll buying their whole catalog!

This is actually a near-perfect "vinyl era" collection. It's 12 of their best, and all the obvious choices are here. Included is "Heart Of Glass", "The Tide Is High", "Call Me", and "Rapture", among many others. However I find I enjoy the lesser hits even more. Tracks like "Dreaming", "Hanging On The Telephone", "Sunday Girl", and "Atomic" are all great songs. The one thing about "Blondie", is that whether they were doing punk, disco, new wave, or almost rap, they excelled at it, and at the time, "Debbie Harry" was HOT! Truth be known though, I'd actually get the "Greatest Hits" over this. It's remastered, and has 7 more tracks, including "Maria".

This is a compilation of Blondie's greatest hits from 1978-1981. They prove on every track that they are one of the best new wave bands to make mainstream. Debbie Harry expresses every lyric with the most unique voice heard on radio. Beyond her bleach-blonde hair and her sexy image is one of the most influencial female performers in music. Whether its rock, punk, reggae, pop, dance, or rap, Harry and the rest of Blondie have mastered it. Such variety proves that they have a wide musical range, which makes them more enjoyable to hear. Their tracks that hit number one on the Billboard Top 100 still have that magic spark that catches the listeners: "Heart of Glass", "Call Me", "The Tide Is High", and "Rapture". Their remaining tracks have that as well, though they're not often played on the radio. Every track explains why their influence is heard in many artists who came after them(No Doubt, Sublime, etc.). "The Best of Blondie" is the eccential compilation for all Blondie fans to own. These hits will get every party jumping.

This collection isn't as complete as the import ATOMIC: THE BEST OF BLONDIE, which really countains all singles and high points of the group, including 'The Hunter'-penned singles ¨Island Of Lost Souls and ¨War Child¨, and non-single tracks & singles b-sides which are classics for every Blondie fan, like ¨Fade Away and radiate¨, ¨Denis¨ and ¨X-Offender¨, absolutelly necessary for every Blondie lover. Despite of it, this isthe classic Blondie collection with it's glossy cover pic, and that's way the fans normally own it as well. A big problem with this release on CD is that the sound quality is poor, since it hasn't been remastered yet.
This collections isn't an iten for a true fan of Blondie's best music to date; much more than that, it's a collection of commercial hits (it countains their 4 US #1's) for people who just like to listen to their biggest hits or for chart-lovers.
Fans should rather buy the entire remastered collection (mid-price!!!) and the compilations ATOMIC, PLATINUM COLLECTION (with some remixes and rare tracks in 2 discs!) and BLONDE AND BEYOND, with non released tracks, live versions and rarities.

Blondie were definitely cutting edge in the late 70's and early 80's. They burst onto the scene with unique songs that had a dance feel to them, but at the same time, had a new-wave edge. "Heart of Glass" kicks off this greatest hits package with a disco beat and catchy chorus and was a huge hit for them in 1979. Blondie's other huge hits are here also including the very cool #1 hit "Rapture" with its corny, but enjoyable rap by Debbie Harry. "The Tide Is High" is another Blondie staple with a reggae feel and became an 80's classic as did their biggest hit "Call Me." "One Way Or Another" is also instantly recognizable and shows the punk side of Blondie. Other enjoyable tracks include "Dreaming" and "In the Flesh" which has a 50's vibe to it.

Blondie were a very influential band. They helped shape music after the disco craze died. If you like this, I also recommend Pat Benatar's "Greatest Hits."