Customer Reviews

Blondie Live

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Next to The Smith's "Rank", this is probably the best live recording I own. Even more special to me because I got to see Blondie on their "No Exit" tour when they played Massey Hall in Toronto. The highlights, without question, are "Dreaming", "Call Me" and "One Way or Another". Just as good are the lesser known tracks like "Union City Blue" (which is quite possibly Clem Burke's best moment on the drums), "X-Offender", and "Shayla". Never a dull moment. The band themselves are just as good as they were in their prime (circa 1980), and years of wear and tear on the vocal chords obviously hasn't caught up to Debbie Harry.

The sound quality is better than most live recordings tend to be, and all the great instrunmentals come through is striking clarity. It is the next best thing to actually having been there.

Truly an amazing collection of live recordings from the latest Blondie tour in support of "No Exit". Not only does it highlight what a great group of songwriters Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Jimmy Destri are but what an incredibly tight live outfit they have become. Clem Burke's drumming prowess must to be heard to be believed. Usually live albums are disappointing rehashes of the hits, in this case however the band injects new life and excitement into both new (Maria, Under the Gun) and old (Rip Her to Shreads, Sunday Girl) faves. It's certainly a treat to have in our prescence a real rock band like Blondie who actually write and play in today's overproduced souless pop landscape. Deborah Harry shines on this Grammy worthy release!

I was a little apprehensive about getting this CD, because I really don't like living in the past; Blondie was always a fave group of mine, but do I want to hear rehashed old stuff? YES! This CD kicks! The group breathes new life into the song, while progressively adding new tunes. I'm listening to this CD heavily; it has a great vibe that is missing in today's music. There's a reason why groups like Blondie are STILL around--and this is proof. ENJOY!

I saw Blondie perform on New Years Eve here in South Beach. They began with this incredible instrumental intro that kicked into "Forgive and Forget". What an openning! It only got better. You guys should've seen when they did a cover of "Get Down Tonight" and all these completely naked dancers got on stage and boogied with Debbie. What a night! What a concert! I always had the intention of getting the Live album but wanted to wait until after the concert. The album was not a dissapointment. I play it constantly to remind me of that night. Great selection of songs. I always thought Deborah Harry's voice on "Shayla" was a miracle. Ditto on the live album. It rocks from beginning to end. "Under the Gun", WOW! BUY THIS ALBUM! Can't wait to see them again.

After seeing Blondie on their most recent world tour, I was anxiously waiting the release of this CD. I was not let down at all. From the opening beat of "Dreaming" to the final note of "One Way or Another", the CD was phenomenal. Not only is Debbie Harry shining, but all the members, especially Clem Burke, show their expertise. The songs, which include audience participation, flow smoothly with each other giving Blondie Live much more punch. This is a must for any live music fan, or just of Blondie.

Sometimes when a band reforms after a hiatus, it often returns to mixed results. In 1999 Blondie returned with the album "No Exit" and they showed they never missed a beat. When I listened to Blondie when I was younger, I often confused Deborah Harry as Blondie. I often discounted a solid band that consisted of not only Harry, but Chris Stein on Guitar, Jimmy Destri on Keyboards, and Clem Burke on Drums. What really showed how well this reunion would go was a follow-up live album - and the quartet does not disappoint. "Blondie Live" is a combination of recordings in London, Las Vegas, and New York. Sometimes this collection is actually sold as "Blondie Live in New York", but the "Blondie Live" title is more appropriate given the recordings are from multiple places.

Usually I would be critical of this type of live album for two reasons: 1) I prefer a Live album to be a recording of a single performance and 2) If a mixed bag of live performances is used, I would prefer to hear the recording when the song and band were at the peak of popularity (i.e. I normally would like to hear a live recording of "The Tide is High" the year they toured with that song). In the case of "Blondie Live", the mixed bag formula works - and works well. I understand that Blondie is focused on a comeback period of live performances and wanted to focus on the comeback as opposed to the past. The good thing is - the album does come off flawlessly with the multiple sources for the live numbers. It almost seems like a single concert.

What I like best about the CD is that Blondie doesn't immediately launch into their commercial hits right away. They start the CD off with some old songs such as "Dreaming" and "Hanging on the Telephone" - then follow with a newer song "Screaming Skin". These songs might be popular among Blondie fans, but the most interesting thing is the first big "commercial hit" to the general audience doesn't follow until "The Tide is High" at track 6. Songs like "Call Me", "Rapture", "Heart of Glass", and "One Way or Another" are included on the CD, but they really are spread out among the CD. I think this is a good thing.

There are four songs from the new "No Exit" album and they are solid tracks. "Screaming Skin" has the classic Debbie Harry narrative type vocals and the band really pulls this one off live - especially when Harry sings "...I'm a multicellular individual just way out of proportion". "Forgive and Forget" isn't the strongest Blondie song, but you can hear the relentless drumming of Clem Burke on that track. "Maria" was the most popular track from the "No Exit" album and it doesn't disappoint here. This is another song in which the band is awesome - Harry's vocals, Destri's keyboards, Stein's guitaring, and more relentless drumming by Burke. "No Exit" is another awesome song. This was a song that Blondie with Coolio as the title track for "No Exit". I would have like to have seen Coolio on this track, but this is a true "Alternative Rock Rap". Harry pulls the rap off flawlessly. Blondie were innovators back in 1980 with "Rapture" and they prove they are still innovators by once again putting a modern spin on a rap-like song.

It is actually the commercial classics that are a bit of a disappointment on this album. "The Tide is High", "Call Me", and "Heart of Glass" are kind of letdowns on this album. "One Way or Another" is average. However, "Rapture" doesn't miss a beat. To me this is the best Blondie song ever done, and in the live version of this song is awesome. Clem Burke's drum intro followed by Destri's keyboards set the tone very well - and of course Harry's vocals are right on the money. When "...only eats guitars" comes on - the band goes into an incredible instrumental in which Stein's guitar work takes center stage.

The liner notes do feature the associated credits of each song in terms of songwriters and publishers. There are footnotes that map the songs back to the dates they were recorded. There are no lyrics and there is no association of the songs back to the album. There is a collage of some blurry "concert-like" photos in a fold out liner note insert.

The best thing about this album is it really helped me to discover Blondie beyond the hits. I got an appreciation for some of the older songs and also got into some of the newer songs. On top of everything, this is a really solid live performance - one worth making the investment into this collection.

Records are one thing, live albums are another, this is especially true for a returning band, and especially one as famous and influential as Blondie. Fans will buy it because they are devoted and come on, a live Blondie album for the new millennium is simply...cool, but casual listeners and people who follow popular music will surely get "Blondie Live" to see if this band still holds-up live. Deborah Harry at the prime of her fame was the most photographed woman in the world, the first true rock female vocalist who managed to mix Marilyn Monroe-like looks with a tough rock, Punk attitude which has proven to be highly influential when one looks at performers like Madonna, Gwen Stefani and Shirley Manson. But aside from her looks, one could listen to a Blondie record and appreciate her vocals, and here they sound more mature, grown, almost wiser. The hits are here like "Call Me," which is still fun and exciting and "Rapture," a dreamy number with a hip-hop edge, and Harry even returns to rapping with the dark, almost sinister "No Exit" (from their 1999 effort) which sounds like Harry giving a musical nod towards her hero Iggy Pop. "Heart Of Glass" still survives the death of disco while "The Tide Is High" is sweet tropical flavor. The playing is tight, the instrumentals shine and Harry still sounds vital and edgy, she hasn't lost her identity or sold out to the trends of the moment like so many artists from past decades tend to do to stay "popular." Eventhough we would enjoy seeing maybe a little cameo in the next No Doubt or Garbage album, Blondie proves they still shine and can still remind us what it means to have fun when listening to music.

i purchased BLONDIE LIVE on it's release date, november 23,1999. i have to honestly say..this is indeed a real treat.. my picks are "dreaming","the tide is high","shayla","maria","under the gun", and "one way or another". all the songs are great..it's magic with every song.. i get a rush everytime i hear "go insane and out of your *miiiiiiiinnnnnnnd*" which is the last insert of "maria" in the song.. BLONDIE knows how to put on a show..and i love their music... get NO EXIT if you don't have it..and get BLONDIE LIVE as well..you'll see what a real band sounds like..

ALTHOUGH I AM NOT GENERALLY A FAN OF "LIVE" ALBUMS TOO MUCH, THERE ARE A FEW I REALLY ENJOY: FLEETWOOD MAC'S "THE DANCE", HEART'S "THE ROAD HOME", U2'S "UNDER A BLOOD RED SKY", AND NOW "BLONDIE LIVE." IF YOU WERE A FAN BACK IN THE LATE 70'S-EARLY 80'S BUT DIDN'T GET "NO EXIT", GO GET IT, AND PICK THIS UP TOO...

This is the way a live CD should sound- an experience as close as possible to standing in the front row. The recording is not pimped up or re-produced, it's just a great pop band putting on a great no-frills raw show. The difference between this band and many new ones is that they all possess enough real talent to pull off this type of recording without having to play around with backing tracks and additional enhancements. Brave, raw, and a rare breed today. This is a must even for casual fans, since it includes all the hits.