Customer Reviews

Blondie

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the album that orignaly put Blondie on the music map and its easy to see why. From the moment Debbie Harry seductivly utters the first lines in the song 'X Offender' before an explosion of Clem Burkes manic drumming, you know this is going to be a classic Blondie collaberation. The band somehow manage to create a big and polished sound, even in there modest "Instant Record" days. The album also has a cute B-movie theme running through it, with songs like 'Kung fu Girls', 'Rip Her To Shreds', 'Attack of the Giant Ants etc.

Blondie was the most commercially successful band to emerge from the punk/new wave movement of the late 1970s. The lineup changed a lot over the years but at the core of the group from the day it was formed in August 1974 was singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein, who had both been in the Stilettos. This debut album was released in late 1976 by Private Stock Records and clearly defines the group's style as taking the girl group sound of the Sixties and fusing it with the punk sensibilities of the Seventies to become new wave icons. Blondie was never punk the way the Ramones or the Talking Heads were punk, but they still had serious attitude.

This is amply proven by this album's first track and the group's first single, "X Offender." The song was originally entitled "Sex Offender," before the record company changed it, and the lyrics tell of a criminal falling for the cop who busts her. At the same time that the song fits the formula of the teenager in love angst songs of the 1950s and 1960s it also clearly mocks such songs as well. "In the Flesh," one of the few songs where Harry tries to sound really sexy, sounds like it should have come out of the Brill Building a decade earlier except Harry's vocal performance here, with its echoes of Marilyn Monroe, keys you in that there is some serious deconstruction at work here. Just listen to the final line of "Look Good in Blue" and clearly there is a tongue in cheek attitude to the double-entendres.

Rating this one is fairly easy because while Blondie would get better there is some historical significance to this debut effort and this remastered CD offers up five bonus tracks consisting of three demos, including the archetypal "Platinum Blonde," a cover of the Shangri-Las' "Out in the Streets," as well as the original single versions of "X Offender" and "In the Sun." "Blondie" is not a great Blondie album, but it does establish the group's definitive high gloss trashy sound. The result was a group whose greatest hits collection is one of the most popular every produced (i.e., everybody I know has it and listens to it on a regular basis). That strongly suggests the rest of their oeuvre is worth examining as well.

GET THIS BEFORE ANY OTHER BLONDIE CD. CLASSIC SOUND THAT WAS BOTH RETRO & AHEAD OF ITS TIME. A1 SONGWRITING AND CLEAN PRODUCTION TOO. WELL WORTH THE XTRA CASH!

Blondies first album is very good. Several songs are very good with above average lyrics and Debbies voice really shines thru. The song X-Offender is a total classic and is one of their best songs ever. other popular songs on this album are In the flesh, and Rip her to shreds. Very good songs but even the ones that werent hit are very good and different from mainline Blondie.

Before becoming pop superstars, Blondie was just a little group from N.Y.C. with an affection for the girl-group sound. Their first album rocks all the way though, from X-Offender to A Shark in Jets Clothing to Rip Her to Shreds- you just can't lose. Buy this album now- and be sure to listen carefully to Look Good in Blue...

hi! i rented this cd out from the library and i absolutley love it fact its the fith time ive rented it. this is different from the other stuff theyve done as its more roc&roll but its still classic blondie, and weather you like them or not you'll like this as its only rock& roll

This album along withy the bands next two (Plastic Letters and Parallel Lines) represent the best work to date from Blondie. Good solid rock tunes with searing guitar work and seductive lilting ballads. A must buy. Unfortunately these songs are not represented in the current Blondie comeback tour.

This is a really great blondie CD. It's funny, and punky and poppy, with really smart lyrics. How could anyone dislikes the attack of the giants ants which makes the destruction of humanity into jangling 'la-la-la' pop song. It's my favorite blondie so far.