Customer Reviews

Live By Request

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

 

 

This is the cd version of the Live By Request show that Blondie did for the A&E channel. The cd sounds amazing and the songs are songs requested by fans who could call in or email the show. The one problem with the cd is the fact that "Undone" which is on the DVD version and " Maria" are missing from the cd - they were on the TV version and can not understand why they are not on here. The songs sound great as usual with "Good Boys" shining the most. The power of "Union City Blue", "Rip Her To Shreds", "One Way Or Another" and "Dreaming" still ring true. "Accidents Will Never Happen" is mistitled and the song writer for "(I'm Always Touched By Your ) Presence Dear" should read Gary Valentine but both are flawless versions. The best track is the almost bluegrass version of "The Dream's Lost On Me" which on No Exit was country to begin with . All that was missing was Alison Krauss and it would have been bluegrass- this version is very stripped down and so beautiful. The cd isn't as varied as the Blondie Live cd from 1999 but the sound is better. A+++++ as usual.

This Cd is my favorite Blondie live cd. It has a very raw, tough rock sound which reminds us of Blondie's punk roots. It sounds more rock and roll than the 1999 live cd. comparing to the latter, the following songs sound much better here : Hanging on the telephone, Rapture,X Offender, Dreaming,etc. However I have two things to complain about, what happened to atomic and maria?? If people actually requested the songs played in this concert, i am surprised that maria and atomic were not requested!
and the Heart of glass version on this cd is very week comparing to the 1999 live cd.
Other than that, this cd proves why Blondie is making it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It's been nearly 30 years since the first Blondie album was released, and they're still making music. What I like about Blondie is that they still have a certain rough-around-the-edges charm when they perform live. Their performances are not weighed down with slick production values, which is how rock bands are supposed to be.

The song selection is excellent, with "The Dream's Lost On Me" emerging as a surprising standout.

All in all, a terrific album.

Clem Burke drives this live set as definitive proof that this "band" rocks with the best of them. Add a certain female singer with so much savvy/charisma (she is your number one), and, you have one hell of a live album from one of the best bands of all time. A must have!!!!

Blondie, a band of many feathers, each one unique in it's own way, reflecting Blondie's style, performance, writing and characteristics. This album is one in itself. I cannot compare it to any other album because it reflects one in itself. Blondie's back for a long run.....love the sound, love Blondie..."you hear us on the radio, see us on TV and in the magazines,this is Blondie....LIVE" (picture this LIVE)

The only song that sounds decent on here is Heart of Glass but the guys should sing on it like on the album. Call Me is a mess. Clem Burke is still an awesome drummer- one of the best- but even he can't always save this ensemble. I have seen them twice live and both times I was disappointed. They should make more of an effort to sound like the albums. I was a kid in the 70's and 80's and never saw them back then... but Deborah Harry's voice just isn't strong anymore. I like the fact that they got back together but if I'm being honest they just aren't that great anymore. And they would be more interesting to watch if they really reunited and brought back Nigel Harrison and Frank Infante and not have these stand-ins. Jimmy Destri seems to have suddenly stopped touring with them too.

I've been a very serious Blondie fan since I was, um, about ten years old. Debbie's older than my mom, in fact.

But I have to say, this album is solidly in the "they shouldn't have bothered" category. The band sounds good, but let's be honest: It's now down to Chris and Clem, plus Debbie. Sure, Nigel and Frank were hired guns, but AHEM. Jimmy is EVERY BIT AS MUCH Blondie as Debbie. It is NOT THE SAME without him.

Anyhow, the band does sound pretty good here. I've never thought the live versions of "Heart of Glass" or "Call Me" were worth performing, since the guys have never once even approached the energy or vibe of the recorded versions.

Debbie sounds as good as she has for 8 years or so, which is to say not bad, but not what you should expect from a perfessional singer. "Call Me" is embarrassing, frankly.

So I don't really know. I really like the newest studio album quite a bit, but this one is just not worthy of a commercial release. Don't suppose I can blame them for cashing in on one of the most thrilling legacies from the '70s downtown NYC scene. But Blondie wasn't a tight live band at the height of its powers. This recording shows those 20+ years have passed.