Customer Reviews

No Exit

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

 

 

This is an excellent album CD by Blondie. This was their great come-back album released in the late 1990's. You get the line-up of Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, and Jimmy Destri. The songs are as follows:

Note - This is the CD edition without the Bonus Tracks of Dreaming, Call Me, & Rapture. There is another edition of this cd with those Bonus tracks.

1. Screaming Skin
2. Forgive & Forget'
3. Maria (This one went to #1 in the U.K.)
4. No Exit (You get Coolio performing as a guest musician).
5. Double Take
6. Nothing is real but the Girl
7. Boom, Boom in the Zoon Zoon Room
8. Night Wind Sent
9. Under the Gun
10.Out in the Streets
11.Happy Dog
12.The Dream's Lost on Me
13.Divine
14.Dig Up the Conjo

Overall, this is a great Blondie cd, the music is simply outstanding from beginning to end. I highly recommend this one, or the one like this one that includes the Bonus Tracks. Thanks!!!!

In 1999 Blondie reformed and returned with `No Exit', named after the Jean Paul Sartre play of the same name. Produced, intriguingly, by Craig Leon, who was the producer of their debut back in 1976 (as well as albums by The Ramones and later, Jesus Jones), it is a mostly excellent exercise in gothic-infused genre-hopping that manages to stay just short of being over-produced - though there is a certain sense of restraint to it. Give or take a song or two, `No Exit' can sit easily alongside the best albums from the band's 70s heyday - and it has the added bonus of finding Deborah Harry in superlative voice.

Harry and band members, Chris Stein, Jimmy Destri and Clem Burke, are all heavily represented among the song-writing credits, which helps the record sound authentically Blondie. Those songs that do not feature external collaborators also tend to be the best on the record.

Things kick off with the mad ska vampire ditty, `Screaming Skin' before moving into the beautiful layered synths of Chris Stein's `Forgive and Forget' which features a mythic spoken intro from Deborah Harry. The hit single and first of two mod/ new wave Jimmy Destri masterpieces, `Maria', is followed shortly thereafter by the second, `Nothing is Real But the Girl'. Stein's `Under the Gun', a moving cowboys and Indians ode to late Gun Club lead singer, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, follows a few tracks later and acts as a sound partner to them. These three songs are the closest in spirit and style to the old Blondie sound, though they are separated by the dark, edgy metal guitar rap of `No Exit', which features Coolio.

New York writer, Romy Ashby is a prominent collaborator on many of the other tracks, which account for some of the most beautiful moments in the set. `Boom Boom in the Zoom Zoom Room' is a slinky, smoky cool jazz number. There are also stunning country turns on `The Dream's Lost On Me' and `Happy Dog'. Drummer Clem Burke and former Go Go's bassist, Kathy Valentine, contribute the infectious `Divine', which follows them.

The only low points are a an unbelievably limp version of the Shangi-La's `Out on the Street', as well as a boring nod to `Island of Lost Souls' and the jokey early Blondie approach, with `Dig Up The Conjo'.

what can I say, it's Blondie, for heavens sake. ALWAYS great! Wore out the last CD had to replace it.

I was a huge Blondie fan back in the day and like most males that grew up in the 1980s, had a HUGE crush on Debbie Harry. However, Blondie was always much more than just a band with the hottest female singer ever, they made great music. I have to admit, I was quite skeptical when I saw they were attempting to make the patented "comeback" album, so many bands have tried and failed at this. However, Blondie was always different and if one band could do it, they could and did. This album continues the direction they headed in their later album. Gone are the punky, guitar driven songs. These tracks are much more melodic and soothing, although they prove they can still rock as well. What is most amazing about the album has to be Debbie Harry's voice. It has not aged one bit, as classic as ever. If you are a fan of the band, you will not be let down by this exceptional effort.

In many ways this is one Blondie album that not only matches their earlier outputs, but, in many ways - surpasses them! Having just recently purchased the whole of Blondie's output (attended a recent show and was blown away) I had the luxury of reviewing each record with fresh ears. This record still captures that classic Blondie sound but with a much more sophisticated angle. The band is top notch - the production is superb, the songs are excellent! "Maria" has to rank as one of the finest songs, ever!