3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Picture This Remaindered, July 20, 2001
This review is from: Picture This Live (Audio CD)
A bunch of live tracks scraped together by Chrysalis (now owned by EMI/Capitol) before Deborah Harry, Chris Stein, Clement Burke, and Jimmy Destri reunited a couple years back. (It's also available on "Live in Philadelphia '78 and Dallas," for those who want mismatching sets.) Contrary to the subtitle, it's not really "Essential" Blondie (unless you think three of their four #1 hits inessential).
The good news is Harry is at top energy here and gives a full-force vocal performance. For a band that is so visual, their videotaped appearances on VH1 have inevitably been disappointing (Harry generally looks either bored or stoned), so that's a welcome change. As usual, Clem Burke dominates the band -- why he didn't get more recognition for his drumming prowess is beyond me. The mix is generally okay, but the sound quality is better on the Philadelphia tracks -- bassist Nigel Harrison is so inaudible on the Dallas songs he might be backstage having a sandwich for all I know. The only new song is a 15-minute medley of T. Rex's "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" with Iggy Pop's "Funtime," which is about six minutes too long.
Docked a star for some of the worst packaging I've ever seen from a major label. One of the songs is misattributed, all of the photos are from the earlier version of the band featuring Gary Valentine (even though he had long since left by the time these concerts were recorded), and the liner notes were written by someone trying to equate Blondie's feats with his preadolescent shamblings on a year-by-year basis. Couldn't they have gotten somebody from the band to scribble down a few words?
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
keeping the music alive, June 25, 2000
This review is from: Picture This Live (Audio CD)
DEBBIE HARRY STILL SOUNDS AS GOOD TODAY AS SHE DID ON THIS CD WICH WAS RECORED IN DALLAS TEXAS 1980 AND PHILADELPHIA IN1978 5 ARE FROM THE PHILADELPHIA SHOW THE OTHER 9 ARE THE DALLAS TEXAS SHOW AND ARE VERY GOOD.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Bang a gong for this one !, September 19, 2002
This review is from: Picture This Live (Audio CD)
Picture This Live starts energetic with Dreaming: "Hey hello there!! You seen us on TV you read about us in the magazines and you heard about us on the radio but right now you're gonna see and hear: BLONDIE LIVE !"
I think this album represents how Blondie performed live in the days of 1978-1980. I was too young back then to join Blondie concerts so I can't really compare with other live performances from those days. But I went to several Blondie gigs in the ninety's and they sound LIVE a lot better now than on this cd!
Nevertheless this cd deserves the four stars because of the delicious live medley of Iggy Pop's "Bang a gong/Funtime" That song gives me the thrills.
Get it on !! Bang a gong!! get it on!!
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