Debbie Harry is irresistable on the debut, which I recently discovered is so much stronger, funnier, trashy, multi-layered and ironic than PL. It's one of the earliest and best new wave albums to successfully mock all those 50's conventions while revelling in them at the same time. The moment when she "bang bang"s in "rifle range" just kills me and "Man Overboard" is a hidden masterpiece. There is not one weak track on here. But PL, which is so spotty, is always described as their "best." Why the lie?
― Vic, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Part of that might just be the diminishing returns brought on with high demands - if you're bombarded with "masterpiece, masterpiece, masterpiece", then you're bound to come in with preconceptions that will ultimately devalue the actual thing you're experiencing. I've always found myself let down by the so-called "masterpieces", though this happened a lot less when I wasn't as musically aware as I am nowadays. Experience comes with a high price tag. (Not that I'm complaining; not at all.)
― David Raposa, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Jeff W, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Maybe this has to do with how the critics in '78 wanted to grant them legitimacy and start realizing Blondie's ironic brilliance after "Heart of Glass" made them unavoidable? it might be revisionism to cover themselves..since before, didn't these so-called experts used to bash them..certainly they weren't as highly praised in '76- '77 as every other new york act: television, talking heads and even ramones - even though they were doing the same recontextualization-of- old-forms thing that the ramones were doing, except with a female singer, girl-group harmonies and subject matter. more stylistic variation than ramones too. so, sexism then? it's just interesting to see how the debut didn't even make the pazz & jop top 40 but all the ramones albums in 76-77 went top 10
even today, the AMG review is ruthless towards plastic letters and eat to the beat, even though i have yet to hear those entire albums (they were import only until a month ago)...but they're given 4.5 stars!! is ned ragget ever going to decode the mysterious/nonsensical AMG rating system, or will i have to start a new thread about that (i'm on fire)
When I was doing a writing project in the mid 80s, I dug up a copy of "The Boy Looked at Johnny", the Parsons/Burchill book (1978?). They were all over "Blondie" and castigated "Plastic Letters".
And "Denis", "Hanging on the Telephone", "Heart of Glass" and "Sunday Girl" were huge pop hits in the UK for reasons that have nothing to do with irony, multilayering, etc.
I agree that "In The Flesh" was totally underrated at the time, however.
― Jeff, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Anyway, I walways thought "Eat To The Beat" was better as an album...
― Old Fart!!!!, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
You're merely being tormented. The aim is to perplex and infuriate.
Seriously, if you look at the "[Bonus Tracks]" versions of the Blondie records, you'll see their intended ratings. For some odd reason, the ratings on the original issues have not been updated. Odds are this has to do with the domino effect-like process of our database. Certain elements on the site update earlier than others. It's a constant work in progress.
― Andy, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
― Sean, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)
And I am merely Andy's slave in this matter. Well, not really. I might have had something to say about those albums if I owned them, though. (Before everyone tries to beat me about the head, I have the double-disc _Platinum Collection_ and that random _Blonde and Beyond_ semi-rarities disc, but have not felt the need to go further...*checks* ...although to my surprise I actually appear to own _Parallel Lines_, which I had forgotten about).
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)