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 Hall of Famers Blondie
was the greatest pop band of the New Wave Punk era. They were
pop because you can't really say they were new wave or punk
or funk or disco or art for that matter. They did everything
that interested them -- including the first rock/reggae and
rock/disco songs. To some they were new wave with their ironic
words, cool haircuts and Debbie in day-glo Steven Sprouse
fashions. To some they were punks -- mocking rock dinosaurs
with Debbie the cover girl on Punk Magazine. Whatever they
did, it all came out sounding great and Blondie remains one
of the biggest hitmaking bands of our time.
The original Blondie was formed in 1974 by art student/fallen
away hippie guitarist Chris Stein and ex-Max's Kansas City
waitress and Playboy bunny, vocalist Debbie Harry. Drummer
Clem Burke and keyboard player Jimmy Destri joined in 1975.
The band played in the New York downtown circuit -- CBGB's,
Max's Kansas City and the Mercer Arts Center. They collected
a big following and in 1976 they recorded their first album
Blondie. It was released in 1977 and was well received. After
a successful stint in L.A., the band toured in support of
Iggy Pop and David Bowie.
 In
the summer of 1977 they released their second album, Plastic
Letters and toured Europe and Asia. In March of 1978 the single
"Denis" hit #1 in the UK. That summer the band worked
with producer Mike Chapman to hone their radio sound and create
the album Parallel Lines. The single "Picture This"
made #12 in the UK and the follow-up, "Hanging on the
Telephone" hit #1. At the end of the year Debbie made
her first film, Union City.
In
1979 Blondie had their first #1 US hit with "Heart of
Glass" which also sold over a million copies in the UK.
The album sold over 20 million copies. The fourth single from
Parallel Lines, "Sunday Girl," also hit #1 in the
UK. In September 1979 the band's fourth album Eat to the Beat
was released along with the first ever album length video.
Before the year's end, Blondie had its fourth UK #1 hit with
"Dreaming."
 In February 1980 they hit #1 in England again with "Atomic."
Two months later they hit #1 in the US a second time with
"Call Me," from the film American Gigolo. Before
the end of the year, Eat To The Beat was certified platinum
and Debbie was on The Muppet Show.
The
fifth Blondie album, Autoamerican, was released in January
and the first single "The Tide is High" made #1
in the UK. The first reggae tinged hit, it was #1 in the US
by March. Debbie appeared on the popular TV show Solid Gold,
and soon the album was solid platinum. In August, Debbie released
her first solo album, Koo Koo, produced by Nile Rodgers and
Bernard Edwards of Chic and featured a cover by H.R. Giger,
the Academy Award-Winning sci-fi artist who created the Alien
creatures.
By 1982 there was dissension in the band, but they still managed
to produce a final album The Hunter. The single "Island
of Lost Souls" was the band's last US hit. In the meantime,
Chris was felled by a rare and often fatal genetic disease,
and the band fell apart. Debbie spent the next several years
nursing Chris back to health.
 Debbie went on to appear in numerous films and plays and to
create music in various contexts. In recent years she has
become the featured vocalist of the Jazz Passengers. Jimmy
left music for awhile to become a family man and contractor.
Chris produced various bands in New York. Clem continued to
record and tour with top acts.
The
seventh Blondie album of new material, was
produced by Craig Leon, who actually worked on their first
album with legendary producer Richard Gottherer.
Blondie was considered one of the inventors of new wave and/or
punk, but the group always resisted classification. At the
height of punk anti-disco sentiment, the group rocked the
dance floors of the world with the updated disco of "Heart
of Glass." Today, Blondie is as elusive, uncategorizable
and ironic as ever.
Hearing No Exit is truly surprising because it's a perfect
evolution of Blondie as we knew it. It's as if the band continued
to develop, to tighten even, despite the fact that they weren't
together. The trademark elements are still there: that perfect,
propulsive beat; Debbie's unmistakable voice, seductive, soulful
yet ironic; atmospheric keyboards, sometimes lush, sometimes
eerie; and brilliantly articulated guitar lines that never
approach cliché. And, of course, the thing that stands
out, especially today, is the band's ability to create perfectly
crafted pop songs -- catchy, instantly memorable, yet full
of subtleties that continue to grow on you with repetition.
It's just as good as it ever was, but sweeter.
 "Maria," is a sexy pop anthem in the tradition of
the great Blondie hits --dynamic but sweet, sensual but with
a streak of wicked wit, unique but utterly contagious. "Night
Wind Sent" is a haunting, delicate love song, that's
all beauty. "Forgive and Forget" is a sort of tom
tom driven creation myth -- jungle drums meet electronic rhythms
to create an exotic rhapsodic, moody dance music -- hypnotism
with hooks.
Blondie
was never a novelty act, but even their hits showed a remarkable
gift for transcending genres and fusing different moods and
styles. Now, as bona fide adults and virtuoso players and
writers, they've developed some even more startling hybrids.
"No Exit" is a high powered monster mash, a Transylvanian
rap-duel between Debbie and Coolio that's the musical equivalent
of Mystery Science Theater 3000. "Nothing Is Real But
The Girl" is a wild vampire ska romp, sort of Bela Lugosi
meets Skatalites. Blondie shows off cool and kooky chanteuse
moves in "Boom Boom in the Zoom Zoom Room."
It's a classic Blondie album,fc but even better in ways. The
band takes itself less seriously so the songs are even wittier.
And two of the good things about getting older are that if
you play your cards right you can get smarter and you can
get more skilled. Blondie's holds a fcwinning hand with No Exit. After that it was , "The Curse of Blondie."
Now, with the original three the music is still the best its ever been! (Top photo).
Mark Sonder with Debbie in her dressing room (Second photo).
Photo credit bottom: Blondie's Deborah Harry performs on
June 3, 2006 at Ravina in Chicago, IL. (Daniel Locke / UnRatedMagazine.com)
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