Any Blondie fans lurking here?

[JVG]

I’m a big Blondie fan, and if time machine travel ever become readily accessible i’m heading straight back to 1979 to see a performance like this:
https://youtu.be/Kymcob7Dw7c?si=bIvlK3DaU_1V8V0J

I was too young to see them at the time, although I did have early exposure to the music. I recall - in 1980 I think - being taken to some weird local disco thing for small kids, probably to entertain us during school holidays. Two songs stuck in my 5-year-old head, the first was (ahem) Can’t Stop the Music by the Village People, and the other was Heart of Glass. Funny how that has stuck with me.

Deb Harry’s voice is beautifully unique - often not quite hitting the notes, but the slight dissonance contrasts to the often sweet melodies and really adds to the feel. Her delivery is tough but never nasty, and always loaded with character.

Plus, they were/are a bunch of great musicians. Clem Burke is a powerhouse, and perhaps the unsung hero behind Deb. Any band would love someone like that keeping the show on track.

Anyone else into them?

[windmill]

Yes.

A Best of Blondie is a terrific collection of songs.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

Kicking myself now that I forgot to add Heart of Glass, Hanging On The Telephone, Denis or Dreaming to my 1978 list on that 'best year for music' thread.

[stevejamsecono]

Definitely! Parallel Lines is an all-timer. They've got gems scattered across the catalogue even if none of the other records are quite as consistent as that one. I think Frank Infante is a perennially undervalued rock guitarist, too. Dude had great Les Paul tone and added an extra bit of attitude and bite to the sound when he joined the band.

[JVG]

Agree that a lot of their records are inconsistent, but i can live with that because the good parts are really good.

Aside from the obvious Heart of Glass, songs like Atomic and Sunday Girl are perfectly crafted tunes, loaded with hooks and enough attitude to separate them from the blander pop of the period.

There are some pretty awesome old performances on youtube these days, in addition to the one i linked earlier. Well worth checking out if you feel like going on a little Blondie binge.

[Jaguar018]

I find some of their demos are way better than the classic polished versions, but I realize that more 'raw' sound has always had more personal appeal.

Anyway, the reissue albums each have tracks like that on there and to my ears they are a revalation.

(as is the original version of Hanging on the Telephone by the Nerves.)

[epizootics]

Parallel Lines is one of those records I play once or twice a week in my workshop when I need something to sing along like an idiot to stay focused and enthusiastic.

Beyond the cool songs, the sharp melodies and the excellent rhythm section, I like how much of a part they played in the development of the New York punk scene. They were literally everywhere. Debbie and Chris had a lot of people staying at their flat when they had nowhere to live. And Debbie's involvement with Legs McNeil / Punk Magazine (along with the Ramones, Richard Hell and a few others) played a big part in creating the aesthetics of that scene.

I think my favorite song of theirs is Fade Away and Radiate, the one never, ever remembers. YT LINK ; none of the others songs on Parallel Lines sound quite like it, and its featuring Robert Fripp is SO quintessentially mid-to-late-70s. Except they had him soloing over the absurd reggae rhythm that kicks in towards the end of the track, which makes me laugh every time.

[BTL]

That live performance is great, a nice way to kick off my Sunday morning.

[Surfysonic]

Big Blondie fan growing up and still to this day. My three all-time fave songs are "Atomic", "Hanging on the Telephone", and "Dreaming" - I think they'd make killer surf tunes ("Atomic" maybe a bit trickier but "Dreaming" and "Hanging on the Telephone" are fairly straightforward).

The Surfrajettes did a fun surf version of "Heart of Glass" = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKc7CAixggw

Just about a week or so ago, I caught this documentary on YT = "When Blondie Came to Britain" - really, really enjoyable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJIH_19rupg

[budda12ax7]

Cherry Audio just released the software version of the drum machine used on the early Blondie recordings.

[timtam]

If I had to nominate a single greatest pop album of all time it would be Parallel Lines. I still remember when it first came out. Years later I saw a documentary where its producer Mike Chapman basically claimed credit for it, saying he had to work hard to knock the band into shape and that were the least musically talented band he had ever worked with. The wikipedia entry seems to follow that narrative. Whatever the truth, Chapman didn't manage to polish the excitement out of the songs. It makes most lists of best albums of all time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_Lines

I do feel they they never hit those heights again in later years when they moved into other styles. Although the better elements of disco redeemed itself in the longer term, it was basically the devil's music at the time. You have to ignore a lot of musical excrement from that time that was all over commercial radio to pick out the good disco. Atomic (1979) was probably the last thing by them I really liked, and is an ageless classic. I do have soft spot for Maria from 1999, which I total missed at the time. It showed that they still had it in them 20 years later. I am embarrassed to say I never knew Hanging on the Telephone was a cover ! (although the original is edgier, I am too far gone with Blondie's not to prefer it).