tjhassecrets's Full Review: Blondie [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster] by Blondie
If there was ever a soundtrack to a b-horror movie, then this is it.
New-wave punk act Blondie began cutting demos in the mid-seventies, unaware that they would start a revolution, self-destruct, and survive a successful rebirth. This debut album from one of the best rock bands of all time was (and still is) largely overlooked as it did not produce any true hits. This underrated debut album garnered minor success in the UK and in Australia, but Blondie would be majorly overlooked until 1978's Parallel Lines; it's pretty easy to figure out where this album went wrong, though: it was made in the wrong time. The tracks for this bubbling beach record was recorded in the seventies, but it's very difficult to pin-point when without looking at the release date on the back of the album jacket. The sound heard on these incredible tracks has such an attitude that we had never seen-- underground or mainstream. Lead-vocalist and icon Debbie Harry sings to, screams at, wails with, and punches the driving, brilliant instrumentation behind her. Really, Debbie has never sounded so dark other than here and on her crazy-good 1981 solo KooKoo album.
Though this record produce no monster hits, it did spawn a few fan-favorites. X Offender starts the Blondie discography, a track originally written by Chris Stein about a man who sleeps with his underage girlfriend. After hearing it, Debbie and Chris worked with it, turning into a battle between a swarthy policeman and a prostitute who falls for him (and seduces him). I saw you standing on the corner. You looked so big and fine. I really wanted to go out with you, so when you smiled, I laid my heart on the line... And then a new-wave twist on 1950s rock n roll comes in. Little Girl Lies is such an underrated classic, one that takes the 1950s sound to new heights in a jingly, 70s-frankness way. It's a short song, clocking in a 2:08, but it's just long enough to hold your attention and create a complete track. This early on, we could hear Debbie's vocal prowess and spunky attitude--I can be sweet, but I can also ruin you, she seems to be snarling through her teeth.
The music on Blondie's debut sounds like the soundtrack to an Archie comic, or a cheesy 60s horror flick; then we realize what's behind the sunshine veneer: songs about prostitution, human extinction, cheating, and oral sex! Look Good in Blue is a haunting song with a blatant play on words: I'll give you some head...and shoulders to lie on. Man Overboard is another haunting song, this time with a subdued urgency and you really get the feeling that something bad is about to happen, as the guitars and drums begin to drown Harry's vocals.
The finale on this album has been highly ignored. Personally, I think it's just as campy, fun, and great as their future hit Rapture. The Attack of the Giant Ants is about exactly that. Giant ants from space snuff the human race. Then they eat your face. Never leave a trace. This Latin-inspired, drummed-based scortching track is a play on that whole b-movie theme, except this time they are throwing it in your face with an overly catchy verse and a chorus of "la la la"s that go against the grain of what music is supposed to sound like. And then, in the middle, the music stops, and we hear the sounds of giant ants from space destroying the city and eating people. It's not disturbing so much as it is fun and campy-- (Planet Claire by The B-52's anybody?)
In the Sun and In the Flesh are pure 1954, the former being the perfect beach anthem complete with Debbie screaming "SURF'S UP!" at the beginning before the melody comes in. The latter is doo-wop, a slow ballad that flexes Debbie's muscle a little bit. She can sing, but she can also purely sing. The remastered edition (and I usually don't touch on this) comes with some demos-- three of which are seriously worth it. Two of which are useless. Out in the Streets is a song by the Shangra-las that Blondie covered when the band was still in their demo stages. The song was later re-recorded and remixes for their 1999 comeback album No Exit. This version, surprisingly, is a lot more enjoyable with Debbie's drowning sad vocals and retro-sounding, echoing background track. Platinum Blonde is a fun little song that's just nice to include. It doesn't add to or take away from this record, though. Thin White Line is probably my least favorite demo, but anybody who wants to know a little something about where this band comes from should give it a listen. The original demos of X Offender and In the Sun are stupidly included. I say stupidly because they sound nearly identical to their album versions, except that they are scratchy and have awful sound quality. I'm all for demos, but these seriously don't sound any different that the professionally recorded ones.
Blondie's first album is packed from start to finish with great tracks, and it's probably the most consistent of all their albums, sticking with a twisted version of the classic rock n roll 50s sound, rather than going crazy with styles (as seen on No Exit and Autoamerican). I highly recommend picking it up, though only after hearing some of their later catalogue. On first listen, I really couldn't appreciate the genius behind this simplistic rock record. In fact, I thought it sucked. But it's a grower, especially after you've listened to some of the incredible work the band would go on to do.
TRACK LIST X Offender (5 Stars) Little Girl Lies (5 Stars) In the Flesh (5 Stars) Look Good in Blue (4 Stars) In the Sun (5 Stars) Jet in Sharks Clothing (2 Stars) Man Overboard (5 Stars) Rip Her to Shreds (5 Stars) Rifle Range (5 Stars) Kung Fu Girls (4 Stars) The Attack of the Giant Ants (5 Stars) Overall: 5 Stars (4.55+)
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