Plastic Letters: Blondie Ignores Their Talent
Written: Feb 26 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A handful of really enjoyable tracks, plus some mediocre ones.
Cons: Sloppy. Poor production. Really homogenous.
The Bottom Line: If I were to describe this album in one sentence, it'd be this: "Wouldn't you rather have Parallel Lines?"
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| tjhassecrets's Full Review: Plastic Letters by Blondie |
If there is any album in the entire Blondie catalogue that sticks like a thorn in my side, it is, by far, Plastic Letters, a sophomore record that lives in the shadow of their cult-nostalgic eponymous debut and their 1978 breakthrough record Parallel Lines. Even though I said that The Hunter from 1982 is their worst outing, I think I might have to change my mind-- I think I just hated what Blondie stood for in the 80s. This record is awkward and bizarre, sounding a hell of a lot more dated than their debut. I was told by everyone that Plastic Letters is better than their debut and really showcase their punk beginnings and how they sounded back in the CBGBs era. That may be true, but with that comes the sloppy production and some really terrible music.
I bought this album on my birthday, along with two of their remix albums and a live release, for only 8.99 at Newbury Comics. I was attracted by the interesting album art and the inclusion of b-sides/unreleased tracks. Clocking in at 13 songs (excluding bonus additions), Plastic Letters is one of the more lengthy Blondie releases until 1999 with No Exit, and these 13 songs go in a gigantic rollercoaster. We start off rather high with Fan Mail, a song that has a pleasant rock melody with kind of amateur-ish sounding vocals. Unfortunately, what really irks me is the terrible production value-- I'm all for lo-fi era music, but I'm not so keen on having to fight the instrumentation to hear the singer. One of more popular tracks, Denis, comes next and it's a definite winner. Out of all the songs on Plastic Letters, this one sounds the most complete-- that may be because it's a cover. The band is gender-bending here, as the original song was called Denise, and was a love story written to/for a woman. We also get a great tease of how well Debbie can sing in French, a running motif for both her work with Blondie and her solo discography.
For there we take a nose-dive, so hold on to the harness. Bermuda Triangle, Youth Nabbed as Sniper, and Contact in the Red Square are so generic that it is impossible to tell the different between them. I'm a fan of their original experimental punk sound, but these songs don't have that signature Blondie feel-- it's like they are the opening-band at some two-bit festival down in the middle of nowhere. The fact that I had to skip forward three tracks on a Blondie record said a lot to me, but I was eventually rewarded because we were on the rise again. (I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear, penned by departing bassist Gary Valentine, is another one of those great Blondie tunes that puts in a calming mood. It's not exactly genius, but it's catchy and a very light song to listen to. The following punk tracks I'm on E and I Didn't Have the Nerve to Say No wax their debut and have a unique (almost cutesy, yet intimidating) sound that make them the best from the album.
Love at the Pier will mark a turning point in the album. It's not a terrible song-- in fact it's downright catchy--but it does begin a slow decline back into the crap. No Imagination is mediocre at best and the remaining three songs are some of the worst of Blondie's career, sounding like washed-up demos that nobody would actually want to listen to. They're something so wrong about this album that I'm not sure I can even begin to put my finger on. We should keep in mind that this is a studio album; that said, it sounds like a retroactive demos release ala Springsteen's Tracks release or the unofficial In the Beginning from Madonna. Is this an underrated album? Well, no, I think it lives in a shadow for a definite reason. Is it still worth a listen? Yes. If for anything, the demo of Heart of Glass is interesting .
TRACKLIST
Fan Mail
Denis
Bermuda Triangle Blues (Flight 45)
Youth Nabbed As Sniper
Contact in Red Square
(I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear
I'm On E
I Didn't Have the Nerve to Say No
Love at the Pier
No Imagination
Kidnapper
Detroit 442
Cautious Lip
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Hanging With Friends
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tjhassecrets
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Location: Gießen, Germany
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Fancy Fresh 80s Disco King.
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