Blondie

An excellent and quite a complete portrait of Blondie's career, not only highly recommended for newcomers (who will get to know the most important reference for all of today's female pop super-mega-stars...), but also quite a good compilation for those unconditional fans as all the songs here have been carefully remastered, providing a new cristal-clear sound to Blondie's classics worth being heard.

As they always did, Debbie Harry's vocals stand out masterfully over a melting pot of wonderful rhythms and styles, making this a unique band over the last three decades.

It also works fairly just as what it is: a Greatest Hits compilation. No rarities. No B sides. No new songs. No strings attached.

Worth the money.

Few bands can say that they have a real model at the helm. Fewer still can admit to being successful as such. Blondie is probably the only band that fits into this category. From synth-pop to reggae to pop punk to straight ahead rock n' roll, this band meshed multiple genres together and made it sound great. This album, digitally remastering all of their best tunes, is an excellent compilation of a band that stands as a pioneer and true legend in music. "Dreaming," "Maria," "In The Flesh," and "Heart Of Glass" are all here. Lesser known tracks to the casual fan such as "X Offender" and "Union City Blue" are also on this album.

"Rapture," which one could argue is the first blending of rap and rock (and pre-dating the Aerosmith/Run DMC tune, "Walk This Way"), is included, and stands as a wonderful example of how well the band could fuse genres that seemingly didn't belong together. The island rhythms and reggae sounds of "The Tide Is High" and "Island Of Lost Souls" prove that Blondie was no stranger to experimentation.

For casual fans and completionists, "Blondie-Greatest Hits" is a must have. It features there best known tunes and offers up some excellent songs to newer fans as well. Hardcore fans probably already have these songs in their collection, but I would suggest they give this hits package a shot, as the digitally remastered songs sound better than ever. Highly recommended.

After listening to this album, I'd have to say that Blondie are one of a handful of the best US bands of all time...maybe top 3...if not better. This re-evaluation of the band is due to listening to a lot of songs which you don't hear on commercial FM stations in Australia. Over here, you can expect to hear "Heart of glass" a lot. I used to find this a great song but now tend to avoid listening to it when it's on the radio. You do tend to hear "Call me" often too, which is a great, driving, rock song. Too much of that song is barely enough, as Roy and H.G. might say.

It was great to rediscover "The hardest part", a song I had totally forgotten from "Eat to the beat", an L.P. I used to own as a kid. Listening to that song now, it strikes me as the kind of song Jimmy Barnes or AC/DC would do...a very boyzone kind of track, in stark contrast to the sublime girly vocals that lead singer Debbie Harry usually does. If I hadn't just checked Amazon's listing for "Eat to the beat" I would have said that this compilation I'm reviewing is definitive, but some of the songs listed on "Eat to the beat" ring a few bells for me, so maybe a couple more songs from the that earlier album would have done the trick. In any case, this compilation is vastly superior to some skinny compilations I've seen around the place.

The sound quality on this cd is quite good...sounds really bright, and I tend to like that quality in cds. On occasion, it may sound a bit harsh but otherwise, I have no complaints.

One of the qualities I like about the band is the satisfying drumming/drum sound. I make the same comment in my review of The Police's latest compilation. The major hook of the band is the silky, liquid, cooing vocals of Debbie Harry, the blonde bombshell of the band. She can really hold a note too. A great front woman.

Listening to this cd, another comment I can make about their music is the style that they play. To me, they seem to have been influenced by 50's music, and 60's girl band music, but they give a modern update to it.

They do experiment with music though: "The tide is high" [which features a Darth Vader look alike in the video!] has a reggae feel to it, and "Island of lost souls" has a Calypso sound to it. The latter was a minor hit in Australia and I think it was the last time the band charted here.

There are two good songs which features Harry incorporating French lyrics to great effect: "Denis" and "Sunday girl".

My pick as the best songs on this album are "Call me" and "Atomic". The latter has a great bass line in the middle of it. One of the best songs for a great bass solo.

Blondie can also lay claim to being one of the first, if not the first band to take rap music mainstream with "Rapture". The pre-rap part of this song is divine, with Harry at her sensual, sexual, cooing best. It has a gorgeous bell melody at the start, with Harry sounding all girly, then sounding like a sexual woman later in the piece [the song "Maria" also has a very nice bell part to it]. Her rapping and the video are historically interesting for mentioning some 'names' of that scene at the time. The video features graffiti art by well known 'taggers' of the time [graffiti artists].

Some of the songs which make me think of 50's/60's acts are: Dreaming [60's], X Offender [50's/60's], In the flesh [50's/60's girl band sound], Denis [has a Buddy Holly sound, from the 50's] and Sunday Girl.

Apart from the two songs which I think are great [Call me/Atomic/Rapture], the songs I consider to be good on this album are: Dreaming/The tide is high/In the flesh/Denis/Union city blue/The hardest part/Sunday girl/ and Maria. "Union city blue" is a soaring, anthemic song...perfect to sing along too!

Australia gave Blondie their first international hit. Harry says:

"We met Ian [host of seminal Australian music show "Countdown"] in 1977 when we were supporting Iggy Pop in the States. He asked us if we had any videos. We gave him videos for X-Offender and In The Flesh. On Countdown they were meant to play X-Offender, but they played In The Flesh instead. So our success in Australia was one big mistake! By the end of 1977, In The Flesh had hit number two in Australia. It was our first hit anywhere in the world".

Have heard Harry say elsewhere, I think, that maybe Australian stations were a bit too conservative to play "X Offender" at the time. Hearing the latter song for the first time on this cd, I find that amusing. The song isn't particularly confronting and I think "In the flesh" is actually the superior song...by a loooooooong way.

Lastly, some years ago I saw Blondie on pay tv, playing live. I thought Harry was awful...she was still acting like she was the blonde bombshell she used to be and her singing reminded you of how great she used to sing these classics. My wish was for Harry to develop another kind of stage persona and sing her songs in a different, but cool way. Say, maybe more punkish, or raunchy...like Tina Turner, perhaps. A couple of songs on this album could show the way for her, I think: "One way or another" which has a freakshow carnival sort of vocal sound to it...phlegmy etc. "Picture this", which sounds a little Country, has Harry making gargling sounds with her singing. Finding a similar edger to her voice now I think would suit the band perfectly...age has taken away her sublime voice and the ability to hold those notes.

Without this album, I'd be restricted to thinking that the only decent songs this band had are the ones you hear on commercial radio in Australia. The fact that these stations always flog songs to death should be a warning on how bad that assumption is.

The Red Hot Chilli Peppers are probably the only American band which shades Blondie. This album is a must buy for pop/rock fans.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2HP8KHJI3Z48D I'm a big Blondie fan on quite a few songs but there's a real sharp cutoff on what I don't like, which is actually more than I like. Still there's enough great stuff that they'll always be one of my favorites to listen and JumpRock to. This album manages to include mostly genuine hits - my opinion, of course.

"Heart of Glass" is the first Blondie song I ever remember hearing. It's got a lot of energy and it's really fun to jump to.

One of my three all-time favorite CDs, "Blondie Platinum 2CDs 1998" is not the exact copy featured on this page. However, this was closest and differs in only two songs. I want to review this music because Blondie is such great driving music!

"Island of Lost Souls" is playing now. As I am writing, I am bouncing in my chair. Is this calypso music?
Then there's "Call Me." This song and Richard Gere are inextricably bound with American Gigolo, a movie that stands the test of time.
"Rapture" is one of the top songs in her repertoire (says I). I think it is early rap/hip-hop, Deborah Harry-style.
"Rip Her to Shreds" is another favorite. It's so viciously yummy!
"The Hardest Part" is a drive-with-the-nieces-and-nephew and dance at the top of our lungs, pulsing the beat with our arms banging in the air. Rock on!
"One Way or Another" I'm gonna getcha, I'm gonna getcha getcha getcha....I think Sting had a similar song.
"Hanging on the Telephone"--just stay on and he can never leave ya, another stalking song

Just a few for you. A reminder of how great the music of Deborah Harry and Blondie is. If you like this kind of music. If you like innovation and some edgy stuff.

I have a confession to make- one of the big reasons I love Blondie's music so much is because of some key memories in my life. When I was about five years old in the mid 80's, my mom and aunt would drive around all over Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland shopping for things, and there I was in the backseat just jamming to Blondie cassette tapes my mom and aunt would bring with them on the trips.

As I grew up, my tastes began to change as I preferred to hear all kinds of different stuff such as progressive rock and heavy guitar rock (just to name a few phases I went through) but even during these times, I would still think very highly of Blondie's incredible singing skills and the bands extremely strong songwriting abilities.

Now that I'm an adult, I can approach Blondie's music without caring much about popularity or anything else, so it's very safe for me to say Blondie's music flat out RULES!

One song that really floors me with Deborah's singing style is "Fade Away and Radiate". Talk about a song that can honestly make you think heaven is right here right now!

Also I want to mention my dad was absolutely obsessed with Blondie's good looks growing up in the 70's. That may have been one of the reasons he liked her so much! I don't think my mom was too pleased with his obsession though.

I think the thing that's really neat about Blondie's music is how it appeals to just about everyone. I mean, you might think of the music as really catchy and exciting pop music, but another person might think it rocks hard enough to please hard rock fans.

Also I believe Blondie influenced thousands of the female pop bands that are out there today. It's amazing to think Deborah Harry finally made a big comeback after all these years, but most of us will always appreciate the albums she was a part of in the 70's.

The greatest new wave album not by the talking heads, surely one of the greatest albums of all time. The band never was this strong or consistent again.

..after seeing those lines and hearing that music.

Anyone who has ever heard Parallel Lines from start to finish should be affected by it as well. Opening with telephone buzz and breaking into the punky new wave "Hanging On The Telephone" through 12 songs of neon nuances, organ bounces, sultry cooing and downright new wave genius this is arguably one of the best albums released ever, and that comes from other real critics and not just my blonde head.

When I first saw Debbie Harry on TV singing; I was transfixed. I had to know who she was, what she was, where she was. Once again my Aunt Sarah stepped in by having the Parallel Lines album since they had done a cheerleading routine to "Heart Of Glass", I stole that record from her and I've never looked back.

The rocking jaunt of "One Way Or Another", the 60's popness in "Sunday Girl", the gloomy "Fade Away And Radiate", "11:59", "Will Anything Happen?", "I'm Gonna Love You Too" - there isn't a bad song on this bunch.

In fact, I used to act out the entire album from beginning to end in my room. There was also one of my neighbor's neices who bought the album and brought it to the the house where I insisted I knew all the words - they laughed at me until they started following along on the lyric sheet while I sang. That's how cool of a kid I was!

Just listen to some of the amazing lyrics and the incredible music and you'll be hooked too - "Your mouth is permanently entrenched where a molar should be" - how frickin' cool! Parallel Lines made me want to be a singer, it made me want to write songs, it made me proud to be blonde, and it made such an effect on me I can't go without it for more than a few months without pulling it out and playing it from start to finish all over again. And now there's a brand new 30th anniversary addition out and Deb & The Boys are doing the album live on tour! It doesn't get better than that.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/REGH8YU0Z2R31 My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!! Blondie rules.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2NCF0EJEUZJIA My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!! Blondie is one of one of my favorite bands and Deborah Harry is one of my fave singers/writers.

I enjoy female vocalists and bands with female vocalists. I also liked other bands of the Blondie era like Berlin, Missing Persons, the Go Gos and the Bangles. I thought I liked Blondie, but the more I learned, the more I realized I didn't like them as much as the other bands.

Blondie fit the new wave movement. On one side, it was progressive, paving the road for the typical '80's sound. On the other side, it was nostalgic, borrowing from the '50's. Blondie captured both sides.

"Call Me" is one of my favorite songs, and I always enjoyed "Heart Of Glass". Other songs left me cold. Part of the problem was the 50ish sound of those songs, and part is the lyrics. (For example, while I love the sound of the verses and chorus of "Rapture", I despise the silly rap segment.)

There is a DVD, and that is good nostalgia, but they didn't do much for me. It was not as developed as most MTV videos.

I was quite impressed with this DVD/CD. I actually bought the album just for one song-Riders/Rapture. The young ones look and listen to Debbie Harry as their Grammy, but those of us who started with Bill Haley and the Comets find that she and Blondie "still" have it. The very fact that "Riders on the Storm" goes with "Rapture"s music is mind boggling.
Blondie's tunes allow me to work at my computer even with intense work on my part. For a greatest hits album this is a great album even if the youngsters think it's not contemporary with the rap songs. Where I grew up we'd call Blondie a wicked, hot band.
Thanks to the person who put the "Riders/Rapture" DVD on YouTube. I wouldn't have known nor stumbled on it.

This collection contains most of Blondie's best with a few exceptions, most notably, "X-Offender" and "I'm Always Touched by Your Presence, Dear." Hardcore fans have noted different versions here, but the casual fan will be satisfied with this set. Blondie has always been about style over substance, but definitely has influenced such artists as Madonna and Gwen Stefani. The range of music they cover from rap to reggae also demonstrates rock's amazing ability to encompass many different sounds and this demonstrates Blondie's impact on popular music.
The DVD has a different effect. While the music has a timelessness that will hold up, the videos are like a time capsule showing how much this art form has changed and now ends up being a curiosity. For the most part they are lip sync performance clips with a few very dated effects. You'll watch it once and then forget about it.

Blondie is my favorite band and I have all of their albums, so I was curious to compare this collection with their first hits collection, The Best of Blondie (1982), and their other Greatest Hits album from 2002.

Sound & Vision is much better than The Best of Blondie, with vastly improved sound quality and a bigger selection of songs. The only songs that The Best of Blondie contains that this collection does not are "(I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear" and the original version of "In the Flesh"--the version of the latter on Sound & Vision is an awful remix with brand new vocals by Debbie Harry, and it sounds NOTHING like the original. Sound & Vision is certainly preferable to The Best of Blondie, though, no matter how you look at it.

However, when compared to the 2002 Greatest Hits CD, Sound & Vision doesn't fair quite as well, not taking into account the bonus DVD with music videos. Greatest Hits has nearly every song from this collection--it does NOT include "Good Boys" or "End To End" from The Curse of Blondie, released in 2004, nor the "Rapture Riders" mash-up, but makes up for it with the inclusion of "(I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear" and "X Offender", two of Blondie's best songs. It also includes the original version of "In the Flesh" in lieu of the pointless remix. Those factors alone, along with the fact that Greatest Hits is quite a bit cheaper than this collection, make Greatest Hits worth getting instead of Sound & Vision.

So, how does Sound & Vision hold up on its own? It is a decent collection of Blondie's most popular songs, but they are mostly radio edits and not the full album versions. They even dared to chop off the openings of "Heart of Glass", Atomic" and "The Tide is High"! The remix included for "Good Boys" is decent, and much MUCH better than the remix for "In the Flesh", but the album version is still the best. The remastering is swell, but in some cases I prefer the remasters of the original album versions (for example, "Union City Blue").

If you're a diehard Blondie fan like me, you will want Sound & Vision for the bonus DVD, which includes some of Blondie's best music videos. These are not traditional music videos because they were all produced before MTV, but rather they are performance videos of the band lip-synching to the studio versions of the songs. My personal favorite of the videos is "Rapture", but "Heart of Glass", "Denis", "Hanging on the Telephone", "Dreaming" and "The Hardest Part" are favorites as well. The worst of them by far is "The Tide of High"--love the song, but the video is T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E.

Most casual listeners will not be concerned with the things I am nitpicking about here. But unless you must have the videos, you would be better off purchasing the 2002 Greatest Hits collection because of the cheaper price tag. Thankfully, I found this collection for $12 used, or else I would have bought Greatest Hits, too.

If you are a Blondie fan, this is a MUST HAVE! It will definitely become one of your favorites. On a scale of 1-5 for this review, it is a 10!!!

Supergroup BLONDIE burst on the scene just as I was winding up my college days and I wasn't nearly into the music scene then as I had been earlier in my life because I was starting to struggle for the legal tender so I was keeping clubbing to a minimum.

But you'd have had to live in a cave somewhere in the uncharted ocean to have not heard HEART OF GLASS, RAPTURE, OR CALL ME back in those heady days.

Anyway, like most people, I still had not learnt how to truly appreciate the fine wine that is music, in its various genres, and I consigned BLONDIE to the status, in my mind, of sort of a glamorized bubble gum power pop.

20-30 years slide on by....

But over the years, like the best of these fine wines that one's ears want to taste and taste over again, I found myself playing this CD among a very select few when I REALLY wanted to "rock out".

So I say to you, if somehow you are just now discovering BLONDIE, this CD will make a great start to your musical adventure. If you like the best in rock, pop, and theater, you are probably gonna want all four of the first albums by this New York supergroup!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1NMCCFIDGZ3MK My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!! Blondie is one of one of my favorite bands and Deborah Harry is one of my fave singers/writers.

If you like Blonde then you will like this cd but it does not have all her hits on it.

I enjoy several songs off this CD, but my favorites are (I Am Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear, Dreaming, and Sunday Girl. I have also come to appreciate In The Flesh, and One Way or Another. I am even intrigued by Atomic, and amused by Tide Is High. I grew up on a mixture of 60s rock and 50s bluegrass and country and western, so maybe it is not so strange that I like this CD. There seems to be a little of this and that, and something for most tastes.

Music preview helped sell the product, fast delivery and condition just as described.
Great doing business A++

I have owned this album in every imagineable format since its release in 1980. It was; at the time the only Blondie I had, where I actually went into the store and bought it when it first came out. Full of all this is Blondie glory, there isn't a genre not covered on Autoamerican. From the hip hop stops of "Rapture", the reggae tune of "The Tide Is High" - jazz on "Faces" , 40s style "Here's Looking At You" and straight up rock on "Walk Like Me" and "TBirds." This is definitive Blondie, and it contains my all time fav Blondie track "Angels On The Balcony. Plus the whole thing starts with a space age alien soundtrack called "Europa." Plus the remaster has the excellent B-side "Suzy & Jeffrey" which I have never to this day gotten tired of hearing.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R16DBWBU4G6BD7 My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!! Blondie is one of one of my favorite bands and Deborah Harry is one of my fave singers/writers.

Frequently the first album or two of a great band - like Blondie - doesn't sell so well regardless of how good it is because the band hasn't yet established themselves as a recognizable "brand name". Once a band gets momentum fans will buy their albums without having heard a thing from them, all based on the band's reputation for strong, consistent albums.

This was the case with Blondie up to this point. "Blondie", "Parallel Lines" and "Eat to the Beat" were all excellent albums, and Blondie topped it off with the #1 single of its year, "Call Me". On the strength of that history, and two popular singles from this album, fans bought "Autoamerican" in droves.

That turned out to be a curse rather than a blessing, one that killed Blondie's career. The reason the next album, "The Hunter" died on the vine was not so much that it was a bad album; its lackluster sales were due to Blondie losing its fan base because of how destitute "Autoamerican" was, killing what would have been repeat sales for Blondie's next album.

The fact that one of the two hits on "Autoamerican" was a cover, not an original, should have served fair warning that the band was running dry after a good string of winners. Apart from the two hit singles the only memorable number is "Angels on the Balcony". Better to pick up that one track on the compilation "Blonde and Beyond".

It's as though Blondie said, "Okay, we've got another album to do. We can't repeat the same formula. What can we do?" A commendable approach to inspiring creativity, but in this case the well was running dry. Blondie lost their direction and stylistic cohesion, and for all the expensive production values the songwriting sounded like leftovers from previous sessions. Blondie is often remembered as an 80s band, but the truth of the matter is that they didn't make it out of the 70s intact.

Compilations don't do this band justice - celebrate Blondie with "Eat to the Beat", "Parallel Lines" or "Blondie" instead. The long version of "Call Me" is a must have for any fan but it's available on any number of CDs. No need to suffer through the disappointment of an album that should have been titled "Autopilot".

I was 15 years old when I bought this at the local record store. I remember seeing the video for "Rapture" before MTV even existed, and watching people dance to "T-Birds" on American Bandstand. In many ways, this was a first love in terms of rock music, and I appreciate it now even more than I used to. A very fun album to listen to--it doesn't try to raise your consciousness or make a statement. Instead, the emphasis here seems to be on creating fantastic aural environments, and it does so spectacularly. Every song is like a room decorated in a different style, from the 40's inspired "Here's Looking at You" to the Carribbean rythyms of "Tide is High" to the Latin horns on "Go Through It." And just like the T-Bird Debbie loves so much, it's a classic.

Ok, so everyone knows and loves this album, I just want to comment on a couple things. Main one being I was hoping, sitting on the edge of my seat... waiting to see if this latest remaster features something only the import vinyl LP copy had ( I had a Japanese copy from the early 80s but I believe some European LPs had this too)... ok, so as the final notes of the last song "Follow Me", a sort of schlocky ballad that no doubt shocked many of Blondie's original fans fades out, a male voice can be heard to say "you're not really gonna put that on the album?"... ha! While "Follow Me" doesn't exactly spoil the album, hearing that spoken comment really saves it for me, but alas this new CD doesn't have it. I think it's pretty much lost to time at this point. It also would have been nice if they had preserved the album's original artwork (the inner sleeve's "paint smudge" image) and typographic style... although the new essay and photos are fine. Sound quality is nice too, as it is on this entire series. And while I will have to break out my LP Best Of to hear the original "Call Me", the extended version here is one I've never heard before, different from both the 7" version and the version on the Best Of LP. So yeah, buy it.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2F19B4QWNZGYX My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!! Blondie is one of one of my favorite bands and Deborah Harry is one of my fave singers/writers.

New Wave legends dig into the vault for a unique release. The collectors edition of 1979's Eat the Beat is proclaimed the World's first video album. This concept is quite revolutionary, if it was still 1979. Today it seems kind of silly. However, when you think about it, this video album pre-dates MTV. The majority of the material included on the DVD ranges from concept videos to live performances. It's an interesting look at the music scene to say the least (it's also a great way to catch Debbie Harry in her prime).

As for the music, if your only family with Blondie's radio hits, you're probably going to be a bit lost. The CD doesn't really contain any major hits, but does show the band taking some musical chances. Some of the music works, some of it doesn't. Either way, the DVD portion makes checking out this collection worth it.

I just bought this album today. I love Blondie but wasn't quite familiar with this album as a whole. What was I thinking? This one sounds way more mature than Parallel Lines. Production-wise it's pretty amazing. It's got some agressive tracks like Eat to the Beat (sounds truly punkish) and some haunting ones like Sheyla (awesome song). A lot of the songs were big singles, but even those that were not are outstanding. I don't feel that's the case with Parallel Lines (Fade Away and Radiate is the only one i feel should've been a single). So, if you like that record you will be blown away by this one.

Want to know if you should own this album? - well if you like rock and roll - buy this album. I own 3 LP's because i listened to this album over and over for decades and have worn out 2 of them so i own THREE. It's my favorite Album of all time, of any album. Obviously I'm a huge fan. But if you are still wondering - well if you like Led Zeppelin, buy this - If you like the Beatles, buy this - If you like the Who, Buy this - If you like the Velvet Underground, buy this - If you Like David Bowie, Buy this. Still need convincing - put it this way Andy Warhol picked The Velvet Underground and Blondie as the only 2 bands he ever supported and worked intimately with. So if you want Artistic Greatness - this has Andy Warhol's vote - as he produced the artwork and visuals of the video for this album.

Anyone reading this probably knows how awesome and essential this recording is... i'm just weighing in to say the remastering is perfect. This isn't a case of "whoah it sounds so much better than the LP"... it's a case of "it sounds JUST LIKE the LP"... which is all anyone can ask for. I grew up with this album.. played it a zillion times... and trust me Blondie fans.. this remastering is worth your money.

For all their CBGB punk and new wave credentials and their embracing of all contemporary New York culture, be it art or disco, on record Blondie were a surprisingly commercial enterprise, thanks in part to the production of Mike Chapman, and their love of sixties pop (Ellie Greenwich is a guest singer on the album).

Eat To The Beat was their fourth album and yielded four hit singles: Dreaming, Union City Blue (in the UK), The Hardest Part (in the US) and Atomic. Another three (Sound-A-Sleep, Living In The Real World, Die Young Stay Pretty) were B-sides. Atomic reached number one in the UK, and Dreaming was number two. Eat To The Beat was also a number one album (Top Twenty in the US), and additionally featured great songs like Accidents Will Happen and the title track, so that it almost plays like a Greatest Hits album.

The upbeat, inspired playing of the band and the warmth and character of Deborah Harry's voice keep these songs as fresh today as when they were baked.

Innovatively, Blondie also prepared videos for each of the twelve songs and released the album in various video formats including VHS and Betamax. Long deleted, it is now a joy to find them included in superior DVD format on the accompanying disc in this package. How would anyone not want these?

It's worth noting that the CD-only version of this album (Eat To The Beat) has four tracks that aren't on this one. You can buy them individually from Amazon for $0.89 each, but you may want to just get the much cheaper CD version and live without the videos.

My favorite songs from this album are reproduced on the 2000 Live album, and at least one of them ("Dreaming") sounds much better in its later incarnation. Just my opinion, of course. Incidentally, the audio on the DVD is LPCM stereo.

I'm ecstatic that I'm finally able to watch the DVD version of this album without paying exhorbitant online auction prices for the VHS version (note that the prices for those VHS versions have dropped substantially with this DVD release). One nit: I wish the audio quality of the DVD was as good as the CD. I'm sure it was just transfered from the original master video, so it's a faithful re-release, but how hard would it have been to get the CD audio quality transfered to the video version? Listening to the DVD audio even through an excellent sound system, sounds like you're listening to it through TV speakers. It isn't terrible by any means, but it pales when compared to the CD audio.

Otherwise, no complaints. Video quality is excellent, considering the age of the source material, and audio quality of the CD is superb. Easily the best money I've spent all year. A must-have for all Blondie fans.

Blondie doesn't get credit for much. One thing the band SHOULD get credit for is helping to pioneer the concept of music videos. Whether the video album to Eat to the Beat was the first or simply one of the first attempts to make a video for each song on an entire album, this DVD's historic importance cannot be overstated.

Because it is a pioneering effort, the accepted format of displaying the credits discreetly in one corner of the video has not yet been invented. Instead, each video has a "title page" which eats up the first few seconds of each video. That's annoying, but that is my one and only minor criticism. The excitement of the videos more than makes up for this minor "annoyance."

The lowdown? In a word: fantastic! The picture quality is head and shoulders above Blondie's Greatest Video Hits or the Musikladen DVD. It is on a par with the picture quality of the Glasgow performance: i.e., the picture quality is nearly High Definition considering how old these tapes are.

The videos themselves are primarily variations on the "show the band performing" theme. Remember, this is prehistoric. Don't let that stop you from owning the best Blondie video EVER. I waited 28 years to see this, and it was worth the wait. I question the need to include the CD album with the DVD in the package, because most people who purchase this will probably already own the plain CD. That also increases the price, and unfortunately may make some people pass on an excellent and essential Blondie video document. For my own tastes, never again will I simply want to listen to the album without viewing the accompanying videos. It's that good. And if you get tired of watching Debbie Harry in her prime there is something seriously wrong with you.

If you do not own this you are not a true Blondie fan. 'Nuff Said.

I have been a Blondie fan for 25 years, and this dvd/cd was a perfect addition to my collection. It's so nice to see these vintage videos again!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R17ZLXEUJXXGGV My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!! Blondie is one of one of my favorite bands and Deborah Harry is one of my fave singers/writers.

This great group from the 70s in an embrionic stage before the hype and fame. A major part of the New Wave along with Talking Heads, this a fun, rude set.

crisp, fresh and rockin even 25 years later. most interesting lyrics of any of the early blondie (and who really cares about post-parallel lines blondie?). great guitar and organ. underrated drumming on the solos and breaks. lesbian underthemes (seen later in sunday girl and pretty baby). and that voice, all sex.

debbie harry was a huge pioneer.

This album sounds like 1966--that blissful year in which so many eclectic sounds, from Motown to Go-Go Beat and British Invasion, to early Mod and pre Psychadelic, co-existed on the airwaves. "X Offender", "Little Girl Lies" and "in The Flesh", which open the album, all sound like Phil Spectorish girl-group recordings, albeit with spicier lyrics. On "Look Good In Blue" the band has the good humor to perform a rock song with a tango beat in dead earnest, as well as the memorable line "I could give you some head....and shoulders to lie on". "In The Sun" in my opinion is the most exhilerating Blondie song ever; the simple melodic hook is breathtakingly catchy, and the instrument playing the main riff sounds like something between a foghorn and a vacuum cleaner! (It is probably a synthesizer). Whatever it is, it is emblematic of the inspired innovation apparent throughout this album. "A Shark In Jets Clothing" is Blondie's homage to "West Side Story", and that closes Side 1 (or it did in the days of vinyl anyway).

Side 2 begins with the Latin-flavored "Man Overboard" which again revisits the girl group sound, and boasts background vocals by legendary 60's songstress Ellie Greenwhich herself. Beautiful keyboard solo by Jimmy Destri has a Doors-y feel. Then, "Rip Her To Shreds" reminds the listener that the Blondie of this album was initially a "punk" band from the CBGBs circuit. But unlike most punk rock, the song's aggressiveness is mostly satire--a comic book treatment of viciousness and female backbiting. Debbie is at her vampy best in the spoken parts "Hey! Pss Pss! Here she comes now!....Bye Bye Sugar! And not a minute too soon!" And the arrangement is perfect. "Rifle Range" follows, again with a slightly Doors-y feel. The lyrics are very out-there, in a similar way as Van Dyke Parks/Brian Wilson collaborations. Hauntingly beautiful lead guitar lines highlight this strange and compelling track. "Kung Gu Girls" which follows, is another in the "Rip Her To Shreds" aggressive vein. Again, we are in a comic book, with Debbie hollering "Kung Fu Cindy Sue, Oh I wanna get close to you, you're my Kung Fu Girl!..." Hysterical.

Closing the collection is the conga-line looniness of "Attack of the Giant Ants' complete with a mid-song ant-attack with screams and police sirens! When the song ends suddenly, the fade out features lounge music on a piano and the sound of people talking at a party--very Beatles circa White Album! I really miss the Blondie featured here, they didn't survive this incarnation, and by the time of "Plastic Letters" of the following year, a lof the fun was already gone, dissapating progressively with each album that followed. I would say it died after "Eat to the Beat". But listening to "Blondie" always purifies my world, cleaning it up and making it all seem fun again. And "In the Sun" is a musical anti-depressant garaunteed to lift you up. You've never heard Blondie like this before. CD extras include the 1975 demos--a trifle lackluster but a must for fans, along with the original 7" versions of "X Offender" and "In The Sun" with alternate vocals---inferior to the album mixes but interesting anyway. They show how much Debbie perfected her studio technique in the few short months between the recording of the debut single and the album.

The first album is always the hardest for me to judge. The band has just started out and it looks like it will be great! "In The Flesh" is always a favorite because of its soft spoken words and melody. "X Offender" was originally supposed to be "Sex Offender", but the radio stations would not play it so the title was changed, but that didn't help. "In The Sun" is one of those fun loving beach songs like the further to come "The Tide Is High"! "Rip Her To Shreds" is another classic and will always be. "Kung Fu Girls" is my favorite from the album! Its one of those Kick-Butt songs with great vocals. Overall the debut album did its work and had a few hits that appear on the compilations every now and then.

Let's face it--there are a thousand versions of "Parallel Lines" available on CD by now--and almost all of the songs from it are on the more comprehensive compilations as well. This oddity has its pros and cons--I'll start from the outside in.

The original cover artwork has been kind of mangled, not quite sure what they were going for here. The album title is Parallel Lines and they removed the parallel lines. The lyrics for Debbie's unfinished poem from which the title came show the first three lines out of order (it should read, "the lines on the pages, the lines on the screen, the lines I have written that you read between...")

There are only 2 or 3 photos from the outtakes for the cover picture--aside from these the opportunities for an exciting booklet appear to have been wasted. The back cover picture by Roberta Bayley is a live shot from 1979--when Debbie was playing the shaggy-haired rock goddess, as opposed to the more retro and vampy pop siren of "Parallel Lines". Can't we keep the eras straight?

Lest I sound nitpicky, I'll get to some of the good aspects of this disc. The sound quality is great, just as good as (but no better than) the 2001 remaster. There are some good bonus tracks, most notably the all-French "Sunday Girl", although I have to say the mix on this song is vastly inferior to the one available on "Once More Into the Bleach", which boasts much higher fidelity coupled with a brighter vocal mix on Debbie. When the song fades with Debbie's forlorn "I got the blu-u-u-u-u-u-es...." you can really hear it on "Bleach"--here, its all but lost. Still, as they say in the video editing biz, "they won't miss what they never saw..." and it's still nice to have the song included.

The video disc is a nice consolation prize for a somewhat flimsy booklet & lack of extras--although most of them are available elsewhere, there's a great bonus in the form of a 1979 lip-synch appearance on "Top of the Pops" where the band performs "Sunday Girl", Debs in her black and white striped sailor dress, oversized sunglasses and red tights, Clem's drumset out front, the boys mugging playfully (Chris Stein was actually a handsome devil at the time!) I've seen this clip on bootleg TV compilations and it's always been one of my favorites. Top of the Pops was an excellently filmed show and I wouldn't mind having all of Blondie's appearances on it. (There's a particularly good live version of "Denis" with Debbie in red shirt and thigh boots that ranks as one of the bands best live TV appearances ever). Are you listening, BBC?

All in all, the low price makes it worth picking up for the video alone. But when is someone going to come up with a beautifully packaged, comprehensive book or box set on Blondie?

It's hard to believe that it has been 30 years since Blondie released "Parallel Lines", an album that while it wasn't the bands first, was one that definitely secured them a place in music history for the decades to follow. The main tune on the release as many well know is "Heart Of Glass" and this became a radio staple and has even been referred to as one of the best song's ever written by Blender magazine. Of course growing up on your more conventional Hard Rock and Punk of the time, I preferred the album's other offerings such as "One Way Or Another" and "Hanging On The Telephone" for they were more in line with the tempo and styles that I was finding myself into. "Sunday Girl" was another winner, and getting the chance to enjoy them on a new remastered edition of the album was fantastic. During their heyday, I always found myself enjoying some of the musical adventures that guitarist Chris Stein and the stunning Debbie Harry were up to, and I even remember that I used to try and slam out the drumming that Clem Burke used to do for the numbers I referenced earlier. The whole release includes an insightful liner notes booklet and there is commentary from Stein and Harry who explain their thoughts of the time on the album's creation. If you are someone who still has an old musty vinyl sitting around, now is your chance to upgrade and hear these tunes with the memory of how important to you they once were, and probably still are. Congratulations on the anniversary, it's great to realize that a New York band like your own had the staying power and that your music still sounds fresh when compared to the current scene.

DVD: "Picture This" (promo video), "Hanging On The Telephone" (promo video), "Heart Of Glass" (promo video), "Sunday Girl" (BBC TV "Top Of The Pops") - previously unreleased.
*** The DVD delivers the band's promotional videos for the songs and older fans will remember these films from the early days of MTV where they were all in constant rotation. There is also the bands appearance on the BBC program "Top Of The Pops" and that was an awesome inclusion since while a lot of footage like this exists, we so rarely get a chance to enjoy it. Lucky for us, Blondie decided to add their clip to the release.

This album is still as fresh as it was 30 years ago! There is no better band around. Blondie ROCKS!!

I was very excited about seeing a 30th anniversary release of this landmark album, but was disappointed to see that it still contains the boring disco version instead of the original version of "Heart Of Glass". I would've rather seen the original version and the disco version as a bonus track of Heart Of Glass like it was done on the Gold Disc released in '94, which I'm lucky to own.
I loved the alternate shots of the Parallel Lines photo sessions, wish they had included more though, and wish they had included lyrics, more liner notes, and better packaging, after all this is supposed to be a "Deluxe Edition"?
The DVD is nice, but should've included more video footage, it falls short.

This release is an celebration of the 30th year since "Parallel Lines' was released. Without a doubt, the definitive New Wave-Punk album of all time. The album spent 2 years both on the British and American charts, and sold to date over 20 million copies, making this album one of the top 50 biggest selling albums all time. Pure perfection is the best way to describe Parallel Lines, chalk full of rocks finest 3 minute songs. The mega #1 smash Heart of Glass was a major crossover hit, incorporating rock-new wave with disco, the driving beat of One Way or Another is another rock classic. Other notable songs or hits are "Picture this, Pretty Baby, Hanging on the Telephone and Sunday Girl". Sunday Girl was a british #1 in August 1979 and was the 5th biggest hit of the year in the Uk.

Rolling Stone Magazine rates this album the #140th of the all time Top 500 albums EVER RELEASED.....

The album is perfect, however a few people have complained about the re-release, like I mentioned before this was a celebration release, where as the 2001 release was a digital re-release with bonus live material, where as this current release has 4 videos and some remix material, and unlike a previous review, I have way too much admiration and respect for the artist to simply download material from the net for free as they put it. I support my favourite artists and there hard earned work to rip them off, we're called fans.

Although I wasn't pleased with the remix choices, this album is current with the latest technology and sounds awesome, so ignore the bad reviews, Parallel Lines could never be a bad purchase!!!

As a health inspector in urban Australia it was my job during the early 90's to inspect the various registered brothels. Prostitution is legal here. In Melbourne's eastern suburbs I had to report on a newly established brothel called the "The Steak House." Simply put this cramped two bedroom house was decked out with the usual tacky Chinese paper lanterns, dimmed lights and Karma Sutra pictures on the walls. All this plus burning incense in a typical shallow attempt to create an intimate atmosphere.
The place was clean and up to code in all the necessary checks i ran threw, i.e condom disposal and clean bed sheets ect. It was midday and only two girls were working, both sitting quietly reading in each bedroom. The girl in the bedroom closest to the entrance was singing the words to Def Leopard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" while the other girl actually had a small boom box and was playing Plastic Letters by Blondie. We briefly chatted about music and eventually I invited her to go see Debbie Harry play at a local night club in the upcoming weeks. Amber was her name and she was a huge Blondie fan, and was probably looking forward to this gig more than anything else at this particular time.
On the evening before the gig, Amber was responsible for a car accident which may have contributed to a series of other major car crashes at a busy intersection. She ran a red light and multiple cars collided as a result. Four people were taken to hospital and two people died. However the cops only charged Amber with running a red light incurring a $200 fine. They called her every filthy name under the sun, but due to the laws, had to treat the other crashes as separate accidents and not connected to Amber's driving error.
She phoned me from the local cop station and after went straight to the gig, where i met up with her. During the support bands she informed me of the details of the crashers. She was physically ok, but feeling horribly guilty, particularly due to the deaths which occurred. To calm her nerves she told me she had taken several Valium. I noticed she was throwing back alcoholic drinks like their was no tomorrow. During the gig itself i virtually had to hold her up as she insisted on standing near the front of the stage.
In the taxi ride home she lost consciousness and was rushed to hospital where she died from a combination of drugs causing her heart to slow then stop. I have forgotten the technical term the doctor used.
Due to the fact i only knew Amber for a few weeks and was not a family member I was not allowed to be by her side when she passed. The authorities could not locate a next of kin. Even after searching her apartment and exploring personal documents. I could offer no assistance, but decided to place an add in a Melbourne newspaper in the hope of locating a relative. I had no success. Plastic Letters is a good cd of early Blondie material, but is a cd I can not easily listen too for obvious reasons. R.I.P Amber Liechtenstein

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R36JMMBUUWTKDL My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!! Blondie is one of one of my favorite bands and Deborah Harry is one of my fave singers/writers.

This is easily my favorite Blondie album. I first heard the whole record (CD) when I was in college in '91. It quickly grew on me (as did many of the old Blondie records; Ramones, Iggy, X, Misfits, etc.).

It's very raw and pop as well. The feedback-tinged scream at the end of "Cautious Lip" is up there with the psyched-out Iggy in the middle of "TV Eye." (side note: Blondie opened for Iggy on the "The Idiot" tour; Debbie has worked with him a few times since and covered his songs; the song "Detroit 442" is about Iggy - "feel hot to go like Jimmy-O.")

If I'm in a down mood, I can put on this record (or one of the first few Ramones records) to really bring me up. This record represents the band's aggressive side and some of their psychedelic influences ("flight 45," "Cautious Lip" and see "Fade Away and Radiate" a year later for more).

I always thought that Clem Burke's wild drum fills during the 2nd half of "Youth Nabbed As Sniper" were later used on the #1 hit "Call Me." The layered vocals at parts of the album sound great, almost "psychotic-epic." Also, Chris Stein was one of the first guitar players to use an 'EBow' on this record; I think he usually used/uses a thumb pick.

Jimmy Destri's songs are heavily represented hear, and they really stand out. Rumor is that Blondie will do a record in 2008; I sure hope that Jimmy will contribute songs, even if he doesn't tour with them.

The CD was re-relased in 2001 (9/11 incidentally) with bare bones bonuses and short liner notes by Richard Gottehrer. I would love to see a more deserving release (see X's and the Ramones re-relases; even those could be better) with band interviews, the original cover (Debbie in a Stardust motel pillow case wrapped in red gaffer's tape, finally released as a couple of posters, one of which is the cover of the 2006 release "Blondie Greatest Hits"). And of course, the songs that were not included on the album, alt. takes, etc.

Like the Stooges "Funhouse," I think this album will some day see its shining moment. Mostly every song on here, really does it for me. Heck, I even think the cover (well the cover that wound up being relased, the band on the cop car) is one of the best of all-time.

Blondie broke through in the late middle seventies alongside the punk/new wave movement. Though their early records bear quite a few elements of punk, I'd think a more correct definition would be power-pop.

This, their second, album opens with a typical example of this style, the fine "Fan Mail", written by keyboard-player Jimmy Destri. Most band-members contribute songs to the album, though guitarist often seem to be regarded their main songwriter.

Two songs from the album were top ten hits in Britain, their big American breakthrough first came with their third album "Parallel Lines" "Denis" is an extremely catchy Buddy Holly type song, arranged like Phil Spector might have chosen to do it. "Denis" is the only song not written by a band member. "Presence Dear" is a strong rocker, written by bassist Gary Valentine.

Other tracks that stand out are the melodic pop-ballad "Bermuda Triangle Blues", the power pop tune "I Didn't have the Nerve" and the more experimental "No Imagination".

A few tracks may be a little forgettable, but I feel that the album as a whole has aged quite well, and it's still charming uplifting listening.

Blondie would probably never have had a hit without disco. The song "Heart of Glass" topped the charts and moved Blondie in the direction of disco and dance pop, producing other similarly dance-inflected songs such as "Call Me," "Rapture", "Atomic", and others.

But there was a darker side to Blondie. They were actually on the forefront of the CBGB New York style punk rock scene, although Blondie was far more "pop" than most of their contemporaries. Their second album Plastic Letters featured song titles seemingly ripped from tabloid headlines, such as "Youth Nabbed As Sniper", "Love at the Pier", "Bermuda Triangle Blues", "Fan Mail", and others. The songs were dark, short tributes to obsessed fans, child snipers, pop psychics, and other nowhere people, and the album is truly the most difficult and inaccessible record the band ever made. Indeed, its only real "hit", in Europe at least, was a cover of the Randy and the Rainbows single "Denise", changed to the mail gender by turning "Denise" into the French name "Denis".

Still, when the album has time to work its spell, it remains a forgotten classic.

The bottom line: the album may take time to grow on you, but after all these years it has slowly become my favorite of all Blondie albums. Long after I've become overly familiar with other albums in the band's catalog I am still intrigued by the cleverness and (can I say it?) maturity of this album. If you like Blondie strictly to hear sugary pop candy, you may not like Plastic Letters. If you're willing to hear a still-catchy, but more adventurous side of the band--buy it!