By the time you read this, Blondie will be kicking back in the Rock And Roll Hall of fame – the last of the legendary CBGB’s generation to be inducted. While fellow CBGBers and inductees The Ramones and The Talking Heads were always right at home on the notorious punk stage, Blondie was always something of a misfit. Their lyrics were more pop than punk. Their look and attitude were totally new wave. Debbie Harry offered up breathy vocals that teased and taunted, where as most punks preferred a singing style that hit you upside the head and came with a lot of on purpose spitting.
As a pop machine, Blondie had some stunning successes with singles like “Call Me” and “The Tide is High”, but they never quite reached the heights they should have in the U.S. It was a different story overseas, where dance-mad music-lovers have worshipped the band for decades. Perhaps the most-telling is that the latest greatest hits package Sound & Vision was made available to European markets ahead of its U.S. release.
So, was we robbed of a great Blondie Album? Do we owe the band rounds of mea culpas for not loving them enough? “No” and “yes”. As far as a greatest hits album goes Sound & Vision does cover most of the bases, but in a frustrating way. Most “best of” collections will run in chronological order, mapping out a band’s career. It makes sense and it gives a satisfying overview of a group’s legacy. Sound & Vision though, decides to offer up a Blondie album geared for the musically challenged. The first seven tracks cover the new waver’s hits starting with “Heart of Glass” and ending with “Maria”. It’s almost as if Capitol is saying, “Here are the big hits. We don’t think you’ll really be interested in the rest.” Well, I beg to differ. The remaining 12 tracks plus a bonus that mashes “Rapture” with The Doors “Riders on the Storm” are nothing to turn up your nose at. I’d have no problem listening to a gem like “Dreaming” on the way to “Maria”.
There’s plenty of material on this disc (a DVD disc of the band’s videos is also included in the Sound & Vision set but wasn’t available for review) to argue that “yes” Blondie was overdue for an induction into the Rock Hall - just listen to Debbie Harry introduce the mainstream music world to rap on “Rapture”. If you truly want to appreciate all the idiosyncrasies of this band though, I would recommend springing for a full collection of their albums instead of a haphazardly organized Greatest Hits album. |