Rasta Poue - Alpha Blondy

Advantages: Up and coming
Disadvantages: Not there yet

...Blondie emerged in the mid 1970’s. The name was apt for a group that used imagery from cartoons, B movies and tabloid headlines as inspiration for most of its early songs: X Offender, A Shark In Jet’s Clothing, Kung Fu Girls and The Attack Of The Giant Ants were among the sensationalist titles that featured on the first album Blondie in 1976. By the time of its release, Blondie featured a new rhythm section with Gary Valentine one bass and Clem Burke on drums. They came in alongside existing members Debbie Harry (vocals) and Chris Stein (guitar) to create an exciting and blistering pop sound, just as the new wave was starting to break in the UK. The album wasn’t released in Britain until 1978, when Chrysalis issued it along with their follow up Plastic Letters. It’s excellent stuff, pretty insubstantial in content, but glorious... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Early & raw
Disadvantages: Bad reviews & sales

...I was blonde when I wrote this. But it's only dye. I'll have black hair again soon. On the cutting edge of the New Wave scene from New York came along Blondie at the fag end of the punk scene. New Wave was a very vague notion, used to describe bands on both sides of the Atlantic around at the end of the 70s, but not really fitting into either punk or contemporary scenes.. e.g Talking Heads, The Police, Ian Dury, Elvis Costello & the Attractions etc., and Blondie. But Blondie were surely a pop band? A band that moved with the scenes. Disco, rap... This 1st album was very raw, and not their best (see Parallel Lines) but had a lot of promise. Particularly X-Offender, and my favourite maybe ever Blondie song "Rip Her to Shreads". Bitingly savage, Debbie Harry could be a great lyricist at times, maybe a little under-appreciated.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Great songs
Disadvantages: None

...Parallel Lines was released in 1978 & is still just as good these days as it was then ! It has all the trademarks of a Blondie album, a great mix of pop & rock. It has three huge hit singles - Heart of Glass, Sunday Girl & Hanging On The Telephone, as well as nine other tracks, all of which are of a consistently high standard. My personal favourite is the very rocky One Way Or Another. Deborah Harry is still rocking away these days, as her recent hit with Maria showed, but in 1978, she was still in the fairly early days of her career. This album is a good example of Blondie in the 1970s & is a great album to have. Highly recommended.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful