Blondie Albums (13)
'Live in Toronto'
Release Date 7/24/2006
Tracks 11
Label Movieplay Gold
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The late '90s saw a multitude of reunions take place among rock favorites from the '70s, and one of the leading reunions from the original punk/new wave era was undoubtedly the return of Blondie. Touring in support of their first album in 17 years, 1999's No Exit, the group (which included four familiar faces from their original go-round: singer Debbie Harry, guitarist Chris Stein, keyboardist Jimmy Destri, and drummer Clem Burke) focused primarily on the classics, but also included a handful of then-current tunes. The same year, the group issued its first-ever official live release, Live in New York, which in 2004 was reissued on the Eagle label as Live. While it sounds in spots like the band is still working toward regaining the on-stage chemistry of yesteryear, Live is a fun memento overall, especially such party classics as "Heart of Glass," "Call Me," and "Atomic," as well as such wild cards as "Sunday Girl," "X Offender," and "Rip Her to Shreds." While you obviously won't be getting the youthful exuberance of a late-'70s/early-'80s live set here (for that, check out the Live: Philadelphia 1978/Dallas 1980 release), if you attended Blondie's reunion tour, Live will serve as a worthwhile souvenir. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Live by Request is Blondie's entry in the A&E series, and it's got some truly excellent moments as well as some cringe-inducing ones. It should be said that this is not the original Blondie: only Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, and the incomparable Clem Burke remain from the original band. Even Jimmy Destri, who had been involved in the No Exit album, is gone again, but the band really hits on all cylinders, with lots of extended solos ("Rip Her to Shreds," "Rapture") and tons of energy. Debbie Harry can't hit all the high notes she used to, but she still sounds (and looks!) great, especially when you consider she was nearly 59 at the time of recording in 2004. The faults of the album don't lie in the playing of the band; it's the obnoxious and overdone audience participation. Having the audience sing along is almost always a bad idea, and it happens far too often on Live by Request. Then there's the typically devoid-of-rhythm audience clap along that accompanies "The Tide Is High," which is largely rescued by a very cool keyboard solo. Another problem is the prevalence of the false-ending-that-leads-to-more-soloing concept, which is OK once but gets pretty tiresome quickly. Since it is a "Live by Request" set, they stick to their classic repertoire, only dipping into the recent No Exit for an acoustic "The Dream's Lost on Me," which is performed with just acoustic guitar and mandolin, and "Good Boys," another recent single. Blondie have always been a great live band, and most of this performance proves that they still are. If they'd have just stuck to playing rather than pandering, this could have been a great set. As it stands, it's still a pretty strong set from a great American band, and perfect for those who enjoyed the original broadcast. Harder core Blondie fans should check out their earlier live recordings, like Live: Philadelphia 1978/Dallas 1980, which is a reissue of the deleted Picture This Live. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide
'The Curse of Blondie'
Release Date 3/23/2004
Tracks 14
Label Sanctuary
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
No Exit was a textbook example of everything a reunion album shouldn't be -- sloppily written, dominated by embarrassing attempts to sound current (especially the Coolio [!] duet in the metallic title track), and calculatedly commercial. So it's no surprise that when Blondie decided to try again five years later -- when Debbie Harry was actually old enough to be a Golden Girl, few were paying attention and The Curse of Blondie didn't even get a U.S. release. But what's shocking is that this, and not No Exit, is what should've been Blondie's big comeback effort. That isn't to say that The Curse of Blondie is a classic Blondie disc, but it's the first good one since at least Autoamerican, and features one of their best-ever singles in "Good Boys." "Good Boys" is prime Blondie the way they should be -- pulsing layers of synthesizers are punctuated by sharp guitar riffs and the whole prize is dressed up in an infectious hook that's one part bubblegum, one part sexy chanteuse. Disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder even mixed the single version, and this alone is a sign that the band is again aware of its strengths and choosing the right collaborators, unlike the turn with Coolio the last time around. The rest of the album doesn't quite live up to the promise of that single, but unlike No Exit, it's largely not embarrassing (opening track "Shakedown" aside -- no one needs to hear Debbie Harry rap the lines "I think I'd have a better chance to see the Pope/I got so bored with his schtick and waving a dick/and all his high and mighty sh*t/I'm a witch"). All 14 songs are dressed up in Steve Thompson's chic, modern production -- while the album sounds contemporary, it also sounds like classic Blondie. Perhaps this had something to do with the cultural shift that took place between this and the last album -- in 1998/1999, rap-metal, trance, and bubblegum pop ruled the charts and all three clumsily found their way onto No Exit. But by 2003, bands like the Sounds and the Rapture were getting big doing virtually the exact same thing that Blondie had done 25 years earlier, and that set the stage for them to release this, their best album in well over 20 years. That doesn't mean The Curse of Blondie is great -- after all, both No Exit and The Hunter were awful -- and without a widespread release even fewer are likely to hear this. But those who do will probably be pleased to find that Blondie still have some life left. ~ Jason Damas, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Considering what a turkey 1999's No Exit was, a live LP from its tour is a bright idea. Why not reestablish that Blondie was once an awfully good group: a '77 new wave/power pop delight that evolved into one of the few AM Top 40 radio pleasures from 1979-1980, and a most entertaining stage band. Besides, they never released a live record. As it happens, Live surpasses all expectations. Culled from six big 1999 concerts, including the mammoth U.K. Glastonbury festival, the sound is crisp and uncannily consistent, and the mix is spot-on, with Debbie Harry's still-bubbly smart crooning sitting perfectly on the throne of the band's supple, lively playing. Drummer Clem Burke remains the sneaky secret weapon/anchor, his drumming so forceful even the fluffiest tracks come alive with energy. Most of all, the band sounds completely refreshed despite missing two old members. This is sure far from the old band going through the motions and ready to quit, disappearing into a litany of lawsuits around '82, and leaving behind the stale odor of The Hunter to further tarnish their declining memory. Instead, the desire is plain. Live starts like a house of fire, wowing with highly charged, ripping versions of "Dreaming" and their still-smashing cover of the Nerves' "Hanging on the Telephone." Thereafter Blondie refurbishes vintage material with gusto, both the hits and even better misses. The two inspired No Exit cuts, the classic-sounding "Maria" and the ska-fun "Screaming Skin," also fit marvelously. The only reason Live isn't a complete treat is that the band is duty-bound to trot out it's blockbuster, genre-hopping hits from their '80s platinum mass-stardom days when they lost their musical identity. ~ Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Once you've cherished Blondie you never really go back, even if for half of your life you must cherish them out of forgiveness, or just plain heartfelt concern. Debbie Harry loves to make curious decisions about her music, and it's always important to listen to her work carefully and several times (while trying to keep her performance in John Waters' Hairspray either firmly in, or out, of your mind as you do). In the old days, Harry and her guys covered terrific old blues and trippy, backwater pieces, popped up and pretty, punkified, otherwise unremarkable rock tunes, and flat out treated us to a show, whether live or Memorex. No Exit is a gritty downtown incarnation that almost sounds like a cutting room castaway, filled with raw and abject moments and digressions that suggest an improvised, irrelevant feel. The talkative "Screaming Skin" is a lyrically confused, stream of consciousness piece that sounds as if it was written on a paper bag on the subway -- and some people really like this stuff. But some of the instrumental tracks have the veneer of an afterthought, particularly in the percussion department. Miss Debbie is always at her rockin' finest when futzing with the blues (and country, really), which she does on most of the latter half of the disc like the consummate, crazy pro that she is. If nothing else, No Exit is a testament to authentic rock and roll durability, and, well, the abiding "wow" that is Debbie Harry. ~ Becky Byrkit, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Forgettable farewell -- the fun was gone. ~ Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The basic Blondie sextet was augmented, or replaced, by numerous session musicians (including lots of uncredited horn and string players) for the group's fifth album, Autoamerican, on which they continued to expand their stylistic range, with greater success, at least on certain tracks, than they had on Eat to the Beat. A cover of Jamaican group the Paragons' "The Tide Is High," released in advance of the album, became a gold-selling number one single, as did the rap pastiche "Rapture," but, despite their presence, the album stalled in the lower half of the Top Ten and spent fewer weeks in the charts than either of its predecessors. One reason for that, admittedly, was that Chrysalis Records pulled promotion of the disc in favor of pushing lead singer Debbie Harry's debut solo album, KooKoo, not even bothering to release a third single after scoring two chart-topping hits. But then, it's hard to imagine what that third single could have been on an album that leads off with a pretentious string-filled instrumental ("Europa"), and also finds Harry crooning ersatz '20s pop on "Here's Looking at You" and tackling Broadway show music in a cover of "Follow Me" from Camelot. Though more characteristic, the rest of the tracks are weak compositions indifferently executed. Thus Autoamerican was memorable only for its hits, which would be better heard when placed on a hits compilation. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Just as Blondie's second album, Plastic Letters, was a pale imitation of their self-titled debut, Eat to the Beat, their fourth album, was a secondhand version of their breakthrough third album, Parallel Lines: one step forward, half a step back. There was an attempt, on such songs as "The Hardest Part" and "Atomic," to recreate the rock/disco fusion of the group's one major U.S. hit, "Heart of Glass," without similar success, and, elsewhere, the band just tried to cover too many stylistic bases. "Die Young Stay Pretty," for example, dipped into an island sound complete with modified reggae beat (a foreshadowing of the upcoming hit "The Tide Is High"), and "Sound-a-Sleep" was a lullaby that dragged too much to be a good change of pace. The British, who had long since been converted, made Eat to the Beat another chart-topper, with three major hits, including a number one ranking for "Atomic" and almost the same success for "Dreaming," but in the U.S., which still saw Blondie as a slightly comic one-hit wonder, the album was greeted for what it was -- slick corporate rock without the tangy flavor that had made Parallel Lines such ear candy. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
