blondie: autoamerican

Album rating: ★★★★☆

a) Genre

New wave / Pop rock / Hip-hop / Reggae / Disco / Jazz / Orchestral pop. Autoamerican is Blondie's fifth studio album and their most deliberately eclectic release: a bold, genre-colliding record that moves from the orchestral instrumental overture 'Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)', through a reggae adaptation of a John Holt song ('The Tide Is High'), hip-hop ('Rapture' — the first rap song ever to reach number one on the US pop charts), jazzy cabaret ('Here's Looking at You', 'Faces'), mariachi-inflected pop ('Go Through It'), glittering disco ('Live It Up', 'Do the Dark'), moody new wave ('Angels on the Balcony'), and a theatrical cover of 'Follow Me' from the Lerner & Loewe musical Camelot. Grokipedia characterises it as 'a bold departure, drawing from Harry and Stein's explorations of diverse sounds in New York and Los Angeles.'

b) Release

Original US release: Chrysalis Records (19 November 1980; catalogue PV 41290 LP, cassette PVT 41290), phonographic copyright ℗ & © 1980 Chrysalis Records. Original UK release: Chrysalis Records (29 November 1980; catalogue CDL 1290 LP, ZCDL 1290 cassette). The UK cassette included the bonus track 'Suzy & Jeffrey', not on the standard LP. Australian edition: Chrysalis / Festival (catalogue L 37490). Canadian edition manufactured and distributed by Capitol Records-EMI of Canada Limited. German edition by WEA. Japanese edition by Toshiba-EMI. Original intended album title was Coca Cola, as the name 'sounded very American', but The Coca-Cola Company declined the idea. Cover painting: Martin Hoffman (1935–2013); the cover image depicts the band on a New York rooftop (specifically near 300 Mercer Street, Manhattan), shot from a commissioned painting. A 1994 Chrysalis UK CD reissue (catalogue CDCD 1290) added two bonus tracks: the extended 12-inch Special Disco Mix versions of 'Rapture' and its B-side 'Live It Up'. A 2001 EMI-Capitol CD reissue (catalogue 72435-33595-2-2) added the full-length version of 'Call Me' (from American Gigolo), the extended 'Rapture', and 'Suzy & Jeffrey'. A 2001 Toshiba-EMI Japanese mini-LP CD (TOCP-67895) was part of a box set. A 2022 remastered LP — cut at Abbey Road Studios from the original analog tapes — was included in the Against the Odds: 1974–1982 box set. Publishing: Rare Blue Music Inc. / Monster Island Music Corp. (ASCAP) for most tracks.

c) Production

Produced by Mike Chapman (third consecutive Blondie album in that role, following Parallel Lines and Eat to the Beat). Chapman insisted on recording in Los Angeles rather than the band's customary New York environment — a decision that divided the band, with guitarist Chris Stein expressing discomfort in a newsletter ('Every day we get up, stagger into the blinding sun, drive past a huge Moon-mobile from some ancient sci-fi movie') and drummer Clem Burke welcoming it ('We got to spend two months in California'). Studio engineer Leslie Bent described the sessions as smooth and methodical: 'Mike had these charts for every song, breaking them down into different instrumentation and the different parts that had to be done.' The basic Blondie sextet — Debbie Harry (vocals), Chris Stein (guitar), Frank Infante (guitar, vocals), Jimmy Destri (keyboards), Nigel Harrison (bass), and Clem Burke (drums) — was augmented by numerous session musicians and uncredited horn and string players. Notable guests: Tom Scott (saxophone, courtesy of Columbia Records) and Alex Acuña (percussion, courtesy of Arista Records). The opening track 'Europa' features orchestral arrangements of unusual ambition for a Blondie record. All publishing through Rare Blue Music Inc. / Monster Island Music Corp. (ASCAP).

d) Recording

Recorded at United Western Studios (also known as United Western Recorders), 6000 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood (Los Angeles), California, USA. The album is an original studio recording. Despite the Los Angeles sessions, the cover photograph was shot on a rooftop near 300 Mercer Street, Manhattan, New York — the band insisted on the cover image being from their hometown.

e) Reception

Autoamerican received mixed-to-negative critical reviews upon its November 1980 release. Tom Carson in Rolling Stone wrote 'Autoamerican is a terrible album', characterising it as Chris Stein's creative overcorrection following the mainstream success of Parallel Lines. Contemporary critics struggled with the record's stylistic breadth. Commercially, however, the album was a substantial success: it reached number 3 on the UK Albums Chart (16 weeks on chart), number 7 on the US Billboard 200, and number 8 in Australia. It went Platinum in both the US and UK. Its two singles were transformative: 'The Tide Is High' (a reggae cover of the Paragons' song) reached number 1 in the US and UK; 'Rapture' also reached number 1 in the US — becoming the first rap song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100 — and number 5 in the UK. Chris Stein described 'The Tide Is High' as the only song from Autoamerican he was certain would be a hit 'not least because it said “number one” in the chorus.' Retrospective assessments have been considerably more generous: Clem Burke calls it 'my favorite Blondie album' for 'the whole process'; Ultimate Classic Rock describes it as 'an LP beloved for its adventurous spirit and dynamic songwriting'; the Guardian praised Debbie Harry's vocals as being at peak form throughout. Grokipedia notes over 55 million Spotify streams for the 2001 remaster, with certified total sales of approximately 1.6 million units.

Blondie

Blondie is an American new wave band formed in New York City in 1974. The classic lineup: Debbie Harry (born Angela Tremble, adopted as Angela Harry, 1 July 1945, Miami, Florida; lead vocals), Chris Stein (born 5 January 1950, Brooklyn; guitar), Clem Burke (born 24 November 1955, Bayonne, New Jersey; drums), Jimmy Destri (born 13 April 1954, Brooklyn; keyboards), Nigel Harrison (born 24 April 1951, Princes Risborough, England; bass), and Frank Infante (born 12 November 1951, New Jersey; guitar). The group emerged from the CBGB scene alongside Television, Talking Heads, and the Ramones. After signing with Chrysalis, they achieved international breakthrough with Parallel Lines (1978), whose single 'Heart of Glass' topped charts worldwide. Before Autoamerican, 'Call Me' — a disco collaboration with Giorgio Moroder for the American Gigolo soundtrack — spent six weeks at number 1 in the US in early 1980. Autoamerican's two chart-topping singles were followed by The Hunter (1982) before the band dissolved amid personal and financial difficulties. After reuniting in 1997, they released No Exit (1999, UK number 3), The Curse of Blondie (2003), Panic of Girls (2011), Ghosts of Download (2014), and Pollinator (2017). They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Blondie has sold an estimated 40 million albums worldwide. Harry has also maintained a parallel solo career and has appeared in over thirty films.

This text was generated by Claude (Anthropic). It may contain errors or inaccuracies.

rapture

off-album track

french kissin'

from bebbie harry's album rockbird

blondie: eat to the beat

album rating: ★★★★☆

a) Genre

New wave / Post-punk / Punk pop. Eat to the Beat is Blondie's fourth studio album and extends the stylistic ambitions of Parallel Lines (1978) across a wider range of substyles. The album moves from driving new wave punk ('Dreaming', 'Eat to the Beat') through reggae-inflected pop ('The Hardest Part') to disco-funk ('Atomic'), Caribbean-flavoured rhythm ('Die Young Stay Pretty'), and string-swept ballad ('Sound-A-Sleep'). This stylistic breadth was a deliberate artistic strategy and also a commercial liability, as critics noted the band's willingness to cover many bases simultaneously. Producer Mike Chapman described the album's ambition as broader than any previous Blondie release.

b) Release

Original UK release: Chrysalis Records (28 September 1979; catalogue CDL 1225), phonographic copyright on the spine: P & C Chrysalis Records Ltd 1979. Original US release: Chrysalis Records (catalogue PV 41225). A Japanese CD edition was manufactured by Toshiba EMI Ltd. (catalogue CDL-1264). A German pressing appeared on Chrysalis/Ariola. The album was also released as a video album in 1979 on VHS -- one of the earliest full-length music video albums ever issued for home consumption -- and subsequently on 12-inch LaserDisc in 1981, with performance-based videos for all twelve tracks directed by David Mallet and produced by Paul Flattery. Most videos were filmed in and around New York City; 'Union City Blue' was filmed at Union Dry Dock, Weehawken, New Jersey. A 2001 reissue on Chrysalis added bonus tracks. A 180-gram vinyl reissue was released in 2015 as part of the Back to Black series (Chrysalis, catalogue 5355035). Art direction by Billy Bass; cover design and typography by John Van Hamersveld; photography by Norman Seeff.

c) Production

Produced by Mike Chapman. Chapman (born 17 April 1947, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) is an Australian record producer who had previously steered Blondie through Parallel Lines (1978), which had become a global success. His partnership with Blondie was built on his ability to bring pop discipline and studio precision to punk-rooted raw energy. Classic Pop Magazine notes that sessions took place amid internal tensions within the band, exacerbated by increased drug use and the pressures following their extensive touring; nonetheless, Chapman extracted performances of 'compact and muscular' musicianship from the group. He later recalled that drummer Clem Burke's wildly overplayed pass on 'Dreaming' -- recorded as an assumed practice run -- was retained as the master take for its spontaneous energy, a decision that contributed centrally to that track's character. Noteworthy guest contributors include Lorna Luft (daughter of Judy Garland, half-sister of Liza Minnelli), who sings backing vocals on tracks A6 and B2; Ellie Greenwich (Brill Building songwriter, co-writer of 'Da Doo Ron Ron' and 'Be My Baby'), who contributes backing vocals on A1 and B3; and reggae vocal ensemble The Jah Trio, who appear on B1 and B5. The band performed their own instruments throughout: Debbie Harry (vocals), Chris Stein (guitar), Frank Infante (guitar, vocals), Jimmy Destri (keyboards, vocals), Nigel Harrison (bass), and Clem Burke (drums). Engineers: Dave Tickle and Peter Coleman.

d) Recording

Recorded at The Power Station, Electric Lady Studios, and Media Sound, all in New York City, New York, USA, between April and June 1979. Mixed and mastered at MCA Whitney Studios, Glendale, California, USA. The album is an original studio recording.

e) Reception

Eat to the Beat was a substantial commercial success, particularly in the UK, where it reached number 1 on the Albums Chart in October 1979 and was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI); it was Blondie's second chart-topping UK album in the same year. In the US it peaked at number 17 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for approximately 52 weeks; it was ranked among Billboard's top 10 albums of 1980. Three singles charted in the UK Top 30: 'Dreaming' (number 2), 'Union City Blue' (number 13), and 'Atomic' (number 1 in January 1980). Contemporary UK critical reception was mixed: NME critic Paul Rambali offered a mixed September 1979 assessment, quipping 'Blondes have more fun', while acknowledging the band's commercial ascent. Robert Christgau (Village Voice) noted the 'pushy organ hysterics' of 'Victor' and 'soft focus' lyrics in places, but gave it a qualified positive. People magazine wrote the band sounded 'less raw but still fresh'. David Hepworth (Smash Hits) called it a 'brasher, more rocking follow-up... as hard and shiny as glass'. The Village Voice year-end Pazz & Jop critics' poll placed it 17th-best album of 1979. Retrospective assessments have been more generous: The Guardian in 2011 described it as a 'brilliant' encapsulation of New York's intoxicating energy; Pitchfork cited its solid hits in a 2022 box set review. AllMusic's William Ruhlmann offered the most critical retrospective view, calling it a 'secondhand' version of Parallel Lines, though he acknowledged strong songwriting and production throughout.

Blondie

Blondie is an American new wave band formed in New York City in 1974. The classic lineup comprised Debbie Harry (born Angela Tremble, adopted as Angela Harry, 1 July 1945, Miami, Florida, USA; lead vocals -- the group's visual and commercial focal point), Chris Stein (born 5 January 1950, Brooklyn, New York, USA; guitar, founding creative partner of Harry), Clem Burke (born 24 November 1955, Bayonne, New Jersey, USA; drums), Jimmy Destri (born 13 April 1954, Brooklyn; keyboards), Nigel Harrison (born 24 April 1951, Princes Risborough, England; bass), and Frank Infante (born 12 November 1951, New Jersey; guitar). The group formed from the ashes of the proto-punk New York band The Stilettos, which Harry and Stein had been part of. They were central figures in the CBGB scene alongside Talking Heads, Television, and the Ramones. After signing with Chrysalis Records they achieved international breakthrough with Parallel Lines (1978), whose single 'Heart of Glass' topped charts worldwide. Eat to the Beat (1979) sustained that momentum, followed by Autoamerican (1980), which produced two consecutive US number ones: 'The Tide Is High' and 'Rapture' -- the latter being the first hip-hop record to reach number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band dissolved in 1982 amid personal and financial difficulties, reuniting in 1997. They continue to record and perform. Blondie has sold an estimated 40 million albums worldwide. Harry has also maintained a parallel solo career and has appeared in over thirty films. In 2006 the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This text was generated by Claude (Anthropic). It may contain errors or inaccuracies.

atomic

blondie: parallel lines

album rating: ★★★★☆

heart of glass

track rating: ★★★★★