Blondie - Blondie

Their first and best album, packed with great 60's flavoured pop songs, but no hits.  The critics hated them, but I just loved this album, the fame and glory was to come later. The playing is a bit rough at times but Deborah Harry's star quality shines through, delivering a series of great vocals.

First up is "X-Offender" which I think was released three times in an effort to be a hit single, and failed every time. Its a great song though with a cheap, shitty fairground organ sound, a great tune and interesting lyrics about a protestitute being arrested by a kinky cop "I had to know so I asked, you just to laugh". The badly played 60's style guitar solo, by Gary Valentine, not Chris Stein, adds to the charm.

"In The Flesh" is the only ballad on the LP. Slow, dramatic, great harmonies and with a lovely sensuous vocal from Debbie, who was once described as singing like a goddess on this song ! It is also one of a number of Blondie's songs showing the as hard as nails but soft inside personna .

The final single "Rip Her To Shreads" shows the pussycat cat has claws, bitchly criticising Miss Groupie Supreme over spiky organ and guitar, and a chanted chorus. It should have been a big hit but probably wasn't help by the dodgy promotional poster of a pouting Debbie with the banner "wouldn't you like to rip to her shreads"

Elsewhere on the album there are a number of fun, bouncy songs. "Little Girl Lies" is a sweet toe tapper - you'll be sorry, boo hoo, "Look Good In Blue" has some jerky piano and an almost psycedelic guitar break, "In The Sun" is fun, as is "Surf's Up", which has another great vocal.

"Rifle Range" has perhaps the most mature sound on the album, with a smooth tempo, catchy chorus and girly backing vocals, whilst "Kung Fu Girls" is what Siouxie and the Banshees would have sounded like if they were a 60's surf band.

"Man Overboard" has some great rhymes "man overboard, sinking in a sea of love, man overboard, he jumped, didn't need a shove" and "I've been sailing the sea of love, experiencing romance. With what I know he never stood a chance".

I never liked "A Shark In Jets Clothing" but it sounds better now, although it could do without the long instrumental ending.

Finally, the album ends with "The Attack of the Giant Ants" which let's just say isn't very good...........

Track Listing :

1. X-Offender
2. Little Girl Lies
3. In The Flesh
4. Look Good In Blue
5. In The Sun
6. A Shark In Jet Clothing
7. Man Overboard
8. Rip Her To Shreads
9. Rifle Range
10.Kung Fu Girls 
11. The Attack Of The Giant Ants


Released 1976
UK Chart Position : 75

Singles :

X-Offender ( 1976 - )
In The Flesh ( 1976 - )
Rip Her To Shreads ( 1977 - )