Monday, May 29, 2017

Kat's Korner: Blondie's summer return

Kat: When Blondie first hit, the question was often, "Are you talking about the comic strip?"  That was in the late seventies.  Today, the question about the music group is usually, "Are they worth listening to?"

EAT TO THE BEAT AND AUTOAMERICAN are great albums but its the group's PARALLEL LINES that remains the classic with the number one hit "Heart of Glass" as well as staples like "One Way Or Another," "Sunday Girl" and "Just Go Away."

They've had a string of classic singles but the last one was "Ava" in 1999, written by the band's keyboardist Jimmy Destri.

Destri's not around on the band's new album POLLINATOR.


  May 5
We are thrilled that our new album POLLINATOR is out now worldwide! Buy, download and stream:
49 replies448 retweets995 likes




But Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Clem Burke are joined by Joan Jett, Johnny Marr, Sia, David Sitek, Dev Hynes and Nick Valensi -- among others.

The result?

11 tracks.

(12 if you get the CD -- the bonus track, "Tonight," finds the group working with Laurie Anderson.)

"Doom or Destiny" is one of two tracks Debbie Harry and Chris Stein wrote -- and features Joan Jett.  It's classic Blondie.  So too is the Harry and Dev Hynes composition "Long Time" (possibly the best track on the album).  Other classic Blondie tunes include the Harry and Stein "Love Level," "My Monster" written by Marr and especially Sia and Nick Valensi's "Best Day Ever."

For a lot of fans, THE HUNTER was the last Blondie album.

1999's NO EXIT had "Ava" but little else worthy of note.

That's the surprise about POLLINATOR -- it's the first Blondie album since 1982 to sound and feel like a Blondie album.



And they're releasing it while mounting one of their strongest tours yet -- sharing the bill with Garbage.



  2.   May 26
    Last chance! Enter to win a pair of tickets to Blondie's upcoming tour plus an autographed photo print!
    14 replies47 retweets126 likes








It's the band's strongest moment in years and it comes when so many of their peers have closed shop or passed on.

In fact, their only contemporary that can rival them these days would be Patti Smith.  Strange when you remember Smith once told Debbie Harry there wasn't room in the music scene for both of them.


Debbie carved out her own place then and continues to do so now.  POLLINATOR is the most musical fun you can have all summer.


















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