Whenever
I listen to a band’s debut album, and the material on there isn’t really
representative of their later work, I always think back to an interview I heard
once with John Peel. He was explaining why his musical tastes were drawn to the
obscure and away from the mainstream. To paraphrase, he said that a band’s
debut is essentially their most concentrated output, and that any subsequent
albums are diluted attempts to rehash earlier glories, influenced greatly by
record company involvement or, even worse, the fans.
In most cases, I agree with him. But you have to bring a degree of common sense to the party. Anybody who thinks that the first R.E.M. album, Murmur, is their finest achievement would be deluded. Or U2’s debut, Boy. There are many bands who just don’t get going properly until they’re a few albums into their career - R.E.M. and U2 are extreme examples I think, but the same can be said for Blondie.
This is in no way the ‘best’ or even the most interesting Blondie album. Rip Her To Shreds, or Rip Her To Shreads as it is mistakenly spelled on the album sleeve, is the only song on here that stands up to their later output.
Hit: Rip Her To Shreds
Hidden Gem: X Offender
In most cases, I agree with him. But you have to bring a degree of common sense to the party. Anybody who thinks that the first R.E.M. album, Murmur, is their finest achievement would be deluded. Or U2’s debut, Boy. There are many bands who just don’t get going properly until they’re a few albums into their career - R.E.M. and U2 are extreme examples I think, but the same can be said for Blondie.
This is in no way the ‘best’ or even the most interesting Blondie album. Rip Her To Shreds, or Rip Her To Shreads as it is mistakenly spelled on the album sleeve, is the only song on here that stands up to their later output.
Hit: Rip Her To Shreds
Hidden Gem: X Offender
No, I disagree. Of course this isn't their best album - that's Parallel Lines obviously - but there early output is their good output. They'd basically lost it by Eat to the Beat. But their first three albums are almost perfect and most of the stuff on this album is as good as anything they ever released. I'd go as far as saying that there was a whole raft of bands in the New York Punk movement that arrived fully formed and already releasing their best stuff - Patti Smith, Ramones, Television, Talking Heads and Blondie all released debut albums that have a good claim to being their best. In the case of Blondie (and Talking Heads), I'd disagree. But it isn't like the difference between Bob Dylan and the Freewheelin'.
ReplyDeleteMan Overboard and Little Girl Lies are as good as anything Blondie ever released.
I'd have Eat To The Beat and Autoamerican any day over this. I definitely favour melody and decent songs over anything else, and this just hasn't got enough of either to interest me.
ReplyDelete