Reviews (page 13 of 15)
I don't get it. It's like cheap Cheap Trick, so that reaches a high level of boredom. I'm gonna love you too, Sunday Girl and 11:59 are painful to listen to.
good album for the time and some memorable hits
Very pro
I've heard Blondie's hits before, but have never listened to an album cover to cover, so this should be an interesting day. Blondie are a pop rock band from USA. They are a female led group, and they influenced so many female led groups that came later such as: Madonna, Paramore, and Garbage. This album is their third studio album, and is apparently the album in which they changed from a new wave band to a more pop oriented band. This album still has a few rock forward songs (One Way or Another, and Hanging on the Telephone), but the bulk of the album is closer to the pop side of the spectrum. Debbie Harry had a very interesting vocal style that is instantly recognizable. She has done some living too! Apparently she was a go-go dancer, and a playboy bunny for a short period of time, she was an actress (leading role in the movie Videodrome as well as other movies), she almost got kidnapped by serial killer Ted Bundy, and she was a self proclaimed New York Dolls groupie. For this album, the band worked with record producer, Mike Chapman. Chapman saw the band as sloppy, and spent a lot of time trying to hone the skills of each individual. This didn't sit well with some of them, causing bassist Nigel Harrison to throw a synthesizer at Chapman. Overall, a fairly average album today. Nothing really caught me by surprise or jumped out at me. Just a normal run of the mill female led pop band. I probably won't listen again, but can certainly see how big of an influence they were on pop music today. Favourite songs: One Way or Another, Heart of Glass, I'm Gonna Love You Too, Bang a Gong (Get It On) - Live, 11:59, I Know But I Don't Know, Pretty Baby, Hanging on the Telephone Least favourite songs: Fade Away and Radiate 3/5
Here’s another 5 for me. Each song has bits and pieces that I like, which is pretty rare for me. I also love Debbie Harry’s voice. Favorite songs: “Heart of Glass”, “Fade Away and Radiate”, “Sunday Girl”.
Blondie- has some catchy hooks. Robert Fripp on radiate and fade away. I liked the buddy holly cover. Heart of glass is so great. I like her vocals. 3.5 3
Some fun and catchy songs. Heart of glass is great and pretty baby was cool. 3.5
This is hard for me to rate. Blondie is so meaningful to me. Debbie Harry was probably the first true rock female lead I’d ever heard. She’s a total badass and I don’t know how she dealt with all the shit she got performing next to punk bands at CBGBs. I love when she gets raspy. It feels like she’s losing her mind. Especially the back half of One Way or Another. I bet if this record was re-recorded today I might get a 5. I just don’t find the songs musically interesting. I like 11:59 and Heart of Glass. Parts get a bit boring though.
3.25
5. Love Blondie
A bit pop-y for me at times, but, hey, it was the 80's. So I'll forgive them because this album was fun!
It’s clear the punk influences formerly I no the band gave way to more pop and disco sensibilities. Nonetheless this album is a top to bottom classic. Debbie Harry still kept one thing from the punk days…the attitude.
Some standouts, of course, but not everything I was hoping for. Some slightly weird production at points, but a good listen all in all
I’ve been a Blondie enjoyer since I was a kid, but I somehow never realized all my favorite Blondie songs are on the same album. This was very solid — there were some downs to complement the ups, which is the only reason this isn’t a 5.
Another "how have I never listened to this?" album. I absolutely loved this and all the variety of songs it had. Debbie Harry's voice is iconic throughout. So much fun!
Oh wow! This album was a blast. I am not surprised, but I am surprised that this is the first time that I have listened to an entire Blondie album (at least to my recollection). Why haven't I bothered to do so, when I assume that I would be a fan??? shrug ???
I thought I knew what to expect from Blondie but I was wrong! Really fun punky pop songs like One Way or Another and the disco rhythm of Heart of Glass, but also more than a hint of 60s girl group and an unexpected Buddy Holly cover. Debbie Harry kicks ass.
Heart of Glass, One Way or Another, Sunday Girl and Hanging on the Telephone are all big favorites of mine - enough to earn this album a 5. How these great songs never lured me into listening to this album I’ll never know… this album is packed with songs I immediately love just as much! I thought I knew Blondie well enough, but turns out I was just licking the frosting while missing out on an incredibly delicious cake! Such delicious cake!
Hanging on the Telephone, One Way or Another, Picture This, Pretty Baby, I Know But I Don’t Know, 11:59, Sunday Girl, Heart of Glass and I’m Going to Love You Too. I love Debbie Harry’s voice. Catchy as fuck and energetic. Every song is a banger. Love it.
there are enjoyable parts all through the album and they ruin it by being poppy right after or during. almost good like a lot of old bands I don't have nostalgia for. one way or another, heart of glass
Nice. Some cool tunes I didn't even realise they sang, feeling generous today.
What a tour de force
Yeah it sounds like Blondie but I really like Blondie. A great fun album
every song sounds like a blondie song. its catchy but i wouldnt listen to it outside of my local record store playing it on the speakers.
2 huge hits and a bunch of strong pop-rock songs. Certainly not the worst thing to come out of the 70s and I can assume the influence this had on other artists was huge. It’s not something that I would casually listen to, but I won’t turn it off on the radio. That feels like a 3 to me.
Solid album, upbeat and catchy.
I knew the hits of course, but the rest of the album was great too. Classic
Still great after all these years
I will not reduce my review to how attracted I am to Debbie Harry. I will not reduce my review to how attracted I am to Debbie Harry. I will not reduce my review to how attracted I am to Debbie Harry. God, I love her, but there’s so much more to this album than that. Anyway, let’s go. 1978’s “Parallel Lines” was Blondie’s multi-platinum breakthrough: the pin-point of when they tipped from a hustling New York band to international megastars. The winning formula? Sharp, snappy pop and rock songs, overflowing with charisma, bite and warmth. It’s a perfect alchemy and near-impossible to fault as a whole. We begin chomping at the bit with a Nerves cover: “Hanging on the Telephone” is hard-edged, bristling punk with a shiny pop surface. Concise, direct and straight to the point. “One Way or Another” doubles down on that, with a searing attitude and a chorus to lodge itself in the head of whoever hears it until the day they die. “Picture This” (with a flawlessly executed key change-into-guitar solo), “Pretty Baby” (vocal acrobatics abounding in the outro) and “Sunday Girl” are three of the sweeter melodies on here, surely enough to send the most po-faced of music snobs falling head over heels. Meanwhile, for any listeners hoping for a little more edge and experimenting in this “pure pop” album, “Fade Away and Radiate” departs from a love-song lyric or catchy melody, with an ambitious arrangement enlisting a certain Robert Fripp. Unsurprisingly, it’s pulled off with just as much style and artistry as the rest of the material. You get the idea- the rest of “Parallel Lines” is just as striking, memorable and charming. “11:59” and “Will Anything Happen” fizz and pop with unsuppressed urgency. “You’re Gonna Love Me Too” is an inspired choice of cover: Blondie recognising their musical heritage with the fun and brevity of Buddy Holly’s 1950’s rockabilly. It was chosen by the record label as a sure-fire hit, but it ultimately failed to chart and was wiped clean by the blockbuster originals. And all this before even discussing “Heart of Glass”, a genre-defining smash-hit which seals itself in as the jewel of the whole record- their whole career- and leaves the dying remnants of the 1970s choking in its wake. “Parallel Lines” is so consistently engaging, with song after song making waves through popular culture, that it’s impossible to dislike. Even when these aren’t the most stellar musicians you’ll have ever heard, the teeth on the songwriting reveal that all the artsy virtuosos in the world do not guarantee as good a time as this. Any quibbles? Well, for one, it’s always baffled me they didn’t opt for “11:55” to rhyme with “stay alive”, but such a quibble does not form reasonable ground to deduct a star.
Classic.
Surprisingly good
Pretty remarkable, still.
Album valt eigenlijk nergens tegen. Van begin tot einde goed met wat piekenn
Ik heb altijd al een beetje het gevoel gehad dat ik, als ik in de jaren 70 had geleefd, wel fan was geweest van Blondie. Iets aan de zangeres vond ik altijd al heel stoer ofzo? En wat een bangers op dit album!!
Pop-rock con buena voz femenina muy de estilo ochentero. Varias canciones aún perduran en el tiempo. Con ritmo. Pasable
I had forgotten how much was on this album.
They're fantastic
An album where every song is a banger? Yeah, that works as a concept.
Oh I love hanging on the telephone and generally, the album has so many good songs.
Sure a little more pop than the early albums but still has a bit on edge. Good stuff.
I think Debbie Harry is amazing in general. Punk tinged New Wave, disco, hints of some late 50’s/early 60’s in here too. This album has a couple absolute gems (Telephone, Will Anything Happen, Heart of Glass), but some run-of-the-mill filler as well (Fade Away and Radiate, 11:59,…). Still, I like this record.
I'm not sure how the CBGB scene reacted to Blondie putting out a dance track. It must have been an interesting topic at the time. This album worked for me. The first 3 or 4 tracks were solid and the rest of the album kept me interested. Heart of Glass is a standout on its own. Even if I'm not sure how it came from this band.
I enjoyed this album a lot. Some great songs on here that you'll know. A couple of songs that weren't my favorite but overall it was a really good album.
Phenomenal listening experience. You get so much out of a tightly paced 39 minutes. Cool arty punk rock new wave rad badassery! It really does have it all. Definitely one for the record collection, you can pop this on and people will groove to it in any setting. And can we talk about Debbie Harry for a minute? Goddess! Unearthly treasure we do not deserve. She is the moment. She is the serve. The throaty raspy growl, my god, I'm in vocal heaven with her! This is an absolute knockout.
As cool as I think Blondie are, I don't know if they've ever stuck the landing on a whole album. Their first album comes close, but there's a reason why most people encounter this band via their greatest hits. Parallel Lines is a good example of this. I've always thought this album was basically 4-5 excellent songs, plus a bunch of fairly unmemorable ones. When the band gets it right, they are riveting, with that wonderful late 70s new wave/power pop energy that just doesn't exist in music anymore. But for what is actually a pretty brief album, there are way too many skippable tracks. That said, "Heart of Glass" is simply one of the prettiest songs ever made. You can't listen to that song and not want to put your platforms on and dance. Bonus points for bringing in Fripp, but still a high 3. Fave Songs: Heart of Glass, Hanging on the Telephone, Sunday Girl, One Way or Another, Just Go Away, Pretty Baby, Fade Away and Radiate
Stylowy, słoneczny, super female energy.
Great feel and listen. Great tracks. Obviously great vocals. Had no idea this was in 1978, that’s amazing! Solid 4. TBz 1. One Way Or Another 2. Heart Of Glass 3. 11:59 4. I Know But I Don’t Know
I don't like the 80s.
Fabulous record.
Blondie's "Parallel Lines" is a classic rock/pop album that shares similarities with other music of the era. While influential, some tracks lack energy, and the sound hasn't aged well.
Aww yeeee. You know heart of glass. You know one way or another. That's all there is, right. That's all this has to offer. Wrong. False. This is solid start to finish. With diverse genres and fun everywhere. Picture this, hanging on the telephone and pretty baby deserve the airplay just as much as the ones that did get it.
This was a delightful surprise: I completely failed to appreciate this record when I listened to it years ago, dismissing everything apart from the famous songs as filler. It’s all very good or great.
incredible singles make this a top notch album. my usual comment re: Greatest Hits applies
Excellent
Bloodies vocals carry this one in front of a fairly bland band. It’s inoffensive Pop Rock and it’s good but aside from the two obvious standouts and maybe I know but I Don’t know, there’s nothing that really grabbed me here. Blonde and the Blandies get 3 stars
This album was a fantastic time! Made me want to put on roller skates and dance my heart out.
This album is dope. I had only really listened to one other LP from Blondie that wasn't a greatest hits album. 11:59 is an awesome track as well as the Buddy Holly cover.
Love this!
Nice, better than I was expecting Torn between 3 and 4
Solid album by Blondie with some great tracks.
Ok but why was the album lowkey a banger?
Nice
Fun time capsule from the crossroads of pop, punk, and new wave.
Highlight: Heart of Glass
Heart of glass i Hanging on the telephone to bangery. Bang a gong w oryginale lepsze.
Other than the songs we all k ow it was pretty standard pop rock
Oh yeah! I usually just stick with the Best of Blondie compilation (judge me not) but this is a nice reminder that the non-hits were really good as well. It's just a great album for almost any mood, it's punky, it's poppy, it's got the new wave thing going on, it's kinda timeless in my opinion. I love it. It's a 5 for the music but secret bonus points for Debbie Harry being the hottest woman to front a band of all time. Fight me.
very fun listen. classic album
Still a screecher but a lot better than anticipated. One way or another #1
Classic new wave. It can get a little too pop-oriented at times for my taste, but it's undeniable. Catchy, a little punk attitude, a little art school attitude, but undeniably cool. Good stuff.
To quote myself on a previous "listen to these albums" quest: "Hanging on the Telephone" *swoon*
Has some songs and some attitude, but I was surprised how much acclaim this album garnered, it just didn’t do it for me. Hanging on the Telephone holds up with some of the better punk songs of the era and Heart of Glass was a disco jam, but punk and disco are like oil and water to me. Couple other solid songs, but nothing that memorable. Overall a solid meh.
Bangers from start to end. Really enjoyed this album. Melding punk, pop, doo wop, hip-hop, disco. Favorite tracks include: -Hanging on the Telephone -Pretty Baby -I know but I don't know -11:59 -Heart of Glass Will revisit this one.
This was GREAT!!! New to Blondie, I know the big hits like everyone else does but this album is awesome! Debbie Harry has ‘tude and the band are whip tight! Not a bad tune on this album! Definitely going into the collection! It’s amazing!
nice
ok
not a bad song on the whole album with some absolute bangers sprinkled in.
👍
The mix of synth and guitar that meshes really good with the rest of the song highlights why I like 80's music so much. This album was very enjoyable, I love that the vocals give plenty of space for the instrumental to breathe and vice versa. Great delivery with the vocals too! If I had to find a dislike some of the lyrics were a bit too vague. This was a very influential album so I can't pinpoint a specific thing this reminds me of, a lot of classic riffs here!
Not the best Blondie album imo but still really great!
The hits are bit, but there's a couple of tracks that are just merely there. The Buddy Holly cover, I'm Gonna Love You Too, is really fun.
Great album. Love Debbie Harry 😎
Another classic album that’s largely split between 5⭐️ and 3⭐️ songs
3/5. A great pop album with the singer really guiding the album. Some classics for sure on here but definitely some misses. Will pick and choose but not listen all the way through again.
Not great, the two popular hits were alright
Discazo 😍
Blondie is great, but I can't call this a perfect album.
Einzelne Songs ganz gut, aber im ganzen nichts für mich
Good
Total surprise
great new wave
New wave sucks, that's been established. Blondie isn't a very good band, and they're in a genre that sucks. There isn't much substance to anything here, including the singles. The non-single tracks are bog standard late 70s crud. But Debbie Harry is a fucking babe, so an extra point for that. 2/5.
One way or another you've got to like this album by Blondie—whether you have a heart of glass or are just a Sunday girl. I mean, I know but I don't know...you know? Yeah, all kinds of telephone themes on Parallel Lines just like those old wires. Classic.
Strong 3 light 4
4.5
Great new wave album. Their best.
An absolute classic of New Wave.....is this the alum that invented New Wave? Quite possibly! Anyway an album that is much greater than the sum of its hits. Heart of Glass is of course THE iconic New Wave/Rock/Disco smash that basically invented the "genre". But like I say every song on this album is worthy of at least your attention. Its hard to overstate the inportance of this album in the shaping of the music of the late 70s and early 80s. 4.5 stars
Slaps.
An essential album on the border of rock, pop, and new wave. I’m not a huge fan of Pretty Baby but every other song is great. An incredibly tight, consistent and energetic album
Solid; stands up. Of course, cool rhymes with fool.
It’s a nice album to sit through, I like that end of seventies just not too polished (or not at all) production. A lot more punk than that album by the Lemonheads.
J'adore Blondie. J'aime la voix, la présence, la personnalité de Debbie Harry, qui pour moi transparaît même quand on ne la voit pas. Le rock est mon genre favori, et je ne peux m'empêcher de bouger, danser, hocher la tête.
Contains the perfect pop song (Heart Of Glass), a perfect classic rock song (One Way Or Another), the perfect, iconic album cover (Debby Harry in justifiable super hero pose, but the dude on the far right is what closes it for me). But then again, every song is perfection in its own way. Just banger on top of banger, the album stands head and shoulders over everyone else trying to play in the same sandbox in 1978. This is the one that cemented Debbie Harry's legend.
Genres: New wave, Punk, Rock Formed: New York in 1980? Run time: 16 songs, 56 min 55 sec (12 tracks on the original release) Debbie Harry has an unmistakable and fantastic voice. This album was responsible for their mainstream success in the UK, US, and Australia. Some accused them of selling out when they infused Disco in the single “Heart of Glass”. As the song had been performed by them since the mid-70s, I’d say they adapted to the times. Most groups who achieve a long career, don’t do it by standing still. The album contains numerous hits that are instantly recognisable to this day. They have earned their place in music’s history books.
Really a great album. Hit tracks and a great theme - For some reason I always associate it with Canada and not New York, even though I know that its all CBGBs and shit. Anyway, great album. 5/5
Really cool album! Heart of Glass is of course an all time banger.
Before this I had really only heard the singles. Whole album is pretty good, though those were the best songs
Some more instantly recognizable classics. A bit too pop for my taste but overall good
What a star Debbie Harry was-- is maybe-- I think she's touring right now. All the songs that were great still are and the ones that weren't a part of her greatest hits album were better than I expected. It's fun to imagine what the scene must've been like with Harry in the Green Room for a show of this album. Bet it was wild!
It's easier to fall in love with Debbie Harry than the Blondie, but they're a package deal, so...
"Heart of Glass" and "One Way or Another" was pretty much all I knew of Blondie, along with a vague sense of Debbie Harry as a frontwoman. Unfortunately, though "Heart of Glass" is iconic, I kind of hate it. "One Way or Another," and the rest of the first half of "Parallel Lines," are much better. But it seems like most of the time there is just a little something missing. Sometimes the guitars are great, sometimes they are forgettable. Sometimes Harry's voice finds the edge and the attitude, but too often it's missing. Things start to go downhill a bit starting with "Pretty Baby," and by the time the aforementioned "Heart of Glass" arrived I had nearly given up. The cover of Buddy Holly's "I'm Gonna Love You Too" almost brought things back, but overall I'm left curious about whether Blondie's earlier albums delivered more bite.
Debbie Harry has a great voice. I knew One Way Or Another and Heart Of Glass and I was so pleasantly surprised to really enjoy a couple other songs that I didn’t know. I don’t recall a song I disliked n the album. I pick up a little bit of The Go-Go’s from this album. Rather I sense that The Go-Go’s had a little bit of this album Blondie album in their debut, Beauty And The Beat. Sure enough, the Inspired by Blondie playlist has a The Go-Go’s song in it. I also noticed that Blondie was a regular presence at CBGB in the mid 1970s. They are a nice edition to my where-and-when-in-music-history-would-you-like-to-visit, 1975 CBGB with Patti Smith and Television. Blondie’s bassist even joined to Television when they needed one. Small world.
I remember being surprised when I realised that Blondie is a band, rather than just the blonde lady that sings their songs. Before listening today, I was already pretty familiar with a bunch of songs and would consider myself a fan. Songs I already knew: Sunday Girl, Heart Of Glass, One Way Or Another, Hanging On The Telephone Favourites: Sunday Girl, Heart Of Glass Firstly, I almost mistyped that as Heart If Gladys. I just found that amusing and worth mentioning. The music on this album is fantastic throughout. It’s was hard to pick a few favourites because every song here is great. There are ear worms throughout here, and I’ve found myself singing to myself throughout the rest of the day. I genuinely couldn’t say anything bad about this album. There is nothing that can be improved as far as I’m concerned.
Great album cover, great songs, great energy. Lots of fun to listen to.
Good pop hits
Hard to argue against this album as a classic, as you can hear so many things that inspired bands that came after, but not something I would personally ever have in heavy rotation. Stand out for me were the drums, which were killer on nearly every track. I was surprised Heart of Glass was buried so deep in the track list, but I guess you never know what’s going to be an enduring pop culture hit.
I’ve already heard this. Love this album.
Fun. Prob won’t ever listen to it in full again
I've listened to One Way or Another before obviously, but it was on Rock Band so I know the song pretty well. I've also listened to a little bit of Heart of Glass but not the whole thing so we'll see. I do really like Blondie as a performer so I'm interested. I really love the growling she does in One Way or Another, I never paid attention to that before. I also really liked Pretty Baby, it was just really cute. 11:59 reminds me of Xray Spex somehow, I'm not really sure how to explain it.
Fortfarande ett starkt album!
A few great and iconic song on this album but other than that it’s pretty mediocre
Fine
3.5 love the bangers a lot of flops though
88 / 1069 Not for me - I knew quite a few of these from their endless radio and TV adverts plays. I can see the appeal it would have for a lot of people, but I just can’t.
Only loved the two favourites, otherwise it was an ok album nothing to knock your socks off or bring you back for second breakfast. Favourite tracks - One way or another, Heart of glass.
Heart of Glass
Had not listened to this album in full. Very good, the sequencing in the beginning isn’t great and it takes a moment to get going, but it’s fun and you can see why they matter.
спасибо этому рандомайзеру за то что я теперь знаю кто поет ту песню которая гичигичигичигичи и что блонди крутая (ван вэй если что даже не в моем личном топ три лучших песен альбома при том что она супер)
One Way or Another + Heart of Glass single-handedly brings this one up to a 4. Solid album.
Great album
Ooh I am glad this album was suggested to me. Did not listen to the whole album in one go, but I repeated parts of the album a couple of times (first halves only, last halves only). All in all, I enjoyed the album and am looking forward to explore the band in the future. 3.8/5
Some great beats. Didn't skip any songs.
Nice, sweet, goes well with toks. One Way Or Another is the best 1/1
really hope that I some day forget that I listened to this decent drummer
It has three of the greatest pop/punk/disco songs of all time on it. Other than that, it is mostly just okay, with a few great moments. It's all good though, definitely a strong album.
Pretty good!
Decent album
I'm not the worl'd biggest new wave fan, but this album is really nice, with good songs, clever hooks, engaging arrangements and quite a bit of variation. I will listen to this again. 4/5
Fantastic new wave album and Debbie Harry's vocals are perfect.
The boy-bandification of Punk.
Good album. I love Blondie. Heart of glass is the highlight here. But the album as a whole doesn't grab me.
Not for me. I don't find this groovy. Sounds troll.
4.5
This is a fantastic album, filled with chart toppers
Top Album
Amazing album
Just a solid rock record. Great stuff. The critics call this a “pop” record, but I think it’s pretty rockin’ so I’m disregarding their- ***FRIPP ALERT*** **Robert Fripp appears on track “Fade Away and Radiate”** ***This has been a test of the EMERGENCY FRIPP ALERT SYSTEM. You are clear to resume your normal day to day activities*** -opinion. What do the critics know anyway?
Discilo
Excellent, I really love it
The hits on this album really hold up the rest of it. It started to feel a lot longer than 39 minutes by the end. It did seem appropriate that the last track on the album is titled "Just Go Away" though.
Such a great mix of punk and new wave that keeps some of the rawness and edge of punk but mixes it with a poppy sheen. Just makes me wanna jam.
One way or another is so sickeningly overplayed that I had to skip it. Pretty Baby annoying and forgettable 50's inspired song. Sunday Girl fun and boppy. Heart of Glass the obvious star here, very different from all the other songs as it departs from the vaguely 50's theme. Just Go Away pretty funny and lighthearted. Overall a fairly forgettable album other than Heart of Glass and one I'd like to forget with One Way or Another.
Love love love
Very nostalgic
Blondie - it's 11:59 and I'm running out of time. Among the greatest capture of the CBGB energy, grabbing early 60's rock'n'roll energy and giving it the punk treatment. Phenomenal!
Great Blondie album. Fun listen but I never really yearn to listen to Blondie. Still, again, can’t deny that it’s a great album.
Nao rolou para mim. Achei ruim
The crossover appeal of this album is off the charts. An enticing mix off punk, pop, disco, and rock. Each song and genre is written and performed with great craft and fits seamlessly together on this album. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Heart of Glass Date listened: 27/12/22
Me parece un disco algo largo y no tan interesante a nivel general. Con respecto a su sonido es muy claro y muy bueno especialmente para la época.
Mary- 4
Yeah
Not a big fan of new wave. Some songs here are classic but overall didn’t jive
Oozes cool.
Always liked this album.
Outstanding album. An absolute Classic. 9/10
Every song sounds brand new. Catchy, edgy, cool.
Burde sikkert lika Blondie bedre men
nice! I’ve already loved this album long before it got generated for me, but it’s nice to give it another listen yeah, every song is amazing I don’t know what else to say haha just a perfect, 10/10 album and Heart of Glass is one of my all time favorite songs mostly because it has that one section played in 7/4 lmao
Hanging on the telephone 6/10 could be better a meh opener One way or the another 10/10 a fucking classic cant be topped picture this fade away and radiate slower song even tho it kinda picks up near the bridge then it drops again 6.5/10 pretty baby i love this one pace is quicker song is more draws you in kinda badassary felt like in a movie where you are the lead singer 7.5/10
The singles are perfect pop, but some of the album tracks are a bit filler. I quite enjoyed the Banana Splits inspired tune, but this felt like something I would have loved a lot more as a teenager. There's nothing innovative here but Blondie were a great pop band on their day, and Harry's voice is distinctive.
The second best Blondie album, behind Best Of. Which sounds like a Partridge thing to say, but this doesn't quite reach the heights of hit after hit. The singles here are outstanding. The rest of the album keeps the very tight rhythm section running. Plus that silk voice. Debbie Harris actually sounds like she looks in all those early 80's sugar pop lush videos.
Good classic album
Levy pelkkiä hittejä! Iskee!
Fantastic. Equal parts punk and pop, with a fun, breezy energy. The album cuts are excellent and “One Way Or Another,” “Sunday Girl” and “Heart of Glass” are absolute classics. Especially “Heart of Glass” — that’s one of those magic songs that sounds like nothing else. The backing vocals throughout the album are really playful. They added fun details to a lot of these songs. I feel like the more I listen to this, the more I’m going to love it so I’m smashing the 5 on this one.
Production is super tight for 1978 (ah crap I'm listening to the remastered version), and the songwriting is great. I always loved how Debby Harry had this badass-ness about her. Man she is gorgeous too. "One Way or Another" is such an American classic. I feel like I have only ever heard this song through a crappy car radio and never though studio monitors- it sounds so sick! Overall I enjoyed it. I think it's a solid 4.
Yessssss! I love this album!
Pretty good! 3.5, with an extra .5 for I'm Gonna Love You Too -- what a great track!
Modern day classic
3.5 stars mostly for “Heart of Glass”. The rest of the album is pretty good? Nothing crazy though. I wish it was more punk.
Banger
I REALLY loved this. It sounded like a poppier, more accessible version of Horses by Patti Smith, an album I love. Heart of Glass is a track I heard before and I still think it's the best song on it.
Iconic album and the best one ever released by Blondie. It takes a lot of talent to use styles as different as classic rock, punk and disco, and still create such a cohesive LP. And Debbie harry has sung a string of choruses for the ages here (Call Me, One Way Or Another, that Hanging By The Telephone cover...). Maybe not a 5/5, but a solid 4.5/5, at least. Number of albums left to review: more than 700. Temporarily lost count here. Keepers: half so far (including this one) Maybe I'll keep them: a quarter Stinkers: one last quarter
Goeie hitjes, andere nummers hit or miss. Net tussen 3 en 4 maar voor heart of glass doen we 4.
не, не захватывают ни мелодии, ни вокал. зато узнала что она приёмная
Great start to this music/listening project. I really only know Heart of Glass and One Way or Another. Glad to have heard the rest of the album that I, otherwise, wouldn’t have done. Some caught my attention right away, others were easily forgotten after hearing it. Those that stood out and are new favorites are: Hanging on the Telephone and Fade Away and Radiate. And Heart of Glass, of course, is a classic and remains my favorite of all.
Some highlights, some skippable sections, overall a good average
Fucking amazing!
Ho hum
Oikein hyvä! Heart of glass pelastaa ehkä vähän notkahtavan b-puolen, kun alussa on ensin ladattuna hittiä. Nopee tempo viehättää
Tämä bändi osasi selvästi tehdä kappaleita, mutta sillä ei luultavasti ollut aikaa viilata kaikkia niistä loppuun saakka: kun Parallel Lines tuli markkinoille 78, Plastic Letters oli julkaistu samana vuonna, ja Eat to the Beat julkaistaan jo 79. Tästä syystä levyn huiput erottuvat radikaalisti sen heikommasta materiaalista, mikä latistaa kuuntelukokemusta kokonaisuutena. Hanging on the Telephone on todellinen saavutus, ja albumi alkaa muutenkin vahvasti. Taso kuitenkin heikkenee jatkuvasti, ja B-puoli on täysin suhteettomasti Heart of Glass -biisin varassa.
The peaks of this album were very fun. There is quite a bit of filler in this, which knocks the rating down a bit. Favorite track: One Way or Another
It’s ok. There are some timeless classics here that everyone knows, but it’s somewhat of a boring album that lacks any wow.
This one I have heard a few times. More depth than just the singles.
Fun. Was expecting cheap pop but was surprised. Interesting sounds and changes. Fav tracks: hearth of glass (10/10) one way or another (classic) pretty baby and hanging on the telephone
Blondie is good rock, didn't do it all the way for me
Just OK for me, she must have been an incredible performer because the album left me underwhelmed.
Slaps
Hitspäckat album och nästan inte en dålig låt. Toppbetyg!
Interesting mix of music, and her voice is much better than I though coming from mainly Heart of Glass.
List should be renamed "1001 albums that made me die." The singles are singles for a reason. Rest is generic stuff. Pretty terrible era for music.
It's alright, is it new wave? I don't know, doesn't matter. One way or Another and Heart of Glass are great tracks
Amazing album, no skips
A rough and tumble band creates their finest album that’s two parts punk and one part new wave. What’s not to love?
Good album 🫶
One song sounds like the Only Fools & Horses theme
This was one of three albums that were played at almost every party I went to the year after school finished. The others were Rumours and Rocky Horror. Why Parallel Lines? Because it is full of bangers that force you to dance! It loses a little impetus with Pretty Baby and I Know... then side two roars into life with 11:59. Even the two lesser tracks are better than any power pop because THEY STARTED POWER POP. It's driven by Clem Burke's power which is then topped by layers of instruments which enhance but never get in the way of Debbie's golden vocals. This is unquestionably the best pure pop album of the '70s.
Blondie was a punk! Aside from the overplayed hit singles this is a pretty fun album.
This was alright, recognized a few songs but never realized they were by Blondie.
Good, but never understood the hype.
Excelente álbum! Lo mejor inmediatamente después del punk para entrar en la new wave de los '80. Sigo insistiendo: lo mejor del rock de Estados Unidos está del lado de la costa Este.
One of the best mixes of post punk and self expression there is. Blondie delivers. 4/5
50% stone cold classics, that's a pretty high number for a single album produced in the 70s. most 70s albums we've had on this list are one or two hits and a shit load of filler. the filler isn't too bad on this either.
I was watching She Hulk Attorney at Law this afternoon, when all of a sudden I felt an enormous ache in my bum. It was a pain I hadnt felt since that cruise I took with Blondie back in the mid 80s. Then, I spent 42 hours straight, chained to the toilet shitting up a turd so powerful it registered on the Richter Scale. Today, it was different, my bowels rumbled and eventually fired out hundreds of spiders. I'm finally a dad.
I enjoyed it Debbie
Good start then a bit too much of the same throughout. Couple of classic songs.
When they're good, they are very very good. This album was a harbinger of what was to come during the 80's. It had little hints of punk, some new wave, the synth sound of progressive music. Anybody hearing this album for the first time may think, "meh", but in 1978 this was a bridge between 70's album rock and synth-heavy 80's music. At the time nobody knew that it was anything more than just a different sound.
Very good, I would listen again
taylor swift could learn a thing or two from chris and debbie about songwriting
incredible singles make this a top notch album. my usual comment re: Greatest Hits applies
i ❤️ debbie she is my fave the other guys are cool too
I'm ashamed to say that I'd never listened to this album in full before. I knew the hits, but I hadn't listened to it the full way through. I regret not doing it earlier. This was fantastic and lots of great stuff has been added into the rotation. Debbie Harry's voice shines throughout and the riffs just hit me in the right way.
5 massive post punk hits. Its a hard one to criticize. Brilliant vocals. Muscular guitars with pleasing rhythm lines. Stong 4 but is just a bit too bubble-gum to make a 5. Also a coule of the non-singles are skippable. Maybe I'm wrong. 4.5.
Excellent
I felt pretty lukewarm on most of the songs, with some standouts and some not so great ones as well. Overall it’s a fine listen but nothing I’m itching to come back to. 5/10
I liked the hits - even the disco song! The rest was mediocre though.
Loads of pop hits on this one! A lot of them have a fifties rock n' roll feel, so it sounds pretty normal when they play a Buddy holly cover. "Heart of Glass" sounds so out of place, like they decided to go all OMD on us for one song, but after listening to the original version from four years earlier, it was clearly the right move. A defining album from that era!
The first two songs are serious bangers - Hanging on the Telephone and One Way or Another. Debbie Harry has a killer voice here, full of spunk, verve and attitude. I think Telephone is their all-time best song actually. The rest of the album, including Heart of Glass is fine, but not as outstanding as the first two killers. Along with the Cars and Devo, Blondie was part of the big trifecta of American new wave bands in the 70's.
amazing post pop punk album fun quirky rocky
Poppi hittejä, aika hyvä.
Pop punk new wave masterpiece
Ah, this is why I know of them. Pretty decent stuff even outside the hits honestly.
Fantastic album. It starts with a phone ring and then punches straight into Hanging on the telephone. One of the best "intros" of any album. The album continues with a mix of punk and new wave, fast and slow. All in all, a very well put together album.
Mi-a plăcut 4.5
I like it
Was mad into this when I first discovered it (2005?). Not a duff track.
Had listened to before! (Just not a Blondie fan im sorry!!!)
Just utterly hilarious.
Kinda liked it
Idk man just didn’t vibe
I have a soft spot for this album and was delighted to revisit. It has a fairly good breadth of tracks, not all gold, but enough so that it keeps you listening and represents a strong top-to-bottom album. Love the synth and punk and pop and proto new wave vibe.
Pretty good new wave album. Some amazing hits and some meh deep cuts. Overall it's fine but it's not something I'm gonna add to my constant rotation, but I'll be glad to return to it from time to time.
Prett good
Hadn't really listened to anything but a few songs from this album before. Pleasantly surprised at how good it was
I wasn't familiar with this album (save for the singles) but I will definitely revisit it for a long, long time! A solid line-up with some real gems such as the toe-tapping I Know But I Don't Know. Will Anything Happen has that sound that some indie rock bands try to emulate to this day. Edgier than your typical new wave and just as refreshing today as (I assume) it was back then, despite being almost 45 years old! A very strong 4.
Iconic! But not my taste.
Starts out good, drags a bit at the end. The Fripp solo is pretty great.
This was one of the very first albums I bought - actually my brother bought it, I bought ELO's Discovery, the only time he has demonstrated better taste. Only two things to note on one of the easiest 5 star reviews: I never knew that Hanging on the Telephone was a cover until very rcently, and you need to make sure your copy has the 5:50 disco mix of heart of Glass and not the single edit some early pressings of both vinyl and CD use (including my brother's copy I quickly inherited and still have).
As albums go, this one is one of those typical “some songs are awesome, some are fillers”. However. This is one of those albums that make me mourn what had happened to pop music over the years. Why did it deteriorate from this incredibly musical, powerful, wonderful voice and personality powered incarnation, into the dreary repetitive boredom of contemporary pop?
Always seems like a “Best Of” album. Superb pop music.
This album exceeded my expectations. I always saw Blondie as a band with just a handful of hits, but imagine my surprise that all of those hits are on the same album.
liked it
Great start with some all time classics. Couple of duds but overall a great album
Overall solid, the B side is way better than the A side
I love it! I didn't realize all these amazing songs were on just ONE album.
Not a big fan but there are some classic songs.
Loads of classic tunes.
I have this album on vinyl - it was one of my very first records. I was obsessed with Blondie from a very early age, and this is still one of my favourite albums today!
loooove Blondie, she's an icon!
Such iconic songs. As a complete album, there are small amounts of filler, so not quite the full 5 stars. Would give it 4.5 if I could.
Heart of glass rules. Cool guitars.
Rock-pop perfection! Debbie Harry is a powerful sorceress of song. I was lucky to grab this on NM vinyl for only a few bucks!
Best Song: Hanging on the Telephone. Just enough of that gruff quality to the vocals, and everything is quick and uptempo enough to stay interesting. Worst Song: One Way Or Another. Maybe it's just overplayed, but I find the chorus (especially the getcha-getcha-getcha) very grating. Overall: The vocals are the best part here, and they're best when pushed into a throaty, rock direction. Unfortunately, those rock moments are not as frequent as the plain, fairly basic era pop. Also, the album absolutely didn't need to be 16 tracks.
Listened before, own in my collection
Vocals sound like the lead singer was joking or messing around somehow on a few tracks, which is annoying Some tracks sound kinda Honky tonk, but some still stand up Not really my jam
Loved it!
I liked the deep cuts better than the known hits
A classic album that I’m glad to have finally heard all the way through. Heart of glass is a top 10 song (and the Miley Cyrus cover is pretty great too) and I also like one way or another (with a good 1D cover). I can’t quite give this a 5 but I liked it a lot
More punk than I thought. Heart of glass is the worst song on here.
Iconic and fun music, but not my go-to.
Solid album
I suppose I didn't hate this, but having said that, I'm pretty certain I would be happy to never listen to this album again and wouldn't be opposed to never hearing a single one of these songs again.
Pretty good! Never listened to a full blondie album before. Hasn’t aged amazingly but enjoyable definitely
Call Me
4,5/5
ALBUM RATING: 3.4 ALBUM GRADE: C+ TRACK RATINGS: 1. Hanging on the Telephone - 4.0 2. One Way or Another - 4.0 3. Picture This - 3.0 4. Fade Away and Radiate - 3.5 5. Pretty Baby - 3.0 6. I Know but I Don’t Know - 3.5 7. 11:59 - 3.0 8. Will Anything Happen? - 3.0 9. Sunday Girl - 3.0 10. Heart of Glass - 4.0 11. I’m Gonna Love You Too - 3.0 12. Just Go Away - 3.0
Fun party pop punk pop lite. This album has a dark edge with contrasts of hope and light. Guitar is much heavier and distorted than I would have expected. Many surprises on this album. Hints of 50s pop and show tunes can be heard in some tracks.
Some hits we've all heard, and the rest of the album is ok.
The hits are outstanding but the rest doesn’t really do much for me
Honestly some bangers. Decent work, caffeine bad?? Pillows.
Classic
Knew it, doesn't really like.
Have to admit that New Wave is a bit of blind spot for me. As a 90's alt rock fan, it always felt a bit too mainstream (and 80's) despite a lot of these bands coming up in CBGB with the early punk rock bands in the 70s. Been listening to the "Ongoing History of New Music" podcast's history of alt-rock recently though and I feel like they did a good job of describing them (and New Wave). They said something like "They don't sound like punk rock, but when you hear them you can tell that punk rock had happened." This record definitely feels like that. It's very commercial sounding and there are some big hits on here that probably feel more tame than they did when this came out because they've been played so many times. But there is an edge to the playing that probably wouldn't have been there without punk having happened. It's a fun record and I can see why people like it but probably not something I'll revisit very much. Solid 3 stars for me.
Blonde – Parallel Lines Blondie isn’t a band I’ve listened to that much. Let’s se ehow good they are. - Don’t Leave Me Hangin’ on the Telephone – Straightforward rock with some surprisingly good guitar. I especially like the background trills in the choruses. Pretty good track. - One Way or Another – A poppier track, and not one I particularly like. It lacks the aggression and sinister vibes of better yandere songs. It predates “Every Breath You Take” by the Police, but it’s definitely a worse song. Apparently singer Debbie Harry was almost kidnapped by Ted Bundy, and this was her way of dealing with that event. It’s not a pleasnant listen though. Way too repetitive. - Picture This – It’s a song about longing for various things (a street with a view, a guy etc.) Not really a fan. - Fade Away and Radiate – Much more low key song, with muted instruments and softer singing. Describes how dreams and people can die so quickly (the lines “dusty grames that still arrive die in 1955” references James Dean’s untimely death, for instance), but television causes them to live on. IT’s conceptually kinda interesting, but not one I like that much. Parts of the outro are kinda good I guess. - Pretty Baby – A song about child star Brooke Shields who played the role of child prostitute in the film Pretty Baby at only 12 years old. ICK. I don’t like the song that much, either. - I Know But I Don’t Know – I don’t like it. The backing vocals from Frank Infante are kinda bad. The end solo is nice though. - 11:59 – I don’t like the keyboard playing. The parts don’t really fit together for me. - Will Anything Happen? – Stuff happens, but it’s not particuarlly good. Rockier than most, but has enough awkward parts and goes on for too long that it fails to make the cut. - Sunday Girl – Don’t like. - Heart of Glass – The pure disco track of the album and one of the two lead singles. The quavering keys are nice, and the bass has a nice beat on this one. The “mucho mistrust” lyric is dumb though, lol. Are those enough to carry a song I otherwise don’t like much? Not quite. - I’m Gonna Love You Too – Generic 80s pop rock love song. I don’t like. The guitar solo is decent, but that’s it. - Just Go Away – Please do. Of all the albums I’ve listened to, this is probably my least favorite so far. The only track I’d save for later is the first one. The rest are either annoying, boring, or vapid. I like some Blondie songs, but very few from this album. Top Tracks: - Don’t Leave Me Hanging On the Telephone – Rockiest track and only one that didn’t kind of annoy me. It’s also a cover, lol. - Fade Away and Radiate – the most unique and conceptually interesting, though it doesn’t quite live up to that potential.
first song slaps. everything slaps. i love it
good
Fun enough, but didn't really grip me much. Listened while working.
I've sometimes heard about "Blondie" in the past but never tried to listen to a complete album. However, listening to it, I know these songs: from movies, from the radio, from my childhood memory, from somewhere that I don't remember, but I know I've already listened to them. I think that even though not being exactly my cup of tea, these songs are the definition of classical songs. They keep in our memories even if we aren't aware of them.
I love Blondie - however they are one of those bands that write singles so well that they dwarf the record they are on - even though the album is a good one - you expect an ‘Heart of Glass’ and ‘Hanging on the Telephone’ at every turn. Amazing singles, Great Band, Ok Record.
Decent, but felt like generic 70's pop/rock
Prima
Not bad.
One waaaayyyyy or anotherrrrr
Recognized some of the really big songs immediately but the rest was meh
New wave pop
pleasant tunes, easy to the ears. .3 stars.
didnt realize this is the band that makes that song 'one way or another'. 4 songs in and likin it so far. fun to listen to but nothing crazy exciting. heart of glass too ive heard before its good. will def end up coming back to some songs probably not the whole album
Loved this Album. Debbie Harry has such a powerful voice and she wasn’t afraid to be different in a very tumultuous time for rock and roll, and thus helped to influence a revolution. Add that to Chris Stein’s unique guitar compositions and you have a band that was made to break the mold of rock in the 70s and open up a new era of punk and pop rock music.
Cool, 1st album came out when I was 3. 1st track is 'hanging on the telephone' - pretty much what I expected, Debby Harris' signature voice print, early 80's vibe to it. I'll give it a chance. finished the album, quite a nice feeling afterwards - notable tracks: one way or another, picture this, i'm gonna love you too.
Knew the big hits, but enjoyed the other tracks as well. Something I should come back to and listen to more.
3.5