"Blondie" by BLONDIE – January 1977 US Debut Album on Private Stock Records – April 1977 UK LP Also on Private Stock Records, Reissued September 1977 UK and USA on Chrysalis Records – Featuring Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, James Destri, Gary Valentine and Clement Burke (September 2001 UK Capitol/Chrysalis Expanded Edition CD Reissue and Remaster with Five Bonus Tracks – Kevin Bartley Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...XXXXV Offenders..."

Let's be honest here and dive into full-on truth mode.

 

From a distance of 45-years (2022) and if it wasn't for great moments like "Rip Her To Shreds", "Rifle Range" and "Kung Fu Girls" - it's hard to imagine the staggering success of Blondie listening to this - their rather weedy self-titled debut album – even on this 2001 Extended Edition CD upgrade.

 

First issued in January 1977 on Private Stock Records in the USA (the debut single was December 1976), and reissued later that year by Chrysalis on both sides of the pond – neither "Blondie" nor its three seven-inch singles charted.

 

But that all changed with February 1978's monster hit "Denis" and that same month – the "Plastic Letters" LP. "Denis" smashed it to No. 2 while the album hit No. 10 on the UK charts – the second album even denting the all-important US Billboard Rock LP market with a decent No.72 showing.

 

But let's get back to the 'you know her' Soap Opera Queen Debut album of 1977 that has at least been bolstered up here with some very cool New-Wavy rarities tagged on as Bonuses. To the XXXXV offenders...

 

UK released September 2001 - "Blondie" by BLONDIE on Capitol/Chrysalis 5335962 (Barcode 724353359621) is an Expanded Edition CD Reissue and Remaster with Five Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows (46:28 minutes):

 

1. X Offender [Side 1]

2. Little Girl Lies

3. In The Flesh

4. Look Good In Blue

5. In The Sun

6. A Shark In Jets Clothing

7. Man Overboard [Side 2]

8. Rip Her to Shreds

9. Rifle Range

10. Kung Fu Girls

11. The Attack Of The Giant Ants

Tracks 1 to 11 are their debut album "Blondie" - released January 1977 in the USA on Private Stock PS 2023 and April 1977 in the UK on Private Stock PVLP 1017. It was reissued in the UK September 1977 on Chrysalis CHR 1165 - finally charted March 1979 on the success of their third album "Parallel Lines" peaking at No. 79.

 

BONUS TRACKS:

12. Out In The Streets (Instant Records Demo, 1975)

13. The Thin Line (Instant Records Demo, 1975)

14. Platinum Blond (Instant Records Demo, 1975)

 

15. X Offender (Original Private Stock 45-Single Version)

16. In The Sun (Original Private Stock 45-Single Version)

Tracks 15 and 16 are the June 1976 US Debut 45-single on Private Stock PS 45,097 - March 1977 in the UK on Private Stock PVT 90 - "In The Sun" was a Non-LP B-side at the time

 

BLONDIE was:

DEBORAH HARRY – Lead Vocals

CHRIS STEIN – Guitars (Bass on "X Offender")

JAMES DESTRI – Keyboards

GARY VALENTINE – Bass

CLEMENT BURKE – Drums

Songwriting partner Ronnie Toast

 

The 8-page inlay is a fairly basic affair for thise 'Remaster' series not surprisingly containing a page of 7" and 12" picture sleeves (German and Japanese) and a live photo the band from the period with May 2001 liner notes provided by original producer RICHARD GOTTEHERER. There are a further two pages of recording/reissue credits and the 24-bit Remaster from original tapes has been done by KEVIN BARTLEY at Capitol Mastering. Given what I was used to, you have to say that the Audio is way punchier and the clarity on tracks like "Look Good In Blue" almost unnerving at times. To the lithesome five-piece...

 

I often think it a mistake to have opened the LP with "X Offender" instead of say "Rip Her To Shreds" - but fans love it I know and for me the LP version is beefier than the 45-mix of this anarchic cool. Oh the delicious naughtiness of lyrics like "Darling...I can’t wait to touch you...in the flesh..." done to a 60ts Girl group melodrama backbeat. And while I like Stein's "In The Sun", Debbie's own "Man Overboard" hasn't aged well. 

 

But my poison will always be that trio on Side 2 - "Rip Her To Shreds", Rifle Range" and "Kung Fu Girls" - where they sound like England's answer to The Motels (check out my reviews for the stunning BGO Reissues of their first 4 albums on Capitol Records). The first three 1975 Demos in the Bonuses are a different sounding Blondie - way more New Wave than overtly Pop and actually better recorded than I had expected (bloody good actually). And in the end, it's cool to have both the A and Non-LP B-side of "X Offender" tagged on too – the spirit of the year captured by that lippy B-side "In The Sun".

 

"I lost my heart at the Rifle Range..." Debbie sang all those years ago. Well maybe not entirely for your debut my dear, but world domination was not far away.

 

Is it really forty-five years on for "Blondie" - my God! 

 

That 12" single poster for "Rip Her To Shreds" of Debbie looking so sexy (yours for only 75p) is still a blast...just like this rather zippy little CD reissue...