Search - Blondie :: Autoamerican

Still uneven, but has aged decently

Allan Tong | Canada | 03/28/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Credit Blondie for never sticking to one sound or formula. Every album preceding this one dabbled in styles, including punk, girl groups, power pop, and disco. AUTOAMERICAN takes this eclecticism to the max, but the results are mixed.



The strongest songs were the number one hits, THE TIDE IS HIGH and RAPTURE, which brought reggae and especially rap (hip hop) to a wide American audience. Both tunes are infectious, danceable and likable. No album can be bad with these two songs.



The rest of AUTOAMERICAN, however, ranges from smart to lame. The opener, the ponderous instrumental, EUROPA, sounds like something out a German sci-fi film, and starts this album on a disastrous note. LIVE IT UP partially regains the confidence of the listener. It's a mid-tempo dance number featuring some fine female backing vocals. DO THE DARK sounds like a close cousin--also likable if not harmless. ANGELS ON THE BALCONY is another good song, driving hard with a catchy hook, but it suffers from a harsh proto-industrial intro that makes no sense. T-BIRDS is an overlooked song that hits even harder than ANGELS. This is a highlight. Two nostalgic torch songs, HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU and FACES are cute, but slow down the album, particularly the latter. WALK LIKE ME has its fans, but to me it's nothing more than album filler. FOLLOW ME is Blondie's version of The Beatles' Good Night. It's a self-conscious album-closer, lush and full of strings. Perhaps if the overall album were stronger I would celebrate this tune, but I feel indifferent towards it.



In an ideal world, Call Me should've been part of AUTOAMERICAN to enliven the album's overall tempo and to replace one (or two) of the weaker songs like WALK LIKE ME or FACES. The same goes with B-side, SUZY AND JEFFREY, which is no masterpiece but has its charms.



The bonus tracks on this CD are good filler. They offer good dancing fun, and there's nothing wrong with that. Blondie, after all, makes us move and feel alive. On AUTOAMERICAN they reach in several new directions with mixed results, but when they succeed they shine.

"

Schizophrenic and spotty, but with some of their best songs

S. Davies | 07/14/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have to admit that it was the two big hits on this album that delayed my interest in fully pursuing Blondie's full musical output. Though I did own the old Best of Blondie CD for the other good singles they released, it wasn't until the early 2000's that I took a chance and actually listened to a full album. The results were that I ended up purchasing the entire back catalog, and was pleasantly surprised at how good many of the songs were on the various albums.



Now for Autoamerican... On the downside there are the two overrated singles, which I still find unlistenable and tedious today. In addition, you get a number of overblown songs that either date the album poorly or make Blondie sound like a lame lounge act.



On the plus side, the songs that stand out as good are very strong. One of my personal favorite Blondie songs from their entire catalog is the catchy hook of 'T-Birds'. It's a bit experimental and really cool, containing some wonderful vocal hooks.

I also love 'Go Through It'. Even though it has some glossy horns in it, it's very catchy and Debbie sounds wonderful. "I love you, honey. Give me a beer".

And probably one of the most stunning songs Blondie ever came up with is the gorgeous 'Angels on the Balcony'. If this was the material I was exposed to at the time, I would have been a follower back in the day. At least I did eventually take the chance to see what Blondie had to offer, so now all of these albums are classics in my catalog. That being said, Autoamerican is one of the more schizophrenic and spotty albums, but when it works, it's perfection."

A Five Star Masterpiece!

tunancheese | 09/19/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I never heard this album until after my first Blondie show this year. Where was I when this gem came out? How did I miss this? This is Blondie at an extremely creative peak - a true must have! The musical territory that this band encompasses on this album is astonishing. Blondie turns "The Tide is High" into a Blondie masterpiece - clearly outdoing the original - and making it their own.

Again, the extra tracks are brilliant!"