Search - Blondie :: Parallel Lines (W/Dvd)

Nice for the video

Scott Coblio | West Hollywood, CA United States | 11/29/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let's face it--there are a thousand versions of "Parallel Lines" available on CD by now--and almost all of the songs from it are on the more comprehensive compilations as well. This oddity has its pros and cons--I'll start from the outside in.



The original cover artwork has been kind of mangled, not quite sure what they were going for here. The album title is Parallel Lines and they removed the parallel lines. The lyrics for Debbie's unfinished poem from which the title came show the first three lines out of order (it should read, "the lines on the pages, the lines on the screen, the lines I have written that you read between...")



There are only 2 or 3 photos from the outtakes for the cover picture--aside from these the opportunities for an exciting booklet appear to have been wasted. The back cover picture by Roberta Bayley is a live shot from 1979--when Debbie was playing the shaggy-haired rock goddess, as opposed to the more retro and vampy pop siren of "Parallel Lines". Can't we keep the eras straight?



Lest I sound nitpicky, I'll get to some of the good aspects of this disc. The sound quality is great, just as good as (but no better than) the 2001 remaster. There are some good bonus tracks, most notably the all-French "Sunday Girl", although I have to say the mix on this song is vastly inferior to the one available on "Once More Into the Bleach", which boasts much higher fidelity coupled with a brighter vocal mix on Debbie. When the song fades with Debbie's forlorn "I got the blu-u-u-u-u-u-es...." you can really hear it on "Bleach"--here, its all but lost. Still, as they say in the video editing biz, "they won't miss what they never saw..." and it's still nice to have the song included.



The video disc is a nice consolation prize for a somewhat flimsy booklet & lack of extras--although most of them are available elsewhere, there's a great bonus in the form of a 1979 lip-synch appearance on "Top of the Pops" where the band performs "Sunday Girl", Debs in her black and white striped sailor dress, oversized sunglasses and red tights, Clem's drumset out front, the boys mugging playfully (Chris Stein was actually a handsome devil at the time!) I've seen this clip on bootleg TV compilations and it's always been one of my favorites. Top of the Pops was an excellently filmed show and I wouldn't mind having all of Blondie's appearances on it. (There's a particularly good live version of "Denis" with Debbie in red shirt and thigh boots that ranks as one of the bands best live TV appearances ever). Are you listening, BBC?



All in all, the low price makes it worth picking up for the video alone. But when is someone going to come up with a beautifully packaged, comprehensive book or box set on Blondie?"

Blondie's Parallel Lines Still Rocks!!!

Ken Pierce | Brooklyn,, NY USA | 08/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's hard to believe that it has been 30 years since Blondie released "Parallel Lines", an album that while it wasn't the bands first, was one that definitely secured them a place in music history for the decades to follow. The main tune on the release as many well know is "Heart Of Glass" and this became a radio staple and has even been referred to as one of the best song's ever written by Blender magazine. Of course growing up on your more conventional Hard Rock and Punk of the time, I preferred the album's other offerings such as "One Way Or Another" and "Hanging On The Telephone" for they were more in line with the tempo and styles that I was finding myself into. "Sunday Girl" was another winner, and getting the chance to enjoy them on a new remastered edition of the album was fantastic. During their heyday, I always found myself enjoying some of the musical adventures that guitarist Chris Stein and the stunning Debbie Harry were up to, and I even remember that I used to try and slam out the drumming that Clem Burke used to do for the numbers I referenced earlier. The whole release includes an insightful liner notes booklet and there is commentary from Stein and Harry who explain their thoughts of the time on the album's creation. If you are someone who still has an old musty vinyl sitting around, now is your chance to upgrade and hear these tunes with the memory of how important to you they once were, and probably still are. Congratulations on the anniversary, it's great to realize that a New York band like your own had the staying power and that your music still sounds fresh when compared to the current scene.



DVD: "Picture This" (promo video), "Hanging On The Telephone" (promo video), "Heart Of Glass" (promo video), "Sunday Girl" (BBC TV "Top Of The Pops") - previously unreleased.

*** The DVD delivers the band's promotional videos for the songs and older fans will remember these films from the early days of MTV where they were all in constant rotation. There is also the bands appearance on the BBC program "Top Of The Pops" and that was an awesome inclusion since while a lot of footage like this exists, we so rarely get a chance to enjoy it. Lucky for us, Blondie decided to add their clip to the release."

Still the BEST

Michele | PA | 07/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is still as fresh as it was 30 years ago! There is no better band around. Blondie ROCKS!!"