Things I didn’t know until the Internet came along: about a zillion people have mastered the Sultans of Swing guitar solo by Dire Straits and have posted it online, the people I went to high school with are idiots and chronic misspelling issues, and…Deborah Harry of Blondie is surely the most photographed woman of the last 50 years
Blondie have never been far from the consciousness of we who were in school when the band released their U.S. breakthrough album Parallel Lines. In fact, I saw them play not too, too many years ago and they still sounded amazing. And Debbie, now age 77, is still super hot and ice cold. Just like in 1979.
The latest venture from the band is a dual-pronged affair that includes their first release of a full retrospective box set, called Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982.
Here are the specs:
124 tracks / 36 previously unissued
Two volumes of liner notes, track by track commentary, illustrated discography, and dozens of previously unpublished photos
Re-mastered from the original analog tapes, vinyl cut at Abbey Road Studios
Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition (10xLP, 1×7″, 1×10″ in Red, White, and Black vinyl formats), Deluxe 4LP, Deluxe 8CD and 3CD Editions
See the unboxing of the Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition HERE, and listen to Blondie’s previously unreleased recording of “Moonlight Drive,” out now.
It’s hard to believe this lot have been together for 50 years. I’ve included the lengthy track listing HERE
Debbie Harry said, “It really is a treat to see how far we have come when I listen to these early attempts to capture our ideas on relatively primitive equipment. Fortunately the essence of being in a band in the early 70’s held some of the anti-social, counter culture energies of the groups that were the influencers of the 60’s. I am excited about this special collection. When I listen to these old tracks, it puts me there like I am a time traveler. As bad as it was sometimes, it was also equally as good. No regrets. More music.”
On the visual front: a graphic novel under the title: Blondie: Against The Odds Graphic Novel is recently out. The medium isn’t my thing, but I know it is for a lot of people – it’s available in so many different editions, that I’m just going to post the link HERE at the Z2 Comics site. You can also get a quick feel for the art and content by checking out the short video below:
A-ha Release New Film and Album – Read Here
