The first of an ongoing classic album series, we’re taking you back to the heady days of 1978….
It hardly seems possible that Parallel Lines was released nigh on 40 years ago. Just one look at the album cover, and a skim through the track listing, makes the tunes spring into your mind, as fresh as yesterday.
Fronted by the beautiful Debbie Harry and delivering a wholly eclectic mix of styles (pop, punk, disco, reggae, rap), Blondie’s music became instantly recognisable, and Parallel Lines, their third studio album, helped them break into the elusive but lucrative US market.
Rather than wax lyrically that much, let’s skip to the track listing (* denotes a singles release) :
- Hanging On The Telephone *
- One Way or Another *
- Picture This *
- Fade Away and Radiate
- Pretty Baby
- I Know But I Don’t Know
- 11:59
- Will Anything Happen?
- Sunday Girl *
- Heart of Glass *
- I’m Gonna Love You Too *
- Just Go Away
Of the singles, only I’m Gonna Love You Too failed to make an impression, but then a Blondie cover of a Buddy Holly original is maybe pushing eclectic just too far.
The others? You may well be singing them now.
The US markets lapped them up, making Heart Of Glass the band’s first US number 1, an achievement that they repeated a further three times over the next three years. Add to that six UK number 1 hits and success across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Blondie had made it. The album, produced by Mike Chapman, harnessed the raw emotion of their first two albums (Blondie and Plastic Letters) and helped them bridge the gap between new-wave edginess and financially viable pop stardom.
The rest (as they say) is history…
A Sound Impression 