I know that subsequent attention always falls on Blondie’s third album, “Parallel Lines”, mostly because it had their first big hit, and thusly brought the band to the attention of the general populace, but in my opinion, it couldn’t match the impact of hearing their first record for the first time.

As far as debut records go, “Blondie” represented a near miraculous blend of energy and humor that sounded fresh and entertaining, even though it blatantly utilized familiar, even shopworn, elements. On first listen, the band sounded like some comic book invention, a fully formed aural version of Mad Magazine. Blondie grabbed from every element of New York’s kitschy street culture, including doo-wop, girl groups, science fiction, surf music, B-movies, gang culture, catfights, and sex – lots of sex, then somehow crammed all of it into a package that fit comfortably within the burgeoning punk rock scene. Debbie Harry had sex appeal to spare, looking for all the world like a reformed Playboy bunny (a previous job of hers, actually) who suddenly found herself caught up in downtown New York punk culture, a beautiful face in a world that strived to be crass and ugly.

The band is great, too, but unfortunately rendered virtually faceless because of the magnetism exuded by Debbie Harry. For all the general public cared, the band could have consisted of John, Paul, George and Ringo, but all anybody saw was this gorgeous frontwoman, acting out every schoolboy’s juvenile rock and roll fantasy. The entire album was one gigantic cliché performed with tongue firmly in cheek. The fun never stops to take itself too seriously, which is another reason why I prefer this album to their breakout record. Just about every song on “Blondie” is a joke performed well enough to bring respect to the performance. Each subsequent album emulated this same formula but strived harder and harder for mass acceptance, watering down the image until the humor got lost, and the structure of the form holding things together became all too obvious.

When they hit the big time with “Heart of Glass” (from “Parallel Lines”), they got what they wanted, but the original spirit was dampened in the process. It was as if a great obscure TV show suddenly added a laugh track to let everybody know how to react. Enveloped in a slinky disco beat, mass culture was able to swallow the joke, or overlook it entirely. For this reason alone, I would argue that it is virtually impossible to acknowledge “Parallel Lines” as a great record without also acknowledging the fresh wit of the band’s debut album, while the opposite is not necessarily true. By the fourth album, even the band forgot to bring their sense of humor, and the magic dissipated, but if you like Blondie at all, then it is essential to start at the beginning.

Featured Tracks:

X Offender

Little Girl Lies

In the Flesh

Look Good in Blue

In the Sun

A Shark in Jets Clothing

Man Overboard

Rip Her to Shreds

Rifle Range

Kung Fu Girls

The Attack of the Giant Ants

December 1976 – Billboard Charted Did Not Chart