Record of the Month - Classic

Another installment of a disk I have enjoyed over the years. I'm trying to keep the Record of the Month posts to be fairly new releases. Classics are going to be ones that are at least 10 years old.

For 2011, I focused on debut disks - just to make it more challenging for me. I don't think you'll care one way or the other.  I don't think I'll necessarily continue on debut disks in 2012, but this selection actually is.

While Blondie's debut and eponymous album might not be their best (I still say Autoamerican is their crowning achievement), it does rank up there in the #2 or 3 position.  For a debut, Blondie was wickedly strong.  It still is.

With a 1976 release date, it was a great mix of punk, new wave, pop and, in a weird way, surf music.  Produced by Richard Gotteher, who would go on to helm the Go-Go's first disk five years later, there are similarities between the two on how he approached those mixed genres with both bands.

It really went nowhere in terms of charting or hit singles in the states, but it made an impact in the UK, the Australia and of course, with me. It had great sensibilities on where music was going and really forged the American part of New Wave.

In my opinion, each song is great on this disk - six of the 11 would be what I would consider to be outstanding.  Almost anyone with any of the versions of Blondie's 2,318 greatest hit compilations will know "X Offender" and "Rip Her to Shreds" - two of my personal favourites.  Oh, how I always thought of Amy Broadhead when I heard the latter.  I wanted to do just that.

But it's hard to beat "Look Good in Blue", "In the Flesh" and the surfiness (it's a word!) of "Rifle Range" and "In the Sun".

Blondie is just a fun album with a great edge.  Where normally, without thinking, I'd pick the Pretenders debut as the best debut, but in reality it is probably Blondie.