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By Vinnie Apicella
Before embarking on a long winded introduction to this mountainous
undertaking spotlighting the storied career of a then and again Rock
legend, I thought it best to begin with some "Concluding Observations"
as presented on the 512th and final page of the volume as adapted and
edited from The Blondie Review: "Blondie is. a band with one of the
most successful reunions in rock history; a band that has produced
number one records in three decades; a band with significant sales and
chart statistics covering 26 years of rock and roll; a band that has
influenced the style of many modern artists and groups; a band that has
opened the doors for many modern artists; a band that has been copied
and covered. but never duplicated." So apparently somebody did read my
previous build up on the latest Blondie reissue series and Greatest Hits
release in the aftermath of their successful reunion tour of a few years
ago. Or maybe not. But suffice to say, the compilers of this monstrous
publication, awe-inspiring to say the least, hold the band to such a
high esteem they should go through all this trouble to reaffirm a true
Rock n' Roll legend that lasted less than a decade, didn't strike their
first major hit until their third album, and left a struggling scene
they helped uplift with barely a whisper or bleary-eyed glance back from
the listeners who loved them. For some sixteen years, from their 1982
swan song/nose dive, until their unsuspecting return with "No Exit" in
1998, no one knew or seemingly cared. yet the blueprint had remained
for the many others to follow and they were none to shy to say as much
in the concluding quotes.
This book, a letter sized
glossy covered paper back filled with fun facts, full page photos, and
decades worth of frivolity, features an endless array of essays in and
around the band's history and the musical scene they helped shape from
their modest emergence of a low key lower east sider to the present day
Punk Rockers and Pop queens who've all been touched in one way or
another. Compilers Allan Metz and Robert Betts did enough homework here
to satisfy the stiff requirements of any number of
biographical-compiling big shots to the point where, as a reader, you
come away feeling like not only were you there since the beginning (did
you know CBGB's was originally a Blues/Country club?) you're making
preparations for Sunday brunch with the bandmembers the next time they
come to town. Never once is there an indication of anything less than
utter pride, from the Stein-driven Prologue, to Metz's Acknowledgements
page and Preface, to Music Journalist Victor Bockris's insightful
Foreword, to Betts's Editor's Note to the back page references, there's
no signs of stress fractures or cracks in this faithfully rendered
collection. From the word go, readers are quickly led through a
chronological series of well written essays and era articles written for
and occasionally by the band, pulling many a classic feature from a
golden moment in time, or the inspired recollection from those that were
there.
In spite of its approximately 1/5th total of photographic contents,
featuring the marked work of such internationally acclaimed rock photogs
as Roberta Bayley, Bob Gruen, and Mick Rock, among many others, the
pages seem dominated by stunning black and white visuals of some real
gems reaching back to the beginning - or the days of "Debbie" to
"Deborah" onto the post-Blondie Harry solo foray to their well-received
re-entry with "No Exit" where many of the accompanying storylines
originate from. Discover the New York City scene for the first or
fortieth, through in-depth analysis from the "Punk" perspective as drawn
from the essential first of four parts as we follow the group and those
they touched from the well-drawn layout of "Then," to "Between Acts," to
"Now," and finally "In Retrospect." It's a historically accurate
interpretation of the band, their music, and the scene that spawned them
and that which they ultimately moved beyond before burning out a bit too
quickly. Anything and everything pertaining to Blondie, the music, and
their roots, is in here in full-page splendor that's above and beyond
even the ardent fan's expectations. Readers will discover the impact of
the band itself and the lasting impression it's made on throngs of
cutting edge new artists and the in-vogue process of the current day
coagulation of musical climes that in itself suggests how far ahead of
their time Blondie was in the annals of music, fashion, and pop culture.
This is definitely a valuable resource for referential purposes or pure
entertainment, well presented and structurally sound, with layouts
making for easy reading and ease of viewing. Don't let the "Unauthorized
Unofficial" front cover stamp fool you, it's authenticity competency,
and comprehensibility are inarguable. The book is available through
Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble online, or through Blondie.net, the official
Blondie website. In addition, for more on the compilers of this book,
further information can be found at The Blondie Review, "America's only
Blondie fan magazine," by going to
www.geocities.com/theblondiereview/TheBlondieReview.html.
© 2001, BBHrdRpt
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