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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 2, 1999)
’80s band Blondie makes lukewarm attempt at comeback ‘No Exit’ tries too hard TO GET WITH THE '90s AND OFFERS TOO LITTLE OE Blondie’s BEST SOUND By Nicole Garton Oregon Daily Emerald When embarking upon an attempt it a major comeback, a formerly successful band has two op tions, It can try to recapture its former magic by reviving the old hits that made it big in the first place, or it can hope to slip into the present by riding the latest music trend. With “No Exit,” Blondie's first release after 16 years of nonexis tence, the late-’70s new-age punk band takes a crack at both — and does a pretty decent job. Blondie never was a band to work within the narrow confines of one music genre. In their five years of fame, they produced everything from disco dance tunes, sexy ballads and reggae to early rap songs, psychedelic romps and the driving, punchy rock anthems they are best known for. And they did it all well. With “No Exit,” the members of Blondie continue their all-over the-map approach to music as though they had never stopped. The album’s first single, "Maria," is a catchy anthem remi niscent of Blondie classics such as “X Offender” (1976) and “Dreaming” (1979). Lively guitar and energetic drums punctuate Deborah Harry’s rich vocals to create an aesthetically pleasing foot-tapper — just the kind of song radio stations love to over play. “Maria” even borrows a line from the song “Walk Like Me" (1980): "She’s like a millionaire, walking on imported air.” To further recreate the Blondie sound that fans fell in love with two decades ago, the CD includes a funked-up remake of the 1975 tune “Out in the Streets,” which was first released on “The Plat inum Collection" in 1994. From there, however, “No Exit” departs from the “typical" Blondie sound in a big way. The title track begins with a gothic organ intro and launches Blondie Continued from Page 4B their second album, “Parallel Lines." From there, the band enjoyed a three-year wave of success with three more albums, two of which went platinum, and two more number-one singles, including “Call Me” from the film “Ameri can Gigolo.” But in 1982, the group fizzled, torn apart by dis sension and the rare genetic dis ease contracted by Stein. Although Blondie hung around for only half a decade, the band left a lasting mark on the music industry. Blondie transcended genres and pio neered new ones, making histo ry as one of the inventors of punk music and the first band to combine rock with reggae and disco. As a band, Blondie did any thing and everything, including topping the charts with a disco song at the height of anti-disco sentiment. And as a lead singer, Harry took the same approach. With her bleached mop, her former-playboy-bunny-bad-girl attitude and her outrageous wardrobe, Harry paved the way for the naughty blonde vocalists who have spread themselves over the pop charts during the past decade-and-a-half. “I think she was a ground breaker — there’s no doubt that she was,” Walker said. “(Harry) was going off in a different direc tion. They had a different style, a different look and a different sound than what was happening at that time.” Nearly two decades after their breakup, Blondie returns to the music scene not as a pioneer, but as a band out to prove it still has the stuff. Although "No Exit” fea tures a few tunes sporting the classic Blondie sound, it makes an effort to dip into the latest mu sic trends, including the ska romp “Screaming Skin” and the title track Harry performs with rapper Coolio. "They’re doing a good job of staying on top of the times. They’ve got their finger on what’s hip now,” said Krista Meyer, a Eugene resident and a fan of ’80s music. “They’re not doing the techno thing; they’re sticking to pop, which is what they do best.” However, Meyer added that the band is trying a little too hard. “Coolio just doesn’t work, and that ska-thing they do on the first song [‘Screaming Skin’] is too all over the place,” she said. “But people really seem to like it ... Debbie Harry still looks awe some.” -aer.i—u Musique Gourmet Catering to the Discriminating Collector CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED CLASSICAL MUSIC, OPERA, BROADWAY, FILM SCORES & TALKING BOOKS ON COMPACT DISC CD’S FROM $3.95 In the Fifthpearl Building 207 E. 5th Avenue OPEN 7 DAYS Free Parking 343-9000 3E into a laid-back rap song that Har ry performs along with rapper Coolio. This track is Blondie’s most obvious attempt at endear ing the band to current music au diences, and while the band’s right to rap is indisputable — Blondie created what is arguably the first rap song in 1980 with "Rapture" — the genre is definite ly not the band's strong point. Harry has no problem singing tough even at age 53, and drum mer Clem Burke sets a driving beat, but “No Exit" lacks the ener gy and flare of the band's best mu sic. And Coolio’s performance on the album diminishes rather than enhances the band's sound. Like “No Exit," the opening track is also tinged with a sort of monster mash gothic flavor. Blondie dabbles in ska a bit with “Screaming Skin,” whose lyrics deal with Harry's ex perience nursing her one-time part ner and Blondie guitarist Chris Stein through a rare and often fatal genetic disease. As though defiant toward the disease that contributed to the band's demise, Stein approaches I “Screaming Skin" with a vengeance, while I larry attacks the playful lyrics with equally playful vocals, and oddly, the song ends up sounding not unlike many of the band’s less popular older tunes. The rest of the CD continues to offer a platter of musical genres and sounds. “Boom Boom in the Zoom Zoom Room” is a jazzy lounge air that hearkens to Harry’s recent years fronting the band Jazz Pas sengers, while "Forgive and For get" combines an electronic jungle teat with eerie, hypnotic vocals. Overall, “No Exit” is much like many of Blondie's older albums. It covers a range of styles, it stretches the versatility of the band, and al though the songs aren't necessari ly spectacular at first listen, they tend to grow on you. Perhaps that is the primary quality that has helped the tend maintain a strong fan base for the nearly two decades between releases. Although “No Exit" is a little rusty as the band searches for footing in the ever-evolving music industry, it is still worth buying — at least for nostalgia's sake. No Exit Artist Blondie Genre: Alternative Released: February 1999 Score: ★★★** celebrating our 10th Anniversary! 2 locally owned and amazingly stocked stores! WEST 1 1 TH A SENECA 541 683*6902 EUGENE 995 N.W. KINGS BLVD. 841 752-9032 CORVALLIS Sale offer good or regular price items only throu<J\ April 11.1999. Limited To Stock On Hand. NOW THROUGH & * * APRIL 11TH ★ EVERYTHING IS OM SALE Cl) WORLD