|
 |
| |
Blondie
| June 5th 2008 @ Ramshead Live! |
| |
by Katherine Gaines & Courtney Campbell
| |
| |
In 1978 Blondie released Parallel Lines. The album peaked on the Billboard Album Chart at #6 and included Blondie's first #1 hit, "Heart Of Glass." The album also included the hit "One Way Or Another" as well as "Hanging On The Telephone" and "Sunday Girl." The single "Heart of Glass" ended up being the first American #1 New Wave single and the album itself has sold over 20 million copies. With the 30th anniversary of Parallel Lines EMI is re-releasing this iconic album on June 24th.The commemorative CD/DVD release adds four bonus audio tracks, three classic music videos and a previously unreleased TV performance from the BBC's "Top Of The Pops" to the album's original tracklist, as well as a booklet containing the original album photo session. The band also took to the road to do what they do best, perform to sold-out performances across the U.S. and Europe on the band's "Parallel Lines 30th Anniversary Tour." The tour kicked off in Baltimore at Ramshead Live! on June 5th and earplugsrequired.com was there.
The show started off with Debbie Harry and band playing the entire Parallel Lines album start to finish. According to guitarist Chris Stein it "doesnt really make for the best live set but is aesthetically correct". Of course there are always those dedicated fans that are thrilled with each song but overall the energy picked up with the singles like "One Way or Another" and "Heart of Glass". Debbie Harry's voice was in fine form and she easily fed off the energy of the crowd becoming more active as the crowd did to the singles.
The band breezed through the album and got more talkative as they played through their catalog of hits. This is a band that for example had: first American #1 New Wave single with "Heart of Glass", the first #1 Rap single in America with "Rapture" and the first reggae #1 single in America with "The tide is high". The single "Rapture" has also been a Top Ten Dance single on the Billboard Dance charts in the 80's/90's/00's, - that's 3 consecutive decades. There aren't many bands out there today that can boast such numbers if any.
It may have been somewhat of a nostalgia show, but Blondie proved why they had so many hits and it was great to hear songs they wouldn't otherwise play.
| |
|
 |
|
|
