The Best of Blondie Reviews

While other compilations have eclipsed this one, The Best of Blondie remains one hell of an album. The de facto and defining summary of the band’s power pop and disco-punk for years, The Best of Blondie is winnowed down to the absolute essentials. No wrong note and nary an ounce of fat to be found here. Instead, there’s just one great song after another that combined smart song craft with arty, underground roots to produce some of the shiniest, sleekest, sexiest New Wave around. The random sequencing of songs gives the impression that experimenting with disco caused sexpot/singer Debbie Harry and her mop-topped bandmates no bigger sweat than reggae, hip-hop, girl group pop, and punk. It’s a dizzying rush of urbane, sophisticated pop artistes ironically sending up the rock and roll radio of their youths and winding up joining the pantheon almost in spite of themselves. Essential listening.

DOWNLOAD: “Sunday Girl (Special Mix)”