Blondie - Parallel Lines (1978)

Blondie's stateside breakthrough and the transition as they left the new wave behind for greener pastures. To the majority of people this is their essential and quintessential album. Awful cover though.

Hanging on the Telephone
One Way or Another
Picture This
Fade Away and Radiate
Pretty Baby
I Know But I Don't Know
11:59 
Will Anything Happen
Sunday Girl
Heart of Glass
I'm Gonna Love You Too
Just Go Away

Recorded during the summer of 1978
at the Record Plant in New York City
Released in September the same year
Reached No. 1 in the UK, No. 6 in the US
Produced by Mike Chapman
Robert Fripp makes an appearance on the song "Fade Away and Radiate"

Cecily's Review

Personal Background: Bought this as the "ultimate Blondie experience" and found it pleasant but it wasn't until I had the chance to play it on speakers later that I really fell in love with it.

Resonance: It's rare but it does happen. Most of these tracks are just showbiz, danceable ('Heart of Glass'), adorable ('Sunday Girl'), sing-alongable ('One Way Or Another'). Entertaining enough, but every now and then Debbie Harry taps into something with a little more desperation and staying power, most notably on 'Picture This' and '11:59.' It is lightweight, but still, the positive feeling this music evokes is always good for a bad day. 2/5

Design: Letting the band members sing when you have Debbie Harry around is a mistake and leads to the worst track on the album ('I Know but I Don’t Know'). A bunch of goons crashing the party, that’s what that song sounds like. Other than that, it's a solid pop record, no missteps. A strong one-two punch for the opening, one modest epic (the crooning, starry Monroe tribute 'Fade Away and Radiate') to give the band something substantial, one of the better disco hits, a Buddy Holly cover and to wrap up... Well, 'Just Go Away' doesn't really feel like a closing number, and it isn't one of the strongest cuts so... 3/5

Utility: I already know this gets the highest points in this category. Car, company, kids, work, home – no problems. About the only thing this album can’t do is the “sit and brood” mode. 5/5.

Conclusion: 10/15. I am very happy to keep this CD.

Best: Picture This; Sunday Girl.

Worst: I Know But I Don't Know.

Ticharu's Review

Personal Background: I bought this album when it came out. It was a party record, everyone loved Heart of Glass and I needed a record my girlfriend would like and I could tolerate. Ultimately I disliked everything about this album including the artwork but most of all the song writing. OK, and the musicianship, the singer and especially the production.

Resonance: Admittedly I can't listen to this album now. The best I was able to do was sample some of the tracks for a review I wrote for 365 Record Albums. I've heard bits because other people were playing the album over the years. It always brings me back to being 18 years old so I guess that qualifies as emotional resonance. Not a particularly good emotion however and since I can't derive any intellectual resonance from the songs on this album I'll have to score this 0/5 but that doesn't mean I'm a miserable person :)

Design: For me the design of this album worked a treat. It made Blondie popular and my girlfriend loved it and all my friends loved it. Cecily loves it. Great. 5/5

Utility: Only as an instrument of torture... seriously, I am not a miserable person! 0/5

Best: I'm Gonna Love You Too

Worst: Heart of Glass

Conclusion: Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.