Book Review: Under a Rock

Debbie Harry defined iconic band Blondie’s look. Her performing partner, lover, and lifelong friend Chris Steinwas its architect and defined its sound. Parallel Lines, their third album, catapulted to #1, sold 20 million copies, and launched singles like “Heart of Glass”, "Hangin' On the Telephone," and “One Way or Another”, providing the beat when Bianca Jagger and Halston danced at Studio 54 and the soundtrack to every 1970’s punk-soundtracked romance.

Chris Stein knows how to tell a story. Under A Rock is his nothing-spared autobiography. It's about the founding of the band, ascending to the heights of pop success, and the hazards of fortune. Famous names march through these pages: Warhol, Bowie, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and more. But you can get famous names anywhere. What you can’t get anywhere else is a plunge into the moments that made a giant 1980's artistic sensation. Stein takes us there in this revelatory, propulsive, distinctive memoir.

Debbie Harry - KooKoo (35th anniversary)

Today (July 27th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of KooKoo, the first solo studio album from Debbie Harry. This 1981 release scored very well on the charts, going to number 24 in Norway, number 17 in both Canada and New Zealand, number 7 in Sweden and number 6 in the UK. In the US, it spent twelve weeks on the US Billboard Album chart and peaked at number 25.

For my full album review, please click here.

For more from Debbie and Blondie, please click here.

Blondie - Eat To The Beat

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Sunday.

This month marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Eat To The Beat, the fourth studio album from Blondie. This 1979 release spent fifty-one weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 17. Around the world, it reached number 23 in Germany, number 19 in Austria, number 16 in the Netherlands, number 9 in Australia, number 6 in Canada and Norway, number 2 in Sweden, and number 1 in the UK.

Blondie - Parallel Lines (35th anniversary)

Today (September 23rd) marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of Blondie's Parallel Lines, an album that helped them crossover to a whole new audience.

Click here for the complete review of this 1978 album.

Debbie Harry - KooKoo

Happy sixty-seventh birthday today (July 1st) to American singer-songwriter and actress Debbie Harry.

On July 27th, 1981, the famed lead singer of the new-wave rock band Blondie put out her first solo album KooKoo. This release scored very well on the charts, going to number 24 in Norway, number 17 in both Canada and New Zealand, number 7 in Sweden and number 6 in the UK. In the US, it went all the way to number 25 on the Billboard Album charts.

Blondie - The Hunter

Today June 5th is the 30th anniversary of the release of The Hunter, the sixth studio album by Blondie.

The record went to number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 49 in Germany, number 19 in Norway, number 18 in Sweden, number 15 in Australia, and number 9 in the UK. After three Platinum selling releases in a row, this one represented a drop-off in sales. It was also the last studio album the group would put out until they re-united seventeen years later in 1999.

Blondie - Plastic Letters

Happy sixty-second birthday today (January 5th) to American guitarist Chris Stein.

Between Blondie’s self-titled debut album in 1977 and their third album Parallel Lines in the fall of 1978 (click here and here for each of those two reviews respectively) came their February 1978 sophomore release Plastic Letters. This album went to number 72 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 9 in Germany and number 10 in the UK (the later country it had reached Platinum status).

Blondie - Blondie

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

Guitarist Chris Stein had been playing in bands in New York City since 1973, which is when he met singer Debbie Harry, a former waitress and Playboy bunny. They went from the Stilettos to Angels and the Snakes. That later band eventually changed their name to Blondie in late 1975. Their self-titled debut album was released on an independent label in December of 1976 and enjoyed some moderate success in Australia (number 14 on the charts) and the UK (number 75). A year later, they signed with Chrysalis Records and Blondie was re-released.

Blondie - Parallel Lines

Welcome to another edition of “Seventies Saturday”.

September 23rd of 1978 saw the release of Parallel Lines, the third studio album from the American new wave band Blondie. While the album was a top-10 seller in the US (it peaked at number 6), it was over in the UK where the album would achieve its highest status - a number 1. Besides being one of the band’s best-selling albums (over 20 million copies sold worldwide), it was also a critical favorite as well. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 140 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.