Blondie
Parallel Lines—Deluxe Collector’s Edition
Capitol
By David Chiu
Blondie’s third album, Parallel Lines, which was released 30 years ago, launched the band to greater success. Although having come from the downtown New York City punk rock scene, Blondie scored its biggest hit from the album with the uncharacteristic disco tune, “Heart of Glass.” To this day, that great song still sounds like it could have been recorded today—it’s timeless. It’s just one of the eclectic songs on Parallel Lines along with the somber art rock of “Fade Away and Radiate”; the ‘60s mod pop of “Pretty Baby”; the punkish “11:59”,; and the cool French pop of “Sunday Girl.” Of course the two other beloved Blondie songs, “One Way or Another” and “Hanging on the Telephone,” appear on the album and still retains their power pop grit. Parallel Lines was a definitive turning point in the band’s career and it deserves a further appreciation with its 30th anniversary. This new reissue carries four bonus songs; the DVD portion contains videos to the singles and a Top of the Pops performance of “Sunday Girl.”
Read my Spinner.com interview with Blondie’s Deborah Harry in which she talks about Parallel Lines 30 years on.
Watch the video of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass”:
NewBeats 