Here comes the 21st Century,” Debbie Harry assuredly sang nearly three decades ago on her solo disc Def Dumb And Blonde, “it’s gonna be so much better for a girl like me.”
With the turn of the century well behind us now, that gleeful prediction has certainly come true: Singer-songwriter Harry, guitarist and co-writer Chris Stein, powerhouse drummer Clem Burke and their band-mates in Blondie are undeniable pop icons, their sound, and sensibility as fresh as when they first topped the charts in the late 1970s. In their newest project, Po11inator, Blondie enlisted a group of cool songwriters to contribute to the record weaving their way into the living, breathing story of Blondie, a group that directly affected their genetic makeup as artists. The list is enviable and reflects the dynamism of Blondie’s very own cross-pollinating past – the fans and friends contributing material are blonde-bewigged superstar Sia, Blood Orange frontman Dev Hynes, British singer Charli XCX, Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio), Nick Valensi (The Strokes), Johnny Marr (The Smiths), and Canadian movie blogger and indie rocker (under the name An Unkindness) Adam Johnston. The invincible Joan Jett and cross-dressing comedian and singer John Roberts, who rose from DIY YouTube sensation to Bob’s Burger regular, both contribute vocals.
“We put the word out and asked people for songs and we got a lot of responses. I’m happy with the way it all came together. It was a different approach for us, to draw in all of these things. I feel like we did what we did back then and we put out these sounds and ideas and now we’ve come full circle, pulling it back in, continuing this ongoing chain of events, this circular motion,” Harry shares.
Though the tunes were culled from disparate sources, the feel of the album is impressively unified, with a playful nod to 1978’s groundbreaking Parallel Lines. Harry, Stein, Burke, and company took this raw material and deftly transformed it in the studio into an album that’s quintessentially Blondie. The emphasis is on arrangements that are fast and fun, lyrics that are romantic and teasing, and synth-stoked hooks that evoke the new wave era. It was Grammy-winning producer John Congleton (Franz Ferdinand, St. Vincent, Sigur Ros, David Byrne, War on Drugs) that brought the late ’70s attitude out of Blondie again. He found himself having breakfast with Debbie and Chris in the summer of 2015. “We hung out for an hour, talked about music, about where they were as people and what they thought a Blondie record should sound like these days. We were simpatico on that.”
“John has a great knack for working with bands,” adds Debbie. “He’s very patient and supportive to everybody, and he makes insightful suggestions. He’s really into the music and making it the best it can be.”
Notes Chris, “We really hit it off. He’s a very smart and talented producer.” Together with Debbie, Chris, and Clem, they were joined by band members Leigh Foxx, guitarist Tommy Kessler, and keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen and took to the studio. “I had more of a deliberate agenda than they did,” says John. “Their agenda was the best, they still love each other; they like playing music, so let’s have fun. At the end of the day, Blondie doesn’t have anything to prove. My agenda was more dogmatic. I didn’t want to make a pastiche lifestyle record or a modern pop record that sounded like Blondie being influenced by what’s happening now. I wanted to know what it’s like to be Blondie at this age.”
The disc was the last one to be recorded at Soho’s legendary Magic Shop, the go-to location for Lou Reed and many other artists for decades. Says Stein, “That was nice, but it was a drag that the studio had to close.” Blondie recorded the album quickly “to keep that band vibe,” as Stein put it, and there’s an immediacy to these tunes that reflects this group effort.
“Doom Or Destiny,” featuring guest vocals from Joan Jett, begins the album with clattering proof that 2017 Blondie can still tap into that classic fervent vibe that created the likes of “Hanging On The Telephone.” R&B scenester Dev Hynes penned “Long Time” which immediately reminds me of the disco “Heart Of Glass”, a song about “racing down the Bowery” and wondering if life turned out the way you wanted it to. They sought Sia out for her track “Best Day Ever”. The song is a collaboration with Nick Valensi and seems to expose them both as “Denis” fans, as it ponders the push-pull of bittersweet memories. Then there’s “Fun” – the Dave Sitek creation. It turns the tables back to Studio 54. “Gravity” is the Charli XCX number. It bonds Charli and Debbie via their mutual pop-punk cheekiness (“I’m drinking Cherry Cola… You’re nicer when you’re sober,” sings Debbie ).
Harry’s and Stein’s songwriting skills are reaffirmed on the instantly addictive “Doom or Destiny,” with its thunderous opening drum roll and its propulsive chorus, and on the carnivalesque “Love Level,” which features vocals from John Roberts and the exuberant Providence, RI 20-piece marching band What Cheer? Brigade, a combo that had previously appeared in concert with Blondie. Keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen co-wrote “Already Naked” and “Too Much” with Laurel Katz-Bohen and Lucian Piane.
All in all the album presents the viewpoint of an older stateswoman, who’ll break down barriers of ageism and sexism from her still cucumber cool stance. “Lyrics are always a case of observation or momentary insanity or whatever,” Debbie says. “Just life. Going through it and hanging out with people, listening to music, and going to movies. It all filters down into this mishmash of thought and something rises to the top.” Chris is more direct, siphoning off specific periods to work on music outside his photography. His unique guitar-playing and arranging are what give life to Debbie’s musings. Their dynamic is the same as it ever was: Chris, the drawl acerbic wit to Debbie’s straight-talking rebel. On the subject of future music videos, Debbie remarks, “Do you think they’re that necessary?” Upon mention of how Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’ reinvented the format, Chris chimes in, “Well she has more money than us so…!”
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