Parallel Lines / Plastic Letters

About

In 1975, Blondie graced the stage nearly every weekend at Manhattan’s grimy CBGB club, trading sets with the Ramone, Talking Head, and Patti Smith. Uptown, swanky nightclubs like Studio 54 pumped out flashy and flamboyant disco grooves 24/7. By 1978, Blondie brought these two disparate worlds together, landing at the top of the charts for the first time the following year with their euphoric disco romp “Heart of Gla.” While this was the single that established the band’s prowess as pristine pop architect, it only offered a taste of the edgy, playful sounds stretched across their third full-length album, <i>Parallel Lines</i>. During the recording proce, Australian producer Mike Chapman’s perfectionist drive reportedly left Debbie Harry in tears and the rest of the members at each other’s throat, but it ultimately tightened up their loose and lively retro-pop and made it forward-thinking—all the way down to their choice cover. Lead track “Hanging on the Telephone” reinterprets LA band The Nerves’ jittery rock song as a sleek, fiery come-on, while Buddy Holly’s “I’m Gonna Love You Too” becomes a cheeky bubblegum-pop gem spliced with jagged bass and punk attitude. .

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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