1: Parallel Lines - Blondie

PARALLEL LINES

Blondie, released September 1978

Hanging on the Telephone: This is a cover which is much better than the original track. Debbie's vocals are fabulous and throaty and the guitars are just perfect. The drumming is exciting and the song is incredibly memorable. It's hard to find any faults with this. 10/10

One Way or Another: This track has got iconic riffs and the most throaty, growling vocals imaginable. The tune is fantastic and the lyrics are memorable. This song will live on forever, and despite the 35 years since its release, it still sounds modern. The roaring guitars in the middle are especially noteworthy. 9/10

Picture This: This track slows the pace by a little bit, with interesting lyrics (which aren't just as good as the ones for the two preceding songs) and a fairly catchy chorus. The production is good, but this song just doesn't feel as special as 'Hanging on the Telephone' or 'One Way or Another'. 6/10

Fade Away and Radiate: This track is more experimental than the others, but for me at least the mix of eerie drums, tingling keyboards and soothing vocals is pleasing and it works, though perhaps it isn't the most radio-friendly song here. 8/10

Pretty Baby: This song is tragically underrated. It has some gorgeous lyrics and Debbie's giving her all with some fantastic crooning in this song partially based on Brooke Shields. The melody is really enjoyable and the band all play brilliantly in this wonderful gem. 9/10

I Know But I Don't Know: There's an addictive repeated melody in this, and you can't help drumming your fingers to it or humming along. It's a really, really good tune, with a nice extended instrumental break bridging the two sections of the song in different keys. Despite this, the song sounds a little bit dated nowadays, Frankie Infante can't sing and the lyrics are repetitive and awful. 7/10

11:59: This song is a painfully unrecognised one, with an intriguing melody backed up by interesting keyboards and drums. The vocals and lyrics are both impressive, and the song itself is a highlight of the album, though it's not really been recognised as such due to its not being released a single. 8/10

Will Anything Happen?: This song is the flip side of “One Way or Another” lyrically, with the lyrics saying the opposite of the lyrics of the other song. It's a wonderfully energetic song with growling vocals and guitars that's really enjoyable to listen to, complimenting “11:59” and “Sunday Girl” well. 9/10

Sunday Girl: The sugary vocals and sweetness deployed by Debbie Harry in this song are nice, and they don't really get boring with multiple listens. Sure, this track is not a punk-rock energetic New Wave classic like “One Way or Another”, but it stills packs a punch and makes for a nice listen. 7/10

Heart of Glass: Oh god, it's The Disco Song. I don't really like disco in itself but no matter what, this is still an incredibly catchy song with interesting if repetitive lyrics and accomplished performances by all the band members. And it is destined to live on until the end of time. 8/10
I'm Gonna Love You Too: I'm sorry, though Debbie Harry delivers some excellent vocals here and all the band members are playing really well, this track is just a bit too generic and a bit too similar to songs like “11:59” for me. That's not to say it's bad, just that the album would have been just as strong without it. 6/10

Just Go Away: Lyrically this closing track is similar to “One Way or Another” or “Will Anything Happen”, but melodically it's an interesting sound comprising of encouraging vocals and enthusiastic keyboards and guitars. It works. It's a very enjoyable closing track to a very enjoyable album. 9/10

OVERALL: And just a quick word for the artwork. The cover art is iconic and memorable. Okay, there you go. Altogether, this album is the one that brought Blondie into the spotlight and made New Wave and pop-rock break through into the public eye. It has some immensely good tracks here, and some hidden gems, and only a couple of the songs let it down. 9/10