Comments for Blondie, No Exit

Well after all the hullaballo they still have got it! I thoroughly enjoyed NO EXIT. I was a bit skeptical about it at first, but gave it a shot. It is a great come back CD for a band whose music I have loved for many many years. It is definitely worth buying. If you are a Blondie fan you wont be disappointed.

Although I`m thrilled that Blondie is back together after 17 years, "No Exit" is sadly not a terrific record. It certainly isn`t horrible, but compared to Blondie`s marvelous late-1970s punk albums, it can only be described as like one of Deborah Harry`s mediocre solo ventures. There are probably two main reasons for this disappointment: Mike Chapman, Blondie`s best producer (who--not coincidentally--also produced Harry`s charming "Def, Dumb, and Blonde") is not on board for this record, and for the first time, nearly all of the songs are written with outside collaboraters. While ballads like "Night Wind Sent," "Double Take," and "Forgive and Forget" sound hopelessly dated with their cheesy lyrics and saxophones, and other weak numbers such as the reggae-lite "Divine" are nothing to write home about, there are a few memorable songs on "No Exit." The gorgeous, soaring single "Maria" could belong on any vintage Blondie record, and it qualifies with the band`s finest power-pop tunes. "Nothing Is Real but the Girl" and the inventively-produced "Out in the Streets" are perfectly good filler; "Happy Dog," "The Dream`s Lost on Me," and "Dig Up the Conjo" are cornball fun; the title track (featuring Coolio) is the best rap Harry has performed since "Rapture"; and "Screaming Skin" is a witty ska number. This record also proves how utterly essential drummer Clem Burke and keyboardist Jimmy Destri are to Blondie. The tracks where Burke is prominantly featured are the best on the album, and Destri proves once and for all that he is the band`s best songwriter. Pick up this record if you`re a massive Blondie fan only; otherwise get the "Maria" single or the soundtrack to "200 Cigarettes," which has a medley of "Rapture," "Maria," and "No Exit."