For me, the excitement of reunionmania has generally run its course. Most of the bands that could get back together that I had even the most remote interest in had already gotten back together. I thought. All of a sudden, I heard that Blondie was coming out with a new CD, and the flame was re-ignited. However, since the efforts from "reunion groups" had been marginal at best in creating something new and exciting, I kept my excitement to a minimum. I loved Blondie back in its heyday, but it isn’t one of those groups about which I was thinking, "it would be really spiritual for them to come back." I certainly hadn’t forgotten them. Their "Greatest Hits" set is one of those CD’s that one whose musical education took place in the early 1980’s keeps in their collection, and comes back to over and over again. Though I had heard that Deborah Harry had been out touring recently, I still never thought about the impact of a Blondie reunion. Well, one listen to Blondie’s new CD, "No Exit," and I was floored. Time has not taken Deborah Harry’s vocal range away. She continues where she left off with Blondie 17 years ago. A true diva, her voice still exudes the same power and seduction.
"No Exit," released in February, is one of those CDs you don’t need to listen to over and over again to get it. On first listen, you hear the diverse and rich mix of styles. From pop to rock to rap to jazz, some retro-new wave, and even a little pseudo-calypso, this CD does it all well. Harry and the rest of the band are impressive in their interpretation of styles, molding the music into a flowing and rich mix. Though musically diverse and aesthetically pleasing, "No Exit" is not completely beyond the mainstream. It contains an instant hit in the third track, "Maria." With a catchy, flowing chorus, backed by gritty lyrics and vocals, it hits home without hesitation. And of course, Blondie includes its dose of rap. With its title taken from Jean-Paul Sartre’s existential masterpiece, the fourth track, "No Exit" is the type of rap that hits you hard, yet doesn’t offend. Being one of the first groups to record rapping music, and certainly the first mainstream pop/new wave band to take it on, in this new tune Blondie successfully blends their own early rap style with newer, harder edged sounds. The rapper Coolio is enlisted for support on this tune.
"No Exit" enlists all the original band members, and like their first hit album, "Parallel Lines," Blondie succeeds here in making refreshing and new music. A big attraction of this reunion effort is that it doesn’t feel like a reunion. The music fits right in with today’s music. It is innovative and energetic. Opening with the flashy, exotic, and funny tune, "Screaming Skin," we’re drawn into the playfulness of Blondie’s web. Ending with the spacey, funky, robotic, "Dig Up the Conjo" Blondie takes the listener to new realms. Though a relatively long 58 plus minutes, whenever I listen to this CD, I feel like time is standing still. It’s a rejuvinating and welcome new release from a band that feels like it never left us.
*****