By Allan Metz
Reviewed by J.C London
Blondie, From Punk to the Present: A Pictorial History is a colossal tome compiled by Allan Metz, filled with in-depth info about Debbie Harry and the band, set in its cultural backdrop of the last thirty years of punk pop. It’s an unusual hybrid of a collection that straddles - surprisingly comfortably - the worlds of serious rock journalism and portraits by dedicated fans, and as such makes for a really interesting and enjoyable read.
The range of material gives the book a really broad appeal. There’s a vast selection of writing here that makes it a great reference for serious students of pop culture. The first section consists of essays on the New York punk scene covering the bands and artists that influenced Blondie and gives a real flavour of the times for any music lover. The book progresses through the band’s early years, their break-up, Debbie’s solo career and the Jazz Passengers, with great detail provided by the enormous breadth of its sources including interviews, reviews of the band, concerts and records, profiles, overviews, appreciations and discography. It really seems exhaustively researched. And there’s a fantastic amount of photographs mainly of Debbie, naturally, spanning the decades, which will please fans of her original iconic look, though it could possibly be a tad disappointing visually in its lack of any colour glossies.
It’s the kind of book that’s great to have on your shelves, for dipping into when you’re in the mood for some serious pop culture. There’s no doubt that this collection is lovingly put together, and its enthusiasm for its subject is truly infectious. The book works well in placing Blondie in its historical context and proving the importance of a group that was largely dismissed at the time as being too poppy for serious consideration. It’s great to be reminded of the authenticity of Debbie Harry as a pop icon, undeniably the first to play around so delectably with images of female identity. Looking back at her now, having seen all that has come after her, really makes you realise her influence as an artist.
As someone who has, in her own ‘early years’, been in an all-girl band whose members all wore men’s suits thanks to witnessing one of Debbie’s first TV appearances at an impressionable age, and been known in her shady past to wear her hair in a kind of Harry-in-Negative - black at the front and peroxide blonde at the back - I think it’s time I paid my respects.
Rhoda Ruin
April 2003
Blondie, From Punk to the Present; A Pictorial History is available from Amazon.com and through Blondie.net, the official Blondie website, list price $35.
