Blondie have the Knack

Press, 24 December 1980, Page 10

Blondie have the Knack

BLONDIE “Autoamerican” (Chrysalis L 37335). A colleague of mine maintains the view that once a band becomes commercially successful, they lose their appeal (to him). "Autoamerican” shows that Blondie have the potential to outpoint Abba as the top band in the last decade. “Eat To The Beat; Blondie’s last album, revealed a little of the classic pop style, but “Autoamerican” comes.out in full force, and perhaps will be the most successful album for the group since “Parallel Lines,” which contained four singles, including the major hit, “Heart Of Glass.” “Autoamerican” does have a -few racey car images contained in it, but overall, the album wanders over a wide variety of musical styles, without the boredom reflected in "Eat To The Beat.” Thus there is punk, ska, disco, a Broadway musical, and rock’n’roll. If anything, "Autoameri-. can” lacks a sense >of direction, particularly on side one. but the quality of most of the songs is such that it does not seem to matter. It is disgustingly poppish, but one listen to John Holt’s “The Tide Is High,” taking the best of ska nlus Blondie’s oomph, and it is infectious. The album claims attention from the start, when it opens in a kind of “drum roll” mixture of synthesizer, drums, and bass, before Debbie Harry talks forth in poetry. Later she does a better jive talk effect on the

funky “Rapture,” another good track. “Live It Up” and “Here’s Looking AtYou,” a Bogart atmosphere piece, of Glen Miller sounds, . especially good Tom Scott sax, shows Harry at her best. “Follow Me,” a song from “Camelot.” is played straight,- and “Faces” is a heart-throb. For all the rave about “Autoamerican,” oiitdoing Abba, however, Blondie, and in particular„ Debbie Harry are keen on getting on with other projects. ROBERT PALMER “Clues” (Island L 37393). Robert .Palmer is not fully appreciated for his compositions and style, both personal and musical, particularly in Britain, which he forsook for the United States. However, "Clues” dispells any grudges, particularly side one, all his own work. A catchy album, it opens on “Looking for Clues,” a breathless track, which is repeated in the same style on the fourth and last song of the side, “What Do You Care.” The latter track has the keyboards dominant, but “Looking for Clues” is simpler fare. “Sulky Girl,” has Palmer and Kenny Mazur competing on guitars. and perhaps the best track, “Johnny and Mary” shows Palmer’s ability as vocalist and writer. Side two is not as strong, containing a song co-written with Gary Numan, Numan’s own “I Dream Of Wires,” and Lennon/McCartney’s “Not A Second Time,” the best of the selection. JETHRO TULL “A” (Chrysalis L 37392).

“A” is the first album by the rejuvenated Jethro Tull, after the departure of John Evan, David Palmer, and Barriemore Barlow. In their place, Mark Craney and Eddie Jobson, as the special guest. Special he is too, because he is credited with much forhis keyboards playing, as Tull prove what Yes could have done with their new men. Anderson’s influence is there, but it is not as dominant, and his lyrics o listen as

he writes about continuity in “Uniforms,” the invasion of Japanese toys into Britain (“Batteries Not Included"), to the “Fylingdale Flyer” a simplistic song about the threat of nuclear war. Jethro Tull were in danger of becoming ' one of rock’s dinosaurs, although the material that Anderson was handling, particularly such specialist stuff as North Sea oil (“Stormwatch”) was not fully appreciated. Let’s hope the next Tull album is not dull either.