Methinks you do not understand der Blondie.
Much of what they did was brilliant. I admit, when they were bad, they were awful. But that's part of being a band that took a lot of risks. Dis Rapture all you want, but they brought rap to a white audience in the way Sugar Hill Gang never achieved. In terms of being ahead of the curve, they were cutting edge. Heart of Glass launched them to superstardom so I can't say it was a bad choice on their part and, frankly, it's a great disco tune (if you like disco). The Tide Is High is another song I can't particularly stand.
My favorite Blondie albums are the earliest. I can't argue with their sound and ability during the early 70s. The later ones tend to be hit-or-miss with some basic pop tunes clearly cranked out to make salable albums. Beyond that, however, Blondie still took risks. T-Birds is a fantastic song as is Angels On The Balcony and Here's Looking At You. I even like Lerner & Lowe's cover of Follow Me.
Seriously, what other band would do show tunes, punk, new wave, pop, disco, torch, soul, big band, reggae, rap, calypso, swing, blues, and even (God help them) country? Not everything they do is going to be within their ability and I'd rather see them take risks than stick with the same old thing.
Their latest albums have had that same mix of brilliant and good, disappointing and dreadful. The last of the first incarnation albums gave us such beauties as Orchid Club, For Your Eyes Only (was to be the Bond theme for the movie but got bumped at the last moment by that horrible Sheena Easton crapfest), Danceway, and War Child.
No Exit was similarly hit or miss. The magic is still there if a bit more difficult to find. They're old now, Stein was nearly dead for over 10 years, and Debbie's been singing with Jazz Passengers. They've moved on to a different sound because their lives have moved on and I think, attempting an album that merely appeals to the 70s sounds would firmly place them among the desperate groups with nothing original. Like it or not, Maria is a fantastic pop song even if I caught them retreading that, "walking on imported air," line.
Ultimately, Blondie is Stein writing songs which may, or may not, fit his muse. Harry is a remarkable instrument. Her range is not great, her technical mastery, while improving over the years, is not deep, her power has diminished with age though it was never great to begin with. What Harry has is delivery. It's a lovely languid voice strangely dispassionate and mysterious yet lovely. Were it a gem, I'd call it the sleepiest of Kashmir sapphires. It's intriguing, very warm, and altogether fascinating. That she originally sang material completely unsuited to her voice gave Blondie songs an ultra-hip detached insouciance perfect for the too-cool set. I think Stein understands Harry better than he understands her voice; that she shines best when she's singing power songs that allow her retain that air of mystery. Ninotchka was a great movie and Garbo was good in it, but it's not what put Garbo on the map. Same deal with Harry. That doesn't make the songs which don't fit her talent their worst songs, it just means that Stein isn't writing for her voice so much as his ego.
All in all, Blondie does have a few gems here and there in their later albums. Some are horrible, certainly, but some are beautifully done and it's when Stein finds a song that makes Harry shine that they do the best.
