Blondie - Eat To The Beat: Collectors Edition

Not enough food for thought

After 1978’s world-conquering Parallel Lines album, Blondie were pretty much rushed into the studio to strike again while the iron was white-hot. Subsequently, the following year’s Eat To The Beat had a slight air of “Will this do?” about it, the record’s finest moments (Dreaming, Union City Blue) little more than retreads of its predecessor.

Producer Mike Chapman attempted to bolster the sound and give the impression of a Spectoresque explosive return, and although Clem Burke’s drums benefited from those techniques there was still the nagging suspicion that he was trying to disguise the shortcomings of some fairly bog-standard songs. The angular reggae of Die Young Stay Pretty hinted at what was to come later (the chart-topping cover of John Holt’s The Tide Is High), but it was mostly Blondie stuck in a holding pattern before the experimentation of 1980’s AutoAmerican album.

This new edition includes a second disc of promo clips for all 12 of the album’s songs, originally available on a separate VHS, which was quite a bold marketing move in the days before the boom in cable music channels. That said, there’s nothing especially thrilling about the dozen mimed live performances, save for the procession of Debbie Harry’s bizarre wigs.

Capitol/EMI | 3906352 (CD+DVD)

Reviewed by Terry Staunton
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