Blondie - Eat to the Beat (Remaster)

Blondie's third album may be a rehash of their first two, but the videos made for it ushered in a new age in the promotion of rock music. Viewed now, some of the costumes and attitudes are embarrassing, but the band can't be faulted for their over-enthusiasm in breaking new ground. There are some great songs here, "Dreaming" and "Union City Blue," and even filler material such as "Die Young Stay Pretty" is engaging. At the time, Blondie seemed to me part of a corporate plot to destroy the threat of a punk British invasion by manufacturing a glamorous alternative that was christened new wave. Thirty years later, the music holds up while the cultural battles are long since forgotten. [www.blondie.net]