Blondie

by Lester Bangs

, 96 pages with numerous photographs in black & white and colour

Genres: Music, Biography

91 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs (December 14, 1948 – April 30, 1982) was an American music journalist, critic, author, and musician. He wrote for Creem and Rolling Stone magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock music criticism. The music critic Jim DeRogatis called him "America's greatest rock critic".

Reviews

[Garry Marlton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a enjoyable book but ended up thinkinf the author is a right twonk.

I grew up listenen to Blondie and always bew Deborah Harry was the singer, the author though otherwise.

Also he thinks 75% of people would beat her up if they had her alone, the man is an idiot!


Obviously it is a old book so only covers the first 4 albums.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to be a "Bangs completist," whatever that is, so I got this off of eBay a few years ago. It's actually feels like owning more of a historical primary source than anything else (Bangs wrote it in two days, fueled by cough syrup), but it's still interesting, if not thin and slightly incoherent at times.

[Phil Overeem · Rating 4 out of 5]

One-third fan bio, one-third scabrous/loving critique, one-third eulogy for passion in the Western world. Not Lester's best--but that's not saying anything terrible! Keep your eyes peeled at flea markets....

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 1980 (and apparently written in a weekend!), this attempts to discuss and dissect the Blondie phenomenon, with noted and “beloved” rock critic Lester Bangs at the helm. The thing is, as a longtime Blondie fan myself (since 1978, by my calculations, when I was 9), the band come out of it a lot better than the writer. Although admitting he liked the band when he first saw them, he spends most of the book crapping over them, taking potshots about all manner of things, almost as if he’d been turned down for a date by Debbie Harry (he clearly fancies her) and was taking his revenge on her. What I took from this were some nice pieces (quoted from other sources) about that era of New York and a lot of great pictures (some of which I’ve never seen before), but a strong desire never to read Bangs again. Very difficult to recommend, other than for the pictures and that’s absolutely no reflection on the band at all.

[Nestor Rychtyckyj · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems like a real strange pairing: Lester Bangs writing a book about Blondie, but it actually works. I keep waiting to see some strange blowup where Lester would snap and go off on Blondie, but he mostly likes the band and it comes though in this short book that covers Blondie through "Eat to the Beat". Lester (like many of us) was puzzled by how quickly Blondie became a huge commercial success far outdistancing their many peers from the CBGB's scene. Their songs were cool and catchy and the band had a fantastic look, but why weren't the Ramones selling records like Blondie was?

In any case, this book is from 1980 and it's always refreshing to read these band books before we know how the band turns out in the long run. It's 2017 and Blondie is still going strong so as usual Lester was on to something.

[E. J. Ramos · Rating 3 out of 5]

To put it briefly, there were some points where I wanted to tear the book apart and forget it ever existed and there were some points where I really appreciated the insight to a band I enjoy listening to.

[Marcelo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ojalá escribir más en modo ranteo.

[Kali]

Guy's a #%@ing #$@! Did not finish.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Rod Stewart book he did with Paul Nelson was a lot better, but this has its moments, and the pictures are great.