Autoamerican - Blondie (1980)

 

Autoamerican  is a little bit of a comedown after Blondie's twin masterpieces Parallel Lines and Eat to the Beat, but it still saw the band experimenting and expanding, branching beyond their punk-meets-girlgroup roots to foray further into disco, pop,  and on this album,  lush orchestrated music, jazz, reggae and hip hop. In fact, "Rapture" may be the first song by a rock band that I know of that really incorporated rap into it -- The Clash's "The Magnificent SEven" was probably recorded earlier (in April 1980) but was released a few weeks afterwards, in December 1980. 

In fact, you can compare Autoamerican with Sandinista! by The Clash: released at almost the same time, both are really, really electic albums that are meant to push the boundaries of New Wave -- Autoamerican is less eye-poppingly audaciou than The Clash's three disc opus, and maybe less impressive overall,  but it's also probably easier to digest and certainly contains less filler. 

In retrospect, Autoamerican is the beginning of a downward arc for the band, who would break up after the release of theiir next album when band co-leader Chris Stein fell ill with a serious autoimmune disease. (not AIDS, and he survived the disease, whatever it was, and is still going strong.) 

But it's still a great album from America's greatest New Wave band. 

4/5


https://open.spotify.com/album/1VuNXmZV6eIfUwglRlM9Ya?si=shP4SYoyRaGZmEio11kWKQ

I have the 1994 remaster -- which is pretty good sounding. It includes two bonus tracks: dance remixes of "Rapture" and "Live It Up".The 2000 (-ish) remaster is compressed and crappy. They released a box set last year with GREAT sound, but the individual albums were not re-released so you have to get teh whole box set if you want them -- but I'm sure eventually those 2022 remasters will be released as individual albums.

Coming Up:


A.M. Wilco

A.T.O.M. - Carbon Silicon

ABBA - ABBA 

ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits

Abbey Road - The Beatles

Achtung, Baby! U2

Actually - Pet Shop Boys

Adult/Child- The Beach Boys

Aerosmith's Greatest Hits

After The Gold Rush - Neil Young

Afterglow - Crowded House

Aftermath (UK Version) - The Rolling Stones

Against The Odds: 1974-1982 Blondie (three disc version)

Aimee Mann Live at St. Ann's Warehouse

Aiming For Your Head - Betchadupa

The Album -- ABBA

The Album That Never Was - The Kinks

All Four One - The Motels

All Over the Place - The Bangles

All Summer Long -- The Beach Boys

All the Great Hits -- Diana Ross

All Things Must Pass -- George Harrison

All This Useless Beauty -- Elvis Costello & the Attractions

All-Time Greatest Hits - Neil Diamond

Alluvium -- Eddie Rayner

Almost Blue -- Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Almost Summer - Celebration

Alpha Mike Foxtrot -- Wilco*

The Alphabetchadupa - Betchadupa

Altitude - ALT

American Idiot Green Day*

American Prayer -- The Doors

Amnesiac Radiohead*

And I Feel Fine...The Best of the IRS years (1982-1987) - R.E.M.

Animals - Pink Floyd

Anodyne - Uncle Tupelo

Another Life - Another Life

Another Music in Another Kitchen: The Buzzcocks

Another Side of Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan

Anthology: Diana Ross & The Supremes

Anthology: Smokey Robinson & The Beatles

Anthology 1: The Beatles

Anthology 2: The Beatles

Anthology 3 The Beatles

Anthology: North South, East West - Tim Finn

Apple Venus: Volume One -- XTC

Apollo 18 - They Might Be Giants

The ArchAndroid: Janelle Monae

Are the Village Green Preservation Society -- The Kinks

Are Well-Respected Men - The Kinks

Armed Forces -Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Around the World in a Day - Prince

Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) - The Kinks

At My Piano - Brian Wilson

Autoamerican - Blondie

Automatic for the People - R.E.M.

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