Greatest Video Hits [DVD]

This is a very good DVD containing a lot of Blondie's greatest hits in video format. The first video is "In The Flesh" which is a very early Blondie video and it shows with it actually looking like they were thinking about what they were doing. Next is "X Offender" and is packed with energy with Chris Stein actually moving around quite a bit which may come as a surprise as you would not see him doing that now.
"Denis" is next and the camera is permanently glued to her face. Then comes "Detroit 442" with Harry wearing a revealing outfit and doing a very aggressive performance to boot. "(I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear" is not the best of videos with only the lights being of any interest. "Picture This" ia another forgetable video with most of the time you see Harry in a spotlight.
Next comes "Hanging On The Telephone" which is a good one. It is set in a room with black and white stripes really cool. There is a lot of humour in this video with both Harry and Destri acting the fool. "Heart Of Glass" is a strange video as they all look really unhappy for some reason. Again quite a bit of comedy with Destri plucking some sort of wire and Stein and Harrison mucking around with some sort of mirrorball.
Next is "Dreaming" this is set in a strange place with scaffolding behind the band on which people are cheering and a crowd in front. Burke is playing the drums as if it was his last chance and they all look totally wrecked brilliant footage. "Union City Blue" with the band playing in a dockyard and spectacular views. Harry is playing the guitar "wow" amd has dark shades on. At the end you see them prancing around in the dark. What they put that in for i don't know as it spoilt it nevermind.
"Atomic" with it's nuclear explosion images and the crowd in the front looking like they have just been in one is rather haunting in a way. Next is the "Tide Is High" with fish appearing in a window and something that looks like Darth Vader in it. It is a bit strange. "Rapture" is a very good video it starts as Harry moves past the band members and as she does they wake up. She then dances with them all. There is even a person in a white suit with red flashing lights in black shades very cool.
The next three songs i will mention are bonus tracks. "The Hardest Part" where the band is set in a room with graffitti on the wall behind them. This is the video that comes over the best with Harry having long black hair and shades and constantly fiddling with her gloves. Then "Island Of Lost Souls" with Harry either dressed as a lost princess or in a robe looking like a monk. Spooky people play brass instruments as well as the other band members or so it seems.
Then "Maria" set in a city. It is very dark and you don't really see the band very well. Perhaps this was done for a reason. The idea is that someone is trying to spy and kill Harry. The final piece where the bullet comes through the window, light bulb, microphone and then Harry catches it and wonders what it is is just such a symbol of the power of her and in a way the band but also indicates how naive the band are in the modern age of music. Such a symbolistic moment.
If you want to see the fashions of the late 70's and early 80's well it is here and the lovely expressions from Harry well this is a brilliant DVD. This will either help you to reminisce or it will provide a good information source for what the band was really like either way it is a must have.

Back in 1981, Blondie released the album "The Best Of Blondie". There was a video version of this album also called "The Best Of Blondie". This video was one of the first video albums released. 21 years later it has been transferred to DVD, given 3 extra tracks and renamed "Blondie's Greatest Video Hits".

The extra tracks include The Hardest Part (from Eat To The Beat album) and Maria (from No Exit).

The running order of the main feature is as follows and includes a brief of the video: 1. IN THE FLESH 2. X-OFFENDER both filmed in studios with minimal effects. Typical of punk footage. 3. DENIS basically the camera follows Debbie and the band is ignored. 4. DETROIT 442 is an excellent clip full of punk energy. Filmed in a similar manner to The Old Grey Whistle Test performances. We now have the first of the links between videos which I feel are a complete waste of time and interfere with the songs. 5. I'M ALWAYS TOUCHED BY YOUR PRESENSE DEAR 6. PICTURE THIS both have good clips with energy. The songs are more new wave from now on. 7. HANGING ON THE TELEPHONE is the first "proper" video and carries the theme of the album cover of Parallel Lines. 8. HEART OF GLASS was filmed in a New York nightclub (if I remember correctly). An great video which carries the mood of the song. 9. DREAMING maybe mimed but Clem's energy on the drums is still awesome. The Eat To The Beat album is his finest moment. 10. UNION CITY BLUE filmed on the docks of New York shows a bored Blondie with little energy. However, this as a benefit of projecting that most influencial of punk characteristics: being bored. Only in the latter stage of the song do the band smile and Chris "branches" out. 11. ATOMIC all those years ago was an inspired and colourful video which helped to project the single to No. 1. The video now looks like something from Andy Warhol's 'Factory'. Anyhow, Deb still looks good in her bin liner. 12. THE TIDE IS HIGH is for me a poor video which has Star Wars meets Pink Floyd's Wall written all over it. 13. RAPTURE is superb.This is the single version and if the movie 'Midnight Cowboy' is anything to go by then the characters in the video could well be real. The credits now roll whilst 'Sunday Girl' plays. This is not a video.

The videos are diected by various people which include Keef and David Mallet. Both were popular choices of the era.

The overall DVD is pleasing if only 1 hour long. So much more could have been made of it. Why no stills, biography or discography etc. The record company should have taken note from the Best of Bowie or Depeche Mode Singles DVDs for lessons of how it should have been done when retailing for a similar price.

Thanx for reading.

BLONDIE are one of my all time favourite bands. I have always liked the songs and the videos to the single releases.
Here are sixteen wonderful video hits of BLONDIE.
Great to view on disc are very early performances such as "IN THE FLESH" and "X OFFENDER" and of course all the others
including the much later "MARIA".
Certainly more than worthy of it's five stars.
Regards,Bill.