Third appointment dedicated to Blondie: today we talk about "Eat to the Beat".

 

Released in 1979, "Eat to the Beat" is the fourth studio album by the band. After the worldwide success of "Parallel Lines", Blondie resists the pressures of record executives who wanted a more commercial album and continue their experimentation with styles and musical genres. Leading the production is Mike Chapman, once again dealing with the band members' lack of discipline, increasingly involved in social events and drug use. Despite the difficulties during recording, the success of "Eat to the Beat" is immediate: it reaches the number one position in the UK and becomes one of the best-selling albums of 1980. "Dreaming," the first single from the album, is considered by critics one of the band's best songs for Burke's drumming performance and Stein's guitar work, as well as for the poignant lyrics written by Debbie Harry, reflecting on the power of dreams as a means of escaping reality. Following "Dreaming" as singles are "Union City Blue" and "The Hardest Part," which do not achieve the success of "Atomic." In an unlikely but effective combination (the song reaches the top of the charts in the UK), it blends the disco style of "Heart of Glass" with an epic spaghetti western arrangement. The album receives praise from some critics, but many express their doubts about its success and Blondie's stylistic exploration, certainly less impactful than "Parallel Lines." A special mention should be given to "Call Me," written by Debbie Harry for the soundtrack of the movie "American Gigolo," which with its iconic guitar riff will top the charts in the UK and US in 1980, becoming one of the best-selling singles of the '80s.

Today we invite you to listen to and watch Atomic, whose video is set in a post-apocalyptic nightclub.