Intro & Blondie's Ghosts Of Download Album

Hello. I'm actually going to start writing stuff here. I set up this blog because I've always liked writing and because I wanted to share my excitement about great rock and roll from any era with whoever happens to come across this. Rock and roll is not only about the music; it's a lifestyle, an attitude, a way of thinking and of living. The music is a part of that. I might be 17, but I know what I like and what I don't. I have no interest in being spoon-fed chart music. What I like is music made with real instruments by people who are doing it for the right reasons; not for the money or because they want to get famous, but because they really love doing it. I like songs that have real energy, that are about real things, songs that don't just sound like someone thought, well this sounds like a hit so I'm gonna write a hit, but wrote it because that was what they wanted to write.

"Rock and roll is an attitude, it's not a musical form of a strict sort. It's a way of doing things, of approaching things. Writing can be rock and roll, or a movie can be rock and roll. It's a way of living your life." – Lester Bangs

I think I'll use this blog to write mostly about old stuff from the 50s to the 70s, but there might be a few new things too. It'll be informal because I don't know anything technical about music, but then again neither do most people I talk to. I think it's the human element that makes something great, and how people relate to it, rather than how you describe it technically. I've set up a few other pages on here, including the Featured Album page so you can read about great albums, and also the Journal section where I'll post a list of the live shows I've seen plus photos.

I thought I'd start with a short review of one of my favorite albums, Blondie's Ghosts Of Download, which came out just under a year ago.

Blondie – Ghosts Of Download (2014)

Blondie's most recent studio album, entitled Ghosts Of Download, is truly wonderful. The title itself, along with artwork by J. H. Williams III, evokes a 'spirits in the circuits' kind of image in an increasingly digital world, so it seems appropriate that much of the album was done on computer. Combined with Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux, the new material forms the Blondie 4(0)-Ever package in celebration of the band's 40th anniversary, which looks particularly beautiful on colored vinyl.

One of the strongest tracks on the album is "Rave". Reminiscent of classic Blondie tracks such as "Heart Of Glass", "Rave" could easily have been a hit had it been released as a single. The song showcases Debbie Harry's outstanding vocal and features Miss Guy of the Toilet Boys. "Winter" is another highlight on this eclectic album, and would also have made a great single. Ghosts Of Download displays the best of contemporary music from Blondie, with collaborations from a variety of artists including Beth Ditto, Systema Solar and Los Rakas, proving once again that Blondie are a band who span genres and generations.