Blondie
"Eat to the Beat" (Vinyl)

Blondie can now be regarded amongst the champions of New Wave.  I've learned a distinct appreciation for New Wave, but it applies only to select corners of the genre.  Don't ask me why.

Blondie (Debbie Harry & co.) were nearly MTV before there was MTV.  There are a lot of elements about this album that are forward-looking: the music's polished, radio-ready appeal, the gorgeous front(wo)man.  Even the album's artwork (released in 1979) predates the neon, geometric panache of the 80's by at least five years.

All in all, it's a sound that is worth acknowledging, but I don't know if I will keep it in the stacks.