Blondie: Autoamerican

THE GENERAL PUBLIC is no doubt familiar with the Blondie story: from Bowery pop-punks to mid-American Euroschmaltzers and product endorsers. What was once a band to be championed became the most successful New York rock outfit ever, and all without acquiring the finesse that signifies a truly entrenched music machine. The problems that have plagued Blondie since their humble beginnings have never been ironed out; the group is still as capable of being as miserable in concert as any amateur outfit, and factionalism has been noticeable even to the untrained eye. Perhaps in years to come Blondie will be remembered as the band that made every mistake in the book and survived to top the charts.