The Ultimate Blondie Box Set: Super Deluxe Against the Odds: 1974-1982 Includes First Six Studio Albums for Chrysalis, 36 Previously Unreleased Tracks, 120-Page Discography Book, and 144-Page Hardback Book
Against the Odds: 1974-1982 is the first authorized, in-depth anthology from Blondie in their 50-year history. Gathering 124 songs - including 36 previously unreleased - the Super Deluxe box set features tracks remastered from the original analog tapes and cut at Abbey Road Studios. It includes, in their entirety, Blondie's first six studio albums for Chrysalis, Blondie, Plastic Letters, Parallel Lines, Eat To The Beat, Autoamerican, and The Hunter, and the huge hits that helped define a pop era, such as "Heart Of Glass," "Atomic," "The Tide Is High," "Sunday Girl," "Rapture," and "Call Me." The albums have been expanded to include more than four dozen demos, including those that formed the group's first-ever recording session, as well as alternate versions and studio outtakes. The result is a near-complete document of Blondie's entire history of studio sessions before their hiatus in 1982.
The 10 vinyl LP + 10" + 7" box set is housed in a foil-wrapped carton, and contains extensive liner notes by Erin Osmon; a track-by-track commentary by Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri, Nigel Harrison, Frank Infante, and Gary Valentine; essays by producers Mike Chapman, Richard Gottehrer, and Ken Shipley; a 120-page illustrated discography; and hundreds of period photographs.
Says Debbie Harry: "It really is a treat to see how far we have come when I listen to these early attempts to capture our ideas on relatively primitive equipment. Fortunately the essence of being in a band in the early 70s held some of the anti-social, counter culture energies of the groups that were the influencers of the 60s. I am excited about this special collection. When I listen to these old tracks, it puts me there like I am a time traveler. As bad as it was sometimes, it was also equally as good. No regrets. More music."
Adds Chris Stein: "I am hopeful that this project will provide a glimpse into the ‘process' and some of the journey that the songs took from idea to final form. Some of this stuff is like early sketches; the old tape machines are like primitive notebooks. The trickiest thing for me was always about getting the melodies out of my head into reality and the changes that would happen along the way." Drummer Clem Burke notes: "It is amazing that after all this time, and against the odds, our Blondie archival box set will finally be released. It's been a long time coming and we are all very happy and excited with the final results."
Producer Ken Shipley says: "From the moment I walked into Chris Stein's barn and saw a wall of tapes I knew we were on the precipice of something extraordinary. Against The Odds is a treasure chest disguised as a box set." Fellow producer Steve Rosenthal notes: "Blondie is a group of extraordinary artists. Years of searching, months of mixing, mastering and restoration, days of decisions went into this box set to highlight the unique path they travelled – from CBGB's to MSG."
• First authorized, in-depth anthology from Blondie in their 50-year history
• Featuring 124 songs including 36 previously unreleased
• Includes Blondie's first six studio albums for Chrysalis: Blondie, Plastic Letters, Parallel Lines, Eat To The Beat, Autoamerican & The Hunter
• Albums have been expanded to include more than four dozen demos, including those that formed the group's first-ever recording session, as well as alternate versions & studio outtakes
• Remastered from the original analog tapes and cut at Abbey Road Studios
• 120 page discography book & 144 page hardback book
• Housed in a foil-wrapped carton Read More
1. X Offender
2. Little Girl Lies
3. In The Flesh
4. Look Good In Blue
5. In The Sun
6. A Shark In Jets Clothing
7. Man Overboard
8. Rip Her To Shreds
9. Rifle Range
10. Kung Fu Girl
11. The Attack Of The Giant Ants
LP2 - Plastic Letters
1. Fan Mail
2. Denis
3. Bermuda Triangle Blues (Flight 45)
4. Youth Nabbed As Sniper
5. Contact In Red Square
6. (I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear
7. I'm On E
8. I Didn't Have The Nerve To Say No
9. Love At The Pier
10. No Imagination
11. Kidnapper
12. Detroit 442
13. Cautious Lip
LP3 - Parallel Lines
1. Hanging On The Telephone
2. One Way Or Another
3. Picture This
4. 4. Fade Away And Radiate
5. Pretty Baby
6. 6. I Know But I Don't Know
7. 11:59
8. Will Anything Happen
9. Sunday Girl
10. Heart Of Glass
11. I'm Gonna Love You Too
12. Just Go Away
LP4 - Eat To The Beat
1. Dreaming
2. The Hardest Part
3. Union City Blue
4. Shayla
5. Eat To The Beat
6. Accidents Never Happen
7. Die Young Stay Pretty
8. Slow Motion
9. Atomic
10. Sound-A-Sleep
11. Victor
12. Living In The Real World
LP5 - Autoamerican
1. Europa
2. Live It Up
3. Here's Looking At You
4. The Tide Is High
5. Angels On The Balcony
6. Go Through It
7. Do The Dark
8. Rapture
9. Faces
10. T-Birds
11. Walk Like Me
12. Follow Me
LP6 - The Hunter
1. Orchid Club
2. Island Of Lost Souls
3. Dragonfly
4. For Your Eyes Only
5. The Beast
6. War Child
7. Little Caesar
8. Danceway
9. (Can I) Find The Right Words (To Say)
10. English Boys
11. The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game
LP7 - Out-takes & Rarities ('Plaza Sound')
1. X Offender (Intro)
2. X Offender (Private Stock Single)
3. In The Sun (Private Stock Single)
4. Little Girl Lies (Private Stock Mix)
5. In The Flesh (Extended Intro)
6. A Shark In Jets Clothing (Take 2)
7. Kung Fu Girls (Take 8)
8. Scenery
9. Denis (Terry Ellis Mix)
10. Bermuda Triangle Blues - Flight 45 (Take 1)
11. I Didn't Have The Nerve To Say No (Take 1)
12. I'm On E (Take 2)
13. Kidnapper (Take 2)
14. Detroit 442 (Take 2)
15. Poets Problem
LP8 - Out-takes & Rarities ('Parallel Beats')
1. Once I Had A Love (Mike Chapman Demo)
2. Sunday Girl (French Version)
3. I'll Never Break Away From This Heart Of Mine (Pretty Baby)
4. Hanging On The Telephone (Mike Chapman Demo)
5. Will Anything Happen (Instrumental)
6. Underground Girl
7. Call Me
8. Spaghetti Song (Atomic Part 2)
9. Die Young Stay Pretty (Take 1)
10. Union City Blue (Instrumental)
11. Llámame
LP9 - Out-takes & Rarities ('Coca Cola')
1. I Love You Honey, Give Me A Beer (Go Through It)
2. Live It Up (Giorgio Moroder Demo)
3. Angels on the Balcony (Giorgio Moroder Demo)
4. Tide Is High (Demo)
5. Susie & Jeffrey
6. Rapture (Disco Version)
7. Autoamerican Ad
8. Yuletide Throwdown
LP10 - Out-takes & Rarities ('Home Tapes')
1. Nameless (Home Tape)
2. Sunday Girl (Home Tape)
3. Theme From Topkapi (Home Tape)
4. The Hardest Part (Home Tape)
5. Ring of Fire (Home Tape)
6. War Child (Chris Stein Mix)
7. Call Me (Chris Stein Mix)
8. Heart of Glass (Chris Stein Mix)
7" 45 rpm
1. Moonlight Drive
2. Mr. Sightseer
10" - Out-takes & Rarities ('Out In The Streets')
1. Out In The Streets (1974 Session)
2. The Disco Song (1974 Session)
3. Sexy Ida (1974 Session)
4. Platinum Blonde (Betrock Demo)
5. The Thin Line (Betrock Demo)
6. Puerto Rico (Betrock Demo)
7. Once I Had A Love (1975) (Betrock Demo)
8. Out In The Streets (1975) (Betrock Demo)
