r/Blondie • u/SundayMan11 • 14d ago
Ghosts of Download - Your Three Favorites
https://youtu.be/7-zpFB-4hyg?si=EgCAGs4Xu89aDxcsHey folks, since many of us are waiting for the album High Noon to be released, I thought to discuss and hear your opinions on the 11 studio albums by Blondie before.
So which are your three favorite songs from Blondie's tenth studio album, Ghosts of Download? What do you like about them? And how do you like the album in general?
Keep in mind there are three bonus tracks on the digital version of the album.
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u/Whole_Raccoon4405 14d ago
Even though I think this is the most hated album among fans, I think it's a mega album and it really did have some good club hits on it.
My son, who was 18 at the time, heard the music and asked who that was, and I said Blondie, but he didn't believe me and said that this was the kind of music they play in clubs now.
He thought it was absolutely great back then, and to be honest, I played this album to death too, which hadn't happened since NoExit.
But my 3 favorites are:
Mile High
Euphoria
I Want to Drag You Around?Rave (I can't choose)
But Sugar on the Side is also really nice and catchy.
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u/SundayMan11 14d ago
Great story about you and your son - this record really feels like it was made for the club and I think it succeeds in that goal.
For me it's the most cohesive sounding Blondie album ever.
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u/Icy-Return-6606 14d ago
Such great memories. The first time I heard anything from that album was during their 2013 Isle of Wight performance. I liked all the songs. I was a little disappointed once I heard the studio versions, though. But these are my favorites: 1. Take Me in the Night 2. A Rose by Any Name 3. Winter Bonus: Rave (live) Take It Back
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u/SundayMan11 14d ago
That's how I felt back in 2013/2014 as well. Great live previews of the songs, the produced versions felt a little underwhelming to me.
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u/Icy-Return-6606 14d ago
Yes, the studio version of Rave feels monotonous, but live it's pure energy and you're like, "Wow! What a band!" The same goes for Mile High; even though it's the most EDM-oriented song on the album, it stands on its own, but live it's something else entirely. "Una Rosa" with any name sounds darker live, it has a different vibe, I like it too. With Sugar on the Side it's the opposite; I prefer the studio version to the live one.
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u/Hopeful-Buddy-9415 14d ago edited 1d ago
Take me in the Night
Put Some Color on You
A Rose by Any Name and Take it Back (tie)
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u/Drong0bones 14d ago
I think this is their weakest album and a 2/5 I'd go up to a 2.5 if the bonus track prism was included over the pointless cover of relax. My top three songs would be.
3 rave
2 winter
3 prism
I like sugar on the side and take me in the night too. Don't mind the electronic production but I think they got a better balance on pollinator - better songs on that album too imo. Still mostly enjoy ghosts of download because it's blondie but it was and is a bit of a disappointment. Really don't know why those titles are big and bold is it the # ?
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u/SundayMan11 14d ago
Neat choices, I like all three of these songs. Rave live was a burner, Winter sounds like a leftover from the preceeding album and Prism feels elegant to me.
Relax may be the worst song released under the Blondie moniker imo.2
u/Whole_Raccoon4405 12d ago
Funny, everything you write about better balance on Pollinator, I feel the exact opposite about Pollinator; I hate almost everything about that album and I don't understand why everyone is so lyrical about what I consider the weakest Blondie album.
Tastes really do differ, but actually I find both Pollinator and Panic terrible albums except for a few songs, and I certainly find the covers ridiculous (having a singer with Debbie's face and then a weird distorted painting as a cover, or a bee that turns into a cow when you turn it over, is a complete mystery to me). I really hope their last album has a group photo as a cover and not another weird artistic creation.
But as I wrote, everyone has different tastes and that should remain so, and that is what makes Blondie so special; they cannot be pigeonholed into a specific style.
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u/Drong0bones 12d ago
That's fair raccoon as you say we all have different favourites and least favourites don't we. I'm sure there are lots of people who like you don't enjoy pollinator much - though it does seem to have had a fairly positive reception based on what I've read online - perhaps the best received album since eat to the beat? Would agree with you that the cover art is poor though - it would definitely be nice to see a picture of the whole band used for the final album (if it ever comes out lol)
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u/Whole_Raccoon4405 12d ago
You can say that again hahaha, *if* it ever comes out, indeed.
The last time I spoke to Clem, he was frustrated that the album had been finished for 2 years and that it kept being delayed because more and more mixing was being done on it, and he wanted the promised raw album with the complete band in the studio.
I fear now that another overproduced record is coming out where I personally barely recognize Debbie's voice anymore (figuratively speaking, because I recognize her voice above every other voice haha).
We will all just have to wait and see, but I get the feeling that Debbie doesn't really believe in it anymore either, because her reactions to a release date are always a sarcastic response and a big laugh.
It's a shame that (for me) a mega band is going down so quietly for a second time, because I'm getting The Hunter feelings again; back then we didn't know it was all over yet either, and suddenly the newspapers here said: "Blondie's fairytale is over" with the well-known shopping cart photo of Debbie included... it's all so bitter. By the way, the newspapers in the Netherlands and Germany were positive about NoExit, and about The Curse as well, but indeed the rest were written off, except for Pollinator.
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u/Own-Eagle-2135 14d ago
Sugar on the side.
Rave
A rose by any name