Parallel Lines is the third studio album by the band Blondie, released in 1978 through Chrysalis Records. Their second album that year (after Plastic Letters), it was produced by Mike Chapman, a pro songwriter who had co-written The Sweet's hit "Ballroom Blitz".
Driven by the single "Heart of Glass", Parallel Lines reached #1 and #6 on the UK and US charts, respectively, becoming a Genre Popularizer for New Wave Music.
Personnel:
- Clem Burke - Drums
- Jimmy Destri - Keyboards
- Nigel Harrison - Bass
- Debbie Harry - Vocals
- Frank Infante - Guitar
- Chris Stein - Guitar
Tracklist:
Side One- "Hanging on the Telephone" - 2:17
- "One Way or Another" - 3:31
- "Picture This" - 2:53
- "Fade Away and Radiate" - 3:57
- "Pretty Baby" - 3:16
- "I Know But I Don't Know" - 3:53
- "11:59" - 3:19
- "Will Anything Happen?" - 2:55
- "Sunday Girl" - 3:01
- "Heart of Glass" - 3:54
- "I'm Gonna Love You Too" - 2:03
- "Just Go Away" - 3:21
Once I had a trope and it was a gas:
- Break-Up Song: "Just Go Away":O Don't ya know
Don't wanna see you any more
Put up or shut up
You spell, you read. - Cover Version: "Hanging on the Telephone" was a cover of a song by power pop band The Nerves. "I'm Gonna Love You Too" was a Buddy Holly cover.
- Face on the Cover: The six band members standing in front of a striped scrim.
- Female Gaze: "Picture This":All I want is a room with a view
A sight worth seeing, a vision of you
All I want is a room with view, oh-oh
I will give you my finest hour
The one I spent watching you showernote
I will give you my finest hour, oh yeah. - Gratuitous French: "Pretty Baby" has "Pretty baby, un petine ingenue".
- Immediate Self-Contradiction: "I Know But I Don't Know", which is made up of statements like that.
- Love Hurts: "Heart of Glass":In between
What I find is pleasing and I'm feeling fine
Love is so confusing there's no peace of mind
If I fear I'm losing you it's just no good
You teasing like you do. - Love Is a Drug: The "Riding high on loves true bluish light" in "Heart of Glass" implies this.
- One-Woman Song: "Sunday Girl"
- Questioning Title?: "Will Anything Happen?"
- Record Producer: Mike Chapman.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: All the male members of the band are in black suits with black ties on the front cover
- Shout-Out: One verse of "Just Go Away" starts "Don't be cruel."
- Special Guest: King Crimson's Robert Fripp plays on "Fade Away and Radiate".
- Stalking is Love: Hoo boy! "One Way or Another":One day maybe next week, I'm gonna meet ya'
I'm gonna meet ya', I'll meet ya'
I will drive past your house and if the lights are all down
I'll see who's around. - When the Clock Strikes Twelve: The time just before midnight is treated with particular drama in "11:59".We can run
Today can last another million years
Today could be the end of me
It's 11:59, and I want to stay alive