Pitchfork

Hard to believe it, but Parallel Lines, the breakout album from New York City new wave icons Blondie, turns 30 this year. Frequently cited by critics and fans as Blondie's best, Parallel Lines spawned at least two instantly recognizable and ubiquitous classics-- "One Way or Another" and "Heart of Glass"-- and went on to sell 20 million copies worldwide. Not too shabby for a band which, as Blondie drummer Clem Burke nonchalantly puts it, was "just making music" at the time.

Pitchfork chatted with Burke recently about the album's pearl anniversary and the two celebratory gestures Blondie have planned: a deluxe reissue and two solid months of special shows on both sides of the Atlantic.

"We just wanted to make a statement about the Parallel Lines record being 30 years old," Burke offers matter-of-factly, before adding, with a laugh, "We wanted to make a statement that we're all old. We wanted to make sure everyone knew how old we were."

The North American half of the anniversary tour kicks off June 5 in Baltimore and fills out most of that month, followed closely by a gig in Israel and jaunt around Europe in July. And in ATP/Don't Look Back fashion, Blondie plan to rock Parallel Lines from front to back at each stop. "That's the general idea," Burke explains. "We're going to play the record and then another 45 minutes of Blondie stuff.

The other stuff will likely be a mix of songs from Blondie's late 1970s/early 1980s heyday and some material recorded since the combo reconvened in the late 1990s. "At this point, it's still kind of in the planning stages," Burke says. "We have a list of songs we can do. I guess we're going to have to wait and see how they feel when we play them live. I would definitely like to do stuff from the first two albums [1976's Blondie and 1977's Plastic Letters] that we don't really perform that often, that most people probably don't even know."

The Parallel Lines (30th Anniversary Edition) reissue, meanwhile, arrives June 24 on Capitol/EMI. In addition to the original 12 tracks, the set includes a handful of rarities and remixes-- including a French language version of "Sunday Girl"-- and a bonus DVD featuring three classic Blondie videos and a "Top of the Pops" performance.

Burke doesn't really have a favorite song off Parallel Lines, but the ascent of one particular track buried deep in the album continues to amuse him. "At the time, we got a lot of flak for 'Heart of Glass'. [Now] it's one of the main Blondie songs that has endured and contributed to our success."

Blondie have delivered two records since reuniting late last century, 1999's No Exit and 2004's The Curse of Blondie. Can we expect another one? "We're definitely always talking about that," Burke reveals. "I think really, for ourselves, we need to make some new music, and it's been taking a while. I think it's time for a new record, just for ourselves. I would like to do a record that is without technology, myself. Just [us in the] studio, just playing, you know? I think the last record got really bogged down with technology."

The creation of new Blondie material these days regularly has to compete with a number of factors, including various band members' side pursuits. Deborah Harry, for instance, released solo album Necessary Evil last year, while Burke himself has at least two side-things going: Slinky Vagabond, which also features Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols, and Magic Christian, led by Cyril Jordan of Flamin' Groovies fame.

A recent trip to Austin with Magic Christian helped Burke reconnect with his roots in the rock underground. "We did South by Southwest. We did five shows in two days at SXSW, really guerilla style, just kind of showing up at a venue, throwing gear on the stage. It was pretty damn fun. I think it's positive for me to do things like that."

Other than that, Burke's just "really excited about the [Blondie] tour. If it was up to me, we'd be on the road 300 days a year. I admire artists like Springsteen and Dylan-- obviously, they do it because they enjoy it. When I feel the most normal is when I'm on stage; I really enjoy touring. At this point, it's like going on vacation."

As for what's keeping Burke from his 300-days-a-year ideal? "Couches, beds, TV sets, kids," he shares with a laugh. "All those kind of things, I guess."

Parallel Lines (30th Anniversary Edition):

01 Hanging on the Telephone
02 One Way or Another
03 Picture This
04 Fade Away and Radiate
05 Pretty Baby
06 I Know But I Don't Know
07 11:59
08 Will Anything Happen?
09 Sunday Girl
10 Heart of Glass
11 I'm Gonna Love You Too
12 Just Go Away
13 Heart of Glass (7" Single Version) *
14 Sunday Girl (French Version) *
15 Fade Away and Radiate (108 BPM Remix) *
16 Hanging on the Telephone (Nosebleed Handbag Remix) *

* bonus track

DVD:

01 Picture This
02 Hanging on the Telephone
03 Heart of Glass
04 Sunday Girl (live on "Top of the Pops")

Parallel Lines 30th Anniversary Tour:

06-05 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!
06-06 Englewood, NJ - Bergen Performing Arts Center
06-08 Jackson, NJ - Six Flags Great Adventure
06-10 Kingston, NY - Broadway Theatre
06-12 Rama, Ontario - Casino Rama
06-13 Rama, Ontario - Casino Rama
06-14 Niagara Falls, NY - Seneca Events Center
06-17 Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
06-18 Farmingville, NY - Brookhaven
06-20 Hyannis, MA - Cape Cod Melody
06-21 Cohasset, MA - South Shore Music Circus
06-22 New York, NY - Nokia Theatre
06-24 Louisville, KY - Kentucky Center
06-26 Chester, WV - Mountaineer Racetrack
06-27 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Park Zoo
06-28 Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
07-03 Ra'anana, Israel - Ra'anana Amphitheatre
07-05 Guilford, England - Guilfest
07-06 Bristol, England - Academy
07-08 St. Petersburg, Russia - Oktyabrski
07-09 Moscow, Russia - B1
07-10 Helsinki, Finland - House of Culture
07-12 Brussels, Belgium - Rock Zottegem
07-13 Zurich, Switzerland - Xtra Limmitshaus
07-15 Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Den Atelier
07-16 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
07-18 Barcelona, Spain - Summercase Festival
07-19 Madrid, Spain - Summercase Festival
07-20 Suffolk, England - Latitude Festival
07-22 Liverpool, England - Liverpool Pops
07-24 Galway, Ireland - Ireland Arts Festival
07-25 Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street
07-26 Glasgow, Scotland - Academy
07-28 London, England - Motorshow Music Festival
07-31 Östersund, Sweden - Storsjöyran Festival
08-01 Storås, Norway - Storåsfestivalen
08-02 Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller