Blondie

Sunday Girl

Oct 28, 2022

Good Morning!

Today we’re listening to “Sunday Girl” by Blondie

I don’t like “stuff.”

I try to purge as often as possible. I listen to the Minimalists podcast regularly. If I could have a garage sale every week, I would. So yeah, not a fan of owning a whole lot.

Except when it comes to records, of course.

We live by our son’s high school, and I try to walk to every game—it’s Walktober, and I can use the steps anyway. There are a few shops along the way; a new sub shop (“bringing the best of Boston’s North Shore to Wisconsin!”), a skateboard place, and an antique store.

I haven’t tried the restaurant yet, though my younger son says it’s great. Not in the market for a new skateboard, either- my knees are bad enough as it is. And antiques? No thanks. The last thing I need is a “vintage” lamp or tricycle. I rarely even give it a second look as I pass by.

But the other day, on the way home, was something different. Right in the front window was a copy of Blondie’s Parallel Lines.

I’d long lost my copy of the album in one of the (way too) many moves I’ve made over the years. That, of course, is another reason why I don’t like having too much stuff. You never really know how much you have until it’s time to move it all.

At any rate, I went in and waded through about a bazillion steins, a coin case, and a “truck” section to pick it up.

“Hanging On the Telephone,” sounds as urgent as ever. “Heart of Glass” and “One Way Or Another” sound as good in 2022 as they did in the late 70s.

But so too do all the other lesser-known songs; tracks like “11:59” and “Sunday Girl,” which is about…a cat that has run away.

"That's the magic of Parallel Lines. Every track is perfect from top to bottom, and it's a beautiful album because it works in every respect. It's hard to find a flaw in it, and there aren't many records during your career that you can say that about."

~Parallel Lines producer Mike Chapman

I don’t know if I’d call it perfect like Chapman does, but it’s close— and well worth revisiting.

I’ll let you know how the restaurant is.

On Repeat is made possible by support from readers like you. If you find value in this work, please become a subscriber today!

"The Blondies were tough in the studio, real tough. None of them liked each other, except Chris and Debbie, and there was so much animosity. They were really, really juvenile in their approach to life — a classic New York underground rock band — and they didn't give a f*ck about anything. They just wanted to have fun and didn't want to work too hard getting it."

For a great look at what recording “Parallel Lines” was like, click here.

“Sunday Girl” by Blondie| Parallel Lines, 1978

Click the record to listen on your platform of choice.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this track!

On Repeat Records

Discussion about this post