The words "Unauthorized" and "Unofficial" grace the cover of this in-depth biography of the highly celebrated, often imitated and extremely influential Blondie. These words give the impression that there is something shocking to be found between the covers of this book. Some deep dark secret...dirty laundry...photographic evidence...

Upon opening the pages, with an expectation of a leisurely perusal of pictures, an abundance of text is found…"There are WAY too many words in this book for it to be called a 'pictorial history!'" I exclaim out loud. Now before you go assuming I'm a dunderhead, adverse to the written word (even if my favorite author is Dr. Seuss), please understand that I requested this book first out of my love of Blondie and second, knowing that we can always use book reviews at Score!, and my schedule, which permits for little breathing room, would actually allow for a quick review of a picture book. So in my world of crashing computers, bum CD ROM drives, technical difficulties over our new/first radio show and the myriad other complications and necessary tasks which allows for very little recreational reading of late, the book seemed daunting. However, I found myself some quiet time, where my mind would not be distracted by outside influences or the laundry list of to-do items that needed accomplished (and under a nice warm woobie blanket in bed) and I curled up with the book.

Lo and behold, there IS something shocking to be found, but it's not a secret! It's the wonderful world of Blondie as told through a collection of articles, historical information, reviews, interviews, quotes, essays, newspaper articles (some of which are unpublished, unedited versions), a slice of American government, the drug culture (specifically heroine), art, the mafia, pop culture, American culture, gay culture… you get the idea. It's an all-encompassing tale about an era that brings up a band like Blondie and influences the music they create. The words discuss the band's legacy, influences on subsequent artists, the nature of punk, the differences in Brit Punk versus New York Punk, the band's history from its beginnings, through its break-up in 1982 and into the 1990s reunion. It also peeks into Deborah Harry's solo, acting, and modeling careers. Essentially, it's everything you ever wanted to know about Blondie and more - and at the risk of sounding cliché (a phrase that has become cliché itself) - it details their ups and downs and the character that is revealed through overcoming tough trials. Plus! Don't forget the photos! Unfortunately they're in black and white, but hey, color is expensive! Especially when it appears every photo ever taken of Deborah or the band is represented. My personal favorite is a flattering shot of Debbie with a towel on her head and French fries up her nose. It's just so Score!

This book is a must-have for Blondie and punk fans alike. It's also a wonderful walk through America's pop culture!

http://www.blondiebook.com/