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List Price: $8.94 | | Label: Capitol
Salesrank: 40342
Released: September 11, 2001 |
| Our Price: $6.51 |
| Used Price: $2.76 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Plastic Letters Track Listing:
1. Fan Mail
2. Denis
3. Bermuda Triangle Blues (Flight 45)
4. Youth Nabbed As Sniper
5. Contact In Red Square
6. (I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear
7. I'm On E
8. I Didn't Have The Nerve To Say No
9. Love At The Pier
10. No Imagination
11. Kidnapper
12. Detroit 442
13. Cautious Lip
14. Once I Had A Love (The Disco Song 1975)
15. Scenery
16. Poets Problem
17. Detroit 442 (live)
Editorial Review:
Blondie Photos
More from Blondie
Blondie - Greatest Hits | 
Parallel Lines | 
Blondie |
Autoamerican | 
Eat to the Beat | 
The Hunter |
Plastic Letters Reviews:
Presence, Dear 
2009-12-21 - That's what Debbie Harry exuded, in concert and video. It's also the title of my favorite Blondie hit (U.K. only). The band took longer to catch on in the states.
Following up their great debut "Blondie" (1976) couldn't have been easy. It was produced by Richard Gottehrer, and they used him again the next year on "Plastic Letters". Smart move. Gottehrer was an industry veteran who had written the number one hit "My Boyfriend's Back" for The Angels in 1963. He was perfect for capturing Blondie's New York-centric punky Shangri-Las sound. There's not a bad song here. Indeed, the group had a knack for teaming up with the right producer at the right time.
Their breakthrough album "Parallel Lines" (1979) was produced by Mike Chapman. The Chapman/Chinn juggernaut first scored with Suzi Quatro 6 years earlier, then Sweet and numerous others. Donna Summer's producer Giorgio Moroder helmed Blondie's biggest hit "Call Me" in 1980. Of course, none of this would mean anything without great songs - but guitarist Chris Stein, keyboardist Jimmy Destri and Harry all wrote well. Along with drummer Clem Burke, "Plastic Letters" was recorded as a foursome. For "Parallel Lines" they added new members Frank Infante and Nigel Harrison. Harrison had previously been in the L.A. glam band Silverhead, which was fronted by the great singer Michael Des Barres. This line-up continued till the group disbanded in '82.
The first 4 albums are the best. The 4th one, "Eat To The Beat", was another big-seller. "Autoamerican" spawned 2 number one singles and sold well, but was a disjointed affair that didn't cohere like earlier efforts. "The Hunter" was fairly bad, and marked the end of the hit-making years. Reunited since the late 90's, the band records only sporadically, and have only the U.K. hit "Maria" to show for it. There's too many missing original members, and it's just not the same.
But in their prime, Blondie was one of the most fun bands around - and the first 4 albums are enduring classics. Of these, "Plastic Letters" is probably the most overlooked. Too bad. It's a real gem.
Still my favorite Blondie album. An underrated classic.
2009-04-02 - If you have never heard Blondie's Plastic Letters before then you are in for a treat. This is still and always will be my favorite Blondie album. I can still remember listening to it for the first time in 1977 and I loved it. I used to play it over and over again. Hearing it today is just as fresh as it was then. This album is their pre polished sound that was the real Blondie. It is a true example of their pop punk style. I saw them in concert in 1978 when they did Parallel Lines with the hit disco song Heart of Glass and Debbie Harry announced that they were not a disco band but a punk band. I guess that song made them popular but to me the real rawness of Blondie is in the songs on Plastic Letters. Every song is a classic. Give it a listen for the first time or rediscover it if you have'nt heard it in awhile. This is without a doubt one of my top ten albums of all time.
Blondie is the best. This CD is a must have classic!
2009-01-15 - What can I say - Blondie is great and this early CD is very raw and exciting.
FOR AMBER..... 
2008-08-11 - As a health inspector in urban Australia it was my job during the early 90's to inspect the various registered brothels. Prostitution is legal here. In Melbourne's eastern suburbs I had to report on a newly established brothel called the "The Steak House." Simply put this cramped two bedroom house was decked out with the usual tacky Chinese paper lanterns, dimmed lights and Karma Sutra pictures on the walls. All this plus burning incense in a typical shallow attempt to create an intimate atmosphere.
The place was clean and up to code in all the necessary checks i ran threw, i.e condom disposal and clean bed sheets ect. It was midday and only two girls were working, both sitting quietly reading in each bedroom. The girl in the bedroom closest to the entrance was singing the words to Def Leopard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" while the other girl actually had a small boom box and was playing Plastic Letters by Blondie. We briefly chatted about music and eventually I invited her to go see Debbie Harry play at a local night club in the upcoming weeks. Amber was her name and she was a huge Blondie fan, and was probably looking forward to this gig more than anything else at this particular time.
On the evening before the gig, Amber was responsible for a car accident which may have contributed to a series of other major car crashes at a busy intersection. She ran a red light and multiple cars collided as a result. Four people were taken to hospital and two people died. However the cops only charged Amber with running a red light incurring a $200 fine. They called her every filthy name under the sun, but due to the laws, had to treat the other crashes as separate accidents and not connected to Amber's driving error.
She phoned me from the local cop station and after went straight to the gig, where i met up with her. During the support bands she informed me of the details of the crashers. She was physically ok, but feeling horribly guilty, particularly due to the deaths which occurred. To calm her nerves she told me she had taken several Valium. I noticed she was throwing back alcoholic drinks like their was no tomorrow. During the gig itself i virtually had to hold her up as she insisted on standing near the front of the stage.
In the taxi ride home she lost consciousness and was rushed to hospital where she died from a combination of drugs causing her heart to slow then stop. I have forgotten the technical term the doctor used.
Due to the fact i only knew Amber for a few weeks and was not a family member I was not allowed to be by her side when she passed. The authorities could not locate a next of kin. Even after searching her apartment and exploring personal documents. I could offer no assistance, but decided to place an add in a Melbourne newspaper in the hope of locating a relative. I had no success. Plastic Letters is a good cd of early Blondie material, but is a cd I can not easily listen too for obvious reasons. R.I.P Amber Liechtenstein
Blondie's Quirky But Fabulous Second Album
2008-06-20 - Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R36JMMBUUWTKDL
