There is no question about EAT TO THE BEAT and PARALLEL LINES leaving a mark in music history! AUTOAMERICAN, in my opinion, is a darker side to Blondie. ˝Europa˝ gives a mysterious entry to the whole thing. I didn’t know what to think when I first heard ˝Europa˝. Its the second track ˝Live It Up˝ that caught my attention. It seemed to combine some jazz, disco, and funk into the whole song! ˝Live It Up˝ pulled me in and got me interested. In ˝Here’s Looking At You˝ and ˝Faces˝ Blondie attempts a jazz number. They are not one of the favorites, but both have a ring to them and display Debbie’s voice very well. ˝The Tide Is High˝ is an automatic winner! It was one of the first big reggae songs to hit #1 in America. ˝Angel On A Balcony˝ showcases Deborah’s voice very well and is very likeable. Others songs on the album are ˝T-Birds˝ and ˝Go Through It˝. You can either like or dislike them, but I loved them! ˝Do The Dark˝ and ˝Walk Like Me˝ are very danceable and put more spunk into the album than others. ˝Rapture˝ is the key to the whole project! The first rap that was introduced to the white public. I know that Blondie didn’t start rap, but it was very influential and #1 on the pop charts. ˝Rapper’s Delight˝ by the Sugarhill Gang was really one of the first hit rap songs in ’79 or early ’80. The album closes with ˝Follow Me˝, (a cover from broadway musical’s ˝Camelot˝) a slow ballad that shows the sweet side of Debbie’s voice.
Well you can either like AUTOAMERICAN, or hate it! It managed to capture many different styles and genres of music (jazz, funk, regaee, some light disco, and RAP)! Even if you dislike AUTOAMERICAN it still managed to go Platinum and have two #1 singles that went Gold by 1981.