End of the Run? Hardly

There's a fun little article about Debbie Harry in today's New York Times. Andy Warhol was right when he wrote in his diaries that Deb always gives a great print interview: "It’s hard for me to think that Blondie was so completely original," she said. "I don’t really think that I’m an icon. I think an icon is a statue, something that’s frozen, you know. I don’t feel like that." And she added, "I don’t really love walking down memory lane." But when you see her actually speaking she's so awkward and ill-at-ease (in an endearing way, of course). I got her just-released album, "Necessary Evil," last week and after sitting through it once and hating it (17 songs??? WTF?!!!!), I've played it a dozen times since and am actually really starting to love it. (This is not uncommon with me and new music.) Sure, there are still too many songs (instrumentals and interludes? Come on, Deb. You don't even play an instrument!) and sure she revisits some genres that she's conquered a number of times before far more successfully, but the good stuff -- as was the case on Blondie's comeback LPs, "No Exit" and "The Curse of Blondie" -- is really good. "Two Times Blue" (a remix of which has actually charted), "Love With a Vengeance," "Dirty and Deep," "Whiteout," "School for Scandal" and especially "You're Too Hot" (ever heard garage-punk from a 62-year-old?) rate high against the rest of her solo catalog, and even the annoying songs are impossible to get out of your head (please make "Charm Alarm" stop!). At this point in their careers, many artists would be content to rest on their laurels, but as Debbie told The Times: "I never wanted to be in an oldies band; I just didn't." Adding, "I was just ready to do something new, and I needed to be creative." With her new album I would say she has indeed succeeded. Can't wait for the big show next month at Irving Plaza ...