Plastic Letters in Bloomington, MN

In artistic terms,
Plastic Letters
,
Blondie
's second album, was a classic example of the sophomore slump. If their debut,
, was a precise update of the early-'60s
girl group
sound, delivered with an ironic '70s sensibility, its follow-up seemed to consist of leftovers, the songwriting never emerging from obscurity and pedestrian musical tracks. The production (again courtesy of
Richard Gottehrer
) was once again bright and sharp, but in the service of inferior material it alone couldn't save the collection. The two exceptions to the general mediocrity were
"Denis,"
a revival of
Randy & the Rainbows
' 1963 hit
"Denise,"
for which
Deborah Harry
sang a verse in French to justify the name and gender change, and
"(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear,"
written by
Gary Valentine
, who had left
shortly before the recording of the album. Due to these two songs, the album became a commercial success, at least overseas. British-based
Chrysalis Records
had bought out
Private Stock
, giving
greater distribution and more of an international marketing focus. The result was that
"Denis"
broke them in Europe, nearly topping the U.K. charts and followed into the Top Ten by
with the album also peaking in the Top Ten. In the U.S.,
finally charted, making the Top 100. The songwriting problem did not seem to bode well, but they would take a distinctly different approach next time out. (The 2001 reissue added four bonus tracks including an early version of the breakthrough hit
"Heart of Glass,"
here called
"Once I Had a Love [AKA The Disco Song]"
;
"Scenery,"
another catchy song written by
Valentine
"Poets Problem,"
the non-LP B-side of the single
"[I'm Always Touched by Your] Presence, Dear"
; and a previously unreleased live version of the rocker
"Detroit 442."
) ~ William Ruhlmann