Surprisingly, if you heard Autoamerican before and liked it, you may just like this album too. Both albums show that the band only ever wanted to experiment with different musical styles as the 80s dawned, yet unfortunately The Hunter is perhaps the only album which sounds like Blondie running out of creativity or inspiration. Essentially, it isn't a poor album, just a terribly average one. There's barely a hint of fun or forward-thinking musicianship to note here, except for “Danceway”, which wouldn't seem out of place on any of Blondie's first three albums, or “Island of lost souls”, which sounds so upbeat and bouncy it may just be the perfect soundtrack to a luxurious, sunny holiday. The album doesn't give the greatest first impression, given that opener “Orchid club” seems to drag on as time passes very slowly by, and the very disorganized nature of both “Dragonfly” and “Little caesar” only goes to show how much the band may have wanted to get The Hunter over and done with.
That said, the musicianship and vocals aren't altogether that bad. But, as said before, they are indeed very average, even by Blondie's standards. Harry herself sounds rather content on songs such as “Island of lost souls” and “Danceway”, but elsewhere, as on the very dark “The beast” and pop-by-numbers “Dragonfly”, her voice sounds forced and not as natural as long-time fans of the band had become accustomed to. There are even songs where Harry merely talks throughout, making the likes of “War child” and “For your eyes only” (a song that very nearly made it on to the soundtrack of the James Bond film which takes the same name) drag on even more than is sanely possible for the casual listener. Musically, the rhythm section seems to have taken a step back, but given that The Hunter was released in the 80s, it is forgivable knowing the circumstances. These circumstances relate to the way in which synthesisers, horns and the band's musical weapon of choice, the saxophone are all used to their full extent. For example, “Island of lost souls” is enriched in jazzy influences, and “The beast” and “Danceway” both make for interesting songs in the end thanks to synthesisers being used in an appropriate way, so as not to make them sound like simplistic, rehashed 80s pop tunes.
All in all, The Hunter aptly marks the end of Blondie's first era, and though the band had only been together for a mere eight years, they would return in 1997 to show everyone they weren't quite finished yet. Put simply, Blondie's sixth album does the right job in making you think that the band had now run out of steam completely, and instead of splitting up and not producing a half-baked set of songs, they did just that. They may have been confident with what they were doing, but it surely takes some convincing to convert even the most devoted Blondie fan to believing that The Hunter is anything other than a completely missed opportunity. Make sure you listen to the band's previous five albums before this.
Tracklist for The Hunter:
1. Orchid Club
2. Island of Lost Souls
3. Dragonfly
4. For Your Eyes Only
5. The Beast
6. War Child
7. Little Caesar
8. Danceway
9. (Can I) Find the Right Words (To Say)
10. English Boys
11. The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game
That said, the musicianship and vocals aren't altogether that bad. But, as said before, they are indeed very average, even by Blondie's standards. Harry herself sounds rather content on songs such as “Island of lost souls” and “Danceway”, but elsewhere, as on the very dark “The beast” and pop-by-numbers “Dragonfly”, her voice sounds forced and not as natural as long-time fans of the band had become accustomed to. There are even songs where Harry merely talks throughout, making the likes of “War child” and “For your eyes only” (a song that very nearly made it on to the soundtrack of the James Bond film which takes the same name) drag on even more than is sanely possible for the casual listener. Musically, the rhythm section seems to have taken a step back, but given that The Hunter was released in the 80s, it is forgivable knowing the circumstances. These circumstances relate to the way in which synthesisers, horns and the band's musical weapon of choice, the saxophone are all used to their full extent. For example, “Island of lost souls” is enriched in jazzy influences, and “The beast” and “Danceway” both make for interesting songs in the end thanks to synthesisers being used in an appropriate way, so as not to make them sound like simplistic, rehashed 80s pop tunes.
All in all, The Hunter aptly marks the end of Blondie's first era, and though the band had only been together for a mere eight years, they would return in 1997 to show everyone they weren't quite finished yet. Put simply, Blondie's sixth album does the right job in making you think that the band had now run out of steam completely, and instead of splitting up and not producing a half-baked set of songs, they did just that. They may have been confident with what they were doing, but it surely takes some convincing to convert even the most devoted Blondie fan to believing that The Hunter is anything other than a completely missed opportunity. Make sure you listen to the band's previous five albums before this.
Tracklist for The Hunter:
1. Orchid Club
2. Island of Lost Souls
3. Dragonfly
4. For Your Eyes Only
5. The Beast
6. War Child
7. Little Caesar
8. Danceway
9. (Can I) Find the Right Words (To Say)
10. English Boys
11. The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game