Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982 (4LP/remastered/112-pg book) Dlx Edition LP

Against the Odds: 1974-1982 is the first authorized, in-depth anthology from Blondie in their 50-year history. This deluxe vinyl 4LP box set features the very best of the out-takes and rarities from the Super Deluxe Collectors' Edition, remastered from the original analog tapes and cut at Abbey Road Studios. An accompanying 112 page book features an exhaustive look at Blondie's international notoriety via picture sleeves and regional pressings. Most of this archive was stored for nearly two decades in guitarist Chris Stein's barn, just outside Woodstock, New York. It included a hundred reel-to-reel tapes, half a dozen cassettes, storage tubs full of records, and promotional memorabilia. Says Debbie Harry: "It really is a treat to see how far we have come when I listen to these early attempts to capture our ideas on relatively primitive equipment. Fortunately the essence of being in a band in the early 70s held some of the anti-social, counter culture energies of the groups that were the influencers of the 60s. I am excited about this special collection. When I listen to these old tracks, it puts me there like I am a time traveler. As bad as it was sometimes, it was also equally as good. No regrets. More music." Adds Chris Stein: "I am hopeful that this project will provide a glimpse into the ‘process' and some of the journey that the songs took from idea to final form. Some of this stuff is like early sketches; the old tape machines are like primitive notebooks. The trickiest thing for me was always about getting the melodies out of my head into reality and the changes that would happen along the way." Drummer Clem Burke notes: "It is amazing that after all this time, and against the odds, our Blondie archival box set will finally be released. It's been a long time coming and we are all very happy and excited with the final results." Producer Ken Shipley says: "From the moment I walked into Chris Stein's barn and saw a wall of tapes I knew we were on the precipice of something extraordinary. Against The Odds is a treasure chest disguised as a box set." Fellow producer Steve Rosenthal notes: ​"Blondie is a group of extraordinary artists. Years of searching, months of mixing, mastering and restoration, days of decisions went into this box set to highlight the unique path they travelled – from CBGB's to MSG."