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Rating: 
Summary: Che's book is the best Deborah Harry volume so far
Review: Cathay Che is obviously, first and foremost, a Blondie-and more specifically a Deborah Harry-fan who is also a New York scene writer of some accomplishment. She tells the Debbie Harry story about as well as anyone other than Deb herself could. I think it presents an accurate picture of an individual far more influential and musically significant than most people in America, including Deb herself, realize. My disappointments with Che are few: she gives superfans and scenesters a great deal of space, rather than engaging individuals who really should be regarded as Harry's peers and colleagues. Che appears to have made no effort to have spoken with, say, Madonna, or Deb's 'Heavy' costar (and former MM roommate) Shelley Winters. (Che's assertion, in the book's first chapter, of the feelings "all men" have for the original blond bombshell is also mildly offensive to me.)
Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and Pete Townshend have all publicly talked about Debbie and a paragraph from any of them would have been invaluable, as would commentary from, say, cinematographer Sam Shaw (who was still alive then and in NYC) or any of the other 'old schoolers' Harry interacted with in the '70s and '80s at the tail end of their careers. Eventually, Harry has said, she will write herself of her own life, and that will probably be the definitive work on her. Until then, Che's book will stand the most significant book on Deborah Harry, and it has much to recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the Ultimate Volume
Review: It sure is fun to see Blondie and Debbie Harry start having the recognition that's been due them all along. Up til now, the only volumes available were Lester Bang's out of print attack on the band (1980) and Chris and Debbie's 1982 account of the band's history 'til then, "Making Tracks". While there are some nice interviews with Deb and Chris in "Platinume Blonde", Ms Che doesn't let the subject matter speak for itself enough for my taste. In essence, she tells their story but can't keep herself from interjecting how cool Debbie is and how cool Blondie was, as if the reader is in doubt and needs convincing. Just letting the facts speak for themselves might have been more effective. Likewise, the picture sections are too scarce and don't really represent the best imagery on a woman and a band who were so well photographed and documented by many prominent photographers & artsists. Although "Platinum Blonde" is a fun read, the ultimate biopic on this blonde has yet to be written....
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