Pretenders: Classic or Dud?

"Night In My Veins" def one of my fav singles

^^ the single that led to my investigating them. It's still sexy as fuck ("he's got me up against the back of a pickup truck").

Last of the Independents and VEA got terrific reviews at the time but have now faded -- a pity, cuz their only real dud is Get Close, which despite splendid Hynde vocals sounds like ace eighties producers doctoring crass songwriting.

I gotta check out the other albums. "Dance" is the only straight dud on Get Close, imo, so awful. Love their cover of "room full of mirrors". I sort of agree with you, Alfred, in that the production outshines the songs for the most part.

hmm what about "How Much Did You Get For Your Soul"?

Listening to "The Phone Call" off the first Pretenders record now it always sounds like a lost 90s album track by the Pixies with the garbled vocals and that dark lurching 7/8 guitar riff.

I am generally in favour of Get Close, but not of "How Much Did You Get For Your Soul" (their worst 80s track?)

GC keepers: the one-two punch of "Chill Factor" and "Hymn to Her" (two of her best vocals), "My Baby," and a B-side titled "World Within Worlds."

Remember her second-tier Bond theme?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUgy7fpUR2A

and, yes, "Don't Get Me Wrong"

"Tattooed Love Boys" is tight as hell. Running a 7/8 (I think?) over that Motown beat is a total virtuoso punk move -- punk because it makes it seem even faster, virtuoso for being able to count it. They were a hot band.

one of the coolest sounding records, ever

A top ten record for me.

Damn, I would've thrown Get Close a vote. Feels like the time is right for someone to cover "Don't Get Me Wrong".

― brimstead, Wednesday, 3 April 2013 22:17 (7 months ago) Permalink

so is this gonna happen soon or what?

Get Close is a triumph of voice and personality. On her worst imperial phase record, Hynde gives the performance of her life. "Chill Factor" kills me: a peak of her talk-singing. She doesn't go soft, hugging the organ and stressing unexpected syllables.

Unusual (but lovely) Chrissie vocal on this cover of Tim Buckley's "Morning Glory"; it's kinda Joan Baez down an octave or so:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWAKX_mmHNk

On a more upbeat tip, "Break Up the Concrete":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TfF9I3-zJ0

Oh wow, Chrissie has a solo record out this week.

Saw a video of the song "House of Cards," featuring Chrissie and a band. Eh, it was ok.

The album, entitled Stockholm will feature notable guests such as Neil Young, Björn Yttling of swedish indie pop band Peter Bjorn and John, and even fretwork from tennis legend John McEnroe.

Stockholm will be the follow up to the Pretenders 2008 album Break Up The Concrete

only a 5.8 from Pitchfork and review includes this :

In Stockholm’s press materials, Hynde says, “I wanted to make a power pop album you could dance to—Abba meets John Lennon.” It’s frustrating that the results don't match the aims; here, she’s made a mostly fine, overly polished adult contemporary record that feels oddly generic, especially coming from her.

the writer likes the closing track though

I just listened to it as well and, well, I liked the closing track too.

Didn't mean that to sound like a diss. The record sounds fine but hardly extraordinary. The closing track was the first (and last, I guess) time I stopped paying attention to whatever else I was doing long enough to just listen to it.

OK, this I'd actually read:

http://www.avclub.com/article/chrissie-hynde-writing-tell-all-book-her-own-216080

Dr. Rumak • 20 hours ago

How do we trust that anything in this book is real, since she's already admitted to being a Pretender?

She's lived a heck of a life.

She made these remarks. I'm not surprised.

I suppose that I feel charitable and defensive enough of Chrissie as a person to get on board with these remarks (cited in the linked article):

"People criticising Chrissie Hynde for her comments are overlooking that she is a victim and this is self blame. I feel v sorry for her tbh", tweeted Stephanie.

While the Guardian's Hadley Freeman echoed her thoughts: "Many people seem furious with Chrissie Hynde, and I get why, but I feel pity for her. Imagine blaming y/self for sthg so awful for so long."

yeah i saw people calling her some pretty nasty things today and it's like hmmmm is that really the right response here.

no idea what alfred's remark is supposed to mean.

i.e. I'm not surprised that Hynde, who despite her punk roots draws from a traditional well of rock and roll discourse about men and women, would make those remarks.

Yeah, I think she's coming from a very different place than most contemporary music criticism when it comes to gender discourse

http://www.pretenders.org/adviceto.gif

#10 OTM

New album "Alone" coming out that is produced by Dan Auerbach of Black Keys in Nashville. Duane Eddy is on one song and some Nashville studio guys are on others, per the press release.

They're gonna tour as the opening act for a Stevie Nicks US arena tour

would love to hear Stevie + Chrissie sing "Back on the Chain Gang" or "Hymn to Her."

That would be nice. November 4th gig in your part of the country.

Been digging into their first four albums (prompted by Alfred tweeting about the debut) and man there is a real steep drop with "Get Close". Understandable given the shifting line-ups and changing times, but man Hynde was really not served well by the late 80s frills of fretless bass, shitty synth pads, etc. Big singles and maybe Chill Factor aside it's a bummer to listen to.

Also just generally struck by how much her phrasing reminds me of Dylan. Those first three albums are an incredible run.

Wikipedia, perhaps appropriately, lists it as both "New Wave" and "soft rock."

I'm not at all baffled by someone not liking it, and I can certainly imagine it shedding some fans of the first three albums at the time, but a few duds aside ("How Much Did You Get For Your Soul" being the yuckiest), I still love it. "My Baby," "Don't Get Me Wrong" and "Hymn To Her" are all great, shimmery pop.

The big singles are wonderful though - Hymn To Her, Don't Get Me Wrong and My Baby are great boomer pop xpost

Her singing and breath control in "Chill Factor" kills me.

I'm usually a defender of expensive '80s albus, but Shakey OTM about the vacuousenss of Get Close.

The first four Pretenders albums are a lot like the proper Clash album discography (minus Give 'Em Enough Rope, which for some reason I never owned until I was older) in that they were so formative for me, and I've lived with them for so long now, that I'm pretty much blind to their flaws.

(don't trust my opinions on 'em, in other words)

I'm usually a defender of expensive '80s albus, but Shakey OTM about the vacuousenss of Get Close.

I just don't think those touches play to her strengths, and they don't reveal anything or challenge her in interesting ways they just feel like half-assed window-dressing. Was kinda surprised to read Alomar was involved tbh, I can't identify his contributions.

you know what I really love on re-listening to these is "Pack it Up"

also can anyone explain why they did a song called "Louie Louie" that is not THE "Louie Louie"? idgi

Don't sleep on packed!. It's got some of her loveliest material ("When Will I See You," "Never Do That," "Let's Make a Pact").

I posted this in the other thread.

"Thumbelina", off Learning To Crawl, sets a bar for female-led Americana that I wish was reached for more.

Hidden gem on Get Close: "Tradition of Love"

I still can't stand her biggest revenue stream.

Chrissie's performance half-saves this song for me. Imagine it in the hands of Celine Dion or some other nuance-adverse bleater and you might see what I mean.

if there were any justice in this fallen world, "show me" would have earned her a billion dollars

the s/t debut is one of the best rock records ever. pretenders II is good. they are CLASSIC
p much everything after the deaths of JHS & PF = DUD

Bar maybe a half dozen or so songs, maybe. Though Hynde remains classic, which kind of keeps the goodwill flowing. Last couple of albums did not even feature Chambers, so wonder why her sole solo album was the only one designated as such.

agreed that Hynde is eternally classic