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Pretenders ReviewThe Pretenders' first album is one of the great rock albums.
Ever.
After a quarter of a century, your heart will still quicken and your blood pressure will rise. That same excitement you got back then will come right back.
Without an ounce of hyperbole, this nuclear-hot collaboration between an American expatriate and three profoundly talented Englishmen at the tail end of the punk movement resulted in a 12-song set that in it's quality, influence, vision, range, ambition and plain old rock & roll energy has yet to be matched.
You hear this album, you will think these guys could do anything they wanted. Punk to pop, country to new-wave soul. It's all here, and none of it sounds like genre-hopping. It's a totally organic sound. Instantly recognizable.
This album has not been remastered since its' original release, and now benefits from greater separation and clarity, yet it doesn't sound too harsh or over-detailed. It feels true to its' source. It's crisp. I had hoped after "Pirate Radio" (the recent box set) that their records would start to become available in newly remastered versions; here we have the first of two...a double CD at a double CD price point.
You have Chrissie Hynde's inimitable voice...part Dusty Springfield, part snarling cat. James Honeyman-Scott's precise, spare, efficient (but still thoroughly musical) style of playing was the sound of a punk rocker who took a lot of lessons. Pete Farndon's muscular, melodic bass was clearly influenced by British 60's rock...like the Who and the Beatles. Martin Chambers' drumming could go from a simple 4/4 backbeat to these unearthly tempo shifts and back without sounding like he's even trying.
This gem of a record starts with a count-off leading into the lacerating "Precious". Chrissie Hynde's vibrato purr over her compatriots' buzzsaw back-up tell us immediately we're in for something we've never heard before.
The now-famous four-letter exhortation spit at the listener startles you ("Not me baby I'm too precious...@#$% off!"), warning you to buckle up for the ride, as the album begins.
"The Phone Call", its' simple two-chord back-and-forth and punky spoken vocals, seduce you into listening more carefully..."what the heck is she saying" sorta stuff...as the incredibly tight rhythm section builds to a powerful instrumental coda.
"Up The Neck" shows a softer, more elegant musicality...with the bolder sound returning around the chorus. Many of the sounds and motifs flow over from "The Phone Call", especially the guitar lead.
In fact, this album sounds more of a piece...a true album versus a collection of songs...than any other of that era.
Of ANY era, actually. The pace and sequencing always invite you to listen "more"...to become involved. Whether that's bouncing around gleefully or pulling the headphones closer to decode murmured lyrics depends on the song.
"Tattooed Love Boys", one of the most original singles to come out of the post-punk/New Wave scene, has an acceleration that the most amphetamine-laced speed metal freak could only aspire to. The 15/8 tempo (or something close to that) keeps you off-balance yet hurtling forward at the same time. It's the sound of a runaway truck heading down an icy mountain with no brakes...
The sudden break in the middle is sublime. The exquisitely simple yet freakin' awesome guitar "solo" is an air-guitarist's dream. It is physically impossible to sit still during this song.
The thick bass of "Space Invader" introduces you to that rarest of all things: an interesting rock instrumental.
"The Wait" is pure bedlam. The opening "ker-whang" guitar chord perks your ears, the band thunders in, Miss Hynde grunts once...loudly...and we're off on a breakneck, thrilling rollercoaster of a punk ride.
Clean, crisp playing...never once overdoing it...every note and chord in perfect place. Pete Farndon's bass work would make John Entwistle smile. The song literally skids to a halt.
"Stop Your Sobbing" is a shock...a terrific Kinks cover with anthemic vocals by Chrissie Hynde that flirt with a little country flavor along with it's classic English pop sound. After the searing "The Wait", this is almost soothing.
A necessary reprieve.
"Kid" continues to show their ambition, their almost limitless prowess. It's a more conventional pop song, like "Sobbing". The sound is still urgent, and still powerful, but not as bruising.
If there is a weak spot, the moody "Private Life" might be it. It's atmospheric, but after eight unbelievable songs, it's a little boring and a little long. It's over six minutes. There's a lot to like in it...and I rarely skip it, but I rarely hit "repeat" if you know what I mean.
But then there's the chiming intro to "Brass In Pocket", the classic single with it's loping, insistent beat, simple guitar and bass lines and straightforward drumming. "I'm special...so special" Yes indeed, Miss Hynde. After the tempo explorations of the earlier tunes, this song's clarity and beauty shine in context.
Again...all of a piece.
"Lovers of Today" is another lesser effort...having the unfortunate spot after "Pocket". It's slow, and indulgent, something which The Pretenders had yet to be on this album.
The martial drumming of Martin Chambers opens the finale, "Mystery Achievement", a dark rocker with a sinuous bass hook. Great vocals, great sing-along chorus...fiery guitar breaks...the call-and-response between Scott's slashing chords and Chambers' drums...what a way to end the album!
We get a second disc of stuff, led off by the Bo-Diddley-ish "Cuban Slide" that is so good I wish it had replaced "Lovers of Today". It's slight, but it sounds like they're having a load of fun...listen to Chrissie sing those Latin "Ay-yi-yi's"!
"Porcelain" is another rave-up...an exercise in tempo shifts, crashing guitars...and this got left off?
A number of demos are informative, but mainly show that these guys were ready from the get-go. "The Wait" starts off faster, if you can believe that...and "Brass" is too slow.
Don't miss the swaggering instrumental "Swinging London". Why I have a vision of Austin Powers right now I don't know. Also check out the country lament "Tequila".
There are a handful of live tracks that will cause your speakers to blister.
Then there's the live "Sabre Dance"...yes, THAT one...the song from a thousand cartoons and commercials...with Chrissie Hynde chirping in some "Sobbing" lines...it's an odd way to end the "odds and sods" disc, but kinda hilarious. I can only imagine what the live audience was thinking...
The CD package comes in a lovely gatefold with terrific liner notes...and...wait for it...
LYRICS!
Yup. There really are lyrics to some of these blurs. I gleefully started to peruse them, but I liked my own, timeworn interpretations better, the stuff I THOUGHT they had been saying all these decades. Use them at your own peril.
There are few female rock singers today that do not owe their careers to this record. The Pretenders took punk's raucous energy & simplicity and fused it with pop sensibility & intelligent musicianship.
There are few records that retain the ability to enthrall over time. This one remains endlessly fascinating. You find yourself, in near-disbelief, thinking, "MAN is this an awesome record!"
My enthusiasm for this album has not diminished for over 25 years.
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