Pretenders

This is what 1001 albums is for. I had only heard the radio hits and kind of written the Pretenders off for some reason. Just never took the time to listen further. This is way edgier than what I was expecting. Like the punk energy with the catchy pop hooks. Chrissie Hynde has instantly shot up into my top female performers of all time list. Had no idea she was the lead songwriter and rhythm guitarist. Love her vocal style. Like some kind of hybrid of Joni Mitchell and Patti Smith. Super impressed. Have to say, though I love Nick Lowe, I'm glad he only produced the one single and not the rest of the album. His track is too thin and bright and kind of sticks out awkwardly in the mix of the album. I think I'll be going through the rest of their catalog now.

Interesting instrumentals, sometimes with odd time signatures. Unique voice and singing style. I love the drums especially, the drummer stays right in the pocket and matches the songs' vibes perfectly.

Está pirata que nunca he escuchado bien a esta banda, a pesar de que su cantante me cae de huevos y que conozco su historia, papel e importancia en el punk inglés. Siempre asumí que era una banda más new wavey, como más plasticona. Pero no, eh, la neta este disco está chingón. De lo que me he perdido. Oh no, porque siendo honesto, no me hubiera gustado esto tanto más morro. En fin, es un gran disco de los 80, del punk, del new wave. ¿Noto una cierta influencia en PJ Harvey? No se me hace tan descabellado. También me dejó claro que si unes The Clash + Pretenders te salen los Libertines. Increíbles riffs a montones. Space Invader, wow.

Their later albums have more hits, but you can still appreciate edgy songwriting and Chrissie Hynde's great voice

This is incredible! I’ve never heard the Pretenders before and am pleasantly surprised.

I've always found Hynde's vocal style quite irritating, and their debut doesn't have much in the way of tunes to redeem this, many tracks seemingly an exercise in attitude over content. Best song on here is by The Kinks, one my kids know all too well. They got better, but this is not great.

talk-singing. universal mullet music.

Argh! I've just rediscovered this after 40 years. I bought this from the record stall at Wembley market but wasn't overly into it so consigned it to the back of the collection. Listening to it now I realise how wrong I was. Brass in Pocket is the big hit but my favourites now are: Kid, Stop your sobbing and Private Life (written by Chrissie and covered by Grace Jones). Can't stop playing it now.

This is a really stunning debut album, long a favorite of mine. Some of these songs have been classics for years both for mainstream and alternative audiences, it's hard to imagine what the impact must have been when the songs were new. What an amazing contrast between the deeply cool badassery of songs like "Precious" and "Tattooed Love Boys" and the unexpected softness and vulnerability of "Kid" and "Lovers of Today." Wow. The arrangements are crisp and tight and the guitar work is top notch. It feels so fresh, even today. Hynde is mesmerizing as the lead, with flawless vocals and lyrics that run the gambit from dreamy to empowering to occasionally disturbing. You could write a whole dissertation on the sexual politics of these songs. Nothing but love for this album, front to back. Favorite songs: Kid, Brass in Pocket, Tattooed Love Boys, Mystery Achievement

One of the great debuts of all time. Chrissie Hyndesexy swagger is captivating but it's not only that the music is mature and confident in a way debuts just aren't supposed to be. They seemlessly move from Punk to new wave to ballads with the skill of a veteran group. Their rendition of The Kinks Stop Your Sobbing is simply perfect. This truly is an album everyone needs to hear. 5 stars

This is great, love the singer, love the instrumentation, love the aggression. Definitely a new favorite.

"Now I see you All impressed and half undressed You got paint stick all over the scars and lumps and bumps" (Tattooed love boys) "I said child, child staring into the street light And messed up child, lonely boy tonight Kick the wall, turn the street and back again Oh boy you've been forgotten" (The wait) "Your private life drama baby leave me out J'ai les glands with your theatrics Your acting's a drag It's o.k. on TV 'cause you can turn it off But don't try me Yes your marriage is a tragedy But it's not my concern I'm very superficial I hate anything official" (Private life) ¡Qué alegría escuchar a una señora para variar!

Wow, what a great album. The whole thing is a banger.

I do like the sound of the Pretenders and the album totally rocked for me!

This is badass.

flawless

Always wanted to like the Pretenders more - and definitely do now after listening to this album!

Loved the way the songs sound. So distinct but sounds so effortless.

I really dig this. Lots of musical influences, can really hear the punk in there. Her voice is fantastic too.

Wow, this was a dead center album for me.

2.5 The Pretenders are a band I've always wanted to like, but for some reason I just can't quite get to click with me. This album feels like something I would love... I adore Chrissie Hynde's voice, and the music I would best describe as a manifestation of the punk to new wave transition. Hell, Johnny Marr would even later credit the guitar work on the album as his biggest inspiration for The Smiths (one of my all-time faves!). Yet despite all of that, it just feels like they neglect to do anything overly-interesting with the tools they have at their disposal. I'll admit this album kicks off pretty strongly with tracks like Precious and Up the Neck, but starting around Space Invader, slowly but surely, I feel like the album becomes less and less musically interesting, to the point where I was kind of over it at Private Life. Overall, a net okay album - Tattooed Love Boys is a jam though and by far the best song on the album. Favorite songs: Tattooed Love Boys, Precious, Up the Neck

This was great! Only heard one of these song before but I loved every song on this album. A really great mix of British and American rock. Favourite: The Wait

10/10 nada más porque tengo un soft spot por las bandas de rock lideradas por mujeres. Aunque la verdad, más allá de eso, sí disfruté mucho el álbum. Creo que el hilo conductor es la voz de Chrissie Hynde, que es muy poderosa y la sabe adaptar (?) a los distintos ritmos que encontramos en el disco, además de a las letras. Y pensar que iba a “Did not listen”.

Me gustaron sobre todo las canciones enérgicas, las más tranquilas como que me aburrieron, aunque la instrumental "Space Invader" fue muy divertida. Me gusta este sonido rockero ya en otro tono y la voz me gustó. Sobre todo fue bueno conocer mejor a los Pretenders, a quienes ubicaba creo más de oídas. Mis canciones destacadas: "Precious", "Up the Neck" y "The Wait". 7.5/10

I like the Pretenders as a singles band a lot, but their albums tend to get boring for me.

Always loved Brass in Pocket, and a few others on this album are OK too. Might listen again

So I liked all the pieces individually but not necessarily all together. I liked the lyrics, I liked her voice and I liked the instruments. But (for me) together they just didn't mix always, making songs seem long and drawn out (Private Life felt like it wouldn't end). I liked The Phone Call and Up the Neck. I also really liked the lyrics in Tattooed Love Boys and the music of Space Invader. I wouldn't give up on the band but maybe this album.

Some early 80s rock with punk influences. Sadly, the songs aren't quite there and Chrissie Hynde's style of singing is a bit tedious for my taste. 2/5

They're fine, I guess.

The whole album is kind of lo-fi. It doesn't have a huge amount of bite to it in general. Is it just mixed a bit weird? Everything seems so far back and just a bit bleh. It's not grabbing me at all, sorry. You do get a sense of Chrissie Hynde as a personality, and she seems to have a bit of attitude which comes across. Brass in Pocket is about the only stand-out track. 'Stop Your Sobbing' was done way better by the Kinks. I'm not going to fall-out of love with the Pretenders as a result of this, as 2000 Miles remains my favourite Christmas song and I'll be singing along to that with gusto come December (probably November).

I've heard of the Pretenders many times before, but it's only now I've just realised I had them mixed up with the Proclaimers in my head and (rightfully, if that were the case) never gave them the time of day. First track was therefore a bit of a pleasant surprise. First couple of songs in general had me interested, but then it tailed off a bit in the middle. Album wobbled it's way to the end, with a few decent tracks. Reading up on it afterwards I see it's lauded as one of the greatest debuts of all time, and indeed some give it a nod as one of the greatest ever albums. Had to be there I guess. 2.5*.

It alright... "I'm very superficial I hate anything official" is a terrible lyric. Nothing really grabbed me.

Album doesn't really know what it want to be so it just pretends

Yeah I don't mind the pretenders, I seem to think they start to sound a bit samey though. 2.5 for me

Super average. Two good tracks.

I don’t really get this one. It’s got some good elements but there’s no real hooks, the singer is just kind of whatever, and none of the songs stick out much. Feels like it’s halfway between punk and new wave in a bad way, not really achieving the strengths of either genre.

2 stars, not super compelling - a few songs that are decent and recognizable, but a really weak album.

Rubbish (probably)

Some good moments and interesting instrumentation throughout. Really enjoyed the instrumental song but some of the poppier songs weakened the record vs the heavier stuff. Feel like other records from the same era hold up better

Appreciate the energy, but.. whose idea was it to write whole songs entirely out of ad-libs?

A lot of filler. Karen O, owes Hyde a career like.

its fine but like why is this one here. 1001 albums is a bit too much i fear. maybe like 100 guys?

I put this in the same camp as Elvis Costello. Too clever clever to be good punk, too traditional and songwriterly to do anything interesting save for play with some studio effects. It's not bad but it's deeply unexciting. Chrissie Hynde has a nice voice.

I was surprised to find that, "Brass in Pocket" aside, this album didn't do much for me. Maybe I'll enjoy their later stuff more.

huey lewis meets joan jett. punk for a moment and coporate nonsense the next. can be music with pizzaz, but also frizzled muzak. pretenders! pretend!

As I have fond memories of Brass in Pocket and Stop your sobbing I was looking forward to listening to this. However it was disappointing. The tracks that were released as singles (Stop Your Sobbing, Kid, and Brass in Pocket) are the only tracks of any note. The rest ranges from average to downright poor and monotonous.

Don’t think I’ll be listening again though I’m sure I’ll hear Brass Pocket out in the world. Private Life is really not a very good song to put it lightly. A one drop? And what on god’s earth was that guitar solo doing there? Why are you shredding right now? So very Rigs of Dad. And what in the what are those lyrics? Was the producer on his lunch break? Offended me enough to bring the whole thing down.

Not a big fan Hynde singing style, the album itself is surprisingly weak and kind of boring, commercially approved punk. Except for Tattooed Love Boys and The Phone Call

I don't know. some of the songs were interesting, but it's still just a generic post punk band with a woman in the lead. Is there as many disco albums as post-punk in this list? somehow I doubt it...

09/07/2021 - 15/08/2021 Album di debutto di una band che non conoscevo prima e che appartiene a un movimento del quale so poco o nulla (principalmente per mancanza di interesse e di stimoli ad averne). Mi sento impossibilitato a capirne la vera bontà e a individuarne le possibili influenze in altri lavori proprio per questi motivi; dirò la mia dal basso del mio bagaglio culturale musicale generale sperando di poter pensare la stessa cosa quando saprò di più - se mai ne saprò - dei Pretenders e del rock "classico" anni '70/'80. Come record di debutto è inquadrato, l'identità della band mi è chiara e sembra essere questa: riff da minimo sindacale che non mi incuriosiscono, testi un po' cringe che trattano, nella maggior parte dei casi, di storie d'amore / di vita prevedibili, emancipazione femminile e disinibizione sessuale (forse le poche cose avanguardistiche in questo LP guardandolo con occhi del 2021). A livello musicale nulla è eseguito male e allo stesso tempo nulla è straordinario o minimamente sperimentale: l'esempio più chiaro di quanto affermato è la precisa ma piatta "Space Invader". Vocalità generosa e appassionata quando opportuno, vedi "Private Life". A livello di missaggio l'unica cosa strana che noto è il livello della voce in "Precious", ma per il resto - almeno per le mie orecchie ancora profane in questo campo - la performance vocale, che trasuda leadership e coglioni (o meglio, clitoridi) quadrati, della Hynde mi sembra valorizzata e il resto ben bilanciato e adatto alla natura poco intraprendente del disco. Riascoltando il disco - cosa che non penso farò - skipperei tutto meno che "Precious" - che mi aveva fatto così ben sperare, "Lovers of Today" - dalle melodie interessanti - e "Mistery Achievement" - un po' ska - evitando come la peste la tediosa ed infinita "Private Life" (6:30 per parlare di un amante che non ti interessa né soddisfa sono davvero troppi per non essere davvero interessata o soddisfatta a/da lui, Chrissie), continuando nel frattempo a chiedermi perché "Stop Your Sobbing", "Kid" o "Brass in Pocket", potrebbero essere volontariamente ascoltati da gente nata dopo il 1980, vista la puzza di vecchio che emanano dopo 41 anni dalla loro uscita. Riesco a capire perché questo album piaceva all'ascoltatore medio e disinteressato dei tempi, perché potrebbe essere sfruttato anche da chi li ha vissuti in maniera più musicalmente impegnata come macchina del tempo con destinazione primi amori e primi "vaffanculo al mondo", e anche perché io mi sia annoiato così tanto e sorpreso così poco nell'ascoltarlo: non è una questione di età anagrafica mia o di questo LP, dato che tra i miei album preferiti c'è - al momento - roba di quei tempi (appartenente tuttavia a filoni musicali che presentano prodotti generalmente meno prevedibili e semplici da ricondurre ai soliti cliché rispetto a questo album), è questione di gusti e di approccio alla musica. Io, personalmente, non trovo soddisfazione nell'ascoltare qualcosa di così puntualmente scontato, vecchio e lontano dal mio vissuto e lontano dall'anticipare quelli che sono i tempi che vivo (come invece fa un "Kid A" a caso, per intenderci). In conclusione, il disco non è pessimo a livello tecnico, ma non mi trasmette nulla né riesco a vederne l'influenza in altre cose che ho ascoltato, siano esse vicine o lontane ai/dai tempi in cui è stato rilasciato.

One of the best debut albums in history.

💯 💯 💯 💯 💯

So many great ones on here. Surprising use of alternating time signatures and polyrhythm on several songs.

Excellent songwriting. Chrissie Hynde is a badass musician.

5. Love it!

fuck this is cool. 5

Christ what a debut. Chrissie Hynde is criminally underrated. She's the type of rock star who won't receive her just recognition until we lose her. She IS The Pretenders, although one wonders if that would still be the case had two members of the band not have died so young after their first two albums. No skips here. Forty-seven minutes of solid bangers. Interesting how the most known song (Brass In Pocket) is buried in the middle of side two. No matter. This album's special (Spesh All).

One of THE classic of the new wave era, The Pretenders eponymous debut is nothing but spectacular. Songs like Brass in Pocket and Precious played well at college parties while the rest of the album is just one great song after another. What makes this album so great is Crissie Hynde. Her deep alto perfectlt fits the band's big basket of punk attitude. Unlike other new wave/punk bands of the era, that attitude is tempered with an underlying sensuality that even Blondie (the original new wave sex kitten) couldn't muster. This is a true gem. Listen to it on vinyl to get the same visceral feel that late 70s' punk rockers did.

Great voice, great songs. Definitely listened to this growing up, never took much interest in the artist but will deffo be looking them up after this.

I love the Chrissy Hynde story. She was a rock critic and was getting some flack from artists after some negative reviews. Someone said, if you think it is so easy, see if you can do it yourself. So she did, and The Pretenders is the result. I think she won the bet.

Loved this

I love guitar hero 2 Tattoo love bois, stop sobbing, and brass pocket are some faves. Never listened to the full album but have heard many of these songs, not a single bad track.

Had quite a rock feel to the beginning but don’t get me wrong and brass in pocket had me singing at the top of my lungs

Solid band, solid album. Great variation in songs, distinctive sound, overall a bop. 5/5

Chrissie Hynde's voice is great - just effortlessly cool. Tattooed Love Boys is a classic - I love the 7/4 (?) time signature giving it an unsettling vibe. Interesting to compare Private Life with the Grace Jones cover (I like both).

Love The Pretenders, great album

Really good album. Lots of songs I enjoyed. Reminds me of Elvis Costello or Joe Jackson. I listened to it 3 times.

Very into this. Was not expecting so much punk feel. Then it slows down a little. Then there it is. I'm special. So special

Awesome band. I had only heard the hit songs on this album but it’s all good.

Best debut album. Somewhere between punk, rock and pop. Tattooed love boys has an iconic guitar hero solo

Another band that I didn't know I liked. Add this one to the list! So many good songs on this album. All killer, no filler. As they say. I think Tattooed Love Boys might be my fave, but Brass In Pocket and Precious stood out too. I need to give this a few more listens, and I'll be happy to do so. 4.5/5

I really like this album. It's fun, had a bit of a hard edge, and was pretty original at the time. It also has a few timeless songs on it so doesn't feel like it's aged poorly. I never really get tired of "Brass in Pocket" for some reason.

Yeah, Chrissie!

This sounds way ahead of its time. Late 70s, really? Impressive.

I dig! More than Brass in my Pocket

I've loved this album since it was released.

I've heard a small handful of the Pretenders songs, but this was my first experience with one of their whole albums. This album was a perfect blend of New Wave and Punk. Knowing the Pretenders' radio hits, I was caught off guard by some of the lyrical content of some of the songs on this album. I don't mean to say that any of that subject matter was out of place on this album, because I think it fit perfectly with the Pretenders punk leanings. Chrissie Hynde was the perfect frontwoman to tackle lyrics like this, and this album laid the foundations that acts like Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, and The Go-Go's were able to build their success on (okay, Joan Jett got her start before the Pretenders were around, but her solo stuff had much further reach than her stuff with The Runaways). Musically, this album had some fantastic guitar licks. The songs here were varied in their sound, and that allowed James Honeyman-Scott to show off his skills. From the furious solo of "Tattooed Love Boys" to the riffs on "Brass in Pocket," he could really do it all. The rest of the band's playing was fantastic too; it really felt like all the instrumentals were perfectly placed on this album. I've always enjoyed the few Pretenders songs that I'd heard, but this gave me a new appreciation for how talented and influential they were.

Fucking love this album

cool

Wow! 11/10

This album was one of those that I thought I was going to be on this list. Happy to see that I’m not disappointed. Interesting to hear that Johnny Marr considered this to be key to his playing style. And Tattooed Love Boys is one of my favourite Rock Band jams.

Essential Pretenders & top tier post punk. Chrissie Hynde is in a class of her own with that snarky sultry rock voice. Great band & great album.

Can’t get enough of this album. It has everything: attitude, energy, passion, ear worms, creativity… Great group of songs, but my favorites are Tattooed Love Boys, The Phone Call, Stop Your Sobbing, and Kid. Great album!

I’ve always liked the Pretenders but can’t recall ever listening to any of their albums. I really enjoyed this album. I didn’t realize what song Brass In Pocket was until it started. Not sure how I never knew that was the name of the song which was a surprise since I really love that song! The rest of the album had a lot of great tracks. Other favorites include Previous, Space Invader (yay for the video game samples!), The Wait, Kid, and Mystery Achievement. I really loved the album as a whole. Great stuff!

Timeless.

Love the Pretenders!!

Classic case of knowing the singles but never heard the album. By God, this is good. Feels underrated if anything. It's almost embarrassingly obvious to choose Brass in Pocket as best song, but what a song!

Before this album was released, I didn't listen to any female-fronted bands. On my first listen of the Pretenders debut album, something clicked instantly, it was amazing, like nothing I had been exposed to up to this point. Chrissie Hynde's snarl in her voice, the guitar interplay between Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott and the well crafted songs, their sound was both catchy and energetic. It wasn't exactly punk, nor was it new wave, it was rock that combined some of those elements for modern rock sound with a punk attitude. I consider this one of a handful of albums that helped shape and define my musical tastes. In my opinion, the Pretenders didn't release another record this great, though Learning To Crawl was close, but the band was never the same after the deaths of Honeyman-Scott and bassist, Pete Farndon. The Pretenders became more of a Chrissie Hynde driven "project" and to this day has continued to release some pretty fine music.

Loved this one. Chrissie Hynde is pretty much all you need to know but the band stays with her every step of the way. Top rating here.

probably 4.25 but fuck it, chrissie deserves the extra star for being so cool

Excellent album!

The best record of Pretenders, when they were still making new wave music.. ..some catchy singles but especially with lots of strong album tracks, like the first triple of songs..

Great powerpop

Excelente pintura de época

It's hard to believe this is a debut album. The songs are edgy, confidently combining different styles into an original sound, oozing attitude. For reasons I can't articulate Brass in Pocket has always been one of my all time faves. I can't get enough of Chrissie Hynde. It was good to have her in the world while I was growing up and figuring out who I wanted to be.

Another new wave classic. The whole album flows together so well.

Brass in Pocket was a good hit with lyrics that weren't serious but Chrissie shows that she is good at dealing with tricky topics. Kid is a conversation a mother has with her child when the child finds out her mother is a prostitute. It's a solid album top to bottom. Quite the debut. The two songs that start w a P are fab. Private Life is great instrumentally. Precious is the song I most identify with Chrissie Hynde. Full of confidence, edge, spunk and don't fuck with me attitude.  I'm precious . . .  fuck off! 

Love them!💕

Guay. La voz de esta mujer es ... Y como tiene la canción Kid, y "is the debut studio album" le voy a dar un 5.

Wer Brass In Pocket Freitag zum ersten Mal gehört hat muss dringend Lost In Translation anschauen. Wunderbar upbeat ohne einen wirklich schlechten song. Vielleicht keine 5 Sterne verdient, aber eins von meinen Lieblingsalben. Beste Tracks: Precious, Stop Your Sobbing, Mystery Achievement, Brass In Pocket