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Pretenders

Pretenders

1979

Buy At Rough Trade
Pretenders
Album Summary

Pretenders is the debut studio album by British-American band the Pretenders, released on 27 December 1979 on Sire Records in the US and on 7 January 1980 under Real Records in the UK. A combination of rock, punk and pop music, this album made the band famous. The album features the singles "Stop Your Sobbing", "Kid" and "Brass in Pocket". Nick Lowe produced the Pretenders' first single, "Stop Your Sobbing", but decided not to work with them again as he thought the band was "not going anywhere". Chris Thomas took over on the subsequent recording sessions.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.34

Votes

11805
Genres
Rock
New Wave
Punk

Reviews

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Wed May 12 2021
4

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.

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Sat Jan 23 2021
4

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

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Sat Mar 13 2021
5

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.

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Wed May 12 2021
5

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.

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Sun Sep 25 2022
5

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.

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Mon Jan 18 2021
5

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

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Thu Jul 01 2021
5

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

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Fri Jul 16 2021
5

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

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Mon Mar 15 2021
4

"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!

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Fri Apr 01 2022
2

talk-singing. universal mullet music.

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Mon Aug 21 2023
2

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.

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Wed Sep 01 2021
5

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

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Sat Nov 27 2021
5

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

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Thu Jan 06 2022
5

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

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Wed Oct 05 2022
5

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

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Fri Oct 14 2022
5

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

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Sat Mar 13 2021
5

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”.

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Mon Oct 10 2022
5

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

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Mon Dec 19 2022
5

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

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Sat Mar 13 2021
4

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

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Wed Oct 11 2023
3

Wow, this was a dead center album for me.

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Fri Oct 13 2023
3

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

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Mon Jul 12 2021
2

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.

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Fri Aug 19 2022
2

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.

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Sun Oct 09 2022
2

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

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Tue Oct 11 2022
2

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

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Sat Nov 26 2022
2

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!

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Sun Dec 11 2022
2

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

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Wed Dec 14 2022
2

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

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Sat Jan 07 2023
2

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.

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Mon Feb 13 2023
2

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.

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Mon Feb 20 2023
2

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

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Tue Mar 07 2023
2

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

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Thu Mar 09 2023
2

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

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Tue Mar 14 2023
2

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

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Mon Apr 17 2023
2

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.

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Tue Apr 25 2023
2

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*.

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Fri Jun 02 2023
2

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

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Mon Jun 26 2023
2

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

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Fri Sep 15 2023
2

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).

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Tue Sep 19 2023
2

Super average. Two good tracks.

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Wed Jan 13 2021
5

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

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Wed Jan 13 2021
5

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.

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Fri Mar 05 2021
5

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

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Tue Jan 19 2021
5

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

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Sun Apr 04 2021
5

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

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Thu Feb 04 2021
5

I dig! More than Brass in my Pocket

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Mon Oct 11 2021
5

I've loved this album since it was released.

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Tue Jan 11 2022
5

Love this sound! Precious is tight, great jagged guitar tones! This is everything I love about punk in the 80s. Personality. Great songs. A real great ear for how to orchestrate something as simple as 2 guitars, drums, bass, and vocals. Brass In Pocket is a great tune. I had so much fun listening to this album!

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Sat Jan 15 2022
5

I am pumped, I adore the Pretenders! This is a magnificent debut album. At the intersection of 70's punk and pop rock is where the Pretenders meet to floor everyone with their we-don't-give-a-fuck lyrics melded into peppy instrumentation. They don't juxtapose lyrics and music as intensely as The Smiths do, but they're in that same vein. A precursor for sure. There's that subtle hit of something melancholy or maudlin wrapped in a wistful package and I love it. Chrissie Hynde's voice is magnetic and alluring. She's got that quality that expresses so much toughness and badassery but also softness and vulnerability. She's incredible, I could listen to her on loop for days and never get bored. Big fan!

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Wed Jan 26 2022
5

Tremendous album. If you only know The Pretenders material from the late-80s and after...this is not that band, almost literally. This album always felt like one of those rare crossover albums back in the 80s that appealed to punks, new wavers, and rockers alike. The pure energy from the angular attack of the band combined with the sneer of Chrissy Hynde's vocals is almost sad to hear in a way, knowing the musical (guitar/bass) half of the band would be dead due to drugs within ~2 years, but almost adds to its urgency. I've had this discussion with friends before on the best debuts by an act in history - not only in terms of an album but a song and "Precious" made everyone's short list - what a kick-ass song filled with attack, swagger, and musicality. With so many good cuts, it's hard to pick one personal favourite but for me you can't beat "Tattooed Love Boys" with that galloping rhythm trading off 7/8 and 4/4 measures in the verses. Punk? raw hard rock? Again who knows, who cares, it's awesome and those breakdowns are just weird in a great way. And all in 3 minutes. Not many downturns on this album* - the instrumental "Space Invader" serves as kind of a breather after Tattooed Love Boys. I will say that the first half is definitely the stronger one as some of the slower songs do bring the energy down a bit (the Kinks cover of "Stop Your Sobbing" is a misstep; it's not *bad* but doesn't fit well) but in general they do provide a nice ebb and flow - "Brass In Pocket" may be a middle of the road tune but it's an undeniably excellent and deserving hit song. Overall I just love the raw yet interesting production on this. Guitars sound fantastic, the double-tracked vocals often differ just enough to create some interesting tones at times especially in the heavier songs. Production combined with great songs... this is a keeper and one of the great debut albums ever. 9/10 5 stars. *only referring to the original release: 12 songs ending with Mystery Achievement.

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Mon Feb 07 2022
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

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Tue Feb 08 2022
5

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.

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Sat Feb 26 2022
5

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! 

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Wed May 18 2022
5

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.

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Sun Jul 03 2022
5

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..

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Wed Aug 31 2022
5

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

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Wed Sep 07 2022
5

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.

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Fri Oct 14 2022
5

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!

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Mon Oct 17 2022
5

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.

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Thu Oct 27 2022
5

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.

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Sat Nov 05 2022
5

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!

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Wed Dec 21 2022
5

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

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Tue Jan 24 2023
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.

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Sun Jan 29 2023
5

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

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Sun Jan 29 2023
5

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

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Mon Feb 13 2023
5

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.

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Fri Mar 24 2023
5

Love The Pretenders, great album

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Fri Apr 14 2023
5

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!

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Tue Apr 25 2023
5

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.

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Sun Jun 04 2023
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).

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Fri Jun 30 2023
5

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

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Sun Jul 16 2023
5

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

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Mon Jul 17 2023
5

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

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Sun Jul 23 2023
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).

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Sun Jul 23 2023
5

Excellent songwriting. Chrissie Hynde is a badass musician.

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Mon Aug 28 2023
5

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.

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Wed Sep 06 2023
5

One of the best debut albums in history.

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Wed Sep 20 2023
5

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.

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Fri Sep 29 2023
5

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.

👍
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