Reviews (page 3 of 12)
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..
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.
Great powerpop
Bomb
Love them!💕
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!
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
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, rockers, dweebs, geeks (etc etc). 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. Amidst so many good cuts, you still 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.
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!
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!
fuck this is cool. 5
I've loved this album since it was released.
Love the Pretenders!!
I dig! More than Brass in my Pocket
Another new wave classic. The whole album flows together so well.
Really good album. Lots of songs I enjoyed. Reminds me of Elvis Costello or Joe Jackson. I listened to it 3 times.
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
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.
One of the best!
Best debut album. Somewhere between punk, rock and pop. Tattooed love boys has an iconic guitar hero solo
3,92 1. "Private Life" 2. "Brass in Pocket" 3. "Kid"
Has anyone told you Pretenders doesn't sound like an album trying to matter? It sounds like a band playing in a room because that's what they do. You can almost smell the rehearsal space, the cigarette smoke, the slightly-too-warm amp. There's a looseness to it, a physical quality. James Honeyman-Scott's guitar work has the kind of melodic instinct that most guitarists spend careers reaching for and never touch. Pete Farndon holds the bottom end like a man leaning against a wall he knows will hold. Martin Chambers hits the drums like he's trying to leave a mark. And then there's Hynde, who sounds like she's singing directly at whoever broke her heart last Tuesday. And also at you, personally. For reasons she hasn't explained yet.
Fun
Liked it
Great! Very 90s for 1979
Chrissie Hynde's voice is so goddamn loud on this album that it feels like she's right in my ear. I don't know if that's a good thing yet. Also for such a mainstream record this has some aggressive/"edgy" lyricism, especially for '80. Some of this is kinda jumpy in quality (straight punk isn't really my thing no matter how you dress it up and this hits all the ugly spots of the genre for me), but "Brass in Pocket" is an undeniable one.
Muy buena aparición de su cantante y compositora. Gran debut
Listen out of order since Spotify licensing shenanigans
Solid, and worthy of its reputation. Gets an extra star just because for once it was good enough as it promised.
It's a very, very solid three-star album, but it's new wave and I'm biased, so four stars it is.
Best Song: Cuban Slide I'm not a huge Pretenders fan and only knew the popular songs but I was pleasantly surprised at the depth to their music as there is more there than the radio hits. I enjoyed this and would listen again. 4/5.
Day 313. One I would probably have never tried had it not been for this least, really enjoyed it. Highlights Tattooed love boys Private life Mystery achievement
Det kan jeg godt lide.
I mostly like punk and mostly hate new wave. This album is the best of both worlds.
This album is all over the place. In so many ways. It's so various in its style, delivery, sensibilities, etc., that it's tough to put fingers to screen on how it ranks up. Quality is high throughout. Production, musicianship, compositions are all stellar. The only thing that really wavers for me is lyricism, which can be decent in its frankness or outright cringe inducing. Everything else is genuinely impressive, even things I was initially put off by. The main culprit on that piece was the singer. She flexes all over the place. Her spoken word delivery is Dylanesque, which lots of musicians failed to appreciate is only worthwhile when you're delivering songs and lyrics at the "voice of a generation" tier. But man, she's talented. She's good in so many ways and seems at home in all of them. The wry spoken word delivery honestly would've worked if she had some better lyrics to use them with. The guitar is excellent. Lead and rhythm experience win after win. Like the singer, you get some great variety without any compromise in competence. Dreamy new wave riffs, rockabilly fills worthy of Brian Setzer, and pop punk power chord riffs that are a decade ahead of their time are all on offer here, and executed well. Songs are, again, a grab bag of very well done genre mashups. The genre influences they pull in never override their distinct identity. The Pretenders never stay in the same place for too long, but you recognize them wherever they show up. All in all, this is a mighty impressive album. I would be lying if I said it is a "man, you gotta listen to this album," but if you like this style of music, you're not gonna be disappointed with this album in the slightest.
Strong debut that ranges from the raw Precious, to the polished Brass In Pocket, through to the reggae vibe in Private Life. Hynde's voice on top form with the guitars sounding almost Stones-like. Good fun listening to this after a long break
This is really good! Her voice is something else, makes the whole sound really unique.
I don’t love punk. I do love Christie Hynde, she’s a total badass. While this isn’t something I would listen to on the regular, it’s a really good album.
Pretenders balanced sharp guitar-driven rock with a punkish, slightly dark atmosphere, and Chrissie Hynde’s voice sounded timeless, which I loved. I had no idea that most of the songwriting was done by Chrissie. What an incredible talent. My favorite tracks were Up the Neck, Kid, and Lovers of Today. I also loved the guitar solo in Private Life.
Cool kid rock that finds excellent guitar tones and bass lines. The vocals make you want to don you leather jacket and chain smoke cigs. The melody finds rhythm in many instances and creates an electric, while tamed , ballad. Super solid from start to finish.
This is an insanely, strong, kick ass album but I have a sneaking suspicion that this is not their best album. This is the first time, I've listened to a whole album by the Pretenders, so I will have listen to some more to see if my suspicion is correct. Just seems like laziness on the list maker part to just put up the strong debut & not their strongest album. It's annoying that I have think like this because this is great album. Brass in My Pockets, Mystery Achievement & Tattooed Love Boys are the highlights here. They got a lot punk in em but they don't write a lot of short songs. Not necessarily a compliant, more of an observation. I listened to Learning to Crawl. The List got it right by a small margin. 4
Tough, punchy, tight, led by Chrissie’s commanding snarl. Punk music that’s shedding its skin and setting a new tone. Pat Benatar took one look and said, “I see how it is.” It’s a debut album but they sound like a band that’s sharpened their claws for years in the club. Pretenders came out hot, yet they’ve had staying power.
Esittäjät esittivät varsin menevää musiikkia semmoisella puhelaulukerronnalla. Hyvää menoa. Bassoraidat oli paikoin oikeinkin mukavan kuuloisia.
Punky new wave with style and attitude. Tight songs with pop-sensible arrangements that never outstay their welcome. They have a nice bounce to em, with a prominent rhythm section. Hynde can deliver vocals from talked to belted, snarled to seductive, always commanding. Overall I prefer the grittier and speedier tracks to the softer poppier ones, but hey…there aren’t many albums I don’t day that about. But I wonder how things would have turned out if they went the punkier side than new wave. Probably another good album or 2 then burn out cause there’s no money in punk, and then Hynde going on to have her own solo thing. I’m split on rating this, as I really like the first half of the album while the back half is just alright with me. I’ll round up in this case
I've never like Chrissy's voice and haven't much cared for any of the band's songs. Buy I've only heard a few so let's go. I knew the big hit from this album, and while it's not a song I've ever liked, I was surprised that this did have a few other bangers. I preferred the harder edged punk songs with the visceral or antagonist or more relatable lyrics. At least three songs will go on the playlist. I still don't like Chrissie's vocals, but there are a few songs where her style and cadence works. There are a few moments where it's quite lovely. Over time this will more likely be a three star album for me, but given I was expecting to not like this at all, I'm happy to give the extra star.
Previously known. Great album.
When it started, I wasn't expecting punk-ness, but here we are. This album is a nice combination of styles, overall.
Chrissy Hynde!! Best Song: Brass in Pocket Rating: 7.0/10 Stars: 4
Solid album. The hit is a classic.
Always amazing
They walk the line between elegance and attitude really well, with lots of catchy hooks
Cool rock with a little bit of punk and new wave elements. I’m not super found of Chrissie Hynde’s voice, but this definetly a good album. Favourites: Tattooed Love Boys, The Wait and Kid.
THIS ALBUM is what i came here for. I never ever listened to a full Pretenders album. I only knew like 4 songs. This album absolutely rocked the socks. Why is it here? Because *you* probably skipped over it thinking the pretenders only have 4 good songs. Wrong. So underrated.
total vibe for cleaning spree
Tremendous album. Great guitar and bass sound. Production is a little vocal heavy on some tracks. I avoided this album for ages because Brass in Pocket is a lame song. But it’s the only lame song on the album. Who knows why it’s the “hit”
If you only know the singles, holy crap, the record is a breath of fresh air.
Quite a few of the tracks could easily sit on the Burnout 3 soundtrack, nice.
Good
4.5
I quite enjoyed this. I've heard "Brass in Pocket" plenty of times on the radio but hearing it in its fully quality is a much better experience. Overall, a really solid album.
One of the great debuts. Chrissie's "HUHH" at the beginning of The Wait cooler than Daltrey on Won't Get Fooled Again.
Precious is a stand out track for me, and Brass in Pocket is an absolute classic.
ouvi jogando minecraft, não prestei muita atenção. mas foi maneiro a experiência tho
When this started I was worried it was just going to be a straight ahead punky album, but it actually covers a fair bit of ground. I like it best when it jangles a bit, and when the vocals get more melodic. I also enjoyed the dub interlude in Private Life
Great album. Nice mix of punk, rock, and pop. Chrissie Hynde has a great delivery. Lots of good tracks. Probably a 4.5?
Wonderful pop album. I wish more of this had been playable on the radio back in the day, but you couldn't have without blunting the edge on the lyrics. She gets a little dirtier that the radio would have allowed. Classic all the way through. My eating: 4/5
I always liked Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders, but never heard an entire album. Quite a mix. Starts with some sort of punk energy track, but quickly changes into other themes. Side B starts with the signature Pretenders sound and the well-known Brass in Pocket. And it keeps up the quality for the rest of this album.
I knew so many of these songs although I didn't recognize the titles.
4 de 5 El debut homónimo de The Pretenders, es un disco de new wave y post punk destacado por su energía arrolladora, con melodías pop fácilmente adictivas, guitarras muy afiladas, con una actitud dura pero vulnerable. La guitarra recibe un gran protagonismo, los riffs son fundamentales y aportan una amplia variedad de texturas y detalles que le dan una cierta personalidad a cada tema. Chrissie Hynde hace uso de la voz como el motor que activa las canciones, pasando de la rudeza a la vulnerabilidad emocional. A destacar: Track 3 - Up The Neck Track 4 - Tattooed Love Boys Track 5 - Space Invader Track 7 - Stop Your Sobbing Track 8 - Kid Track 10 - Brass In Pocket Track 11 - Lovers Of Today Track 12 - Mystery Achievement
This starts as *approximately* a punk album, but it ends as a lot of things. Honestly, the mix here would be pretty confusing, if not for the fact that a lot of bands sort of sounded like this. I'd say the full picture ends up somewhere in the neighborhood of New Wave, in particular I'd say they are a little like Blondie. Regardless, Pretenders have been one of my blind spots for a while, and this is really good. They sell their punk influence as well as the pop stuff, rock stuff, and the odd reggae influenced track. There's plenty of charisma and attitude and clever songwriting here as well. Tattooed Love Boys might be my favorite here, but there's a lot in the running. I did get to give this a listen, but I honestly think it deserves some more time, so I'm just gonna give this a 4 right now, and call it good. I know that skews a little high for this kind of review, but like I said, my first impression here was *really* good, I'm just not sure if it's good enough to get to a 5, but it *might* be.
This is pretty good - I enjoyed most of it, and Brass In Pocket is a great tune. It has a bit of a punkier edge to its New Wave sensibilities, and that’s fine by me.
I really enjoyed this album. Private Life was my favorite song.
I wasn't as impressed as I was hoping g to be, but I bump it up 1 due to strong female lead vocals.
Have always thought the Pretenders are underrated.
I already knew I loved Pretenders but I’d just listened to the singles (the vinyl of which I have worn OUT!) and from the first track I was obsessed! I can’t wait to listen to more and hopefully one day see them live. What a great band and god damn I love Chrissie Hynde, truly 1 of 1. Anyway, this is a cracking debut. I already knew I loved the singles (including the kinks cover, I also love the original!!) but there were so many amazing album tracks and a brilliant opening song too which I feel is important! I’d def agree this is a must listen :)
Great album. Arguably their best along with Learning to Crawl.
7/10
Pleasant surprise at how solid of a debut this is from a band that I've never paid much attention to. Can see myself revisiting this.
I dig the Punk elements in this.
Ótimo álbum . Muito influente no rock alternativo mundial. Divertido. Tri x HBB Kai.
Fine album. Singles are the standouts.
This is an album that's technically good but I can't bring myself to like it that much. "Brass in Pocket" and "The Wait" are phenomenal, but there are a few duds, such as "The Phone Call" and "Up The Neck". What this album relies most off of is the punk and alternative energy, which they do quite well. Unfortunately, though, and I hate to say it, but her voice sounded too much like a goat. And I can't stand "Kid". I don't know what it is that people love so much about this music. I get why they like it, and that's as far as I can understand. After all, there a couple songs here that I am fond of.
mash bangers
This was fucking awesome, will listen in full again, it's more like 4.5 for me than 4
Thank you 1001 albums. I only knew Pretenders radio songs. This is a great album. Favorite songs: Private Life, Precious, Up the Neck
Actually really good. A bit same-ish in parts but the last couple of tracks add just enough flavour to bump it up to the "would definitely buy a copy from the crates" level. Surprised the dudes here aren't in the background and blurry, though, tbh.
Блин тётя стиля раздаёт, какая же она секси, ничего особенного будто, но слушать приятно, голос красивый, хуй с ним забирайте мою 4
Best so far. Good energy. Cant believe it's 1979
Fun catchy listening suitable for a variety of occasions. The vocals are the highlight, spunky and charismatic and full of emotive character. Favorite tracks: Stop Your Sobbing, Private Life, Mystery Achievement
Me sono muy musica que podría ser intro de Friends, pero super agradable, quizás no encontré grandes cosas que me destaquen un tema sobre otro pero son re cumplidores en general. Destacon sobre todo la buena voz de la cantante y me gusto mucho el cierre del disco con Mistery Archievement RECIEN AHI quizás pude destacar un tema o un groove que me volo le bocho con ese final. Es un buen disco, quízas no se destacaba tanto pero ese final me termina dejando con un gustito positivo asi que se lleva 4 estrellas por como me termina dejando. Aunque quizás un poco injustas pero lo califico yo asi que no me interesa
Props to Hynde for starting a band, writing the songs and doing her thing starting back in the 70's. Her quavering vibrato initially was a negative but it eventually grew on me. This is better than a 3 but not quite a 4. 3.75/4
I only really knew the very famous Brass In Pocket from this album and beyond that, I know their Christmas hit. I enjoyed listening and perhaps it should come as no surprise but in a way, I was surprised by how good it was, interesting instrumentation throughout.
I would not have thought this was my thing, but I enjoyed it. Even the somewhat longer songs, which I typically don't jive with, didn't bother me, and once or twice was even sad a song was ending.
Heard all the hits, many times. I've never sat through an album, at least not this one. I enjoyed it! I got more insight into the band and the incredible power of Chrissie Hynde. Let's see our next album... OH!! MY!!! GOD!!
This album really surprised me. First off I didn’t know the name pretenders at all like I didn’t recognize it when I saw it. But I quickly realized while looking at the track list that this is the band that created the song brass in pocket. Which is a fucking awesome song. Really really catchy song while also being kind of silly and tongue in cheek. But what I didn’t realize was that the vast majority of the album was gonna fucking rock. It’s not a no skip album. But it’s fairly close. The real stand outs are: tattooed love boys, the wait, Cuban slide, private life, mystery achievement, and of course brass in pocket. I really expected this album to be completely carried by brass in pocket. Which is a trend on this list occasionally, but this album was totally quality and legitimately original. This album has a great punk feel and attitude but while having the creativity of a punk band. Seriously this album is totally worth your time.
How about that 'Brass in Pocket'?
I don't belive this is they're first album. Overall is great and sound like it never aged.
Very enjoyable
What a kick ass album! Seriously blown away with come of these songs! Looking to get my hands on a copy of this!
kvalitetom je malo vrludalo ali je u konačnici ostavilo jako dobar dojam. svidjelo mi se! prva stvar snažna, nakon toga malo slabi, ali onda krene obrada kinksa koja me jako jako ugodno iznenadila - stop your (slavko) sobbin – i počevši s tom pjesmom album je snažniji, izdvojio bih još, da moram, možda private life te brass in pocket. sve u svemu, slušat ću još, sigurno spomenutu obradu :)
Da duni jetzt mal als hetti die scho kennt und denn duni grad no so als hettet sie mir recht guet gfalle. zusätzlich pretendi das die lustige 2 sternli bechömed. (Eigentlich sinds 4 hehe)
Die pretenders dünd so als ob ich sie nöd müsst kenne. Kenne sie ja au nöd. Aber sind verdammi guet. Guess what, euch kenni in zuekunf Das isch e 4.5er hmmm
da hani dänkt wenn de don neduziner n. scho es 4.5 usehaut, muessi mer das also scho fast ahlose! und siehe da, de siech hed tatsächlich nöd pretended <3 gefällt mir gut, dat gibt ne saftige vier
I don't think of the pretenders as a post punk/new wave band but this album tells me otherwise.
Christopher Hynde
not bad
1. Precious 2. Mystery Achievement 3. Tattooed Love Boys I had never heard of these guys but I really fw it
Had heard the hit, not the album. This was good stuff, both the opener and closer were stand-out tracks. Easy 4, would grab a used copy.
8/10
very clearly inspired by Blondie, which I say in the most complimentary way possible.
Rockin' - pretty cool album. Love the boldness for a debut album.
Really liked this 4 stars will def revisit
gostei muito
This was a pretty pleasant surprise I really love the singers voice it’s unlike anything I’ve heard before Super cool The bass is really good on this album Favorites: stop your sobbing, up the neck, precious, lovers of today
Det tog ikke lang tid at vende sig til lyden, føj hvor var det da bare lidt godt
A melodic, well-sounding album, the singer has a lovely voice.
Some well known songs from the radio, and some I’ve never heard. I’m impressed with the production and listen-ability even those I’ve never heard.
i love a leading punk lady and a bunch of dudes
A big fan. Excellent debut; not sure it got better from here, but this was very strong.
Better than expected, only knew the hits but the album was gritty and intriguing
This is a stone-cold classic. They do a great job of fusing punk, new wave and rock into a fantastic record that surely stands the test of time.
Lekker album met een paar uitschieters. Omdat het Pasen is, ben ik vrijgevig en rondt ik m'n strong 3 to a light 4 af tot 4 sterren.
Geen pretenden nodig. Sterker dan veel soortgelijke New Wave platen uit deze era.
Bloody good album this. Was expecting some more standard punk fare when it kicked off and was pleasantly surprised to hear a female (shock!) vocals. The album has its roots in punk but isn't tied down and has a lot of gentler and poppies moments. Really consistent with three or four standout tracks which I already knew. 8/10 but may upgrade...
Was going to give this a three on the outside, but the way this evolves and grows is simply too effective. Soft four.
really fun!
pretty good! when i saw this i thought it was a band i recognized but apparently not. really solid start to finish with the vocalist chrissie hynde being greatly enjoyable. her voice is simply beautiful. the bass and percussion here are super catchy across most songs too. it doesn't all hit, and hilariously i think the second half is weaker in direct contrast to ana, but this it's enjoyable on the whole. i'm really impressed by this being a debut album.
I swear I knew this band but I haven't actually heard any of their songs. Chrissie Hynde is the standout here and I really quite enjoyed about half of this album. I think this list is making me realize that whilst I do like punk, I don't like it nearly as much as I thought I did. It's important to say, for a debut album, this is insanely confident. It's rare for a band to understand it's defining sound right from the jump as much as here. The only real downside is I find the album to be a bit uneven, with the second side being notably stronger then the first half. Which is interesting, so far it's usually been the other way around.
Ekaa kertaa pretenderssiä. Ja pirun kovaa menee!
Not my all-time favorite album, but I did enjoy listening to it.
Favourite Songs: Up The Neck Kid Private Life Lovers Of Today
Enjoying the music quite a bit. Nice tone and sweet riffs with solid drum beats. "Space Invader" is a really cool instrumental. Obviously I've heard "Brass in Pocket" but I had no clue what it was until it started playing. The vocals are not fully to my taste, but there's nothing wrong with them. Perfectly fine. Overall a pretty good album.
An incredible debut, thoroughly consistent even if I don’t think every track is an all-timer. Only real complaint is that the album ends so abruptly. Feels like it needed an extra track to wind down rather than just stopping but it is what it is.
Really enjoyed going back and listening to this album. Chrissie Hynde has such a unique and amazing voice with a great delivery. A punky edge probably influenced by her acquaintance with Steve Jones(sex pistols). My 13 yo son couldn’t believe it was so old haha
7/10 Favorite: Brass in Pocket
El sonido de los 80s
Хороший ровный альбом с одним бронебойным хитом. Сколько уже тут таких было.
Was taken aback at how much I liked this given how much I dislike their hit ‘Brass in Pocket’. This is a punk band masquerading as a new wave 80s band on a couple songs because they wanted to make a little money! There’s some great punk tunes on here; the opener ‘Precious’ is fantastic. The couple soft rock tracks aside, there’s a lot to like here, great guitars and the lead singer has a great voice for rock and roll. Solid 4/5
Luv me some Pretenders
Quite enjoying the energy shown here – there’s some great tracks. The Wait has some good riffs and guitar work, and Space Invader gives us a cool instrumental which I didn’t expect. Chrissie Hynde’s voice can be an acquired taste but it does seem to perfectly fit their style. They really mix the vibe up quite a lot which definitely keeps things interesting. “Lovers of Today” is a sort of dark, slow, moody piece and I really dig what they’re going for here. Prior to listening to this record I only really knew the hits, so it’s cool to hear the great musicianship they have and all the different styles they have to offer. Yes we have the main hit “Brass in Pocket” which I’ve heard a million times before, and now hearing the whole album I’d say it’s one of the weakest overall songs on here. Overall I’m quite impressed with this album and it’s pleasantly surprised me. Top picks: Lovers of Today, Tattooed Love Boys, Private Life
I’d have never heard of the pretenders until now, but I’m quite happy I got to hear this album. It has a really neat sound with lots of guitars, the lead vocalist (Chrissie) sings in a somewhat lowkey tone which I think suits these instrumentals very well. The album has a punk slant at times, but generally stays in the soft-rock or rock-pop sphere, I think all of these sounds worked here. The pop style hooks were neat too. My main critique is more of a gripe - my least favourite track is the longest, I just think Private Life is kinda boring and drags too long. Lovers of Today is of a similar length and I really enjoyed that track, so it’s not a length problem as much as it being that song I guess. This is definitely an album I will need to give another listen to at some point, I found myself enjoying the sounds of the record as the album went along, with slight exception. I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Right now I will give it a 3.5/5 but because I feel confident that I’ll enjoy it more with a re-listen, I will give it a 4. Favourite songs: Stop Your Sobbing, Kid, Up the Neck, Brass in Pocket, Lovers of Today 4/5.
Really liked this one and didn't really know most of it outside of Brass in Pocket. Cool punk energy with pop sensibilities, and Chrissy Hynde is just an awesome frontwoman. Guitar work is good, production keeps things interesting, Quite a debut honestly!
This feels like an album that was probably much better at the time. While it feels a little dated today it's still fun. 3.7
Started this album and the first track really didn't do anything for me at all. Yet, as I kept listening I was really getting into it and enjoyed the whole thing. I would go 7/10
Stellar album and a rare instance of the hit single being one of the worst songs off the album. A little punk, a little pop, a little 80’s. The lead singer has so much personality oozing out of her. Such a lethal combo of flare packed into catchy, digestible hooks. “Precious” got me amped from the start. “Tattooed Love Boys” had an awesome little guitar solo after a first few minutes of fun lyrical imagery. “Stop Your Sobbing” wasn’t the best song, but was a necessary mixup that offers something a little lighter and melodic. The following “Kid” sorta continues on that path too. 4/5 we’re on a heater it’s been like a week of good albums now
This was fun!
I knew around half the songs already as they're one of the 1st Wave stalwarts and they've def grown on me over that course. Great stuff, punchy and consistent. One of those groups that benefited from me hearing a wider range of their songs since Brass in Pocket is the big hit and it's still decent but doesn't grab me as much as most of the other songs
One of the strangest vocals I've heard in the punk genre (and, to be honest, in music as a whole). At least at the beginning, the singing is best described as a semi-conversational shout/ramble concerning various personal problems. Very much reminds me of Hang On To Yourself from Bowie's Ziggy Stardust album. Later, we get a much fuller, more powerful demonstration of Hynde's vocal prowess as she edges towards the likes of Patti Smith and (maybe) Nico. Or a female David Byrne. The band shreds out power chords in full force, mixed with plenty of 80s-anticipatory elements, like that weird wishwashy vocal effect (you hear it at the end of the Eagles' Life In The Fast Lane. I have no idea what it's called) and a New Wave-esque guitar timbre that's a bit hard to describe. The Phone Call uses a 7/4 time signature that takes some time to get used to, particularly as it switches itself out with 4/4 between sections. (Tattooed Love Boys does the same thing, and I love it.) And both of these tracks have one of the most front-and-centre applications of the hasty, conversational vocal. Hey, at least these folks aren't trying to pretend they have a good vocalist when they don't. And as it turns out, their lead singer is actually pretty great. We hear her properly for the first time in Up the Neck, and her Byrne-esque vocal doesn't fail to impress. (It's better than Byrne's, anyway.) The Wait easily makes my highlight list, if only for the great bassline (again reminding me of that Bowie track). Actually, the basswork throughout the record is pretty great. Private Life is much longer than all other tracks for no obvious reason, but it's also darn strong at any given moment. Again, the bass shines, and several guitar solos add to it tremendously. All the elements work together to create a mysterious, reggae-ish mood reminiscent of something the Police would have released around the same time. 4/5 Key tracks: Tattooed Love Boys, The Wait, Brass in Pocket
yeah…good
Another classic album. This must be heard to appreciate the story of rock.
Yea man - some good poppy shit right here.
I thought this was a pretty excellent rock album. I knew more of the songs than I expected to.
The first side of this is brilliant crisp, sharp, angular punk/post-punk. Brass in Pocket the standout song on the second side. Combined this adds up to a very enjoyable album altogether. Reminds me of Blondie somewhat although is that just because of an iconic female lead singer and songwriter shining through? 4 out of 5 stars.
-nicht langweilig werdend -ich mag das Genre -7.5/10 -verschiedenste Stimmungen -klingt gut
unreal!!
fantastic
This is #day584 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… just recently I watched a "What's In My Bag?" episode with Maynard James Keenan at Amoeba, where he expressed his appreciation for this record as well as a Devo one. That made me curious to check it out, since I knew it was on the list (also excited about that Devo record down the road). Pretty much the kind of stuff I'm after when it comes to the late '70s-early '80s. Punk rock seeping into new wave and whatnot. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day585.
I didn't really know the Pretenders but I had a vague thought they were a kind of genetic synth pop group. I liked this way more than I expected. Much rockier and punkier than I thought it would be.
Solid album.
I had a great time listening to this which was good after a long streak of very very average albums. Quite punky in a way that was still approachable. I liked this on the whole
Liked the second half more than the first - have listened to this version of stop your sobbing maybe a million times as a kid - but the rest of the album I enjoyed a lot too!
Love these guys
A very strong 4 stars, almost 5 (will likely get there as listen to it more). I had heard of the Pretenders but never really heard them and had always had the impression that the music was much lighter / softer (more along the lines of Brass in Pocket that I'm pretty sure I've heard), but this is much more rocking than expect and was a great listen with edge and energy.
Excellent stuff!
The parallels between this group, Blondie and Garbage (which I’ve also been served on the generator) are sort of interesting. The attitude and melodic approach here I sort of prefer to those acts.
Listened during “work”. I would have loved this in college. Favorite song: brass in pocket
I’ve had the opportunity to see the Pretenders live, and get a pretty good idea of the group’s “personality.” But otherwise the only studio recordings I knew from them are a string of radio-friendly hits. So I went in with some preparation, but not the expectation that I would enjoy this album as much as I did. There was a lot to gain from this listen, from the cheeky antics on “Precious” to the garage-punk inspired instrumental “Space Invader.” Neither of these tracks are conducive for radio, one because of its profane vocals and the other because its complete lack of them. But I even found some diamonds in the rough, like, “The Wait” that somehow missed their elevation to the rock canon. An album with a lot to offer, and not enough acclaim.
Side A: This is ok. Sounds a lot like other poppy punk bands from the time. Cool cover to end it. Side B: Is this the same band? God damn. Hints of a surf rock ballad on "Kid", a reggae groove on "Private Life" and every other track is enjoyable pop music? Play that back, man!
Fav Songs: Kid, Brass in Pocket, Stop Your Sobbing, The Wait Least Fav: The Phone Call 8.2/10
I really can't say I know much about The Pretenders, at least I didn't prior to this, but this was a really phenomenal introduction. The album hooked me from track one and kept my focus pretty much the entire time. There were maybe a couple songs that were just okay, but I was very impressed. I enjoy the vocalist, and the instruments sound freaking awesome throughout. Incredibly solid.
I saw the Pretenders live a couple of years ago and Chrissie Hynde’s still got it.
Enjoyed this one quite a bit. Very punchy album that brings it from the start. I think Chrissie Hynde kicks ass. Yet another great debut album on this list.
I loved this! Pure pop punk. Chrissie Hynde is a MOOD and a fashion icon.
236/1001 Pretenders - s/t Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I liked this a lot on first listen. I was intrigued that they put the more punk sounding tracks in the first half and then the more well known poppier stuff in the back half, rather than mixing them altogether. Good stuff though.
Me gusta. I always had a thing for badass rock women like Joan Jett and Hynde. This one has a nice sprinkle of growly punk and catchy songs.
I’m really impressed by this one, despite it not being my personal favorite genre/era. It was one of those records that immediately read as hugely important, especially now knowing that Chrissy Hynde is such a badass. She clearly had such an eye and ear for talent, and knew her worth as a musical powerhouse. Girl taught Sid Viscous to play guitar gods sake! She even played in a band with mark mothersbaugh at Kent state. The record is so varied and the riffs are great, I really enjoyed this. P.S. artists from Ohio are always super goated and always be setting the trends shout out Akron
Really, really enjoyed this. Chrissie Hynde has a fucking great voice, and there's some proper tunes on this. Lovers of Today was my song of the album and favourite first listen with Stop Your Sobbing and Kid being my other highlights
This is an interesting album. I'm not sure it's a good album in the way that I usually talk about good albums, but there's something happening here that makes it clear that they're working with something a little extra. It's both caught in the box of 70s punk and but it's straining at the edges, AND it's got a lot of wacky shit like space invaders. I bet all the coolest people in 1980 were listening to this, but then, again, I'm not sure it's good? I mean, it's good, but for all the things that make it special, it's kind of uneven, so it's not really good. Tough to describe, but a real work. Don't do drugs.
Class!
There’s an undeniable swagger to the Pretenders' debut album, mostly thanks to Chrissie Hynde’s effortlessly cool vocal delivery and the band's tight, new wave-meets-punk energy. After sitting down with it, I can clearly see why it's considered a staple of its era, even if it isn't an absolutely flawless ride from front to back. For this listen, I spun a 1st UK pressing on vinyl, and I have to say, it is absolutely fantastic. Both the pressing quality and the mastering are top-notch, providing a warmth, detail, and dynamic punch that completely elevates the entire listening experience. The album is packed with some genuinely great tracks. Songs like "Brass in Pocket" and "Kid" are absolute standouts, catchy, sharp, and totally timeless. "Precious" sets an incredible tone right out of the gate with its raw, biting attitude, while the guitar work from James Honeyman-Scott gives the whole record a fantastic, jangly edge. The highs on this project are incredibly high, showcasing a band that clearly knew exactly what their sound was from day one. That being said, the reason it doesn't quite reach that perfect masterpiece status for me is that the momentum isn't always sustained perfectly. A few of the deeper cuts tend to fade a bit into the background compared to the sheer, undeniable hooks of the main singles. It's not bad filler by any means, but it does make the pacing feel a little uneven at times. Overall, it's a remarkably strong debut. Even with a few slight lulls, the highlights are just too good to ignore. I will definitely be coming back to this album in the future to revisit those killer tracks and soak in that signature attitude. 7.5/10
Verguisima
gostei, bom.
An amazing album, the vibes and the vocals are amazing Fav songs - Private Life, Mystery Achievement 4/5
i liked it, and plan to listen to more of them
Great album! Brass is on it but basically every song is good.
Pretty awesome overall
4.0 stars I really enjoyed this one. On first listen, I almost thought you could swap Chrissie Hynde with Joe Strummer and land somewhere in the sonic neighborhood of The Clash. What stood out most was Hynde’s presence: confident, sharp, and effortlessly cool. The album blends punk energy with flashes of reggae and new wave in a way that feels natural rather than calculated. It’s gritty but melodic, tough but still hook-driven. This is an easy re-listen for me. Favorite tracks: Up the Neck, Tattooed Love Boys, Brass in Pocket
Really cool. Great vocals, awesome little music breaks and instrumentals, a really talented group of musicians with a common goal to making some great music. What a way to kick off a discography.
No. 110 I really liked this, very emo but so mooth.
Had never heard this before. I liked it quite a bit. Good early 80s UK punk.
4 out of 5 Classic Brit rock. Chrissie Hynde kicks ass.
The Pretenders debut is rightly considered a classic. Its mix of ’77 punk, new wave and retro rock struck a chord with millions of music fans on the lookout for something new – but not too new. Both the album and the single “Brass In Pocket” topped the UK charts in January 1980 - which is quite the entrance. Considering its vintage, there’s nothing post-punk or experimental in what they do, the albums success is down to Chrissie Hynde’s great songs, pop hooks aplenty, and a band who know when to keep it tight and when to swagger. The singles are all first-rate and all proved to be radio-friendly, but it’s the strength of tracks like the ferocious opener “Precious”, the reggae influenced “Private Lives” - which Grace Jones brilliantly covered - and the brutal “Tattooed Love Boys” - which took on a significantly more sinister interpretation after Hynde’s autobiography was published - that make Pretenders such a powerful artistic statement. 9/10
My first listen to this album of theirs. Very strong first showing from them. Great lyrics. Loved the more aggressive tone of the band relative to their later stuff. I'm surprised more tracks from this album don't get played, it's better than just the hits that survived to their best-of compilations.
Loved it I think the version on iTunes was too long though I think there were four discs
It's at least 4 stars. This album is so diverse, versatile and with great sound and lyrics. The story of "Tatooed love boys" is so strange and deep. Every track has its own atmosphere. 4 for my taste and 5 overall
Dig the bass guitar on "The Wait" and the instrumentals throughout but especially on "Private Life". The songs with simpler instrumentation are my favorite. Really dig this one. Wasn't familiar with Pretenders before now. This was a happy introduction.
Awesome! Love The Pretenders!
The Pretenders are one of those bands that I don't listen to a lot, but when I do hear one of their songs, it reminds me how much I enjoy them. So, it was nice to listen to this album this morning and revisit some songs I knew and hear some songs I wasn't familiar with for the first time. The thing I will say about this album, generally, is it seemed a bit inconsistent to me at times. There are some great songs on the album and then suddenly there is a dud of a song. But overall, it's a great album.
Absolutely loving the vocals in this, and the instrumentation is very groovy. I'll probably return to a fair number of these.
Liked this album! Never heard of them before but I really like their sound here. Vocalist is great and whoever is on guitar is shredding. 4/5
Love. Faves are Kid, Mystery Achievement, and of course, the iconic Brass in Pocket which is the perfect hype song.
Great stuff
Brass in Pocket
a great album - love the sound 4/5
Early Pretenders were a lot punkier than I remembered, except that they know multiple chords and the lyrics are all intelligible. The second song on the album is in 7/8, for goodness' sake! So basically, these are clever and sophisticated songwriters with a punk attitude, which I appreciate. Chrissie Hynde has an amazing voice - sexy, playful, fragile, and furious by turns. I'm more a fan of "Learning to Crawl", but this was definitely a debut album that promised great things in the future. Favorite songs: "Tattooed Love Boys", "The Wait"
Killer album! I love everything about. The recording itself is top notch. The guitar tones, thumping drums & the bass is killer with all the melodic walking bass lines & of course Chrissie Hynde establishing from the very start that she is a badass not to be fucked with!
Just a great record. Not much more to say about it.
New wave punk, debut Stop your sobbing Brass in pocket Mystery achievement
I have a new respect for the Pretenders. This is a very solid album and fun to listen to. Makes me want to explore more of their catalog
Don’t know what I expected here but for some reason the album art and the fact it’s from the 80s initially put me off. I was completely wrong however. This is an interesting and fun album with plenty of crunchy riffs but also softer tunes. To attach a genre to it would be hard, but it was overall very good. A touch long and minus points for a cover.
Rockiger Sound mit prägnanter stimme, passt.
Gave it a listen right away and it’s not bad at all!
Very nice voice
A lot a sounds most of them were amazing
3.5/5
It's a good sign for an album when I've gone out and looked up the name of the singer by the middle of the opening track. I wasn't familiar with the Pretenders (though I know I've heard "Brass in Pocket") but I liked this immediately. "Precious" is a great opener and Hynde rules.
Some absolute bangers on this album but I struggled to like a couple of tracks, which is why I gave it a 4.
I don’t know what this type of 80’s music is called, but it’s a lot of fun
Loved a lot of songs but wasn't as fussed about a few. The ones that worked were great though, and the less so ones were still good
This album appeals to a certain kinds of people. Awesome people. Except Lovers of Today. I can’t get fully behind that song.
Two observations: 1) The Pretenders music has aged well. This still sounds great in 2026. 2) I love albums that aren’t built around singles. Brass in Pocket and Kid are tucked into the back half almost as an afterthought. There’s a coherency to the record, never a sense of filler/killing time until the bangers.
po é bão acho que eu gostava mto de pretenders há uns anos??
forte, hein! rockzinho new wave até meio punkzinho as vezes, bem gostosim de ouvir. nao eh um blondie, mas quebra o galho!!
Great
Hat mich überrascht, kann man nochmal hören.
This is a good rock album with strong guitar hooks and great songs. It sounds less like new wave than I expected, instead being a more traditional rock album. While the vocals work well in the context of the album, the real star is the guitar; it's hooky, muscular, and energetic in equal measure. It makes the album what it is, despite lacking the technical flash of say, Deep Purple. Essentially, this album has strong songwriting backed with a good band.
New Wave was a cool genre and the Pretenders show exactly why. You have the energy and attitude of punk, but infused into melodic maybe-pop rock. Of course, Chrissie Hynde might just be the Queen of Cool anyway. She is the chief songwriter and visionary here, with vocals described well as “casual but sensual.” She introduced the band to an old song by the Kinks (“Stop Your Sobbing”), made it the band’s first single, then had a baby with Ray Davies. Very good album. Can’t go all the way to 5 but this is a very strong 4/5.
I really like this woman's voice, sounds really cool especially for the time. I was enjoying this album and then got to Brass in Pocket and realized I already knew that song and liked it. That song is enough to bring the whole album up a point itself.
for the first half it mostly felt like pretty decent 80's background music, perfectly pleasant, but the second half was strong enough to bump it up to really quite enjoyable. favorite song is Mystery Achievement or Kid (Lovers of Today is also great)
Rating: 7/10 Turns out I really like this New Wave stuff. Doesn't feel wholly original for the year it came out but it's just so many solid rock songs with a punk edge. This might firmly be considered this a classic for the genre in this period, a clear staple of the sound. Lots of fun and Chrissie Hynde's voice is great
I absolutely haaaaaate the Pretenders when they play on Shaw's radio, but honestly this album was very solid. The vocals are still a little annoying but now it's a cool type of annoying when they're not playing on a grocery store speaker. Private Life fav song 7.0/10
It's always nice when you're surprised by an album. My only real exposure to the Pretenders before was through their more mid-tempo stuff. There's a lot more punk and new wave influence on this album that I thought. In particular, Private Life feels like it could be a Fear of Music-era Talking Heads album track, with the slightly more psychedelic guitar riffs. Chrissie Hynde's voice really elevates much of the material, and offers herself as a really captivating narrator, making songs like Brass in Pocket both sexual and wistful
.
Coole New Wave-Platte. Mir gefällt auch, dass sie sich hier und da etwas ausprobieren, z. B. mit Instrumentals oder bluesigeren Songs. Insgesamt wars mir ein klein wenig zu gleichförmig.
Einfach richtig gut
Hat mir viel Spaß gemacht.
Liked it more than I expected. Vocals can get a little annoying.
Actually turned out to be a pretty good album, would listen back to a few songs. Great voice, fun melodies and riffs
Was gonna be a 3 but the last 2 songs were really great
I'm a sucker for anything vaguely punky with a female vocalist. Wasn't sure I knew them, but I did recognise "stop your sobbing" and "brass in pocket". It didn't blow me away and some of it was better than others, but overall enjoyed it and probably will be back. 3.5
Pretty good. Quite punky at the start. Got a bit more mainstream rock-pop towards the end, but not in a bad way.
My ears didn't hear anything even slightly punk about this album. However, it was a nice mixture of new wave and pop/ rock that kept me interested from start to finish. When I was young I remembered Brass in Pocket playing on the radio, and never knew what Ms Hynde was threating to use in the chorus. Sure, some words were clear, but "gonna use my sassy"? Turns out it was "sidestep" all along. Thank goodness for the internet! Four stars.
punk, romantic, definitely rock n’ roll at heart.
*listened before the project* I like her singing style:)
Je suis vraiment satisfait du pull de mon 1000e album, ça aurait pu être franchement pire. Belle énergie punk et la front girl rock à fond la caisse. D’ailleurs, je pourrais conclure en citant ma première review sur ce site, de la première à la millième (c’est si beau, j’en verse une larme symbolique): « Great punk tracks. »
INPUT = {"artist": "Pretenders", "album": "Pretenders"} LINEUP = {"men": 3, "women": 1} FEATURED_ARTISTS = {"men": 0, "women": 0} TOTAL_MEN = 3 TOTAL_WOMEN = 1 WOMEN_PERCENTAGE = 25 OUTPUT = "Score adjusted accordingly. 4/5"
Not quite sure what they're singing about, but it's a bit of a ride. Musically it's not bad, but I don't feel like it does anything original or unique enough in order for it to be memorable to me.
This was fun, better than I was expecting. I liked their version of Stop Your Sobbing better than the original. CLEVELAND, THIS IS FOR YOU
new year. I am locking in. this was fun
Quite good. Sounds a lot like Patti Smith at times
Enjoyed this way more than I expected. Refreshing to have a female led rock group on this list. RYM: N Saved a song: N
Way more punk than I was expecting. Probably a 3.5 but Brass in Pocket gets it to a 4.
I much prefer their LEARNING TO CRAWL and GET CLOSE albums when they finally matured into a multi-faceted band that showed more than just punk furor. A commercially successful debut album, but perhaps one of my least favorite of theirs. It felt to me at the time that they received attention in America primarily because of the success of Blondie's PARALLEL LINES, released the year before. I felt like it would take until those later albums to truly emerge from Blondie's shadow. Favorites: "Precious", "Space Invader", "The Wait", and "Brass in Pocket".
Gibts nicht zu meckern. Der erwartete Sound ist auf dem Album und es gibt keine bösen Überraschungen
Yeah, a very good start for a cery good group. Always good to go back and listen.
Iconic highs powered by Chrissie Hynde, surrounded by scrappy, inconsistent moments.
Loved this album. Saved 5 songs to favorites
Early 80s vibes, couple good songs couple boring
One of the greatest debut albums of all time! A true classic; Chrissy Hynde is a unique and raw talent. 4.5⭐️
1. Precious Pretty good, liked the guitar and the feel. Fun dark-ish rock. Got a little repetitive 7.5/10 2. The Phone Call I don't like this one as much, they just have a long kind of static intro. Mostly just like an instrumental song that has like background groove stuff, don't like it as much. 6.5/10 3. Up the Neck This song is 100x more interesting, I like the bass. Very interesting, nice softer feel compared to the first two. It's a good song, but there is something a little bit weird about some of the transitions they have. But mostly I like the song and it stays interesting throughout the whole things. 7.5/10 4. Tattooed Love Boys I don't like this song as much, the groove and backgrounds are a little to fast for what the song is. It sounds almost sped up, I think either the vocals need to be sped up or like the band just needs to slow down. Something isn't right though. I like the little guitar solos though, kind wish it would build into a full on solo, but I liked how it fit with the song. 7/10 5. Space Invader Oooh, I like this song's start, it's really cool. Nice bass, and the guitar building is very good. I like the development of the guitar, and just the texture in general, it's really cool. Kinda wish the vocalist actually did something, but honestly it might be cooler just as an instrumental. Honestly I kinda feel like this whole song is just a really cool intro to another song, but it's just the whole song. 7.5/10 6. The Wait Kinda wish there was just a solid transition from Space Invaders into this song, that would have been really cool. I like the way this song sounds too, it's kinda cool. I like this band because all of the parts are kind of doing something interesting, it's good. I like this song, sometime the things the band does feel a little weird, but most of the time the stuff they do is stylistically accurate. I like the little breakdown part with the loud dissonant chords afterward, really cool. This song just sounds like a band having fun, it's really cool. 8/10 7. Stop Your Sobbing I don't really like this transition, but that's just my opinion. I don't know if this song really works, something about the way the lyrics interact with what the band is doing, or maybe it's just the lyrical sound, it doesn't really work with me, I dunno why. 7/10 8. Kid I dunno about this song, sounds like rock and country had a really ugly baby. Maybe that was too harsh, the songs isn't that bad, but I dunno if the song really works, it's a little interesting and cool, but there's also something about this one that doesn't quite work for me. Maybe if I listen to it again I'll like it more, my brain might just be stuck, I think I'll like this song if I listen again. 7.5/10 9. Private Life I like the beginning to this song, it's fun. Nice kind of melancholy as well as some loud and crazy parts. This feels like it fits the bands vibe a lot more, the other slow and "pretty" songs don't work for the band as well. Gotta say peak guitar solo. Very nice tension and release in this song, I like it a lot, really cool song. 8.5/10 10. Brass in Pocket Okay, this is one of the "prettier" songs, but this one actually fits, the other ones didn't quite work, but this one is really good. I like the bass on all these songs, it like actually plays an audible part in the band, it's amazing. It's fun driving song, it's like almost a romantic song, but it has this bands kind of darker deeper feel kind of laying in the background so it's a little bit of a gritty smooth. 8/10 11. Lovers of Today Another of the pretty songs, this one also feels pretty okay, but the band does some weird things with the chords that sound a little weird. These type of slow songs it's really hard to have complex and more dissonant chords without the song sounding bad, I dunno if the Pretenders did it well. They definitely did better in some of the thicker texture parts of the song, but in the lighter parts it just felt weird. But I don't think this song was too bad, for the most part is was really cool, and had some fun parts. One of the things is I like most of these songs more as they go on, which is a really good thing, they don't get boring and they don't play all their cards right at the beginning 7.5/10 12. Mystery Achievement This was a really cool finish to the album. I liked it a lot. Some of the melodic content was a little weird and repetitive but still good. 7.5/10
This is a debut that snaps and crackles. The punk energy is palpable, but the sound is more diverse than just punk. Chrissy Hynde is really one of a kind.
Some of my favorite pretender songs. Blasting on Rte 81 with Bob Mury
An important record bringing some of the energy of punk and girl rock into the mainstream, though built around (and perhaps forgotten) a few beautiful mid tempo and ballad numbers. A remarkable first statement for Christie Hynes and her stalwart band, most importantly James Homeyman-Scott.
The musical talent may have been typical of the era, but Chrissie Hynde was definitely not pretending- that voice is iconic.
Spannender RnR.
Slick and confident. Oozing with fab songs.
(4)
Punk pop perfection. This debut album is a nice introduction to what the 80s sound will become. My rating 4.2.
This album ripped honestly. 80s dance new wave punk mash went dummy. Some awesome breakdowns that have kept me listening even through the bonus tracks
Really good.
Buenos tracks, entretenido
I wasn't as enamoured with this as I thought I would be based on the songs I'd already heard- but it's definitely good music! :)
Catchy and fun
Some great tracks on this album that I'd almost forgotten. Brass In Pocket of course, but also Stop Your Sobbing, Kid and Private Life, the Grace Jones version of which I loved and didn't even know this was a CH song.. and her version is as good if not better. Extra star for Chrissie Hynde's drive, determination and desire to shag, snog, (nearly) marry and avoid her way to the top when it wasn't particularly easy for a female in rock. A hell of a debut. 4½
I was kind of stuck between 3 and 4 stars on this one. There's some good stuff in here but nothing really sent it over into 'frequent rotation' territory. It might have been my crappy car stereo as well as that it was some 'deluxe edition remaster etc' but Chrissy Hynde's was a little too forward in the mix and it was kind of at odds with some pretty straight forward late 70's punk-adjacent instrumentation. When I got through the actual album and then was hearing some of the demo versions of the songs I honestly liked the rough mixes better. It made them sound like a band playing and not a voice hovering above a song. When I was a kid I thought Brass-In-Pocket was cheesy but now I secretly look forward to hearing it
Had some better songs than I had thought it would. Glad I listened and I can see how it is influential. Having said all that, not really my cup of tea.
this was soo fuun! At first I thought hmm, sounds like Sonic youth if they were less edgy.
Awesome post-punk goodness from note one. Punk energy and DIY ethos executed by a band that knew how to play their instruments. Chrissie Hynde's lyrics and performance are often perfect. She weaves tales of the underground scene, not quite as dark or salacious as The Velvet Underground or The Stooges before her, but still with an edge. There are shades of Blondie, The Cars, and even Television here. "Brass in Pocket" is the one hit from this record, and it's a little out of place because it's a bit too sweet as Hynde's persona softens a bit. It's not unwelcome, just a little inconsistent in the track list. The Pretenders' first record isn't exactly unknown, but it deserves more attention than it gets. After the unfortunate drug-related deaths of Honeyman-Scott in 1982 and Farndon in 1983, the band has had a killer rotating line-up, including even the great Johnny Marr, but I can't help but lament the other outstanding records that we fans could have had. I'll be adding this one to the lineup. Four stars.
Pretty good album. They would have been really fun to see in 1979/1980
Precious 3.7 The Phone Call 3.4 Up the Neck 3.8 Tattooed Love Boys 3.5 Space Invader 4 The Wait 3.3 Stop Your Sobbing 4 Kid 3.3 Private Life 3.5 Brass in Pocket 3.7 Lovers of Today 3.6 Mystery Achievement 3.3 Score: 3.591666667
Incredible songwriting. Not the best remaster, so I think I’ll be seeking a vinyl copy.
Why had I never heard this before. I knew it would be up my street from the first track. I recognised the song Brass in Pocket but loved the rest and will be listening to this again.
I wonder why I never listens to this before? This was way cooler than Brass in Pocket would lead you to believe
Hynde es una figura ESENCIAL en el música, por talento y por influencia. Una americana que llegó a Inglaterra para marcar estilo y liderar una banda que publicó varios discos deslumbrantes, del que este debut es uno de sus mejores ejemplos. El otro es Learning to Crawl que apunta más hacia el pop pero que condensa mejor todo el caudal y legado de la banda. Luego vendría una banda que en realidad es ella con alguien más, pero no exenta de estupendos momentos: "Sé que los Pretenders han parecido un grupo de tributo los últimos 20 años, y es que estamos rindiendo tributo a James Honeyman-Scott (guitarra, piano) y Pete Farndon (bajo)". Técnicamente no era un portento, su voz y su capacidad lírica así como su visión y determinación si que marcaron la diferencia. Era una tía que molaba, mucho. Transmitía un poder y una seguridad que eran diferentes. Sabía ponerse dura y ponerse suave, y en ambos casos acertaba cúando y cómo. Ella (y Siouxsie), ajenas al rol sexualizado otorgado a las mujeres en el rock y sobre todo en los 80 marcaron terreno y siendo un ejemplo para todo lo que vino después (tal vez Joan Jett, Dolly Parton, Jackie Deshannon...) las Bangles, Kim Gordon... hasta Beyoncé o Rosalía. La guitarra de James Honeyman-Scott (otro talento enorme) remite a los mejores Kinks o Byrds (era fan de los Beach Boys), junto con la Fender de Hynde hace una dupla melódica excelente. Pete Farndon tampoco era malo. Ella marcó un camino, y fue de las primeras bandas en evidenciar las limitaciones del punk. Su radar y talento eran mucho mayores para conformarse con cuatro acordes y algún exabrupto. Este disco no tiene ni un momento que baje del notable muy alto. Lejos del rock progresivo pero diferenciándose del punk. Abre con fuerza Precious (autobiográfica desde el primer verso donde ajusta cuentas con los USA de los que se largó porque no había nada para ella allí -salvo los B-52´s o Talking Heads) y The phone call, y ya con Up the neck se vislumbra un cambio con muy buenas melodías (hablamos de una americana que se había empapado del s buen soul sesentero y los grupos de chicas) destacando Stop your sobbing (de su adorado y aun no esposo Davies) y Brass in pocket. Space invader tiene un desarollo instrumental, pero lejos de los eternos y engreídos ejemplos del progresivo aquí todo encaja y no hay una nota de más. Suena a Television. Up the Neck y Tattooed Love Boy , también son autobiográficas y sus letras nada tienen que ver con la simpleza del punk. Tampoco son los agobios del Post-punk sino que es otra cosa, y otra perspectiva mucho más rica. The Wait, es otro buen ejemplo de ese sonido y apunta a nueva ola o pwer pop. Es un tema excelente que acaba cerrando la cara A del mejor modo posible con Stop your sobbing. El comienzo de la B tampoco es menor: Kid, donde ese trémolo en la voz de Hynde se hace marca de la casa. La letra es otra maravilla. Private Life no tiene el gancho que la versión que hizo al poco Grace Jones. Lovers of today tampoco tiene desperdicio. Puede que la cara B sea la mejor de este álbum. Mystery Achievement (la batería se la saben los Stone Roses de I am the resurrection de memoria) así lo confirma. Enormes.
Not bad for an old sound. Cool that they cuss even though it was probably taboo when this was released
I never really had the Pretenders on my radar. Not because I’ve never heard of them, but because I remember not really clicking with them. They felt too soft to me as a rock band and their new wave-punk fusion really really grabbed me in. Though, after I expanded my musical palette, I’ve come to really appreciate the Pretenders. I especially come to really like this debut. There’s definitely a great balance of new wave and punk and Chrissie Hynde does a great job carrying the album through the genres. As someone who never really hears the Pretenders too much, this was a great way into getting more into them. Favorite track: Stop Your Sobbing Other hits: Tattooed Love Boys, Brass in Pocket, Mystery Achievement, Kid, Private Life, Precious, Up the Neck, The Wait
Took a while to get going but then settled into some pretty solid post-punk(?) fare. She has a great voice too.
I found some of the tracks a little too similar to others. Loved hearing the hits in context of the rest of the album.
heard they’re big songs before but i’ve never delved any further. i enjoyed this and will be listening again
Erg lekker
Really cool album that I wasnt expecting. Standout songs: Space invader Private life
Enjoyed
Pretenders are not pretending they know what they’re doing. They know what they’re doing this awesome jams at times they lost me a little bit. Some of the stuff is pretty hard hitting though and the songs are super catchy love the guitar. Work vocals are on point just my mind wandering sometimes and kind of forgetting what I was listening to on some songs overall pretty bad ass. We definitely listen to it again.
I was really wowed by this album! Every song hit and it finished really strong with Mystery Achievement
I really liked this. The vocals are idiosyncratic without being irritating, and the instruments have great energy - I especially liked the bass playing.
Clean vocals, and really well constructed songs. Not much else you could really ask for.
Feels ahead of it's time. Very fun album.
35/1001 I think this is a great album. I don’t play this one enough. Are there a thousand better albums? I don’t think so. 8/10