Reviews (page 7 of 13)
Pretty good
I only knew the singles, but this whole record is amazing.
This is a really great rock record. I had no idea they were formed in England since Chrissie Hynde is from Ohio. Brass in Pocket is the hit of this record but not representative of the rest.
Super original album/sound. I'm also a sucker for chicks that wail.
Pop rock.
Like : Up the Neck Tattooed Love - didn’t love - a little too punk? There’s a jam song in the mix here early that was pretty fun - tight drums and bass (Space Invaders) Stop Sobbing : reminds me of like a 50s or 60s song that’s been revamped for the 80s Private Life : baseline vibes - reggae influence of the 80s reminds me of the polices song, walking on the moon - in contention for favorite song - ‘you’ve been lying to someone about me, stop’ back up vocals are cool Brass in Pocket : haha this is probably why my parents had this album - my Mom loved this song - reminds me of her cleaning the house on a Saturday - vacuuming and folding clothes and dancing - this is probably the best song commercially and might end up being my favorite just for posterity sake Lovers of Today - probably my least favorite one so far... Overall I enjoyed it - reminded me of my parents - talked to my dad about it later and he said the lead singer was ahead of her time. 7.8/10
Sounds like it looks. V 80’s. I enjoyed it thoroughly, even before bed. Brass in Pocket and Space Invader were my two favs.
Pretty awesome album. Punk rock done right, and great singer.
A great/classic album
Achei bem divertido, tudo bem sincopado
Absolutely banging
Love, love, love this album! I can’t get enough of Chrissie Hynde’s voice!
It was pretty good, It was not really my cup of tea but it did have some good jams I bopped to.
I liked it, Truman didn't listen.
Such a unique group for the time period. I need to listen to them more.
Solid new wave punk sound of course.. Brass in pocket another one of those tracks that Ive heard many of times during Guitar Hero or Rockband
Good mix of early 80s punk, new wave and pop.
They ain't pretending!
ожидал большего от Space Invader
This. Album. Fucks.
I get the feeling that albums are more important if you have context. Brass in Pocket has been a staple of radio since I was a kid so I never paid attention to it but it was apparently the most popular song on the album. The album was ok but It doesn't really set my soul on fire.
The Pretenders are boldly 80s and it shows!
7/10 FT: Brass in pocket
Pretty damn good
Rien de sensationnel mais loin d'être nul
allez les rockeuses
Some good tunes, relatively standard enough post punk rock though for me, not sure where the rep as an all time classic debut is coming from. It's fine, happy to stick this on again for a listen but it's nothing unbelievable amazing either. Brass In Pocket sticks out a mile although Up the Neck, Kid are other standouts. 6/10
It was a good album and I enjoyed listening to it, just not my favorite.
mehh aopuwndpouawndponwad
I’ve gotten 2 British pop punk albums in a row now, but this one was an improvement over yesterday’s! I think if I didn’t have them back to back I’d enjoy it more. 3/5.
has some bangers!
This was a fine album. A breath of fresh air in the punk era and a great debut album.
I was a bit neutral on this, but maybe that's because I was distracted by a heavily panting cat. I did like the fun 70s jangly gothy rock, it was pleasant but not ground breaking to me.
3,5
I have never liked the Pretenders that much, but this is not terrible.
Cant remember a song on it to save my life
Been avoiding this album for awhile honestly. I hear this band on new wave stations all the time (for obvious reasons) but have never been taken by any one of their songs. I realize how important and acclaimed Pretenders were though so I knew I had to commit one day. And yeah, I don’t like this very much. Not as brash or energetic as classic punk, not as delightfully nerdy or as charmingly self-conscious or as angular and sonically interesting as other new wave acts, and I don’t find this thing to be compelling songwriting wise. The vocal melodies are weak and not memorable, no catchy riffs, and these songs all sound so similar to me. Yeah, there’s energy, yeah, there’s attitude. But there certainly aren’t many tunes here either in my unfortunate opinion. There aren’t a lot of overt duds, songs that make one wanna go sit in silence for a bit, although “The Phone Call” is pretty annoying and “Private Life” is twice as long as it should be. I wish I could like this in the way everyone else does.
Some hits buoy an overloaded decent album
Overall Rating: 6.1/10 Favourite Track: Kid Least Favourite: Precious Notes: Some nice songs in here and i can see why this album is so highly regarded, however there are a lot of skips too. The opening track was very corny and I thought the album was not gonna be for me but I’m glad I stayed and listened to the full thing.….. ‘Kid’ was my fav. Probably won’t be returning to this one but it was worth streaming! Natalia: Overall Rating: 6.3/10 Favourite Track: Kid Least Favourite: Stop Your Sobbing Notes: Too busy trying to aura farm and sound cool without having any depth to their lyrics (expected from London creatives) unless I’m missing something. Aiyra Overall Rating: 5.5/10 Favourite Track: up the neck Least Favourite Precious Notes: I really hated the first song. I thought the album was going to be really shit after that but it suprised me because a few songs I did quite like and saved into my library. I loved the lyrics of up the neck. Lust turns to anger, a kiss to a slug Something was sticky on your shag rug, look at the tile I remember the way he groaned and moved with an animal skill I rubbed my face in the sweat that ran down his chest It was all very run of the mill But I noticed his scent started to change somehow His face went berserk and the veins bulged on his brow I said "baby, oh sweetheart" Toheed: Overall Rating: 5/10 Favourite Track: Space Invader Least Favourite: Precious Notes: Nice album. Not my thing entirely, but somewhere in the middle I did begin enjoying it. The lead singer could benefit from being a bit more tuneful, but really I don't want to start dragging. It’s an alternative punk new wave album, and it’s okay. :P I didn’t pick up any detail or throughline while listening, though I presume there is one. Maybe the songs got louder as it went along?? Idk. Not bothered but not mad. One word to describe it all: contrived.
I’m going to start giving these shits twos if I hear another 70-80s rock band or 80-90s art rock I swear down. This one wasnt terrible im just getting sick of the one loop instrumental. Like damn put a bridge in there or something fuck
I could see them being an influence on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I liked the sound. Kid and Brass in Pocket (didn't realize I knew that song) stood out. 3/5
#445 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ❌ I hear the influences, or rather what latter post-punk sounds, in this. It's too pop for my liking, but I don't hate it. Now I also understand why later Pretenders music is talked of like it is, meaning they did have a punkier edge to their music at one point. Quite indifferent towards this album, but don't mind listening to it either 3/5.
It’s ok. Favourite track: brass in pocket
Prototype for almost all female fronted rock bands since.
Majorly overproduced. Don't really like it and never have.
its fine... it's just kind of generic idk there weren't any tracks that stood out to me, they all just blended together into mediocre rock mush
Chrissie Hynde is one of rock's most distinctive voices — cool, tough, romantic, completely her own in a way that neither the punk scene she emerged from nor the new wave she helped define quite accounts for. The reggae-inflected bass lines that surface throughout give the record a warmth and looseness that separates it from the more austere post-punk happening around it. These are real assets, and they deserved more consistent material to work with. "Brass in Pocket" is the record's best argument for itself — a self-assertion song delivered with such complete confidence that disagreement feels beside the point. It earns everything it claims and then some, which is the mark of a song that knows exactly what it is. The problem is that it arrives as a highlight rather than a representative sample, which tells you something about what surrounds it. The honest limitation is that the songs ramble in ways that undermine the strengths. Hynde's voice pulls you in and the reggae DNA keeps things interesting in flashes, but a record that should connect more than it does is delivering an accurate verdict on itself. That gap between what the ingredients promise and what the songs deliver is ultimately what keeps this at three despite the genuine pleasures along the way. A three that feels slightly like an underachievement given the talent on display — which is its own kind of honest assessment.
I didnt know the Pretenders, just Chrissie Hyde's media profile which i wasnt a fan of. This came out of the gate strong with some great punk vibes, the guitars drove it well snd her vocal was great. The second half descended into fairly generic radio rock, but for a while there i thought theybhad something
Pretty good. I like the guitar tone. You can see how bands like this forged the 80's sound, because if you were to ask me, I would've totally thought this album came out in the 80's, even though it (just barely, '79) came out in the 70's.
I liked this alright but it wasn't a standout. Good rock/punk beats on a lot of the songs. Brass In Pocket is a classic. (3)
The album starts promising, with the first half having some nice and energetic punk vibes, with cool riffs and frenetic rhythms. However, as the album progresses, it gets slower and slower. The second half is basically just middle of the road New Wave without interesting elements, melodies or anything worth remember. In two instances, it gets specially slow and dragging, those being "Private Life" and "Lovers of Today", which also happen to be the longest cuts. Despite the negatives, I think the album is fine. Chrissie Hynde's voice has a pleasant tone and a notable attitude, making her an unique singer. I liked the production as well, as I think the sound of the album has a lot of body, feeling satisfying to listen to. And that's all. I don't think there is really much to say about the album. It starts great, but gets forgettable as it goes on.
3,5
Cool sound , forgettable lyrics. Its not bad , but why listen to it just because its "not bad"?
I enjoyed listening to this album, she has a cool voice but nothing really stood out to me, and songs kinda just blended all together for me.
Quite like the Pretenders sound.
never heard this one straight off the bat its very energetic I really enjoyed its a solid album good instrumentation and good vocals and well written songs
corny but fun
Fun, boppy record. It has an entertaining vibe and kept my attention. Good for parties or hanging out with friends. I like this one.
First thing I noticed was the front woman who is in that one episode of Friends HAHA. I like this kind of music for sure, reminds me of my '10 Things I Hate About You' era when I listened to this kind of music. Chrissie Hynde has a really cool vocal sound; I would definitely go back and listen to this album more.
Stark trea! Lite bjäring men ändå bra för det mesta. Brass in pocket är till och med riktigt bra.
I liked this. I probably won’t keep listening to them, but I enjoyed the listen. It wasn’t anything that made me perk up big time, but it’s a good sound, and I did add brass in pocket to my liked songs.
It is fun with some hits but overall pretty average at best in terms of a listening experience. Nostalgic.
Começou com potencial, mas depois não foi bem na direção que estava à espera
Just the kind of middle of the road Brit-pop album I expect from this list
Ok pop album, does what you'd expect
Hey, it even has an instrumental. Pretty ageless sound.
nice beat and everything but the singing is sadly not for me
Mystery achievement is definitely the standout track for me on this, brilliant tune that closes the album nicely. I did also enjoy some of the rest of the album but some of it didn't stick. For female fronted bands in the 70s/80s I definitely prefer Blondie. Favourites: Tattooed Love Boys Lovers Of Today Mystery Achievement
Descent new wave punk album. An enjoyable ride to work on the bus, familiar name. I enjoyed the singers voice very much so, solid 3 stars.
There was nothing on here I would say I loved but it’s a really good, solid album. I can’t bloody stand Brass in Pocket though. In a previous job we had our own in store radio but it only had 20 something songs that played on a loop. Nothing necessarily wrong with BIP but you try hearing it at least 3-4 times a day, 5 days a week for a decade lol. Top Track - Space Invader
Brass in pocket was enough to make this a 3 for me. I forgot about that song.
I hear a lot of what I like in this but it doesn't quite land.
Rippers through and through. Killer female frontwoman. But didn’t do enough to be a super memorable album as an artistic statement.
I enjoyed the rock/punk elements much more than the pop songs.
Ok album. Got tedious
Too slow. Had a couple songs that were decent but overall it was a little boring. Serviceable though. Fav track: Lovers of Today
Not a bad debut album, not as a strong as subsequent albums, still looking for their sound, mix of the Ramones, and almost an early 80s electronic sound.
Precious The Phone Call Tattooed Love Boys The Wait
Precious The Wait
Looks like the blondie album cover or maybe I’m tripping
Pretty rad
It was pretty solid.
Pretty good - I've never heard this album all the way through. I'd be willing to go back to it to see how it holds up a few more time.
Pretty good, but I don’t really remember a lot of it from Friday until Monday….
It's kinda good overall, but for me strangely the vocals and music are so separate it feels like just slapped on each other, and I subjectively don't enjoy it that much.
me gustó. no le presté tanta atención pero me gustó.
Great music. They sound ahead of their time in 1979.
pretty good
Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Brass in Pocket Date listened: 25-29/06/26 (during thesis!!) Listen when: Sunny drive
Good debut album, like the music, like her voice, the whole attitude and come on Brass in Pocket was and always will be an absolute classic. Loved that song when I was 8 and it still is brilliant.
I think this album maybe had the bad luck of coming out 10 years too early. Otherwise it would have fit in great with the 90’s grunge scene.
an 80s tastic time!
The singles are good, and very much sound like the 80's to me - but rest of album is kinda forgettable.
Enjoyed this, but didn't blow my mind.
Not a bad album, enjoyed the listen, but won’t look much further than that.
Is is odd that whenever I listen to the Pretenders that I want to listen to Blondie instead? The more I listen to this the more my brain is telling me to stop and listen to Blondie instead. It's not a bad album, I'm just not a fan of it. I've been told they are amazing and that I should love it. Yet here I am. I'm going to listen to Parallel Lines now.
Pop Punk from 1979! Sorry, I mean Post Punk*! Ope, jk, I mean New Wave**! This album has a little bit of everything, and I get how it could be too much for some and not enough for others. You can kinda pick out the singles compared to the punkier album tracks if you have a moderately seasoned ear. I didn't know specifically which songs were singles except "Brass In Pocket" before listening, but I was able to mark them. "Stop Your Sobbing" has the sound, but I was a little surprised that it was actually a single.
not my fave from this world!
A story of two albums. The first half is legitimately so cool. It’s fast, it’s punky, it sounds like a mid 90’s cult classic. The second half sounds exactly like I expected the album to sound. A bit more of a traditional pop rock thingy. Despite that, the guitar work is consistently great and Chrissie Hynde is a great lead singer. It’s a solid album.
Never really been that bothered by Pretenders, listening to the full album didn't change that. It's good, but not great.
Not too bad! I've heard them before, but never sat through an album. This was a nice surprise.
It's fine.
gillade!
When I think of Pretenders I always think of their big hits like "Brass in Pocket" or "Ill Stand by you". So I completely forget that they have a raw, rock and punky sound. Which was something that the video game series "Guitar Hero" showed when they used "Tattooed Love Boys" as one of their songs. And this became my favorite pretenders song for a while. Obviously without me checking out the rest of their album. Having now made up for that crime, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed this album. (2.750)
🤮
Had potential but was just fine
Brass in Pocket is great. 3.25
Not life changing
Didn't like the pretenders before this album. Still don't. A bit more punk than I was expecting
Enjoyed listened to this album. The upbeat feel with the instruments and her vocals were nice to listen to. I would like to re listen to this album as when you only listen to it once, you sometimes don’t rate it to its full potential. I don’t feel like I could complain about anything so I would probably rate it a 3 or 4 out of 5. It didn’t particularly stand out to me most of the time just because I wasn’t fully listening, which is something I might have to do to fully listen to it. I also think rocks my favourite genre anyway so it automatically gets a high rating
típicas bandas sexistas
Kovaa naisvetosta rokkia. Musiikiltaan aika perus, mutta ei noussu mitään mikä olis työntäny pois, meni oikein hyvin taustalla puuhaillessa. Tuskin menee ihmeellisesti lisäkuunteluun, mutta mielellään kerran rokkas läpi
Ok pop-punk album. Decent vocals and some cool songs.
2,9/5
Nothing to get excited about but nothing terrible either
Few debut albums arrive with as much swagger as Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde and company take the nervous energy of punk, the sharp edges of new wave, and the timeless crunch of rock ’n’ roll, then weld them into something that feels both familiar and fresh. The guitars jangle and slash, the rhythm section drives hard, and Hynde commands every song with a mix of toughness and cool confidence. The album kicks off with “Precious,” a relentless blast of pounding drums, rumbling bass, and razor-sharp guitar work that immediately announces the band’s arrival. Elsewhere, the Kinks cover “Stop Your Sobbing” transforms a British Invasion gem into a radio-ready pop-rock standout, complete with sweet harmonies and double-tracked vocals. “Kid” may be the record’s hidden masterpiece, balancing vulnerability with some of the album’s most irresistible jangling guitars. Then there’s “Brass in Pocket,” the breakthrough hit that helped make Pretenders a household name. It’s smoother and more accessible than much of the record, but it never sacrifices the attitude that defines the band. While the album occasionally feels more like a collection of strong singles than a fully unified statement, the quality of the songwriting and performances rarely dips. As debuts go, Pretenders is a powerful introduction to a band that sounds ready to take on the world.
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 (though could easily be 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 were I not feeling so magnanimous) Where do I know Pretenders from?? I swear I know at least one of their songs, but their sound is so generically early eighties that I can't place them. This cheesy, clean production on punk is one marked step towards its commercialization, but I'm kind of a sucker for this. The frontwoman is doing a B-52s, dare I say a Frank-n-furter, with her delivery, and even though she's not exactly possessed by the Rocky Horror spirit I can't say it wasn't fun. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities) | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing
“Stop Your Sobbing” completely cracked me up, and overall I thought this was fine but not anything super special.
Early pop punk, vocals very punk esk but instrumentals are easily digestible, not the biggest fan of this style of vocals but singer has really good voice, vibe switches up half way through, like how they explored different styles, Private Life sounds like a knock off police song without a pop-esk hook, brass in pocket sounds like stereotypical 80’s pop song - good but very similar to rest of that style music, I’m all for stylistic diversity but feels like it’s just a bunch of of average stuff fitting into genres without doing much else to stand out 3/5 Favorite: Porcelain
Good album but I am tired of hearing Brass in Pocket.
Distinct sound of the band and Chrissy's voice.
Meh
The vocal delivery is a highlight of the album. In other ways, I can't say it's very memorable or original. A bit of pop, a bit of punk, a lot of very alike songs. And the way '80s records manage to sound more dated than '60s ones never fails to amaze me. Best song: "Precious," as I love the way Chrissie Hynde has 20-something ways to sing the word.
"Space Invader" is aight. "Brass in Pocket": a classic. Good album.
Would I listen again: sure Not quite my style but also really not bad. I liked brass in pocket but I suppose that’s because it was a hit lol
Not a lot to say. Good enough Favorite Songs: Kid, The Wait, Mystery Achievement
Pretty good, enjoyed Brass in Pocket
Got some bangers and they're trying some fun ideas
I've been busy the last few days and away from easy computer access. But I've known the albums I was getting and listened to them all. So I'm rating four albums today (Pretenders s/t, Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables by Dead Kennedys, and Bjork's Debut.). I'm giving them all 3s. And that's what pisses me off. There's not enough nuance in this rating system!!! Only five options is stupid. It means a 5 is reserved for albums I consider truly great, and a 1 is for garbage I don't think even belongs on this list. Then I'm left with three options for everything else. 2 seems to be, 'I get why it's here, but I don't like it.' 4 is either 'this is absolutely a classic, monumental album, but it's not really my thing' or 'I liked this a lot, but it's not perfect.' Which leaves the 3. I'm slapping it on four records today and I have wildly different feelings about all of them. Cocteau Twins I'd give maybe a 7.4 out of 10 (note that's not an 8, which translates to a 4-star, right?) while Dead Kennedys and Pretenders would both be somewhere in the 6.5 out of 10 range. Bjork would earn a 5.2 out of 10 (right in the middle, which sure doesn't seem like a 2 star rating, does it?) Frustrating. Wish it was different to allow for more distinction in rating.
Добре, проте це просто типовий панк-рок
All good.
im not turning it off on the radio but i'm not googling the lyrics either
Pretenders - Pretenders Listen on vinyl and glad I did as this really is an album of two halves. Tracks 1 to 6 explode with visceral inventiveness and excitement. The clever syncopations and machine gun guitars make the first 20 minutes of this collection an absolutely delightful and surprising thrill ride. Then there is the 'odd man out' Ray Davies cover of Stop Your Sobbing. They debut single produced by Nick Lowe before he gave up on the band, it sounds like a completely different time and place. Side 2 presents, to me, a completely different direction with Hynde seemingly already wanting to accelerate the 'maturation' of the group. And, to be honest, I don't really enjoy it anywhere near as much. Yes, Brass in Pocket is a great song but it isn't what I want after the moddish thunder of The Wait, or the in your face Precious. Would make a phenomenal mini-album 🤔 Best Track - hard call but gonna go for Tattooed Love Boys (still get giddy at that 'miss a beat' drum line) Worst track - Mystery Achievement. Such an anonymous way to end. 7.5/10 pretty much all for the first half.
Not so bad. Flat 3. Favorite track: Private Life
Un disco regular, solo conocía 1 canción, las demas estaban mas o menos.
It got better later into the listen as there were tracks I've heard a few times before. While this got pretty good reviews and is a strong debut, I wouldn't rate it higher than a 3, lucky to not be a 2.
Imagine hearing the Pretenders for the first time by hearing Chrissy Hines purr “Precious.”
Sounds like a Mixture of Stevie Nicks and Siouxie and the Banshees.
Mag die instrumentals, aber bin leider überhaupt kein fan von diesem vocal style
Pretty solid album, especially for a debut. Some tracks felt a bit long. But still a solid 3 for me. Favorite track(s) Tattooed Love Boys Kid Lovers of Today
this jus a boring version of the blondie album i got yesterday
This album has very strong hints of what was to come. Brass In Pocket is the highlight.
This album starts off pretty high energy then it kind of ebbs and flows. It's decent, and better than many things that are tagged new wave on this list. Not sure I'd come back but I can see a good arguement for this being on the list. 3/5 nearly a 4.
I liked this. I only knew Brass in Pocket. I liked the song Kid though. I like Chrissie Hynde’s voice.
Clearly historically important and a huge inspiration to some notable modern rock sounds. I don't know if I go back to this album though.
prima maar zeker niet geweldig
3.5
um cd que cumpre exatamente o que a capa promete
Pretty solid rock album. Recognized a couple songs and had an enjoyable time with it.
Nothing much to say about this. Just a hair before my time and so I don't really have any attachment to the Pretenders. Rock and roll.
Chrissie Hynde has never done much for me, though I recognize the Pretenders' place in rock history (and Hynde's role in the early punk scene in the UK). That said, I liked this more than I expected, probably because it's much closer to punk and post-punk than her later stuff. While the songs blend together after a while for me, it was nice to be introduced to songs other than "Brass in Pocket" that I may return to in the future. ("Mystery Achievement" is great.)
me ha sorprendido que he escuchado las más populares y las conocía, however......las del álbum? ninguna, ah mentira brass in pocket es de este album me gusta el rollete y tal está bastante bien
Decent
An album of all time. Not bad but not interesting either. 6/10
Kind of meh for me! Some goodies in there.
A solid first album. You can absolutely hear what they're going for, but I think they really nailed it on Learning to Crawl.
Me gusto, pero no se si volveria a escuchar el album
based on what i was expecting, with that cover and the eighties looming over, i was gratefully surprised for it to be a competent, with punk sensibilities rock album. But that doesn't mean it was something remarkable. okay at best
A pleasant punky pop album. Very 70s/80s crossover as you'd expect.
Brit-rock-esque, but american. Some almost Caribbean leanings
Pretenders Self Titled - 3/5 - Great debut album that laid the groundwork for a number of bands to follow - I can see how The Smiths guitarist was inspired, Speaking of which James Honeymoon-Scott’s guitar work is amazing quite often coming off as quite raw and tasteful even going so far as to say the album would not have received the acclaim if it weren’t for his incorporation, Unconventional time signatures definitely make the album stand out in a good way as well Verdict: 71-74/100. Sadly enough sounds like watered down punk and the album does begin to lose steam half way, I do find a number of songs on here interesting but it lacks the consistency to really make it memorable. A great listen if you’re wanting to dive into the history of what would become the run of the new wave but outside of that sadly there isn’t much else going on for it unfortunately. Favourite Songs: Precious The Phone Call Up The Neck Tattooed Love Boys Kid Brass in Pocket Mystery Achievement
Enjoyable enough
I liked most of what I listened to (about half). Three stars
mid 3.5 álbum divertido mas repetitivo. vocal, produção e melodias acabam sendo todos muito parecidos favs: Tattooed Love Boys, Stop Your Sobbing
Big fan of Brass in Pocket. The rest is fine
Nice sound, but the songs are mostly just fine.
Brass in my pocket I've heard Rest is fine
I'm realizing a female voice is a lot more interesting to me than a male voice singing by listening to these albums. So I enjoyed this album slightly more than I would normally expect. That said, I still think it's a 3/5, but an enjoyable listen!
Good album. Chrissie is a great front-woman. At this point, I've heard "Brass In Pocket" too many times, which is sad. I really wish I could have seen them live when this came out. I bet those shows were killer.
I like some Pretenders songs so much, I couldn’t wait to hear this but was a little underwhelmed by the deeper cuts. Could grow on me on additional listens but on first listen it’s just OK.
Good!
is ok. 1. precious: 2 2. the phone call: 2 3. up the neck: 3 4. tattooed love boys: 2 5. space invader: 3 6. the walt: 2 7. stop your sobbing: 3 8. kid: 4 9. private life: 2 10. brass in pocket: 4 11. lovers of today: 4 12. mystery achievement: 3
This made no impact on my life
More agressive cranberries
Started out stong as a first album
Brass in Pocket does a lot of heavy lifting for this album.
Can I please just be Chrissie Hynde for a day? She's so cool. I never realized the similarities between her and Karen O before this. Karen is definitely channeling her inner Chrissie. The album was ok. The only two bangers were the two songs I'd already heard before but my 80s playlist expanded by 30 percent.
The distinctive voice of Chrissie Hynde! I feel like if you listened to the pretenders before the age of 8 (and loved it) it would set you up for a very much cooler life. You can tell she’s got a lot more music and lyrics bottled up inside of her and this is just a commercial segment of that tantalising musical orange. A pleasant album, decent soft rock and not so aggressive that you could get away with playing it to a wide spectrum of people when you’re up next on “pass the aux”.
Well, I know the Pretenders, mostly from their hits. And like their hits, so I thought I would enjoy this album, but I have to say, aside from Brass in Pocket I was disappointed. A harsh 2 or a generous 3? 3.
Helt ok.
Ganske OK, ligg på mellom 2 og 3.
2-3 et sted. Liker det, det er fint, men tror ikke jeg hører på det på nytt så mange ganger.
씐난다
i wanted to like this more than i did... alas, 3 stars.
another 3.5 star album that i think i want to like more than i actually did. there are some solid tracks here but as an album it's just kinda... there. shoutout to the track space invader though, which is what it would sound like if someone chopped and screwed the beatles song day tripper favorites: precious, tattooed love boys, space invader, stop your sobbing, brass in pocket
got some tunes on it, decent album
Decent enough - Brass in Pocket a stand out classic, rest ok - quite liked Lovers of Today as well
A solid punky rock album that I would listen to again. No standout songs, but every track is solid nonetheless.
Started song with the song Precious but the rest of the album didn't resonate with me. Too many references to the cuban slide.
Déjà écouté avant. Un premier album parfois inégal, sauvé par une énergie punk contagieuse et, surtout, par le charisme magnétique de Chrissie Hynde, toujours impressionnante. Top : The Wait Flop : Up the Neck
I can’t pretend I didn’t enjoy this!! Solid music all around.
Кажется это лучше слушать в токийском караоке в исполнении Скарлетт Йоханссон
Brass In Pocket тут единственная хорошая вещь. Видно, что старались сделать что-то необычное, но меня вообще не зацепило
Куда-то исчезла моя доброта. Ничего не почувствовала. Притворились кем угодно на разных альбомах. Коммерческие хиты у них вышли лучше.
Лучшая песня: Mystery achievement Худшая: The Wait Три песни понравились, все остальное порожняк. Главный критерий попадания в этот список - нужно, чтоб альбом был незапоминающимся
очередной день со средненьким, но не плохим альбомом
Less than the sum of its parts and I’m not sure why. Love love Chrissie’s voice, love the bass lines, feel lukewarm about the actual music. I really wanted to like it more if that helps? like I do like it, a two is not a low score for me necessarily. maybe I bump it up to a three. who knows.
One good song…the rest okay.
surprisingly more enjoyable than i expected. i enjoyed the lead singer's voice. Would I listen again: maybe Deserves to be on this list: unsure 3.4
I find the singer's delivery to be the most interesting thing. She plays with speed, pronunciation, etc. to make a lot of variety The band are really tight and some of the rhythmic ideas are clever. I can see how this would have been a nice development in rock and roll. I'm not a fan of the genre though
Need to listen to it all the way through once more. But it’s a great collection of songs and has reminded me how much I like the pretenders
Not bad, not something I would have picked up. Has the typical British punk sound, very nasal guitars up front before the whole band comes in. Sometimes its a bit too much but the way the band sounds chaotic the singer comes through as a steading voice. That part is very neat.
⭐⭐⭐ Trodde på förhand att detta kunde vara något för mig men det är ganska medel. Inget dåligt men inte mycket höjdpunkter heller. Kanske ger det en chans till i framtiden, därför får det en 3a.Bäst är The phone call, Private life, Brass in pocket.
I struggled to enjoy this album. Unlike the album I listened to yesterday from Bob Dylan where I felt that it was easy to engage with and tune in, I kept having to go back and relisten to songs on this album so that I could properly give this album a listed. Once I finished the initial album, I then discovered that there was a deluxe version which contained several more songs, a second disc containing a recordings of demos and live BBC live sessions, and a third disc containing recordings from additional live shows. I really wanted to give this album and this artist a full opportunity to shine. It isn't that I dislike the Pretenders. I ended up closing out the album during disc 2, but I did really enjoy the Cuban Slide and I am hoping in the future I can revisit this album with refreshed ears.
3.5. enjoyable listen.
Guitars and compositions are mostly nice, I doubt I'll ever remember one thing from this album besides the standouts though
One great song, "Brass In My Pocket"
Tuff
Strong start!
It was ok. Not as good as I wanted it to be.
Brass in pocket aside it’s bang average
3.0
What might otherwise be a pedestrian album is made special with Chrissie Hyndes voice and style.
decent post punk med massere attitude. ikke noget specielt.
So I thought this was the "I Would Walk 500 Miles" band at first. Regardless, this is decent. Don't dislike it.
3.25. Solid
I enjoy the production - there's a real dreamy quality to it despite being straight up rock - but I'm kind of whelmed by the tracks overall.
Some great songs but overall pretty middle of the road for me
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
I much preferred the songs nearer to the end of this album - they felt more tuneful and melodic than the earlier jarring snippets of voice. The whole album just felt marmitey, I either really liked the song or it just didn't land at all which is why I'd say this evens out to a 3 for me.
Funny that this is the first time I’ve listened to a Pretenders album in its entirety! I love Chrissie Hynde’s voice as much as ever, and the music is great, though it does bring home how musically simple pop songs were in this era.
Considering the fact that my dislike of Back on the Chain Gang has been enough to keep me from exploring much more of The Pretenders, this one surpassed my expectations.
3.25 - Pretty good. I was surprised to learn that this was a female-fronted band.
Fun little early punk record with a few dense breakdowns. Great vocal quality, to the point of kinda overshadowing the rest. 3.3/5.0
Solid! I liked the mixed meter in some of the songs.
Solid overall. Mostly enjoyed. Songs blurred together a bit, no standouts but liked Mystery Achievement and Brass in Pocket the best.
3/6/26 - Listened while driving to golf. It was fine but nothing super exciting. I did hear some influences on Pearl Jam songs, their more "punky" ones. Middle of the road for me. Top Song - Mystery Achievement
2.5? 2 is a little harsh. But a low three for sure
👍
Ik ken de Pretenders vooral van pretentieloze, maar geslaagde liedjes als I go to sleep of Don't get me wrong. En kennelijk hebben ze een bekend kerstlied. De debuutplaat heeft iets meer power, luistert aardig weg, zelfs een reggaenummer, wie had dat gedacht. Maar er zitten ook wat matig geproduceerde, interessantdoenerige new wave-stukken tussen. Dat drukt de score. Ik ben benieuwd of ik een latere plaat van Chrissie en haar matties een hoger cijfer had gegeven, het zou zomaar kunnen.
Het eerste nummer heeft een punk-klank, althans meer dan ik me van deze band herinner. Daarna een vrij makkelijke opzet met een telefoongesprek. Het volgende nummer heeft wat rust ingebouwd. Daarna een keten van muzikale schakelingen. De band doet iets en het varieert wat. Maar het is steeds even zoeken of er nou iets is wat de band echt bijzonder maakt. De zing-pratende zangeres is waarschijnlijk dat waarvan ze het moeten hebben. Tja, wat moet ik hier nou mee? Het is vooral best aardig.
fue mi primera vez escuchándolos y lo disfruté bastante. definitivamente se volverá un regular
pretty good, not amazing, but not bad.
mid
I’ve never been a fan of Chrissie Hynde’s voice. I know some people love it but it just isn’t for me. Combined with a bunch of off beat talk singing throughout the songs, it just doesn’t work in my opinion. I think the band is great, there are a lot of quality tracks underlying the signing, but it doesn’t come together for me.
Snarling attitude, tight tunes and plenty to enjoy
Hay algo que me hace acordar a ataque 77. Ni idea. Me encanta ella
When I first heard "Brass In My Pocket" on the radio, I really liked the song, but other songs which I heard from this group, I just thought were okay. After listening to this album, I still really liked, "Brass In My Pocket" and although there were a couple of other songs I liked, most of the album was just okay.
Solid album highlight is brass in pocket
I wasn't blown away, but I liked it. Raw energy and simple songs that work well. It wasn't a boring listen, just not something mind blowing, it was decent.
Good energy on this album. Chrissy Hydne has a really cool voice
Seminal new wave album that helped set the tone and sound for the genre. Really good singles band but the longer tracks are feast (Private Life) or famine (Lovers of Today). Great guitar sound, incredible vocals on Hynde. Shakes out about even for me. Favorite Tracks: Precious, The Phone Call, Tattooed Love Boys, Private Life, Brass in Pocket
Parece que es new Wave, me gustaría que las guitarras sonarán más fuertes, me gusta la energía del primer track No lo encuentro muy destacable entre otros discos de los 80 que he escuchado, parecido a Blondie
los cachaba de nombre nomas ta weno
Not my fav, but there was an instrumental on the album that I enjoyed
3/5
Rather fun, actually quite a bit of substance here what with them having a lot of rhythmic and metric confidence. Some skips along the way but I could perhaps return to this as an example of something that takes musical risks but can still create mass appeal. Could be cool in the summer asw
Cool, but nothing special. The songs were good, but nothing really stood out to me. Big fan of the way it was mixed though.
Yay! Finally something that isn't just awful. I like hearing a female vocalist, song structure is good and somewhat catchy, but nothing sticks out.
A solid enough new wave record. For every great track on here there are about 2 that I'd take or leave. Enjoyable listen overall however.
Big on attitude. Short on songs. The standout tracks here, apart from Brass, are the ballads. Much of the rest is filler - competently played, just not fully formed songs. Great mixes, quite pleasant. A three.
I've never heard of these guys before. All I know is that if I were around in the 80's this woman would definitely have been one of my gay awakenings. Not anywhere close near Stevie Nicks, Kate Bush and Debbie Harry, but she would've been there somewhere. I was born in the wrong generation not because music sucks now, but because I missed my chance to fangirl over these women. Anyway back to the album. It's nothing groundbreaking. It sounds pretty much like I would I expect. It's not BAD, but I wouldn't call myself a fan. I'm not THAT into this type of punk/rock or whatever it is. I just know there were a lot of people doing this at the time so it's nothing really incredible. It's an alright album. Kind of the same as with other many albums on this list. I don't hate it, but I don't like it enough to listen to it again. Had a good time while listening though. Just not my jam.
Ok. Doesn't do much for me.
Some cool songs I would listen to in the radio on a drive. Unfortunately a lot of songs are not “jamming” with me.
Funktioniert als abpum ganz gut, wirklich hängen geblieben ist aber nichts - 3.2
Not sure I’ve listened to a full album of theirs and for some reason I’m not too hopeful, expecting the new wave, poppy synths, especially from the cover, but let’s see! Ah okay, maybe a little more punk than I thought actually and nice production and cadence on the vocals. Almost too close at times tho! Much grittier and layered than I expected. Some mind bending time signatures and nice playing around with instruments, FX, breakdowns. Yeh, very pleasantly surprised. ‘Stop Your Sobbing’ feels like a huge turning point and I don’t really get it. Second half is like a different band and much prefer the first half. Second half seems to be where the singles and most popular songs are. Confused! First half, easy 4*, second 3* (3.5)
This was okay, largely forgettable. But I really liked brass in pocket
Warbling
Really feels like this is two different albums. I like the back half much more than the first.
This is completely new to me and really not what I thought The Pretenders sounded like coming in only knowing Brass in Pocket and that Christmas song. Feels kind of Blondie-ish Started a bit meh but (possibly because it was Friday night when I was listening and the rum kicked in…) the album seemed to get better the further I got through it.
I liked the song without words best. Good beats but quirky 80s style lyrics. Very consistent
very charming, definitely more raw & unpolished than later albums ... but also a bit all over the place with many "skip" songs
twas OK
A lot of droning, but could've been worse.
Dont get me wrong, they are alright
In my head this was something else. Suprised that it was this and the female vocalist. Loved the early odd time signature song, but mostly forgettable except the single which is a classic
It’s ok.
Little long
okayy finally a girl! i liked it, my favorite was probably private life! alsoo why do they keep having it been the album name that same name as the artist or is that the point? it’s like most of them!
Like it 3/5
Listens: 3 (but the non-expanded/deluxe edition; ain't nobody got time for that) Standout tracks: Up The Neck, Brass In Pocket I've never heard of The Pretenders before, but I've definitely heard the song Brass In Pocket, so about 3/4s of the way through the album (the studio part) I get that ah ha moment where I get to put a song to a band. Overall a fine album. I do wish that 1) it wasn't a link to the 3+ hour delux edition and 2) I wish there existed a version of the album that was just the studio tracks. It probably would have made the experience better.
Probably really good and I respect it. Just wasn't for me.
New album to me, though I realized of course I've heard Brass in Pocket, lot of radio play on that one. I can't say I loved it. Vocals have that feeling of a more spoken word than singing. Instrumentation was good. Middle of the road, possibly something I'd pull out if I gave it a few more spins.
Huh. Never heard of this album or artist before, but I'm thinking I'm in for something new-wavey given the album cover and year of release. Hopefully I'm right in my prediction for a change. Hmm. Interesting. I'm halfway on this. I quite like Hynde's vocals. They're cool and crystal clear. The instrumentals are pretty decent, too. The tight guitar hooks and thudding percussion make this album difficult to avoid nodding along to. Some crafty effects and neat guitar distortion also offer a varied listening experience. My problem with this album is that it's nothing I haven't heard before. It's relatively by the book for a punky new wave album, and I didn't feel like the longer tracks justified their runtimes. The songwriting is weirdly weak, too. While this album is chock full of catchy guitar hooks, I rarely felt that Hynde's vocal talent was being put to proper use. Overall, I'm still favourable to this album. It's not really within my sphere of interest, but I can acknowledge that there is quality here. Book time. Nothing really in there beyond this band being fronted by a woman and all of her contemporaries doubting their success because of that. Wikipedia reveals that this album blends multiple genres, had a polarised reaction at the time, but is highly regarded now, has received enduring critical acclaim and charted well internationally. Even if this album had nothing to its name, I'd probably still stick my neck out for it. I cosign this inclusion.
Well made, but nothing too special. Would listen to again.
ok
No "Back on the Chain Gang," but not knowing much about the band besides that seemed a solid effort.
Expected this to be full of songs where you go, "oh THEY did this song!" but that didn't even happen once. This is all fine but I'm not a post-punk girly anyway (which is a term I use for all 80's rock music with chorus on the guitar).
80s teen movie montage music, but not in a bad way.
Ma foi, autant dire que ça ne m'a pas parlé. C'est pas que c'est mauvais ni rien, mais ça m'a semblé tout simplement moyen et plutôt insipide, mais pas non plus au moins de mettre moins de la moyenne. C'est ça le défaut avec la notation sur 5 où on n'a même pas droit aux chiffres après la virgule. On se retrouve à faire des catégories bourrines. J'aurai pu mettre 12/20, mais comme je n'ai le choix qu'entre 2 ou 3 pour représenter ma note, ben je suis emmerdé. Donc ce sera 3, faute de pouvoir être plus précis (et oui, je sais que 3/5 est strictement égal à 12/20, mais ça me fait classer cet album avec d'autres que j'aurai notés plus haut). Pour en revenir strictement à la musique, je peux concevoir que beaucoup adorent cet album. Il y a une bonne énergie, le son des guitares est percutant juste comme il faut et la chanteuse est charismatique. Mais quand ça ne passe pas, ça ne passe pas.
Love Brass in Pocket. The rest sounds very much of its time. Not my era. Nice voice though!
Альбом непоганий, але нічим не зачепив. На один раз ок, але навряд чи буду повертатися до нього
can we pretend we re airplanes in the night sky like shooting stars?
Só conhecia literalmente uma música dessa banda. No geral gostei do álbum. Algumas músicas possuem linhas melódicas estranhas e outras algo mais próximo do convencial. Gostei muito do trabalho de guitarra e baixo. A voz da cantora é boa, embora às vezes ache meio limpa demais e quase indo numa intenção meio country rsrs. Destaques: "Stop Your Sobbing", "Mystery Achievement" (as duas melhores), "Lovers of Today", "Private Life" e "Kid".
Better than Coldplay
I’ll stand by you….. ma jeunesse…..
Very good album, this is a 3,7.
This is a good refresher to the White Album, butonly holds 1 or 2 real bangers for me.
Nikdy som jej hlas neobľuboval, ale prvé piesne albumu ma celkom prekvapili, viackrát sa asi k tomuto albumu nedostanem. Hudba celkom ok, ale ten hlas...
I listened to this on my own only a few months before it came up in the generator. Its an okay album. Many of the tracks are boring or similar sounding, but there are also some great tracks, Brass in Pocket, Precious, Up the Neck, and a few more.
funky man idk i didnt really pay attention
One of those bands where I know the name, but don’t recall ever actually listening to any (though a couple of the songs sounded really familiar). Some pretty decent early punk/new wave, along with some pretty boring songs (especially in the back half). A little uneven, but the standouts (like Precious and Mystery Achievement) were great.
fun listen
I liked it but not as much as I thought I would
Nochmal: Komplett easy listening, aber es blieb nichts hängen. Die Definition von Durchschnitt.
Good, not super special
not much of an emotional connection but solid album
It was…good? Tbh I didn’t listen as attentively as I should have so I’m not confident in this rating. I like the vibe though for like, background music which is nice. The singers voice is really nice (not necessarily talent wise, her voice is just sehr angenehm to listen to) Honestly I think I’ll listen to this two or three more times and forget about it completely.
Precious - 5/10: Not bad, but I'm not obsessed with her vocals. The Phone Call - 5/10: I like the guitar on this track. Up the Neck - 6/10: I like the music/instruments/beat (whatever you call it) on this track. Tattooed Love Boys - 6/10 I like the instruments/beat and guitar solo on this song. Space Invader - 6/10: I don't usually like "instrumental" songs, but I liked the intro and overall beat. The Wait - 6/10: I like the guitar on this track. Stop Your Sobbing - 5/10: Just not my favorite. Kid - 7/10: I like her vocals and the instruments/beat. Private Life - 7/10: Same as the last song. I really like the guitar on this track, especially the solo at the end. Brass in Pocket - 5/10: I just wasn't really feeling it. Lovers of Today - 5/10: Same as the last song. Mystery Achievement - 6/10: I like the instruments/beat. Overall Score: 69/100 Overall Rating: 6/10 - I didn't love the singer's vocals in all the tracks, but I did enjoy them at the end. That's really the only thing that threw me off, and overall it's not a bad album. I could see myself possibly listening to a few tracks on it again.
01) Precious - 7,5 02) The Phone Call - 6,5 03) Up the Neck - 6,5 04) Tattooed Love Boys - 7,0 05) Space Invader - 7,0 06) The Wait - 6,5 07) Stop Your Sobbing - 8,0 08) Kid - 7,5 09) Private Life - 7,5 10) Brass in Pocket - 10,0 11) Lovers of Today - 7,5 12) Mystery Achievement - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,42 (74/100) Current ranking: 353/790