Reviews (page 8 of 13)
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
It was fine
This started much punkier and choppy than I was expecting and i really enjoyed it. As it went on, it became washier and more new wavey which is less my sort of thing. Not sure id call it much of a mix of the genres mind, was more one of the other. Not bad but the bits I didn't like bring it down more than the bits I like bringing it up.
Brass in Pocket is great, the rest of it is alright I suppose. Chrissie Hynde has a great punk voice. Didn't mind it, wouldn't come back.
I quite enjoyed this album. Lots of fun songs that kept me engaged throughout the whole listen. Wish I could see these guys live.
very punk rock
This is a long album. . .
Can't all be winners. There's a few songs I like on this
STARFISH AND COFFEEEEEEEE SO GOODDDD. Love all the songs and the cover is perfection.
Some good tracks, but not for me.
Finally listened to one of my dad's all-time favorite albums. He bought it very shortly after it came out when he was 17 years old. So the album is special to me regardless of what I would rate it overall. Good album- certainly well produced and all the performances are good. A little bit too inconsistent to fully award a 4 to, and too long. I think I prefer their softer, poppier tracks to the punk. I will say that "Space Invader" is a really cool instrumental- that track took me by surprise. "Kid" and "Brass in Pocket" are also so nostalgic and lovely.
6.5/10 2026/1/5
I guess this wasn’t exactly what I expected. I like the Pretenders’ hits that I’m familiar with, but even those didn’t set my world alight. This album didn’t exceed any expectations I had, but I guess it expanded my understanding of the band some. I’m not sure what that’s worth if it didn’t change my opinion of them one way or the other though. I still think they’re ok with some bright spots, but nothing they wrote is likely ever going to get me super excited. 3/5
I gave this two listens as I wanted to like it more. Loved lots of the instrumentation on the songs, for a example Space Invader. And with all respect to Chrissie Hynde I just didn't care for the vocals. Not her voice but the melody. Given how much she styles herself on Patti Smith and I love Patti Smith that's my only theory. Edit: still a 3 but I do remember really liking Precious and Private Life on a second listen. I think the bass and guitar on the latter were great.
This was quite fun, I was pretty hopeful for it. Chrissie hind has a great voice and the songs I know by them are great. This however felt like a first album, like they were finding their feet. A few of them I liked the intro and the song was ok... Then brass in your pocket hit and that is an incredible track. The rest couldn't keep up with that.
alright new wave 3.5/5 sounds like a worse blondie to me
Not a big fan
Nicht mein Fall, aber kann man auch nicht viel gegen sagen.
Not really for me, but fine music and a good voice. There were moments here and there that stood out that bumped it up to a 3 for me but without those I think this would be a solid 2.
Not my cup of tea, but clearly very influential.
Nice
Pretty good
It's ok
More raunchy that I anticipated. Good old pop rock stuff
Not bad
its fine
Very pop for a rock band, the wait and brass in pocket stood out. Can't get much british than this
Not a bad album. The main singer’s vocals was probably the most distinct part. I think the rest of it was kind of middle of the road, usual kind of stuff to expect.
Punk, rock, new wave. Couple radio tunes.
Started out w a few clunkers but built as the album went on and ended w a few bangers
Honestly pretty good Iconic for its time, I do feel like there were a lot of bands within its time period that would perfect this sound. Definitely ahead of its time but not the best. 6/10
This was okay, it was was like Dry Cleaning with talk singing
Not bad but like a more boring version of punk. Isn't that kind of what new wave was? Is this new wave, or just three years late to the party?
So it turns out I like The Pretenders far more than the relentless playing of Brass In Pocket would have led me to believe. Very listenable.
Þetta var allt í lagi plata. Mér finnst ég hafa heyrt svona oft og mörgum sinnum og þessi stendur ekkert upp úr nema mögulega Brass in Pocket en ég mun gleyma þessari plötu fljótt
Had been under the impression that the Pretenders were kind of like Blondie, except British? Turns out they're way more on the punk side of the pop-punk spectrum! Actually, aside from "Stop Your Sobbing" and "Kid", I didn't hear too many pop hooks at all? Coming into this, I knew "Brass in Pocket" was the big hit off this album, and I knew I'd heard it a hundred times before, but try as I might I could never actually remember how it goes. Turns out that's because they've got a great pre-chorus with the "gonna make you, make you", and then the chorus totally falls flat on its face! What a disappointment that one is! At least they ended strong with "Mystery Achievement", now that one's a great song.
I didn't love this album when listening. There were a few songs that were enjoyable mainly because I like the singer's voice and the instrumentals were better on those songs than on most songs throughout the album. I don't typically enjoy this era of rock music anyway.
Vocals are weird as fuck I think the backing tracks are really cool, and some of the transitions between and within songs are fun. His voice is really bad and I'm struggling to get past that, but its really interesting. Also, apparently he's like super in love with Tucson, which is cool. I think I disliked this album at first but by the end it's really grown on me. I think this is pretty good. Have I said his voice is bad though?
Mucho skip pero the bangers hit, 3.8
Chrissy Hynde as the front woman made me add a few of these to my road trip playlist. Good instrumentation here and there but a couple tracks too punk for my old soul Listened before? N Saved tracks? Y Favorite tracks? Brass In Pocket, Precious, ⭐⭐ ⭐Liked it. Saved 2 tracks.
Not my favorite vocal style, but it's okay. Some good instrumentation. Kinda sounds like No Doubt at times. Space Invader is in the instrumental playlist I listen to when I'm proofreading. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): The Wait, Brass in Pocket, Mystery Achievement ⭐⭐⭐: Liked it. Saved some tracks.
I'd only ever heard their hits. This is an ok album for me. They really stretched out the songs there...
I don’t mind it but I’m just so bored of listening to rock albums from the 70s and 80s. Could the guy who made this list not have branched out a bit more?
Fast-paced, polished punk with elements of back-to-basics rock.
I’d never really taken much notice of The Pretenders. Singles aside, I didn’t really care. This was great though. Really enjoyed it. Always bordering on stepping up a notch and venturing into punkier territory, each song did its own thing and I was on board for it all. A solid start to the week.
Enjoyed generally, especially some of the harder songs
I like the 80s sound, but not sure what I'd see to put this on the scale of other bands...
Pretty mixed bag. Some songs worthy of a 4, but overall I think 3 is fair.
Classic
This was pretty good.
A couple of hits and solid overall, although her voice is not my favourite.
Pretenders are IMO very underrated!! Very original, classic sound. Good stuff.
5/10
Who knew the pretenders are actually decent
Presqu'un 4 mais la deuxieme partie de l'album s'essoufle.
Pas pire dans l'ensemble. Side B a des tounes pénibles. Private Life m'a fait dropper une étoile. Laissez ça à The Police.
i found myself more impressed than initially expected, but altogether not too impressed
Several of the reviews mentioned the Pretenders being more edgy and punky than the hits would lead you to believe, so I was keen to give this album a go. Ironically however, it was the middle of the road hits that were the most enjoyable songs for me. Still, while pleasant enough, there wasn't anything on this album that makes me want to listen to it again.
pretty fun but not really my vibe
The pretenders has an intersting tone. It is a quite unique tone on top of that too. But that uniqueness is laced with mediocracy. Wich maked the whole thing a weird cocktail. But I'm glad to have found an alternative to Blondie when it comes to rock outlets with a epic female lead
interesting for sure but nothing special
I didn't really resonate with this! The final three tracks were great, and of course I knew Brass In Pocket, but didn't find myself blown away. It wasn't bad but wasn't great either! 2.5* rounded up to 3*
Its an odd one - Punk, Post Punk. then it also has Brass in Pocket. Anyway, it was ok.
Que voz más sexy tiene esta mujer, podría decirme cualquier cosa y le obedeceria. No me ha parecido mal álbum, de hecho me he sentido bastante badass escuchándolo con mi chaqueta de cuero y mi piti. También me han gustado los riffs y el tono de la guitarra, pero no me ha sorprendido ni he conectado con el estilo.
Solid album. Great group.
First female-delivered “Fuck off!” in popular music history? Chrissie Hynde, absolute hardass. You can hear the influence on 90s alternative and modern indie rock, super solid.
Was ok, can't remember it very well from before the weekend
Pretenders have some good stuff, and it's quite likely the songs you know are to be found on this album.
Not my favourites
Good album! Not a huge fan but they are good and this was a good album!
Amazing vocals!
Ok
Ok, nichts nerviges, nicht herausragend.
Chrissie Hynde is such an icon and had an interesting life during this time period. I liked this album but it felt a little long and somewhat dated listening with fresh ears today.
Had only ever heard Brass in Pocket so it was cool to check out the full album. Anytime I hear that song I think of the karaoke scene from Lost in Translation. Did you know Scarlett Johansson was 17 when they shot that? She had a great performance but what a crazy casting in hindsight, a 17 year old going through a marriage and career crisis. Thus concludes my review of Pretenders by Pretendera.
Longest album so far. Really changed the vibe as the album went on, started punkish, moved to pop rock, then kind of folk acoustic at one point? Enjoyed the vocalist
Nothing particularly jumped out at me with this album. Their sound felt like 90's pop with a strong rock and post-punk influence. A bit too pop for my taste. Feels manufactured "attitude" which can come off a bit less than genuine, but might be more of a reflection of the era. I don't think I am the intended audience for this nor is it too my taste so it didn't resonate with me super well but in all nothing to really pick apart
Upbeat. Singer reminds me of Joan Jett. I liked Brass In Pocket.
Decent enough album. Didn’t get too excited for much other than Brass in my pocket. I could listen to that shit on loop.
A breath of fresh air. 3.5/5
3.4 Was fun and unique in the right way. Feel like she spoke in tongue half the album. Some great band jams in there too
It was fine.
slightly dark alt punk-ish rock with some cool offbeat time signatures and a bit of irreverence. not super standout but I'd spin this again. 3.5/5
fun mix of a rock'n'roll and punk rock sound. instrumentation on the stop your sobbing cover was beautiful and fitting for an album released on the cusp of the 80s
H: This album surprised me. I feel like it was pretty up and down for me if I thought it was just fine or good. The first song I really liked which set high expectations for the rest of the album which kinda fell flat for me. Overall an ok album. 6/10 H fav song: Precious Z: I felt the influence this album carries from the first note. Bands like Amyl and the Sniffers surely derived from the strong female vocals and high energy that was on display in “Pretenders”. Groovy, upbeat, and new wave. 7.5/10 Z fav song: Brass in Pocket
More punk feeling than I expected, having only known 'brass in my pocket' song. Enjoyed the rest
its alright now go back to sleep
A solid rock album, very energetic and enjoyable, although not the most memorable perhaps.
I thought they were americans Blondie, but a bit more punk rock Like the instrumental the best up to that point, but would have prefered it if they built into pop songs proper Starting with the wait the material is a lot stronger, Kid's a good pop tune Gets less punk rock as the record goes on, but its also the stronger stuff Not sure about the disco type back vocals Yeah Brass in Pocket is good, the bass is really driving it I enjoyed some of the poppier moments on this
Not much to say on this one, thought it was alright
not bad. light rock. Nothing overly memorable though
The sound's decent but doesn't really speak to me.
Wonderful post punk/new wave. But I wish it were a bit more varied with so many songs. 3.5/5
I love her voice, and even in songs I didn't care for, there were segments I appreciated.
I only knew the radio hits, so it was cool to hear an entire record from this band. Solid .
How is this the same Pretenders that did 'I'll Stand By You' and 'Brass In Pocket'? The latter appears on this album which as a whole is a lot more upbeat and punky than I thought it would be. 'Tattooed Love Boys' has an underlying bright sounding hook beneath the punky chords and has a very cool solo. 'Space Invader' is a cool instrumental and everyone loves 'Brass In Pocket' which I think is the highlight. Memorable riff, singalong chorus and just a cool vibe throughout. I don't know if I like Chrissie Hynde's vocals. It's talk-singing. It works for the music, but I'm not sure on it. Some good stuff and some stuff that just is there in the background and doesn't grab me, but overall a decent debut and a pleasant surprise. The less good tracks bring it down, and it's not quite enough for a four.
Great album. Highlights: -Brass In Pocket
I liked the more melodic tracks the best with “The Wait” standing out most to me as a highlight. The punkier stuff was less interesting.
Enjoyed it, but will i listen again?
Forgot to write my thoughts down on Friday, but I remember liking it fine. Nothing super memorable
When I was younger I listened to the Pretenders all the time, but never their albums. I think this might be the first time I listened to this all the way through. I love Chrissie Hynde’s voice and the sound of the band as a whole. I don’t think they’re a great album band, though. Their hits are their hits for a reason. “Brass in Pocket” still bangs.
Almost a 4. Way better than I was prepared for.
Good rock n roll, poppy energy
I love a raspy feminine lead vocal, but nothing too special here.
A few good songs. Probably wouldn't actively listen but it's not bad in the background.
Had to grow on me as I listened, shout out to guitar hero 2. Recording sounds really good, I like the double track vocals. 3/5
Not sure how i feel about the album. I like the stripped down sounds where everything is in its place and there are no unnecessary frills, and I appreciate that the musicianship is very hgih. But I am not really jamming with the vocals and the songwriting. I can tell it's not your average rock album, but it's not for me. I understand the 4-5 ratings but I will not be returning to this album.
100% thought this was the Proclaimers going in, so that was a surprise for sure. I like the sound and the female lead. But I listened to it yesterday and I've already forgotten it
Never realized how kind of punk-rock the Pretenders were.
I feel like this is an album that's definitely going to grow on me, but as it stands it's okay. I wasn't expecting a song with parts in 15/8. That was interesting, took a second for it to even register. Still, not a whole lot stands out to me about this album compared to other New Wave bands of the time like The Clash or Devo. Perfectly fine, but not much more.
It's all right, probably gets better with every listen.
This is fun! I like the vocalist a lot. This isn't ground breaking for me or anything, but pretty solid! Liked Songs: "Precious" , "Tattooed Love Boys" , "The Wait" , "Kid" , "Brass in Pocket" , "Mystery Achievement"
Let's hear it for women hooray women
Overall: 6/10 Pretty good, punky album. I like the vocals and the lyrics. Some of the songwriting was a bit underwhelming for me though. I was surprised I knew a couple of the songs, just never knew the name of them. Fav Song: Brass in Pocket
Heard the singles, the rest solid new wavey pop. I use solid too much is these little reviews, maybe decent is a better word. Sort of good, not great, but kind of bad too. I don't know. 2.5 rounded up Heard before? The singles Owned: No 19/1001, 19/76 (25%) Will I get? Probably not
Quiet refreshing. Love the sound!
Only song I've heard of theirs before is I'll Stand By You, which isn't on this album. But this one was some solid rock and roll, with a few good power ballads. Fun album. Best song: Brass In Pocket
It was okay
Sympa j'avais déja écouté mais un album plus récent la ça se cherche un peu jtrouve
nice
It's a decent record of which I preferred the slower songs and the non-punk elements more than the punk stuff. I was massively caught off guard by the last two songs which are absolutely phenomenal and what gets this album to a high 3
It’s fine. Chrissie Hynde is cool though.
this album would be a 4 if it wasn’t for god awful vocals
Lekker punk geluidje met vrouwelijke zangeres
A 2/5 album with a 4/5 song
Je retiendrais juste que c’était sympa à écouter...
The singles are bangers, and the rest are okay too.
I've never listened to Pretenders before, other than hearing them on the radio. This had a little more edge than most of the stuff you hear which I enjoyed and would make me want to give this more of a go. That punk edge is smoothed out by Christie Hynde’s rich voice which is the star here. Plus I’m practically family with Chrissie after she sat in front of me at the Lanegan 60 gig!
preppy, upbeat, nice rock. Nothing stands out though, wouldn't think to listen to it again
Wow they really pretended
Fairly good rock. Definitely some pretty memorable stuff here but a lot of whatever
i have never gotten into the mood for this sound and i am tired of waiting around for it to happen. wanted to give it a 2 but feel like it deserves a 3. there were some very nice bass lines somewhere. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A landmark record and a must listen for everyone, killer songs and great attitude throughout. It drags a little by the end, but enjoyable all the way through.
So close.
A good rock album. Chrissie Hynde has a great voice for this that might have benefitted from leaning slightly more in the punk-ish direction but it's already a great listen. fav tracks: Tattooed Love Boys, Mystery Achievement
It took me years to truly appreciate the Pretenders. They weren't as accessible as Cheap Trick or as polished as Styx or as cool as The Police. They got lost in the shuffle, they were too rock n' roll for me during the new wave era, but they pressed on and kept making solid rock music for decades. I found them again years later. I've never listened to this debut album from first to last before but know the massive hit "Brass In Pocket" (which is a timeless classic, MTV staple), and the radio friendly glue tracks like "Kid", "The Wait", "Mystery Achievement" & "Stop Your Sobbing" (which I just heard on XM). Influential because of Chrissie Hynde and having a strong woman fronting a true rock band. Longevity for "Brass" and it's 230M listens. I'd give it 3.5 if that was possible, but it wouldn't make my personal T1001.
Meh
What if I say I'm not like the others? What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays? You're the pretender What if I say I will never surrender?
Not amazing but also not offensive
didn't recognize any songs from this album
Des trucs sympa
Fierce energy and fresh lyrics drive the album forward through a variety of rock/punk/pop styles. I liked the first half better on the second listen and the second half better on the first listen. I think that speaks to both the overall quality of the album and to how tedious some pockets of songs can be. Hynde is consistently engaging, but the rest of the music didn’t always carry the same charisma or sharpness as her songwriting and singing.
It was quite good. Female artist which I don’t usually listen to, but it had a good rock vibe and lots of unique and very interesting songs.
Doesn’t age well
Haven't been in the mood for this style, will try again sometime.
I just really don't get this album and a bit confused. I'm definitely quite lost with this one. Lots of this album is just underwhelming, just nothing exciting happening perhaps. I did try to get into it, but some albums I just sense that I won't come around to like it. And I believe this is one of those albums.
Favorite Track: Brass In Pocket
I like The Pretenders a lot, but I didn't really gel with this album. It was fine, and better than average, but there were only a couple tracks (Brass in Pocket and Lovers of Today) that I really enjoyed thoroughly. The rest of the tracks just kinda faded into the background and all I remember is Chrissie Hynde's awesome vocals and nothing else, really. Three stars.
Just sounded like a average rock record, liked a few tracks but nothing really stood out to me.
Just ok
All around solid, but nothing to write home about.
It just seemed like a weird recreation of all other music of the time
Years from now, I might feel like a three is too harsh but this album just didn’t resonate with me at all. I love ‘Brass in Pocket’, so I was really looking forward to this one but think my expectations were too high.
Good
Although I really like a couple of The Pretenders’ singles, most of the songs I know by them are variations on a theme. So while I thought this album was patchy, I do appreciate that it was more varied and punky than I was expecting.
General thoughts: Reminds of The Runaways, but less hard and creative. Not bad but nothing trascendental nor particularly entertaining. I also think production-wise they don't sound as good as they prob could, its very bland. Good background music. Truly middest of them all. Favorite song(s): The Phone Call Worst song(s): Most songs where a 2.5/5 imo, nothing is outstandingly bad. Cover: Very british. Very boring. The red jacket looks cool though. Real rating: 3.07
I wanna go in the subway and score some drugs! Great album
Premiere suggestion avec une voix féminine ! Je ne connaissais pas le le groupe, c’est sympa ! Franchement, il y a des sonorités vachement chouette que j’ai déjà entendu dans des groupes plutôt punk hardcore (notamment sur la basse) ! Je suis moins fan de la voix sur certains morceaux !
I started out liking it ,but as the album went on, it kind of went down to just meh for me.
I thought I knew of the pretenders but I didn’t know any of these songs, though I swear brass in pocket sounds familiar, but ultimately I don’t know it. 3.5
Fairly fun
3.5 - not bad but didn't totally grab me. 'Brass in Pocket' still holds up....favorite song was probably 'Stop Your Sobbing' - was kind of surprised to see it was a Kinks original.
Brass in pocket slaps so hard.
Listened 6 times and didn't really stick. Not bad, not really great. 2.5/5
Liked but not loved this, maybe suffered unfairly in comparison to Blondie though 😐
Interesting but falls off too quickly. I like how punky it is for the era though.
I did not know that Grace Jones’ Private Life was a cover. Not that it matters. This is a cool album.
Need to listen again
I liked the style, the way it's very punky and rock with raw distortion chords. Voice reminds me a lot of Joan Jett, so it's kind of the same style, but overall can be a lot better and sounded repetitive
This one is part of Heidi’s record collection, so I listened to her album. It’s a debut album, mostly rock with a bit of punk rock flavor. The last track is the best in my opinion, although Brass in Pocket was the biggest radio hit. Overall it’s solid for a debut album but there are not enough good tunes for a high rating.
A very British album cover. I feel like I should know the Pretenders, but maybe there are just a lot of "The XYZers" bands out there. The Proclaimers? Maybe that's what I know. Oh, but the lady is Chrissie Hynde, and I have heard of her (because she's in the Pretenders). Whew. 'Precious' seems to be about Cleveland, which is not what I expected. Turns out Chrissie was born in Akron. That explains why "shut the light" is a lyric. I wonder if she knows Lebron. Anyway, I've never heard any of these songs before, I'm pretty sure. They sound pretty 80s to me, like Heart or Hole or Blondie or any number of one-word lady-led energetic rock bands. Weird tempo variation shenanigans though. Glad I'm not wasting this super sleepy week on my most beloved albums, but this isn't doing it for me. It's not offensive or terrible or anything, but there's no real hook what hooked me. I think the second half of the album is much stronger. Good energy! Highlights: 'Kid', 'Brass in Pocket', 'Mystery Achievement'
This album is fine. But there's a flat feeling to it. And Chrissie Hynde's vocal range is a bit limited. It's fun to know and it makes sense that Nick Lowe produced this. While I know the hits, I'm not likely to return to this.
1st half rocks, 2nd half is overly long and kind of dull. Private Life seems to go on forever.
The Pretenders are one of those bands I’ve always known, but never really got into. Their era produced a wave of poppy, new-wave, post-punk acts that all sort of blurred together, kind of like how post-grunge and nu-metal did later on. That said, this debut is undeniably solid: sharp, confident, and full of attitude. Chrissie Hynde’s voice and presence stand out, but overall, it doesn’t quite blow me away. It’s good, just not personally essential.
Today just not feeling these guys as much. I think they very much sound like a band from the 70s/80s and sometimes those hit for me sometimes they don't. I still have tracks 9-12 left to listen to. Finished listening to it and I think it was pretty middle of the road. I can see how people really like these guys but they weren't for me and that's ok. If I were to change something I would have just wanted things to be more up-tempo.
Liked it more than I thought I would, but less than I wanted to.
Not bad
God vibe. Fin denne. Faller av litt innimellom. Solid 3,5/5.
Pretty basic and simple but still enjoyable. There's nothing special here, but the riffs are fun, the vocals are fun. Good energetic album but unimpressive. 7/10
Album ok. Really like some of the songs but I think it’s a bit inconsistent. Clearly huge potential with “Brass in Pocket.” Also really liked “The Wait.”
Not a huge fan of the punk new wave, and this didn’t really change that for me. I liked some of it, but not sure how often I’d really listen to this
Weirder than expected. I liked Stop Your Sobbing and Space Invader.
This was Precious. So just Stop Your Sobbing and listen to this one.
Only grabbed me towards the end. 3.
Fun, but ultimately a bit forgettable. Possibly should return to it.
they could never make me form an opinion abt this album. deeply unmoved.
Big fan of the Pretenders’ singles but haven’t heard too much outside their greatest hits. They’re overall pretty good. Brass In Pocket is of course the standout on this collection.
Classic rock/punk album to listen to. Some songs were much better than others imo. Makes the whole album okay overall.
its okay
70er Rock/Pop/Punk Mix. Ok zu hören. Bekannt ist "Brass in Pocket" 3/5
cool sound but no must-have song for me
I can hear many elements of late '70s - early '80s punk/pop/rock. From U2 to The Police. It wasn't bad. I'm tired of Brass In Pocket. I don't understand how people aren't tired of that song as it's overplayed in every market I've lived in. Didn't love the album - didn't hate it either. I will give them credit for being original. 3.5 Stars Favorites: Private Life & Space Invader
ok al nis posebno. izuzetno forgettable. ali bar je slušljivo
The album started out with a bang. As the album went on, it lose its stamina when the ballads started and it recovered after that. It wasn’t a bad first attempt. It just just the The Pretenders had better songs off their following albums.
enjoyable throughout, bass goes hard. at times a little generic. a fun solid album
6.5/10 First side: post punk Second side: new wave Second half much stronger Best: Up the Neck
Mix Police-styled arrangements but with female vocals (not angular like Sting but more raw rock). Good mix of songs and themes.
not an 80s fan
Lots of fun and clean new wave in the first half, if nothing too special, but then it bombards you with the blandest tracks towards the end and the big hit single isn't particularly special or interesting enough to rescue me from it It's able to be enjoyed when the spirit of cheer still resides in the tracks, songs like Precious are at least enough of a treat to be held over, though I'd rather just listen to Blondie or the Cars, and they did it first, anyways Keeping my brass out of pocket for good luck
Some good songs, some meh ones. Favorite: Kid
No expectations. Let's see! Nice start, but didn't leave too much of a mark. Same thing for the second track, though I like it more. Nice guitar riffs. Up The Neck is much better. Or maybe their style of playing is just hitting more after a few tracks. I'm really digging this mix of punk and old rock elements, and the lyrics are just edgy enough. The instrumental's nice, but Stop Your Sobbing trie to be more appealing and ends up failling. "Kid" also lacks the edginess that was plentiful before. Private Life gets better and better as it goes, building on the effective base that is the repetitive guitar riffs and bass line. Brass in Pocket is fun but leaves something to be desired. Lovers of Today starts off slow, almost like a ballad, but builds towards a gigantic finale. The closer also builds towards a big finish, but is less effective in doing so. A lot of this album felt like that: ok beginnings, with good ends. This could just be my first impression, but it does sometimes leave something to be desired. However, when the record's good, it's good. And there are no bad songs. So it's solid, but not one of the greats, although future listens could change my mind on that. As is, I was pleased with this listen!
Very 80s but not in an objectionable way. I am still puzzled how music from the 80s can feel so dated when other music from other time periods that precede it do not sound as dated.
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 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.)
Not bad for a first album, a few nice moments. A bit more punk than I would have imagined. I love Chrissie Hynde’s voice, she seems comfortable with a wide range of different styles. It still sounds a bit dated in my opinion, and the songs are really hit-and-miss. I loved « Space Invader », « The Wait » and « Lovers of Today », while tracks like « Private Life » sounded terribly outdated. I spent the album hesitating between a 2* and a 3*... Too bad the grading scale is so limited. In the end it’s probably not an album I’ll listen again, but I don’t think it’s bad, so I’ll go with a 3* for effort.
Precious - 4/5 The Phone Call - 3/5 Up the Neck - 4/5 Tattooed Love Boys - 4/5 Space Invader - 3/5 The Wait - 3/5 Stop Your Sobbing - 3/5 Kid - 3/5 Private Life - 3/5 Brass in Pocket - 5/5 Lovers of Today - 4/5 Mystery Achievement - 4/5 Average score: 3.7/5 (rounding down) this was alright, but i found a significant chunk of the tracklist pretty underwhelming. first few songs were promising, then that momentum drops off in the middle. fortunately the album finishes strong with the last few tracks, but i personally don't think it was enough to justify giving this 4 stars
Chrissie Hynde has a one of a kind voice and really makes this album work. Some great tracks on this album.
É emblemático que minhas faixas favoritas deste disco foram Private Life e Space Invader. Por quê? Uma delas é mais longa e espaçosa, e a outra é instrumental… O que estou implicando? Que talvez os vocais, em um escopo geral, não me conquistaram integralmente. Algo curioso, visto que a vocalista é claramente talentosa e têm uma linda voz, mas acredito que ela poderia ter empregado melhor seus vocais. Talvez em outros discos deles ela me impressione mais. Não se engane. As faixas de maior sucesso como Brass in Pocket são agradáveis, e lá, os vocais obviamente brilham. Durante toda a duração do disco a banda toca bem, com algumas composições até interessantes. Mas um álbum não é apenas os seus hits. E os cortes mais profundos daqui, com exceções dos dois que mencionei, não impressionam. Não se elevam tanto e nem chamam atenção particularmente. A banda é boa, mas falta muita excitação e nuance. Talvez por ser a estréia deles. Imagino que um disco coletânea Greatest Hits dos Pretenders seja fantástico. Mas esse LP em si não passa de mediano. 3.5/5
Overrated Brit mediocrity, but that’s not a surprise considering how many of these type albums I keep getting. 2.5 / 5
some classic songs on this album. Chrissie has a very distinctive voice
I like the bass on this one
Pretty good.
Fun 80s rock but nothing stood out
Nice 1st album. Not my favourite from them though
Knew them by name and a bit of one song before this album. Good example of wanting half stars for the rating. Liked it more than I thought I would but not enough to put it with some of my higher rated albums.
Any time the Pretenders are mentioned, my dad starts talking about how much of a crush he had on Chrissie Hynde. She's got swagger, but most of the songs are just okay.
Great stuff. 3.5 stars
Some cool punk stuff
--Precious...nice opener --The Phone Call...kind of uneven but I like it --Up the Neck...this one checks all the boxes. Good stuff --Tattooed Love Boys...fun pop punk --Space Invader...instrumental. I feel like they could have added lyrics to this but whatever --The Wait...nice bass line. Everyone seems to be having fun on this one --Stop Your Sobbing...interesting turn. Sounds like a 50s/60s throwback. (edit: it's a Kinks cover and it was produced by a different person than every other track. Explains why it sounds so different) --Kid...sort of a ballad. Chrissy Hynde has a good voice but this sounds like a song written for a different singer in a different genre --Private Life...Hynde's sultry alto carries the track but she can't make it any better than mediocre --Brass in Pocket...never loved this song but its continued appearance on classic rock radio speaks for itself -Lovers of Today...I didn't hate this but it feels like a time filler --Mystery Achievement...a good jam. Maybe should have been earlier but I appreciate when the final track isn't just a throwaway
Ahh this is another one of those likely candidates to be a 4 on future listens, but just isn't quite hitting me enough to make it there right now. REALLY strong start though.
I vibed. This is peak "live band at the bar" music, maybe even a notch above that. Love Chrissie Hynde's vocals and attitude. No real standouts to speak of, but everything's pretty good.
Very solid album with a fantastic, unique singer. Had listened to this album before and it really did not move me, but it's a ton of fun. I just can't give it a 4 because I've never sat around thinking I need to put this album on. But it's pleasant to discover once in a while.
Two hits, rest sounds similar. 80’s rock
Such a fun album- they hit the right balance of playful beats, and unserious, high school style demeanor, and unlike groups like the beastie boys they can actually rap without just yelling at you. It’s not earth shattering but it’s a really good listen.
One of those albums that doesn't really feel like it belongs on the list. Can't really see what is so special about it, not like it was the first or only New Wave band fronted by a woman, and surely it's not the best or most important one at that. I found most songs to be kind of middling but the last 3-4 songs were nice and picked up the pace. Brass In Pocket is a fun song and I probably didn't pay that much attention, so this album gets the benefit of the doubt,
i like it because my girlfriend liked it