Pretenders: Deluxe and Then Some

In the cover photos of the first two Pretenders albums, vocalist, guitarist and chief composer Chrissie Hynde looks like her best songs sound: forthright, earnest and without affectation. That she and the quartet possess those virtues as they play, both in the studio and on-stage, is testament to their chemistry. No vinyl LPs are included to warrant the 12"-by-12" format of these fortieth anniversary packages, but the three-CD sets nevertheless contain a wealth of previously-unreleased tracks (thanks no doubt to the titular leader's curation) and, as such, constitute an accurate and comprehensive reflection of the original lineup's work (as do Tim Hodgkinson's historically detailed essays next to arrays of posed and informal photos in each enclosed booklet). Encompassing thrash and Beatles-esque styles seasoned with reggae and r&b, the foursome simultaneously spans and connects the varied threads of their era in the late seventies/early eighties. More importantly, however, this re-release of early Pretenders is a reminder of how the band exalted the virtues of rock and pop conventions, established in the early to mid-sixties, but not so wholly respected at the time of the original issue of these records.

Pretenders
Pretenders 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Rhino
2021

Whether purring, snarling or somewhere in between, Chrissie Hynde's voice rings as loud and clear as the chime of the electric guitars she plays. A verity of the Pretenders' sound throughout their career—see Packed (Sire, 1990)—her rhythm work with guitarist James Honeyman-Scott is as important as the latter's compact solos on songs such as "Kid." A major distinction of the quarter's unity also on display during the instrumental "Space Invaders, " that stylistic instrumental component is a tangible reflection of the no-nonsense attitude that pervades her best original songs: in numbers such as "Tattooed Love Boys," Hynde is no more demanding of anyone else than she is herself. A direct corollary of that straightforward mindset are arrangements of the material as captured in Chris Thomas' production (not to mention the remastering in which he participated); emphasizing the finite structure of her compositions like "Brass In Pocket:" there is nothing extraneous to detract or distract from the material. Or, for that matter, the practiced and thereby potent Pretenders performances in the studio or on any of the various stages they occupy with such panache on compact discs two and three; if the audio quality of the live cuts varies more than the repertoire does (with minor exceptions), the palpable level of atmosphere evoking "Swinging London" does not.

Pretenders
Pretenders II 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Rhino
2021

Pretenders II is hardly the disappointing descent into mediocrity of so many sophomore albums. Quite the contrary, in fact, and while its impact does lack the element of surprise of its predecessor, the relative timidity so redolent in the outtakes and B-sides included with the former is nowhere to be found here. With "Talk of the Town" and "Message to Love," Chrissie Hynde and company do not simply repeat their collective statement(s) from the debut, but expand upon them with authority. Hindsight of four decades actually works in favor of listening to both the studio and stage content here: the polish of the former restores the positive connotation to the word, while the live recordings, excerpts from various shows in different locales become all the more revelatory. From the BBC to California, the band maintains its identity on stage with nary a shred of overplaying (literally) or in projecting their collective persona as sourced in their front-woman (with next to no improvising per se apart from slashing rhythm guitar interludes over the pummeling of drums. Apart from the innovative likes of The Isle of View (Warner Bros., 1995), there's precious little available of Pretenders live, so the four CDs in these two sets (all but one seventy-minutes-plus in length) become immediately revelatory, a sensation likely to grow over time with deservedly repeated playings.

Tracks and Personnel

Pretenders

Tracks: CD 1: Original Album & B-Sides -Precious; The Phone Call; Up The Neck; Tattooed Love Boys; Space Invader; The Wait; Stop Your Sobbing; Kid; Private Life; Brass In Pocket; Lovers Of Today; Mystery Achievement. B-Sides; Cuban Slide; Porcelain; The Wait (Nick Lowe Version); Nervous But Shy; Swinging London. CD 2: Demos & BBC In Studio -The Phone Call; Suicide; Brass In Pocket; Precious; The Wait; I Can't Control Myself; Stop Your Sobbing; Tequila; Kid; I Go To Sleep; Do I Love You. BBC In Session: The Kid Jensen Show, February 5th, 1979 -The Wait; Up The Neck; Stop Your Sobbing; Private Life; Cuban Slide; In Session: The Kid Jensen Show, July 2nd, 197; Mystery Achievement; I Need Somebody; Tattooed Love Boys. CD3: Live at The Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979 -The Wait; Stop Your Sobbing; Kid; Cuban Slide; Brass In Pocket; Tattooed Love Boys; Mystery Achievement. Warner Bros. Music Show: Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980) -Space Invader; The Wait; Precious; Kid Precious;Private Life Precious;Cuban Slide Precious;The Phone Call Precious;Talk Of The Town Precious;Tattooed Love Boys Precious;Up The Neck Precious;Mystery Achievement Precious; Stop Your Sobbing

Personnel: Chrissie Hynde: vocals, guitar; James Honeyman-Scott: guitar; Chris Spedding: guitar; Chris Thomas: keyboards; Pete Farndon; bass; Martin Chambers: drums.

Pretenders II

Tracks: CD 1: Original Album -The Adultress; Bad Boys Get Spanked; Message Of Love; I Go To Sleep; Birds Of Paradise; Talk Of The Town; Pack It Up; Waste Not Want Not; Day After Day; Jealous Dogs; The English Roses. CD 2: Studio Demos, Singles & Alternates -Talk Of The Town (Demo); What You Gonna Do About It; I Go To Sleep (Guitar Version—Outtake); Pack It Up (Radio Mix—Outtake)Day After Day (Single Mix); In The Sticks; Louie Louie (Monitor Mix); Live in Central Park, NYC, August 30th 1980— Precious; Space Invader; Cuban Slide; Porcelain; Tattooed Love Boys; Up The Neck. CD 3: Live At The Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981 -The Wait; The Adultress; Message Of Love; Louie Louie; Talk Of The Town; Birds Of Paradise; The English Roses; Stop Your Sobbing; Private Life; Kid; Day After Day; Up The Neck; Bad Boys Get Spanked; Tattooed Love Boys; Precious; Brass In Pocket; Mystery Achievement; Higher And Higher.

Personnel: Chrissie Hynde: vocals, guitar; James Honeyman-Scott: guitar, keyboards, vocals; Chris Spedding: guitar; Chris Thomas: keyboards; Pete Farndon: bass, vocals; Martin Chambers: drums, vocals; Chris Mercer: tenor saxophone; Henry Lowther: trumpet; Jim Wilson: trumpet; Geoff Bryant: French horn.

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