Track Listing

1. Precious
2. Phone Call
3. Up The Neck
4. Tattooed Love Boys
5. Space Invader
6. Wait
7. Stop Your Sobbing
8. Kid
9. Private Life
10. Brass In Pocket
11. Lovers Of Today
12. Mystery Achievement

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14388 in Music
• Released on: 1999-10-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: CD
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
This nearly perfect debut album showcases both the extraordinary songs of Ohio-born singer Chrissie Hynde and the rhythmically complex performances of her UK- bred band, Pretenders. The band tramples through the sexual aggression of "Precious", "Up the Neck" and "Tattooed Love Boys"; the classic pop of "Kid" and "Brass in Pocket"; and a brilliant cover of the Kinks's "Stop Your Sobbing". Hynde's sneering vocals add resonance to these tales of sexual revenge, abuse, and longing appropriately fleshed out with blood, guts and guitar. --Rob O'Connor

CD Description
Former rock critic Chrissie Hynde launched the Pretenders with an engaging, yet passive, version of the Kinks' "Stop Your Sobbing". She unveiled her own persona fully on The Pretenders, which contains a series of excellent compositions marked by her sensual vocals and brilliant sense of dynamics. An understanding of pop's structures allowed Hynde to exploitthem to her own ends while sympathetic support, particularly that of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, used the excitement of rock without reference to its cliches. Tough and opinionated, Chrissie Hynde's first declaration of independence established the formula she proceeded to follow.

Customer Reviews

Stop your sobbing, here's the perfect rock album...
As I sit in my room with the Pretenders' self-titled debut playing at full blast I can distinctly recall one person's description of this LP: "the (album's) provocative, sexually candid lyrics and hard -charging beat are like a drug."
In fact, those last 3 words are probably the closest description anyone could EVER give of this amazing debut. It certainly had me pressing the 'repeat' button on my stereo.

If, (like I did at first) you've been avoiding the Pretenders cuz you think they're a bunch of arena-rock dinosaurs, then SHAME ON YOU! One spin through this CD will prove you wrong.

It has to be said that things went tragically downhill after the unfortunate deaths of the fantastic Pete Farndon (bass) and James Honeyman-Scott (guitar) and really, this is the best Pretenders album.

On the first half of the disc, Chrissie's a sneering, leather-clad, kick-a** punk-rocker b****. Six tracks of snarling, biting attitude; dirty, pounding rock spat out like broken teeth. No 'special mentions' here; they're all absolutely brilliant.

Although the second side is a lot softer in comparison (perhaps with the exception of 'Mystery Achievement'- to quote another reviewer- a 'rock tour-de-force' if there ever was one) it's just as fantastic. The band maintains their attitude while at the same time being tender and melodic ('Stop Your Sobbing', 'Kid'), plaintive yet beautiful ('Lovers Of Today') and sardonic and cynical ('Private Life'). Most people will know 'Brass In Pocket', a vampy, slow rock song that drips with confidence. This was a massive no. 1 single that really launched the Pretenders. Although it may now have become too overplayed for some, like all the other tracks, I love it.

Bottom line: if you like good rock music (or, in fact, just music)- BUY THIS NOW!!!!!! And to all Pretenders fans out there that DON'T own this CD- well, you don't like the Pretenders, then, do you now?

One final note: 'Pretenders' is one of those albums that needs to be played at full, wall-shaking, speaker-bursting volume. You truly cannot appreciate this amazing music until it is LOUD.

Outstanding Debut Album
Usually when it comes to critics lists of classic debut albums, one album tends to be ignored, The Pretenders. Perhaps they're not seen as hip enough but there's no doubt The Pretenders debut is worthy of classic status. 12 great tracks which showcased the songwriting talent of Chrissie Hynde. What's more she had a great voice, one of the great female voices of the last 30 years. She adopts a rock chic image for most of these songs but there's more to her than a Pamela Des Barres archetype. There's a deep sensitivity in Lovers Of Today and Kid, while Private Life, brilliantly covered by Grace Jones, shows a mocking disregard for crass sentimentality. Rockers such as Precious, The Phone Call and Wait display the remnants of her punk past, and Mystery Achievement fuses rock with Motown to provide a thrilling climax to a wonderful album. Chrissie Hynde is a strong woman, you only have to listen to the attitude she adopts in the songs, and this strength was tested to the limit after the tragic deaths of band members James Honeyman Scott and Pete Farndon within months of each other. The band continued but were never to reach the heights of this album again. A great singles band but savour this, their one and only masterpiece.

Herefords Revenge!
After crafting the 'Pistols stunning debut album,veteran producer Chris Thomas took on this shower of oddities and burn-outs...Nobody on the London scene really expected much...this bunch had a history of un-hip ex-bands and musical skill,unwanted at the time...The album that followed the shockingly good singles was a masterpiece of subtlety,emotion and power,that occasionaly paused for breath.Chrissie tore apart old and new lovers,whilst behind her diatribe...the band rocked up a noticeable maelstrom....They were unstoppable at this moment in time,until.........