Rocktrospectiva: The Fairly "Packed" Turns 35

Released on 14 May 1990 "Packed" was the fifth studio album by rock band Pretenders, or at least so, because besides band leader Chrissie Hynde, no other person is pictured anywhere within the album package. At the time the album was recorded, the only other remaining official member from the band's previous album was drummer Blair Cunningham, who plays on all tracks, though he is not credited as part of the band. As all other musicians appearing on the album are session musicians.

 

Due this situation, certain critics called the album as a Hynde solo recording using the Pretenders name to satisfy contractual obligations. However, the lineup that recorded the album has some consistency with past studio lineups of the band: guitarist Billy Bremner, who had previously played with the band as a session musician on their "Back on the Chain Gang"/"My City Was Gone" single, appears on most of the tracks, as does bassist John McKenzie, who had played some bass on the band's previous studio album. The album spawed two singles "Never Do That," & "Sense Of Purpose".

 

Back in the day after the tour "Get Close", the latest version of the Pretenders disintegrated. Although Chrissie Hynde brought along drummer Blair Cunningham from this lineup, this fifth album could really be considered Chrissie Hynde's first solo album, because it was recorded, like "Get Close", with session men.

 

Even thought, the album sounds nothing like "Get Close". Hynde hired a new producer, Mitchell Froom, and he returned to the guitar-centered rock that was the trademark of the group's earliest albums. The sound is very much a piece from beginning to end, and thanks to this, is recording as a real contender between the band's discography.

 

The songwriting is the key here. The album starts off strong with a lovely Byrds-like pop-rocker, "Never Do That". There's also some rockabilly on "Millionaires", and of course Hynde's first successful attempt at reggae  "How Do I Miss You?, some nice ballads  like "Criminal", a great cover of Hendrix's "May There Be Love", and hard rockers tunes like "Downtown", "Hold A Candle to This" and "No Guarantee". And of course powerful tracks such as "Sense of Purpose" and "Let's Make a Pact".

 

It was a fantastic released, despite the mixed critics the album received back then, both critically and commercially, and at that point there were no "Pretenders" to tour and promote it and maybe this is the main reason why many fans rejected it in spite the consistently sound that fans will enjoy. 

 

Packed! Track List: 

 

1. Never Do That

2. Let's Make A Pact

3. Millionaires

4. May This Be Love

5. No Guarantee

6. When Will I See You

7. Sens Of Purpose

8. Downtown (Akron)

9. How Do I Miss You

10. Hold A Candle To This 

11. Criminal 

Rocktrospectiva: The Pretenders Eponymous Album Turns 45

Originally released on December 27, 1979 although many sources cite January 11, 1980 as the original released. The Pretenders debut studio album was a combination of rock and roll, punk and new wave music, literally was the album that made the band famous due their singles "Stop Your Sobbing", "Kid", "Brass In Pocket" and "Precious". 

The band was formed in 1978 by Chrissie Hynde, who had spent the previous few years bouncing around with different bands, including early incarnations of The Clash and The Damned. Determined to form her own band, Hynde recorded some tracks for a demo using a variety of musicians including drummer Phil Taylor, whom she originally wanted in her band, but couldn't bring herself to try and steal from her friend Lemmy's band Motorhead. So then Hynde brought Pete Farndon (bass) into the fold, and he convinced her to tryout his friend from Hereford, James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards). 

Ironically, Nick Lowe produced their first single "Stop Your Sobbing", but decided not to work with them again as he thought the band was "not going anywhere". So Chris Thomas took over on the subsequent recording sessions. That recording was enough to convince Honeyman-Scott to join the band and soon after, Martin Chambers (drums) came on board. So the original lineup was set by the summer of 1978, Thomas produced "Kid" and "Brass in Pocket." So this empowered the band to released three singles in 1979, which led to released their anticipated debut album in the last week of that 1979. 

The album started with "Precious" a frenetic, high-speed car chase of a song highlighted by Hynde's vocal, which I can best describe as controlled, sexual ferocity, this is an ode to her native Cleveland, then comes a pack of three tracks "The Phone Call", "Up The Neck", and "Tattoeed Love Boys", a sort of intense tracks but pleasant at the same time and introducing the listener for what is about to hear, next is the first single "Stop Your Sobbing," which closes out side one, has a different energy than the other songs on the album. Despite it fits in nicely with the other tracks, it certainly reflects a different Hynde than the one on the previous six songs, this was the last track on Side one.

The side two opens with the second single "Kid," it expresses a tenderness and vulnerability that was not present on side one, but ultimately surfaced quite often throughout Hynde's ensuing career. "Private Life" is another highlight in the album a slow ballad about someone that Hynde thinks has no use for you and you must be happy you're not that person, but the real deal for me is definitely "Brass In Pocket" an enduring single that 45 years later still sounds fresh and catchy, co-written by Hynde and Honeyman-Scott, was the band's first big hit and a song she would have preferred to have never seen the light of day. She hated the song and in 2004, she told the Observer, "When we recorded the song I wasn't very happy with it and told my producer that he could release it over my dead body, but they eventually persuaded me. So I remember feeling a bit sheepish when it went to #1. The album closes with "Lovers Of Today" and "Mistery Achievement" and there you go, one of the most brilliant debut albums ever released.

What a pity the original lineup wouldn't make it for three or more albums, they released "Pretenders II" a year later, but unfortunately within a two-year span, Honeyman-Scott and Farndon were dead as a result of drug use and with them the brilliant and underrated playing of Honeyman-Scott, the solid rhythm section of Farndon and Chambers and a once-in-a-generation lead singer in Hynde vanished forever, even thought Hynde keeps with the band, it wouldn't be the same again, and for this reason, this album is not only a great debut album but an all-time classic rock album whose influence and charm has not vanished away.

Despite the critics were mixed back then, some called the record as the first important album of the 1980s, considered it irresistible, others called the album as a just a reminiscent of the 60's pop band dismissing Hynde talent for play and create music, things got change in the years to come, considered as a classic album and one of the most astonishing debut albums ever released, not only in the 1980s but in the history of rock and roll. 

Pretenders Track List:

 

1. Precious

2. The Phone Call

3. Up The Neck

4. Tattoeed Love Boys

5. Space Invader

6. The Wait

7. Stop Your Sobbing

8. Kid

9. Private Life

10. Brass In Pocket

11. Lovers Of Today

12. Mystery Achievement

Placeres Sonoros: Let The Sun Come In

            

Pretenders estrena el audio oficial de su nuevo single "Let The Sun Come In" de corte nostálgico, el tema vendrá incluido en el nuevo álbum de la banda "Relentless" que saldrá al mercado a finales de este año, el tema ha capturado la atención de los oyentes por su sonido muy fiel, lleno de actitud y impulso que recuerda mucho a clásicos

Rocktrospectiva: El Impecable Debut Homónimo De The Pretenders Cumple 40 Años

Lanzado un 11 de Enero de 1980 en el Reino Unido aunque en Estados Unidos lo fue el 27 de Diciembre de 1979, "Pretenders" disco debut de la banda Anglo-Estadounidense marco un hito para el rock por aquel entonces, gracias a su agradable combinación de rock, punk y pop, el disco haría a la banda famosa a nivel mundial, y de la mano de sus tres singles "Stop Your Sobbing", "Kid" y "Brass In Pocket", el disco llegaría muy lejos.

Curiosamente el primer single fue producido por Nick Lowe quien en un principio iba a ser el productor, pero después declinó, ya que sentía que la banda iba sin rumbo, entonces Chris Thomas toma las riendas de la banda y saca adelante la tarea, a pesar del buen sonido del álbum, muchos lo consideran un disco sobrevalorado, eso palidece debido al contendio que el disco tiene, y que de la mano de su atractiva cantante, Crissie Hynde, la oferta era muy buena, a pesar de la belleza de la Estadounidense, esto no era algo fundamental ya que la chava tiene talento, es una gran guitarrista y compositora, aparte que tiene una fuerte presencia, lo cual quedo reflejado en este disco, no solo por los arreglos sino por las letras llena de profundidad.  

Pero hablemos de los singles, entre ellos destaca "Brass In Pocket" una bonita balada con un contagioso estribillo que ayudo al disco llegár al No. 1 en el Reino Unido, y del resto del mundo, y es que era una balada de una chica que se sentía tan especial que buscaba llamar la atención de su objetivo, uno de los primeros videos en donde la Hynde hacía de camarera y le tiraba el guiño a Farndon., también estaba la cruda "Tattooed Love Boys" que tenía que ver sobre su pasado cuando salía con moteros quienes una vez la llevaron a una fiesta donde la violaron, acto seguido, se muda a Londres en 1973 y comienza sus andadas con gente que después formará bandas como The Clash, The Damned e incluso The Sex Pistols, se dice que se iba a casar con Sid Vicious para evitar ser deportada del Reino Unido, y gracias a que crecío dentro del contexto punk del momento, es que nos entrega la apasionada "Precious" que abría el disco, el otro gran single era "Kid" una canción de amor muy snesible, con una gran guitarra melódica que le daba vida y frescura al tema, gracias a la alternancia entre Honeyman-Scott y Hynde en las guitarras, y que reafirmaría el sonido de la banda a inicios de los 80's considerandola muchos como el grupo que ayudó a restaurar el rock and roll de antaño tras la explosión del punk, aunque el sonido deambula en el new wave.

Es para muchos uno de los discos debut más increibles de la historia de la música, y su influencia dentro de la cultura pop sigue siendo evidente hasta la fecha, apareciendo muchos de sus temas en filmes, series y juegos de video, reafirmando el poder cultural que el disco mantiene hasta la fecha.

The Pretenders Track List:

1. Precious

2. The Phone Call

3. Up The Neck

4. Tattooed Love Boys

5. Space Invader

6. The Wait

7. Stop Your Sobbing

8. Kid

9. Private Life

10. Brass In Pocket

11. Lovers Of Today

12. Mistery Of Achivements

Primicia: Back On The Chain Gang

        

Morrissey ha grabado su versión del conocido tema "Back On The Chain Gang" de la banda The Pretenders de 1982, en un estudio en Los Angeles, con la intención de lanzarlo como single el próximo verano, el track ha sido producido por Joe Chicarelli quien ha producido los dos últimos discos de Mozza, y cuenta con su habitual banda: Jesse Tobias en las guitarras, Solomon Walker en el bajo, Matthew Walker en la bateria y Roger Manning en los teclados, arriba el clip en directo del tema en un concierto para la BBC el pasado mes de Noviembre.

Escuchadas Divinas: Let's Get Lost

         

La banda The Pretenders acaba de lanzar una nueva versión de "Let's Get Lost" que cuenta con la novedad de tener a Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys) como vocalista invitado, las voces de ambos Chrissie Hynde y Neil Tennant son indiscutiblemente encantadoras y su combinación ha embellecido este track que ha sido lanzado como parte de de un single doble llamado "Gotta Wait".