The One With Kid

The Pretenders - "The Pretenders" (1980) - Sire

Hello Friends,

For some reason, Spring seems to put us in a Pretenders kind of mood and tonight we've got their debut record on the turntable.

Featuring their first single, a cover of the Kinks' song "Stop Your Sobbing" and their first chart-topper, "Brass In Pocket", The Pretenders eponymous record is the perfect balance of punk rock 'tude with big arena rock sounds and production. Raven-haired hottie Chrissie Hynde writes and sings songs with a sneering sexuality that are both radio-friendly and subversive.  Punk rock for the yet-to-be-named MTV Generation.

The manic-sounding "Precious" gets things off to a fast start.  With Hynde's sultry vocals front and center and James Honeyman-Scott's noodling lead guitar providing a gritty counterpoint, the stage is set for one of the defining rock sounds of the 1980's.

"Up the Neck" is a New Wave ballad that sounds like early R.E.M. covering Blondie!

There's a definite Clash influence on "The Wait".

At six and half minutes, "Private Life" is a little meandering.

The heartbreaking ballad, "Lovers of Today" has a nice Beatles/McCartney-esque feel to it (think: "Maybe I'm Amazed").

"Mystery Achievement" sounds like it was a big influence on early U2.

And then there's "Kid"...

Perhaps our all-time favorite Pretenders song!   Its one of those perfect songs... sad & hopeful, nostalgic & haunting.. is it about a prostitute?  Infidelity? A break-up?  All of the above?  Who cares, its awesome, has a great riff and you can dance to it!  Full of grace, you cover your face...  

RATING: 4 Tattooed Love Boys out of 5