The Pretenders – Pretenders (Deluxe Edition) (1980/2021) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Pretenders was first issued in December 1979 and features the singles ‘Stop Your Sobbing’, ‘Kid’ and UK chart-topper ‘Brass in Pocket’. Less than two years later the follow-up Pretenders II was issued. Hits included ‘Talk of the Town’ (issued much earlier in April 1980), ‘Message of Love’ and ‘I Go To Sleep’. Both albums featured the classic line-up of Chrissie Hynde (vocals and guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (guitar), Pete Farndon (bass) and Martin Chambers (drums).

Few rock & roll records rock as hard or with as much originality as the Pretenders’ eponymous debut album. A sleek, stylish fusion of Stonesy rock & roll, new wave pop, and pure punk aggression, Pretenders is teeming with sharp hooks and a viciously cool attitude. Although Chrissie Hynde establishes herself as a forceful and distinctively feminine songwriter, the record isn’t a singer/songwriter’s tour de force — it’s a rock & roll album, powered by a unique and aggressive band. Guitarist James Honeyman-Scott never plays conventional riffs or leads, and his phased, treated guitar gives new dimension to the pounding rhythms of “Precious,” “Tattooed Love Boys,” “Up the Neck,” and “The Wait,” as well as the more measured pop of “Kid,” “Brass in Pocket,” and “Mystery Achievement.” He provides the perfect backing for Hynde and her tough, sexy swagger. Hynde doesn’t fit into any conventional female rock stereotype, and neither do her songs, alternately displaying a steely exterior or a disarming emotional vulnerability. It’s a deep, rewarding record, whose primary virtue is its sheer energy. Pretenders moves faster and harder than most rock records, delivering an endless series of melodies, hooks, and infectious rhythms in its 12 songs. Few albums, let alone debuts, are ever this astonishingly addictive. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tracklist:
CD1 – Original Album & B-Sides
Original Album
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. “Mystery Achievement”
B-Sides
13. “Cuban Slide”
14. “Porcelain”
15. “The Wait” (Nick Lowe Version)
16. “Nervous But Shy”
17. “Swinging London”

CD2 – Demos & BBC In Studio
Demos
1. “The Phone Call”
2. “Suicide”*
3. “Brass In Pocket”
4. “Precious”
5. “The Wait”
6. “I Can’t Control Myself”
7. “Stop Your Sobbing”
8. “Tequila”
9. “Kid”
10. “I Go To Sleep”*
11. “Do I Love You”*
BBC In Session: The Kid Jensen Show, Feb. 5, 1979
12. “The Wait” (The Kid Jensen Show, February 5th, 1979)*
13. “Up The Neck” (The Kid Jensen Show, February 5th, 1979)*
14. “Stop Your Sobbing” (The Kid Jensen Show, February 5th, 1979)*
15. “Private Life” (The Kid Jensen Show, February 5th, 1979)*
16. “Cuban Slide” (The Kid Jensen Show, February 5th, 1979)*
BBC In Session: The Kid Jensen Show, July 2, 1979
17. “Mystery Achievement” (The Kid Jensen Show, July 2nd, 1979)
18. “I Need Somebody” (The Kid Jensen Show, July 2nd, 1979)
19. “Tattooed Love Boys” (The Kid Jensen Show, July 2nd, 1979)*

CD3 – Live
BBC In Session: Live at The Paris Theatre, London, Jan. 2, 1979
1. “The Wait” (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*
2. “Stop Your Sobbing” (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*
3. “Kid” (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*
4. “Cuban Slide” (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*
5. “Brass In Pocket” (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*
6. “Tattooed Love Boys” (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*
7. “Mystery Achievement” (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*
Warner Bros. Music Show: Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd, 1980)*
8. “Space Invader” (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd, 1980)**
9. “The Wait” (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd, 1980)**
10. “Precious” (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd, 1980)
11. “Kid Precious” (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd, 1980)**
12. “Private Life Precious” (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd, 1980)**
13. “Cuban Slide Precious” (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd, 1980)**
14. “The Phone Call Precious” (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd, 1980)*
15. “Talk Of The Town Precious” (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd, 1980)**
16. “Tattooed Love Boys Precious” (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd, 1980)
17. “Up The Neck Precious” (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd, 1980)**
18. “Mystery Achievement Precious” (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd, 1980)**
19. “Stop Your Sobbing” (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd, 1980)**