Pretenders

I really enjoyed this album, it went harder than I thought it would - particularly enjoyed space invaders! Would give a 3.8

nice fave track: mystery achievement

Easily digestible 80s new wave. The big track “Brads in Pocket” is undeniably an ear worm, but I was impressed by the multiple genres and odd time signatures found on some tracks. Standouts include the “jungle” tom tom beat on Cuban Slide, and the reggae feel + tasty guitar solo on Private Life

Was surprised to hear the Punk notes in this album. I really enjoy her voice, too.

I ain’t gonna pretend to say this is a great album

Eh, average 80s new wave rock

Meh

Okay. Didn’t blow me away. Probably won’t listen to again

medio aburrido 63

Good rock album. For me this one goes not that far but its easy enjoyable. Less memorable to me at least 3.0/5.0

Not too shabby

More music that I listened to and enjoyed but was not particularly excited by.

Fun and good!

hmm never heard this and it kept my attention ... but not sure i need to venture back to this one again

Ok enough. Lots of the songs sounded pretty similar to me. I like the vocals, but the album was so-so.

Quintessential New Wave - tight compressed and slightly dirty guitars, a bit of jangle, loads of hooks, a touch of corny cutting edge for the day production, and heavy dose of retro flair recalling the rock-n-roll of the early 60s. I only knew the hits, but there are some bangers on this one and the instrumentals are great surprise. Favorites: space invader, private life, Kids

A mixed bag for me. Brass in Pocket is great of course. I also really like the first track, Precious and the last track, Mystery Achievement. Everything else fell sort of flat for me or didn’t work at all. I can see why the album is significant though. Chrissie Hynde’s voice and style probably started multiple female-led bands and some songs sound likely they could have been released in the last 20 years.

Pretty standard run of the mill new wave album, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

Was this the quintessential one hit wonder album or where they just pretending?

3.5☆/5 11.21.2024

I liked this. But once again while I didn’t hate the experience I wasn’t overly in love with anything either. 3/5

Queria dar 3,5, mas como não existe meia estrela vai 3. Achei um album legal de rock, com altos e baixos, mas que no fim, foi uma experiência bacana. Destaque: Up the neck, Private life

I dont knowwwwwwww. I'm impressed but not blown away. Cool to blend these genres and make something main stream. Great sound, great vocals etc. I think i listened to this 4 times and only a couple songs really stand out (Space Invaders and Brass in Pocket). At times it feels very faceless. I'm sure there are strong arguments for 4+, which I respect. 3 for me.

In terms of this genre of garage new wave bands (thinking of The Cars, Joe Jackson, Graham Parker, Elvis Costello) I don't think the Pretenders can really compete in terms of writing a hook or just songwriting in general. They have a strong, clean sound, but the songs themselves aren't always strong enough to stand out, even from each other. Since this is basically pop, I think lack of catchiness has to be held against them. Still this album rocks pretty hard in some places (The Wait and Kid are my favorites), and Chrissy Hynes oozes cool. Brass in Pocket is probably the most catchy song, but it feels like it doesn't fit in with the rest of the album. I think I might be contradicting myself, saying in one breath I want the songs to stand out from each other, then complaining about one standing out too much. It makes sense to me.

Liked some songs, didn't like some. Brass in Pocket was really fun. Some of the spoken word / dialogue was really funny and quirky. Most of the album didn't jump out to me though

great voice

Cool album but does not really separate itself from the rest. I still very much enjoyed it.

I didn't love this, but also didn't hate it.

Enjoyed this, would have been 4 if there was more consistency in good songs. A few too many filler tracks for me. Chrissy Hynde, great voice though.

Det är svårsmält för mig detta sound. Känner mig helt ointresserad. Det är kanske inte dåligt musikaliskt. Det är ju lite poppigt. Men never again.

Precis som jag gillade sångerskan i Yeah Yeah Yeahs så gillar jag sångerskan i Pretenders, det är verkligen hon som bär upp det här albumet. Lite svajigt i början, men tyckte det var trevlig lyssning under hela andra halvan. Inte tillräckligt många låtar med samma höjd som Brass in pocket för att bli mer än en stark trea dock.

3/5

I don’t know. I think she could have said baby a few more times.

It's no masterpiece.

Brass in pocket is catchy. There is a change from punk to pop within this album alone but how do they get from pink to I’ll stand by you? Crazy style change. Chrissie’s vocals are great and addictive. Probably won’t add to my collection but doesn’t bother me to listen.

Some good songs, but I don't think I would listen to it again.

3<x<3.5

Yep. This is definitely the self-titled 1980 debut of the Pretenders. I don't have a ton to say about this one. While that does mean I don't have any major praise, it also means that I don't have any real complaints either. This is a perfectly solid album that gives me no reason to be upset. The sound is fun. It's got a nice blend between new wave and punk that actually kind of works for me. The singing is also solid, as is the writing. "Brass in Pocket" is probably my favorite song on the album. I like it. Overall, this album's good, but it's not exactly exciting. Still, I respect it for what it is. High 3/5.

Me like guitar

Kid and Brass in Pocket are great. The rest is pretty good. 3.5 stars.

I won't walk 500 miles for this album, but maybe a 5k would do?

The Pretenders are like rock Blondie. Over/under on Ohio based references is one per song. This is more New Wave than I would have thought. The lyrics are ridiculous. LCD Soundsystem must love this album, this is what they would have been if they came out in 1980 instead of 2000. Stop Your Sobbing is not good, the 60s girl group vibe is out of place on the album and in the song. There is a Pretenders sound that carries through every song though. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs probably love them too. There are too many songs that are dominated by Chrissy Hynde's stange delivery and voice. And some of these songs are rock songs and others are just straight New Wave/Ska. Brass in Pocket is the hit, for good reason, it's a great song, maybe the perfect Pretenders song. They definitely had an influence-Beck, Scissor Sisters- you can hear pieces of this album in a lot of places. This is a hard album to rate, a lot of things to like and a lot of things to hate.

érdekes volt, de valahogy hidegen hagyott I guess

Not something I'm likely to return to but pretty fun while it was on. The opener 'Precious' provided impetus and there were a handful of eccentric punk grooves scattered throughout the tracklist to keep things interesting. Top 3: 1. Brass in Pocket 2. Precious 3. Stop your Sobbing Bottom 1: Kid Overall score: 6.6/10

I actually don't hate this, I thought I would, I'm usually not a fan of 70s/80s punky music. One thing I'm noticing is that the vocals seem SUPER high in the mix and seem to bury the instruments, which is a shame because the parts actually seem kinda cool. This one is kinda growing on me as it goes on, not a bad album.

3.5

3 - very 80s

Pretty good, her voice sounds so familiar, but i didn't recognize any of the songs

So challenging. Love the band, love the sound, love five songs off this album. But it doesn't seem well produced as a whole album. Everyone loves to say nobody makes albums anymore, but the 70s and 80s are full of hit packed albums without a lot of substance just as much in current times.

That thumping bass and Chrissie Hynde's vocals. Yes, please. Great album.

Another first listen for me, though I knew Brass In Pocket. Chrissie Hynde has a fantastic voice (IMO) but jeez it is forward in the mix. Almost painfully so with headphones. This was a solid, enjoyable album. I've seen it called one of the best debut album of all time, which seems a bit over the top. I think you can hear the influence it had on later rock music though, so for that alone it deserves to be on the list.

Much different from their hit song from the 90s “I’ll Stand By You”, which is a song that women who drink Bud Light and smoke menthols sing at karaoke bars (from my experience).

pretty cool

Good, boring at times, but Tattooed Love Boys and Brass in Pocket make it worth the time spent.

This would go so much harder if it was recorded more recently. The production is kind of an immediate turn off as the band are just a bit subdued and hamstrung by the quality available- I can tell they want to rock and slam their instruments around and I get that affect in the vocals, but the band sounds like they were recorded without any kind of saturation or edge and it definitely hurts the first impression. "Brass in Pocket" is a standout that I think most people are familiar with, it seems to have that magic "thing" that makes it a special song and more timeless than the others, and I'm happy to hear songs like "Lovers of Today" which show a nice bit of dynamism in the record. It's a solid record. With a few more tracks like "Brass in Pocket" it could be a 4.

Pretty good

I really like the singer but as a whole the band just doesn't do enough to stand out. The singles are great but otherwise the rest of the songs on the album are a little bland.

nice

Good old energetic ROCK / Has aged well / Chrissie Hynde made it /

Not my favourite Pretenders, but some nice tunes here.

5.9

Helt ok

Fun punky sound

Overall a decent album for its time, a bit too long for its sound to maintain long term interest in full album listens. Favorite song: Private Life

80’s punk/pop, pretty solid. A few songs ive heard before. Space Invaders, was a really cool instrumental

Fun.

yeah, that was ok.

It sounded like less good Television.

Surprised by this album but it just didn’t hit on all levels

great find from 1001, didn't know about Chrissie Hynde before this. Favorite track: precious other picks: tattooed love boys, mystery achievement, private life, brass in pocket

Hmmmmm…a lot of people really like Pretenders, but I’ve just never been into Chrissie Hynde’s disaffected vocal style. Something similar that’s better I think is the Cars debut album.

I have to admit that when I started this album I thought it was by the band who sang "I Would Walk 500 Miles". It turns out that is The Proclaimers. That was a disappointing moment. I always kind of knew I didn't love the state of music in the 80s, but this album listening adventure is really solidifying that for me. This album was fine, but too long, a little boring, and too many 80s things goings on for me. I don't really have any specific comments, it just kinda blew by me. 5/10

Nothing wrong with this album at all. Rock with some punk influences but also poppy. The songs are quite varied but Chrissy Hynde's vocals are - however excellent her voice is - too monotonous or me. Almost every phrase ends with the exact same signature vibrato. This album leaves me a bit wanting even though some individual songs are really good.

If you're going to make a list of 1001 albums, I think it's okay to put this on the list. The problem is that 1001 is too much. This is a good but not great album. It, like so many other "good but not great" albums, can't get over the 7 out of 10 hump. The main reason this would make the list of 1001 and not some of the oh-so-many other "7 out of 10s" is that 1) it's a debut album from 2) a band that had decent success in its time. Still, 7 out of 10, rounding down.

182/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

Preslušao dvaput na pola uha, a i s razlogom. It's not doing much for me. Ne znam ni kaj bi objektivnog rekao, ima par fun trenutaka, al ne znam ni koji su kontekst i značaj ovog albuma. 5/10 dosta sam indiferentan al nije mi ni nešto posebno loše. Možda da sam više puta uspio čut.

Dosta kul 😁 čisto da presječemo malo neke očite bendove dosad. Realno, mini me je ovaj djir puno više cjenila (znala sam za njih ali nisam aktivno slušala), ali druga stvar mi je jebena i baš mi nekako paše sad. Ali nije ni čudo pošto iz panka izničem. Još par stvari mi je skroz okej kroz album (Private Life npr. dosta dobra isto). Dosta tragična bendovska priča. Iako podržavam ovaj switch nakon jučerašnjeg mučenja, za ovaj album mi je malo teško reći zašto se našao na ovoj listi. Ona je, čini mi se, više poznata po svim drugim angažmanima i pokušajima. Ocjena 3 (ili 5.5). Još čekam svoje velike 4 ili 5 (7-10) nakon Beatlesa.

5/10 Donekle buntovnicki rock sa zenskim vokalom, sto mi je super u cijeloj prici ali nazalost nije mi uspio naci svoj identitet kroz cijeli album. Gitara zna biti zanimljiva na par trenutaka ali generalno mi fali svega ostalog. Malo je i pankerski pa nije za ocekivati neki bogati i raznovrsni zvuk ali prekilava mi je ta njihova energija. Cini mi se da je ovo jedan od onih albuma koji ne sjeda nuzno na prvu i s vremenom postaje bolji, ali nije mi puno pruzio ni na prvo slusanje. Blaga dosada jebiga. Ne bi digao ruke od njih i zanima me sto su kasnije radili ali ovo mi je tipican primjer mjuze koja svira u bircu i mozak samo percipira da nije u potpunosti tisina. Jedina numera koja mi se pomalo svidjela je Private Life, iz razloga sto neodoljivo podsjeca na EKV-ov Geto i Kad Krenem Ka (odnosno te '84. kad su ih izdali su se zvali Katarina II, jedan od drazih exyu albuma btw) gdje su si posudili neke elemente i napravili svoje, puno bolje stvari po uzoru na ovu. I Brass In Pocket mi je ajd malo konkretnija u odnosu na ostatak. Vec pricam o drugom bendu tako da je ovo zijevanje. Isto tako, cekam da Blondie iz ovih godina dodje na red, malo za usporedbu.

Lowest of 3s, but wasn’t bad enough for a 2

Fairly melodic punk/new wave sounds with good vocals, some cool guitar sounds, a propulsive beat, but not much stands out in the songwriting stakes. The Kinks 'Stop Your Sobbing' seems an odd choice of cover, but it does share a radio friendly listenability with the rest of the album.

Was ok, kinda punky poppy vibes was enjoyable

Good but not great (apart from 'Brass in Pocket' which is great)

Here's what you need to know: It's OK.

It's a listenable album, nothing offensive, good rhythm. I did struggle to understand many of the lyrics, I'm not sure if they were nonsensical or it was Chrissie Hynde's vocal style.

I was familiar with the album, but hadn't listened to it start to finish. Glad I did. Found some really great surprises, like Space Invader and The Wait. I've always liked Brass in Pocket. Makes me want to listen to other Pretenders albums.

Bueno

Was surprised by the many odd time signature songs in the album. Not a typical pop album. Other than a couple of songs, can't say I really enjoyed the album

This got better and better as the album went on. Good listen. I enjoyed some parts a fair bit. I could see a relisten. I wasn't wowed but this has some solid work

So much Newwave on this list. Okay, this one is more of a Rock and Roll album, with some 1960s sound. This is fine, but feels they could be better. The vocals aren't the strongest. Kind of curious about what else they have to offer.

2nd half of the album is so much better than the 1st. Low 3*

10/09/2024 It was okay.

somewhat ok

Gear: Abyss DIANA MR (vegan) Artwork: ⬛🟥⬛⬛ Mix: 😲🙂👌 Musik: 🙃🔥🤷‍♂️ Wertung: 🎭🎭🎭/5

3.5 I think. This sure is an album and it sure is pretty decent

Not too bad, but not really for me.

Aside from the radio hits, I don't think I've ever really listened to the Pretenders, so it's nice to get a full album of their music. It's not really my thing, and wasn't at the time either (or at least a few years after the release, when I had at least a hope of musical preference if not taste), but I like it that Chrissie Hynde wrote most of the (non-cover) songs, and the A-side has a bit more edge than later new wave music (including their later stuff); the B-side definitely has a strange Police vibe to it. I think the most interesting songs to me were "Precious", "Brass in Pocket", and "Mystery achievement" (so mainly the radio hits). Kind of a bummer that their main single on the album is a Kinks cover ("Stop your sobbing"), as I want them to have made a splash on their own craftwork (but it's a decent cover, and pretty cool that it ended up getting Ray Davies and Chrissie Hynde together, and even a little sobbing baby to boot). And what a bummer about the short-lived lives of half of the band not that long after this album came out...

This is the only Pretenders album I've ever listened to and it was all I ever wanted to listen to. Their cover of Stop Your Sobbing is my favorite song on the album, and Private Life isn't bad, but Grace Jones's cover is better. Brass in Pocket is also pretty good but in general I'm not a big fan--just not as good as I want it to be.

There was it's highs (Stop Your Sobbing, Lovers of Today, Brass in Pocket) but for me it is rather limonade rock than real rock.

A 1979 "combination of rock, punk and pop music" with vocals that, during "The Wait", made me look up Adriano Celentano's "Prisencolinensinainciusol" for a comparison and then a good amount of frumpy, stale guitar solos? I was ready to give this a 2 but in its whole, especially, then, the second half - and in songs like Kid or Lovers of Today - it's such a playfully weird, mixed bag of sounds and possibly influences that I can't say it didn't hold my interest. Will I wish to listen to this album again? No, but it neither offended nor bored me.

This is where I learn the Pretenders are more than just Brass in Pocket. It's a good album, band is great and songs are catchy.

Ok not great

The vocalist has a unique voice and I like listening to music with a strong female presence. The album reminds me of something you might listen to while at a dive bar in the desert during the middle of the day. Favorites: - Private Life - Brass in Pocket - Mystery Achievement

Pretty mixed album but overall pretty decent 3.1 stars

Pretty good, I recognized “Brass in Pocket” from the movie “Lost in Translation”, so it got some points for that. But overall I wanted to enjoy it more than I did.

I liked it

Chrissie Hynde is just so damn cool. Her vocals and attitude were definitely the highlight of this album. The band is great, and at their best when sounding Ramones-ish, but ultimately they struggled to grab me often enough. Brass in Pocket gets its due via radio play and otherwise, and rightfully so. The lead off track is where it’s at though… PRECIOUS!

A mixed bag of stuff. Brass in my Pocket is probably the song I’ve heard the most outside of later releases.

I've never heard this album before. The first side of the album is such a punk statement from a female perspective. Really ballsy stuff. The hits show up later on the album. I've never been a huge Chrissie Hynde fan, so only giving the album 3 stars...but this album definitely deserves to be on the list. "Lust turns to anger A kiss to a slug Something was sticky On your shag rug, look at the tile I remember the way he groaned And moved with an animal skill I rubbed my face in the sweat that ran down his chest It was all very run of the mill"

Notable tracks: The Wait, Kid, Brass in Pocket, Mystery Achievement

“The Cars” came out about a year before this and I think the two albums are very similar. Both debuts; both straddling punk, new wave and pop; and most importantly, both so incredibly cool. The difference being that “The Cars” had like six all-time classic new wave songs on it and this “only” has three. I prefer “Learning to Crawl” to this album, but I prefer “Learning to Crawl” to most albums, so that’s hardly a knock on this one. The Pretenders had just enough punk in their pop to make it interesting, but they always seemed to know they were making pop music. For Chrissie Hynde’s voice to be as distinctive as it is, it always surprises me how different the Pretenders sound from song to song, and I think that’s because they were so eclectic in their sound. They were unafraid to incorporate any genre that brought something positive to their songs. This is a great debut album by a great band.

cool style, nice energy, a bit generic overall

It's not bad, but I definitely don't see the hype. I sound like perfectly standard early-80's New Wave to me. I guess I had to be there. Key tracks: Precious Brass in Pocket

The Pretenders' debut album is a raw and straightforward rock and roll affair with minimal studio embellishments. Initially, it didn't excite me much, but I’ve grown to appreciate it for its unvarnished approach. The vocals are prominently mixed, which sometimes overshadows the band’s collective impact, but the songs themselves are solid. While the mixing can feel a bit rough, it aligns with the punk aesthetic where less can be more and benefits from loud listening. Despite several attempts to connect with the band in the past, this recent listen surprisingly won me over by the end. "Brass in Pocket" stands out, partly due to its memorable use in one of my favorite movies, Lost in Translation. “Mystery Achievement” is a banger of a closer with it’s building intensity and crushing added layers.

It was alright - in my head I thought they were going to burst into 500 Miles but then I remembered that was the proclaimers.

This was pretty good. More interesting than I thought it would be. After hearing Brass in Pockets so many times when I was young I pretty much wrote the Pretenders off

I enjoyed it! Some familiar songs I would never have been able to place!

Brass in Pocket is a classic and there are a couple other good songs as well. Other than that, not much made me feel like this was an album deserving more than a three.

Very middle of the road. You can play the Pretenders on any radio station and not offend anyone. "Brass In Pocket" is a fun jam, but the rest is pretty forgettable. This is the easiest 3 I could give.

It's fun, it's good. I specially liked the singer, she seems like such a badass with so much attitude. Favorites: "Precious", "Tattooed Love Boys", "Space Invader", "Private Life"

Not terrible. Consider this a strong 3

Okay.

The hits are fine. I've never really been into them.

Just correct

I only knew Brass In Pocket going into this one. It started more punk than I was expecting, which I liked. Other songs swung more to the new wave side. It's a pretty solid album, but it didn't set my world on fire

It's a good album. I just don't like them

Fun, upbeat, easy to listen too. Great hang.

Spøjst album svingede fra fængende til træls. Ved flere af numrene blev der snakket ind over musikken i stedet for at synge til det. Det irriterede mit øre så gevaldigt. Der var også numre imellem som jeg skal have genbesøgt. Men ikke hele pladen.

Sjov opdagelse. Det var et fint lyt som jeg godt kunne vende tilbage til en dag. Punk, rock'n roll, og en kvindelig vokalist. Sejt nok.

Post-punk/New Wave har et gennemgående lydtema hvor der trækkes på den rå coolness fra punken, men det blandes med mere svingende melodiske toner. Nogen gange virker det fantastisk, andre gange falder det helt igennem. Pretenders rammer sjældent den cool del rent nok for mig, og dermed bliver musikken ligegyldig og kedelig

It wasn't bad.

Meh.

Satisfactory, one banger. The others enjoyable but not really a big connection. But many many good elements revealed. 3 stars.

3/5

Riktigt kass början. Låtarna var bara gnälliga punk låtar med inte så värst bra musiker. Sen kom en instrumetalare. Jag tänkte när jag hörde den att det nog skulle vara den bästa på hela plattan bara för att den var utan den hemska sången. Efter den blev det dock mycket bättre. Några helt okej låtar. Grejen är den att majoriteten av låtarna är bara dåliga Police-kopior. Omslaget är basic. Hade inte början varit så kass hade denna nästan varit en 4/5, nu ger jag den en svag 3/5.

Fabulously '80s (even if technically 1979) and fun. The lead vocalist, Chrissie Hynde, has a powerful and distinct voice.

Solid 80s rock

It was quite average to me. I liked the girl's voice and the music was fine

This was alright - I think I could have got into it a bit more if I'd had time today to give it a few more listens!

Very good

I don’t know what the fuck she’s saying but girl I am living

Easy enough to listen to but nothing really jumped off the page except for brass in pocket which I already knew. Would listen again.

The pop hooks and melodies made this new wave /punk adjacent sound much more palatable to me. I enjoyed. Only knew brass in pocket from Rock Band

Not a fan of instrumental

Eh, not much of a Pretenders fan.

2.5

✅✅ This surprised me. The songwriting is pretty sophisticated, and the vibes are great. I'm interested in listening to more of their stuff now

I really wanted to like this - an album on the border of punk and new wave with a female vocalist? That should be right up my alley. I’m not sure why it didn’t so much for me. I thought the first half was stronger than the second, but even then, I don’t think I can justify a rating higher than 3.

Favourite Track: The First One but it didn't super stand out to me Quickly became clear that this album is not for me- I don't particularly enjoy this sort of rock album with not much personality- first song felt sort of talking heads-esque which interests me (even if I don't like talking heads as much as I feel like I should considering how quirky they are), but it doesn'tseem to continue. That said, it's not bad by any means Probably around a 70/100 but I'll round down to 3 stars

Cool album, there were bits I fair enjoyed. It took a bit to appreciate the vocals but by the end i enjoyed it a bit more. Don’t like rating it out of 5 so I’ll rate it out of 10 from now on: 5/10

I expected this to be more engaging than it was for me. I do enjoy Brass In Pocket, and wanted to like everything else due to this. However, I found the rest of the album to not really click with me. It wasn’t bad by any means, and would be fine to have on while doing other things, but there is one song here which is quite obviously miles apart from the rest. I liked this, but I’ll likely only return to Brass In Pocket if I’m being honest.

Quite solid from front to back. Nothing really leaps out as essential, but I'd happily listen again in the future.

Chrissie Hynde is a badass and incredible singer. This is their more punk record, before they went pop, though songs like Brass in my Pocket give a taste of things to come.

чё-то нет)

Nice beats, nice guitar but for any reason the whole album doesn´t hook me at all. Except the well known "Brass In Pocket" nothing remarkable for me. 2,5

Up The Neck Tattooed Love Boys Space Invader Brass In Pocket Mystery Achievement

I didn't really enjoy this as an album very much. "Brass In Pocket" is a song where I guess I've just never heard the title or the artist and I was shocked to find it on this album.

Dit is een album. Het is een rock album. Het is niet een vervelend album. Het is ook geen heel goed album. Het is gewoon een prima rock album. De grootste verassing is dat er een zangeres is en geen zanger. Dat vond ik een leuke afwisseling. Meer kan ik niet echt zeggen over dit album. Het is een rock album, met een zangeres(wel een met een hele goede stem), het klinkt prima, niet wereldschokkend, gewoon prima. Joe. FAVO: The wait, Private Life, Mystery Achievement

ok

Rating: 5.5/10 I do not care for most of this album, a lot of it sounded unfocused and not that interesting, especially the faster tempo songs. The last third of the album was great, there was more time to develop the songs and create something with great melody and riffs. Favorite songs: Private Life, Brass in Pocket, Lovers of Today, Mystery Achievement. Worst songs: Precious, The Phone Call.

Not what I expected but still nice.

Nice album.

Punk rock for kids, good fun

cute

I appreciated this but wasn't really into it. Interesting if tragic story about the bad members dying too.

pas trop ce que j'aime

Some nice chilled songs on here!

was very forgettable at the beginning but got more enjoyable over time

Good but not great. I remember a couple of the songs from my childhood.

Slightly better than expected

Standard punk fare with slightly more cussing. Not much variety, but some cool guitar work toward the end of the record.

6/10 Straight forward rock. the vocals are great. 5-2-2023

Vocalist's style is not my cup of tea, otherwise a decent album

gewoon goed... niet te veel ballads... en een goeie stem

Solid. Heavy. On the periphery of my taste. Highlights are Up the Neck and Brass In Pocket.

Kid, Private Life and of course Brass in Pocket - some songs that I enjoyed the most. Solid album, I wish I could be as cool as Chrissie Hynde one day

This was more punk than I expected based on their hits. It's a shame none of these other tracks got the same attention as their poppier stuff, which is in my opinion much worse.

Not my favorite, but not bad. Definitely see the punk influences (which I wasn’t expecting)

I can see why people like this. It's fun I guess

5.5/10 Highlights: Private Life

ну даже не знаю а чего тут оцениваем, ну норм? Я вообще не ощущаю этих притворщиков и их притворщецкие рожи

Ganske chill litt repetitivt

Like punk evolving into new wave in a single album. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Brass In Pocket Date listened: 14/04/24

I enjoyed this! It was fun and boppy.

Chrissy Hynde is from Ohio. I am from Ohio. Opposite sides of the state, but still, there is something "Ohio" I recognize and adore. She digs the VU. She was a UK Punk 77 interloper (after all, the form was invented in our collective neck of the rust belt), and she is an overall bad bitch. Yet, aside from the chestnuts we all know, this album doesn't do all that much for me. Could be the chimey, early-Police, guitar sound, but...actually, I think, I really hate the production. No grime.

it was fine

This wasn’t as good as their second album, but is still pretty fun. Bonus for the Kinks song “Stop Your Sobbing”. Christie Hynden and Ray Davies (Kinks singer and songwriter) have a daughter together.

They kind of sound like a typical opening act. Not bad, but nothing really stands out.

Not bad. It's okay!

There's some good tracks but the album feels a bit long.

3.5/5

Starts out really strong, but tails off by the end. One to listen to again to get a second opinion.

I like the pretenders, just not sure I'm crazy about this album. More punk than new wave.

Enjoyable listen - great drumming, rhythm guitar, bass. Did not find the vocals or lyrics quite as engaging but at times they were. Mystery Achievement is the real bop for me.

Yes a good classic but… doesn’t get me any more

Not bad

I listened to this album twice, because I wanted to give it a 4, but I felt like it was a 3. On re-listen, I realized what was creating this dissonance: the first half of the album is fairly mediocre, in my opinion—some interesting musical ideas, but the songs feel underwritten. Then you get to “Stop Your Sobbing” at track 7 (!), and it feels like a whole new album has started! More memorable melodies, more varied arrangements, and stronger songs all around. If the album were just the second half, it would have been an easy 4 stars. But unfortunately, it’s hampered by the weaker first half.

Decent album but not that memorable. Brass in Pocket is probably the only song I'll hear and recognize. The singers voice is solid and the music has rhythm.

Very British that’s for sure, I liked it but nothing all that crazy I dunno

Outside of "Brass in Pocket," I didn't know any of these songs, and I didn't find them particularly compelling, either. I liked "Stop Your Sobbing" but it warrants another listen to decide if I'll even keep it on my 1001 Highlights playlist.

I have never sat down and listened to a Pretenders album before. I've obviously heard the hits, and even some deeper cuts, but I enjoyed going start to finish. The fact that this is their first album is amazing to me.

No songs stand out, but it has potential to be a grower. Good rhythm.

It’s very textbook punky new wave. A bit jangly for my taste but I can see where this comes in the line from the punk and rock eras to where we were in the 90s and today. Don’t see myself going back to it but I appreciated it.

Outside of "Brass in Pocket," I find the lead singer's cadence/vocal style irritating and sorta corny. Just average.

This is so close to punk and yet... not actually punk. Which is a perfect parallel to Chrissie Hynde's actual life so that makes sense, I guess. It really was ALMOST a great album but it just stumbles over its feet so many times in so many ways that the whole thing fails. Starting with the mixing. It's got that horrible "dry vocals right in your face and guitars utterly neutered" vibe that so much of the pop music from this era had. That set the tone of the whole thing, I think. Which is a blind shame because, with just a few different choices in the studio, this album could have ripped. But it doesn't and that sucks. It's just so disappointing. I can hear what it could have been and it makes me sad that it's... this.

It's good. Some super sharp discomfitting lyrics. The punker stuff I like more though. The hits are understandable but the stuff I like most seems like Karen O could have mainlined this for years so Fever to Tell didn't have as many misses. Will come back to listen more.

Pretty good, I quite liked the singing. Low 3.

Started out really shitty, but got progressively better.

pretty good new agey punkish stuff

The vocals... take some time to get used to but not bad at all, the instrumentals are also good. Could chill to it, pretty decent

This is a funky little album that I really enjoyed but I wouldn’t say is impressive, just very fun. I like the guitar parts a lot. Loooong album. Private life is my fav song so far. The little “stops” are so cute Brass in pocket reminds me of Shania Twain. I started warming up to this album because of its consistency. All of their riffs sound familiar, they’ve really stood the test of time.

Maybe revisit eventually

I liked this Punk version of the Pretenders a lot more than the Pop version that came later.

Favoritlåt från albumet var Up the neck

I like the Pretenders…..in small doses. Chrissie Hynde definitely has her own style and sound, and I like it - but not for an entire album straight. She needs to be in a playlist. But overall, good stuff.

Favorite Tracks: Brass in Pocket Private Life Stop Your Sobbing

A lot of meh for me. The guitars sound awful mostly, I prefer the songs that sound new wavey. Ah this Brass in Pocket track is familiar. My takeaway from this album is that (the) Pretenders are better being poppier. 2.8/5

It's ok

Debütalbum und Grundlage des späteren Erfolgs. Abwechslungsreicher Gitarrenrock, getragen von der unverwechselbaren Stimme Chrissy Hynde, die das hohe Tempo gesanglich bereichert.

Solid album with a couple of big hits. Chances to explore their sound, and others that are classic Pretenders.

Meh, it's ok. Sounds like they tried to mix it up between some sort of pop-punk and straight pop to appeal to a wider audience, but it all kinda sounds the same. 2.8.

Rock of the 80s. Nice, ok, sometimes good, sometimes not.

Light rock with female vocals. Good voice, but pretty boring over all.

Brass in Pocket was already in my rotation. The rest of the album does not hold up quite as well in my opinion. I did not like how the vocals on the first song were so much louder than the instrumentals. The riffs in Kid were sick. Private Life was awful.

Aluksi olin, että hyvää ja freesiä, mutta lopulta aika paljon meh biisejä. Täpärästi yltää kolmoseen.

Ihan solid indierock-platta. En osaa löytää virheitä, mutta ei myöskään mitään sellaista, josta innostuis enää tän listan jälkeen. 2.5/5

interesting time signatures. what stood out to me was the vocals <3 space invader is p cool. but otherwise... it was ok...

Meh

I hoped to like this more but I found most of the songs forgettable.

This thing is kinda horny, huh?

Groovy

A little on the wrong side of the 80s radio rock/postpunk line for me. Grooves along too much where there should be a little more dynamic range, has too much flanger where there should be none. Something neat in most of the songs. Probably won't listen to the album again, probably will listen through a track if it comes up. music: hated. (⌐■_■)

A somewhat cooler, rougher-around-the-edges Blondie? Album maybe a bit uneven, but some really solid stretches.

This is worse than the time Collin fucked naoises mom

I have very little to say about this. Ok to listen to but nothing special.

I just don't like Chrissie Hynde's voice. Otherwise the music was fine.

The post-punk music is OK, but I've never liked Chrissie Hynde's voice. My favourite track is "Space Invader"; of the rest, "Kid" and "Private Life" aren't too bad, but I've always found their hit "Brass in Pocket" really annoying.

This is a longboi. Singer reminds me of the yeah yeah yeahs. Good energy and drive but I'm not sure why this is here. Not going into my favorites, but the vocals are great, 3*. It starts very punk rock, then stop your sobbing is like a pop bonanza. Recognize: brass in pocket

3.4/5 Best Track: Brass in Pocket

This didn’t really do much for me, kind of weird how it shifted styles halfway through the record. All of a sudden there are chorusy guitars and reggae/police vibes. Doesn’t really make for a cohesive record, although that is when I feel like it started to get more interesting. 2.5

I didn’t hate this. Her voice is cool most of the time. I like the one about sobbing

Precious is an alltime great opener, and the spikier tracks here are fantastic - really playing into Hynde's sass. Sags in the middle and end sadly, Brass in Pocket aside

Hm

Jäjo, finds no cool aber haut mi nöd um. Sie packed mengmol chli viel lyrics i zwenig platz. Aber scho no interessant.

nonie öpis vo ihne glost nur de name ghört. precious. de flangey shit isch cool. tattoed love boys sehr cool "you're gonna make some plastic surgeon a rich man" rieeese line. space invader feette bass. mega cooli giti sounds i liike. the wait isch seehr cool. mega rockabilly. stop your sobbing isch sehr florence and the machine. Kid tönt bitz wie en früene beatles song. private life isch sehr nöch an reggae.

ok ich glaub die söttet guet sii? schöön punkig de ahfang hmm ihre gsang gfalltmer nanig so, es fühlt sich meh chli ah wie wenn sie eifach chli wür rede iwie ich lieb de zweit vo rechts ufem cover AH COVER jaa finds ziemlich wack als albumcover sorry ABER ihri rot jagge isch sehr cool und de schriftzug hani na gern OEFF DE BASS BI THE PHONE CALL ok up the neck cute ja es lauft eifach chli. the qait hani musikalisch wieder rechr cool gfunde aber weiss nöd stop your sobbing sehr cool! het chli en "verträumte" vibe und finds recht cool ich lieeb d bassline vo private life uhhhja sehr geils lied au brass in pocket gfalltmer mega...entweder han ich mich chli draa gwöhnt oder die erst hälfti isch eifach langwilig AU LOVERS OF TODAY HANI GERN???? ich glaub ich muss s album iwenn nomal lose aber momentan ischs es 3

Instrumentalist were very good. Very solid album, but still middle of the road.

It was decent. The lady’s voice is pretty good, so she probably carried them in the album.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I really liked Chrissie's guitar playing and the overall music of this album. Instrumentally it sounded really good. Gave me some Police vibes on some of their songs especially on "Private Life". That was cool to hear. On the other hand I don't love Chrissie's voice. I don't really know what it is about her voice that bothers me but I don't like it. Also I was just kinda ambivalent about most of the songs except "Kid" and "Brass in Pocket" those were both pretty good although "Kid" was by far my favorite. Overall the album was just kinda okay.

did not expect to enjoy this album since I generally don't care for Hynde's voice. pleasantly surprised though with her on guitar and the instrumental tracks.

enjoyable but forgettable mostly

Good stuff. Any and all welcome in my playlist but don’t need an album of it.

I really liked track 1 “Precious”, but couldn’t really get into the rest of the album.

LP

This was another classic for me which I learned to appreciate more as time went on.

Was fine. Liked as many songs as I didn't. So much Brit rock so far.

This album sounds like it influenced early 2000 Rock 'n' Roll and Garage Rock bands a lot. At parts, they remind me a lot of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In the second half, the album makes a turn towards more poppy sounds. All in all a good listen.

I’ve really enjoyed listening to some of these albums from the late 70s and early 80s - my record buying at this time was mostly singles rather than albums, so this is a chance to catch up. I love the punky, new wave edge here - Chrissie Hynde definitely brought something unique to the music scene at this time

Efficient pop-punk album from the late '70s. Nice punkish guitar parts, efficient and "round" bass, good vocals. Hynde voice is great but a bit too present in the mix, and I have a preference for her singing when it's faster and harsher, more "punk". Actually applies to the album as a whole, tracks like The Wait are much better than more cheasier tracks. A bit too long for the genre, it could have been easily cut in half. Also because it sounds sometimes a bit schyzophrenic between the punk and pop sides of the album.

On paper I should like this album, but Chrissie Hynde’s voice has always annoyed me. I truly wish it weren’t so.

Lekkere, best toegankelijke punk. Back in de eighties. Toch gaat het mij snel een beetje vervelen.

Heel lang heb ik - waarom eigenlijk? - niet geweten dat de Pretenders en deze muziek bij elkaar hoorden. Fijne plaat dit.

Definitely a classic but not my favorite album.

Punky, spiky, gritty. Never been a major fan of Chrissie Hynde's vocals, but certainly appreciate the sentiment.

Solid rock , no truly catchy licks. Something for a drive.

Absolute 80s classics... nothing to add..

3/5 Not too bad! Had some good songs and grooves. But, nothing special to me about it. 3/5

This was cool.

I was pretty hyped for this album having heard more about Pretenders by reputation rather than tracks. That hype kinda let me down during this album as it sounded pretty average to me through most of it. "Brass in Pocket" is clearly the top track here although I didn't recognize it by the name. It just makes me wonder how so many bands end up with one song that is just miles ahead of anything else on the album. Some elements of "The Phone Call" sounded like the Sonic 2 stage completion sound, and "Space Invader" was a pretty cool instrumental. "Tattooed Love Boys" was a song I recognized from Guitar Hero, but didn't quite sound right. I went back and checked and the GH version was an 'as made famous by' cover version and that cover actually sounded better to me. Overall not a bad album that was probably more significant in its time, but doesn't quite hold up. Favorite track: "Brass in Pocket" 3/5

- Precious - Phone Call - Brass in Pocket - Mystery Achievement

I liked the voice of Chrissie it is different fo the genre of music they were doing. The fisrt half of the album really got me hooked but then it started fading in the back of my head to the point it was totally forgetable.

A fine album.

Gut pero no demasiado fascinantes

This was the most 'rock' album I think I have ever heard. Not the best necessarily, but in my head this is what the classic rock genre sounds like. These would make great soundtracks to 80s films. Favorite track was the wait

A lot to like here.

A solid debut album. Sounds fairly fresh despite being from '79. Never liked the Pretenders because of Chrissy Hynde (mostly her vibrato), but she has to be recognized as a trailblazer. Prefer the A side to the B. 3.4

Spännande variation av låtar. En del ren pop, andra ren rock och såklart låtar med blandning.

rocky

It's alright. Not really my thing

Extra medium

Some great songs with some very bad ones

This was a fun listen. Not outstanding but good.

Nico, almost naive, pop punk

I found the album difficult to listen to when recognizing only two songs.

All the songs sound the same

Chrissy Hynde's vocals are a bit talky sometimes. I'm not really a fan of that. There's some solid tracks though.

Coveret til den her er så "min fars cd-samling"-core at jeg aldrig rigtig har haft lyst til at høre det. Det var en del bedre end jeg havde regnet med!

Too much punk on this list! It all sounds the same. Luckily it has been a while since we had a lot of punk, but now we get two in a row... This album was much better than I anticipated, but certainly a far cry from punk, especially in the latter half. The Wait was one album that stood out to me with the nice basslines. I could even venture giving this a 3.5 if there were half stars. But there ain't, sorry Pretenders!

54/100 Based on this scale: 1 star - 0 to 19 2 stars - 20 to 39 3 stars - 40 to 59 4 stars - 60 to 79 5 stars - 80 to 100 Solid. Better than I expected.

Classic sound; unsure how I feel about the lyrics.

Not bad

3/5. Just an overall really fun album. I was very close to adding a few songs to my playlist. I especially enjoyed Space Invaders.

I never really “Brass in my pocket”, but this was pretty darn good

Not my thing 3/5

Not my style I enjoyed it tho

This album has a longer run time than most average LP's therefore to achieve maximum effect. SKIP AROUND

In the beginning I was wondering if this was a different band to the Pretenders I knew of.

has some ok moments but not a standout for me

Actually kind of reminded me of Rush a lil

3.5

Aika kiva! Naislaulajabändeissä meinas tänä aikana mennä vähän räminäksi tai turhaksi taiteellisuudeksi, jos siis nyt yleistän, mutta tää ei edes käväise sillä radalla. Perushyvää poprockia, asenne kohdallaan mutta kaupalliset lasit silmillä.