Fidelity!

JP, Chrissie and The Fairground Boys, Chrissie Hynde | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 24, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rocket Science
• ASIN: B003T05SUK
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,694 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Fidelity!, the gutsy, raw debut album from JP, Chrissie & The Fairground Boys, is an epic love story, albeit not a conventional one. Everything you need to know about the heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting and fruitful relationship between The Pretenders leader Chrissie Hynde and Welsh singer-songwriter JP Jones is contained within Fidelity!'s 11 songs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars From One of Chrissie Hynde's Biggest Fans..., August 25, 2010

By 

Music Freak "music freak & vegan" (Jupiter) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fidelity! (Deluxe) (Audio CD)

First of all, it is important to note that this is not a Pretenders album and should not be approached as such.

I keep on going back and forth with this project like a mad bipolar woman who forgets to take her meds. I really do overreact. Basically because I WANT to LOVE it. I really do. I want to join the majority of my circle of Chrissie-loving friends who think it's an epic masterpiece, possibly the best thing she's ever done, and most of all I want to love it because she has never seemed happier than working with Welsh singer-songwriter JP Jones. Their story is a bittersweet one: with a 27 year age gap, they unexpectedly fell in love, but ultimately broke up due to Jones wanting to start a family, and at 58, Hynde can't give that to him (plus she's been down that road before) so instead they wrote songs for one another and put them on this album, thinking of it as the child they will never have. That alone is enough to make some people cringe.

There's the aspect of their age gap, which, also in itself is enough to make some cringe, but they're both adults, so I'll set that aside. What I'm more concerned about is Chrissie's 30+ year career where she just did not talk about her personal life or the men in it - ask her about it and she'll tell you to eff off, basically. Suddenly, she's not only open about how gaga she is for a man but releases an entire album about it and they publicly seem joined at the hip. I'm no psychology expert, but does anyone else find this 180 a little odd?

But make no mistake, this album isn't about her. It's more about introducing JP Jones. Jones' voice can, in my opinion, be compared to Damien Rice or Glen Hansard (of the Frames, The Swell Season) - in other words, not untalented, just been there, heard that. If you like that kind of music you'll likely enjoy this album, and if not already a fan of Hynde's, she'll probably earn brownie points from you. I'm just finding all aforementioned unfavorable aspects hard to ignore or swallow.

With all that said, onto some of the songs themselves:

Opening track "Perfect Lover" could have been, well...perfect. If Chrissie is going to write a confessional about their relationship, she does a great job here pouring her heart out. "I found my perfect lover, but he's only half my age / He was learning to stand when I was wearing my first wedding band". Unfortunately, at times JP just jumps (seemingly barges) in and it just doesn't sound right. This should have been her song alone. While most are duets, there are tracks on here like that, "Misty Valleys" is CH's and "Leave Me If You Must" JP's.

There are a few great tracks on here: first single and the album's lone rocker "If You Let Me" (I think the vampire video included on the DVD is as cheesy as Twilight, but don't mind me), "Christmas Soon" is another rocker but only available on this deluxe version, mainly containing JP's vocals, in the vein of a Christmas charity single, "Your Fairground" has a wonderful melody; what can I say, it's just a good tune. "Never Drink Again" has quite striking lyrics, and the title track, the proclamation that this project is their "little girl", is catchy, so I try not to think about the cheesiness. The rest...just haven't affected me at all after a few listens. It's definitely not hard on the ears, just underwhelming; the first time Chrissie Hynde has released anything that I feel that way about, which is rather disappointing considering it's received such critical acclaim, and it appears to be both artists' pride and joy.

By all means, they have the right to pursue a band that makes them happy and I would never try to deny that right, but the selfish side of me is praying that this isn't the end of the Pretenders. The last time I saw them, after all, Chrissie ended the show saying "we'll be back". (Artists, it's simple: please don't say that unless you're sure you can keep that promise. Believe me, it DOES get lots of hopes up and breaks hearts).

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Has it's moments, September 24, 2010

By 

The Dude abides (Rocky Mountains) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fidelity! (Audio CD)

I have been a fan of Chrissie Hynde and the various incarnations of the Pretenders since day one. I understand this is not the Pretenders and as an artist Hyndes has to experiment and expand her horizons. Hyndes voice is as strong and clear as ever on this collection. This is not the case with her collaborator. For some reason the hostility I feel towards JP is overwhelming. His vocals just irritate me to no end. Listening to Hyndes is always a treat for the ears, but when this hack JP sings it ruins the angelic pipes of Ms. Hyndes. A majority of the tunes have a good melody and are catchy. The problem is we have Ms.Hyndes beautiful God given talent singing in key and giving a heartfelt performance and then you have to hear this Tom Waits wanna be chiming in. It just doesnt work.

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Low Fidelity, September 8, 2010

By 

Tim Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Fidelity! (Audio CD)

Chrissie Hynde is a rock goddess. I think if I saw her in a bar, I'd saunter up to her, too. Which is what happened to JP Jones, a singer of unknown repute until this CD. Seems he and Chrissie had a fling and, once it became apparent that their near 30 year age difference wasn't going to work, they broke it off. But they also decided to make an album about it.

And that album is "Fidelity." It is, believe it or not, the first album Chrissie Hynde has ever released that wasn't under The Pretenders banner. I hate to say this, but it's pretty awful. The soulful, husky voice of Chrissie remains a universal wonder, and when she sings, she still sounds great. JP, on the other hand, has a range of about five notes, and has a problem hitting most of them. When Chrissie opens "Fidelity" with the lament that "I found my perfect lover, but he's only half my age," you can feel that she's still got it as she nears 60. That talent is even more emphasized as soon as JP opens is mouth. He begins interjecting observations into "Perfect Lover" that sound like some joker prank calling the studio and getting caught on-mike.

Which pretty much sums up this album. There are some pretty good songs here just aching to get out ("Your Fairground," "Courage," "Misty Valleys"), but they crash to the dirt every time JP's carny barker donkey-bray hits the speakers. Next to Rufus Wainwright's "All Days are Nights/Songs for Lulu," this album is one of the year's biggest disappointments. Mark JP Jones in your trivia book now.