Pretenders [Gold CD, Limited Edition]

The Pretenders | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 1, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Gold CD, Limited Edition
• Label: Audio Fidelity
• ASIN: B002IRYYE6
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,002 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This nearly perfect debut album showcases both the extraordinary songs of Ohio-born singer Chrissie Hynde and the rhythmically complex performances of her U.K.-bred band, Pretenders. The band tramples through the sexual aggression of "Precious," "Up the Neck" and "Tattooed Love Boys"; the classic pop of "Kid" and "Brass in Pocket"; and a brilliant cover of the Kinks's "Stop Your Sobbing." Hynde's sneering vocals add resonance to these tales of sexual revenge, abuse, and longing appropriately fleshed out with blood, guts, and guitar. --Rob O'Connor

Product Description

2009 U.S. only audiofile gold disc pressing of one of the single greatest albums of the '80s! The album features Chrissy's signature vocal styling, James Honeyman-Scott's melodic and uniquely inventive guitar work, great songwriting and a pulsating backbeat supplied by the rhythm section of Pete Farndon and Martin Chambers. Needless to say, it's a classic and now sounds better than ever!.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The First & The Best. Possibly The Best Debut Album Ever., November 15, 2002

By 

Chris Matthews "nunyuz" (Ridgecrest, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pretenders (Audio CD)

The problem with the first Pretenders record was that it was so damn good it set expectations of the band incredibly high, and Scott & Farndon cracked under pressure.

In this album, you have the perfect mix of four musicians at a time when it was satori for them to get together.

First,Chrissie, who was at here cocky I'm-a-woman-of-the-world-and I'll-kick-your-ass-if-you-abuse-me-again best voice, sounds like a dominatrix with a hidden heart of gold & not the PETA militant we get now (although you can see it coming on this album, but it seems like it would be more). She has the perfect balance of rage AND sensitivity on this album. It's watching oragami fragile idealism wrapped in Kevlar armor with leather & studs over it. It's fascinating as to how the combo got wedded together. She sings tender-but-wary ballads ("Kid") along side of fever sex dreams that show that the mystery of sex still outweighs the mistrust ("Mystery Achievement", "Up The Neck", "The Wait") and tales of survival ("Tatooed Love Boys", "The Phone Call") & confidence ("Brass In Pocket", "Private Life").

Secondly, you have James-Honeyman Scott. Why, oh why, you a**hole did you have to O.D.? Didn't you know you were probably the greatest new wave guitar player this side of Tom Verlaine?
This album is rife with extrodinarily economic but blistering riffs. JHS was old enough to rock out melodically like guitarists of yore, but added enough punkish noise to the fuel like Nostradamus's match, predicting the coming of Sonic Youth & Nirvana. The use of the atmospheric harmonic line from "Tatooed Love Boys" is STILL brilliant. And, my god you played like a hot rod drives: foot on the floor to the end of the quarter whether you were going to explode or not. Maybe it's not a wonder that you flamed out...

Lastly, you had Farndon & Chambers. It's such a cliche to put the rythm section together, but they really did work as a unit. Like Scott, they mixed the best old school with a brave new edge of the new. Best of all, they were learned in the thump of R&B which kicked the Pretenders to the top of the heap in playing. Having been an O.P. (origional punker) in those days, let me tell you, it wasn't the snottiness or the aggression that made bands bad, it was the fact that they didn't GROOVE. These guys, however, had it in SPADES. Tragically, Petey decided to follow Jimmie & loaded the essence of poppy flower in his veins once too many times. So, after one more album, Chambers sounded lost without his groove mate.

One of the other reviewers was talking about the philosophy that old school punk was an attitude. This is SOOO true. This album was the first living proof that you could sell an album with it. It just took street smarts.

A classic.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Review for the Audio Fidelity release, November 18, 2009

By 

Timmothy R. Acheson "Tim" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pretenders (Audio CD)

The Pretenders - The Pretenders (AFZ 052)

This CD has two issues:

1. A "phone ring" sound effect is missing from the song "The Phone Call".

Steve had stated that the master tape did not have the sound effects on it. The sound effects were to be "flown in" using a digital workstation.

From an email that I received from Marshall:

"As to the ringtone, we used the original English master, which did not have the phone ring. The ring was added later."

2. The disc has compression on it that is not found on the original Sire CD. Regardless of ones opinion of the sound, AF CDs should not have compression on them, per the statement on each CD "The original dynamic range of this recording has not been maximized, brickwalled, limited or compressed in any way during remastering".

Steve was not around the forum during the discovery of the issues by forum members. A few weeks prior to the discovery, he had stated that his PC "blew up" and that he wouldn't be around for awhile. He came back to the forum after a few days of discussion regarding the issues on this CD and said this:

"Hi everyone,

So how do we like the Pretenders so far?

Kidding.

Obviously I can't talk about it.
If you like the sound of the disk, keep it and enjoy it.
If you are on the fence and sort of like it or are a collector, keep it as a unique item.
If you don't like what happened to it, just return it as defective, it's sold out of the run anyway.

Trust me, this FUBAR situation won't happen again on anything I master. This is not AF's fault.

Once again, if you like it, keep it, if you don't, return it as defective.

Please don't ask me any more questions as I can't answer them."

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Audio Fidelity's Claims are Untrue, September 25, 2009

By 

Ellis Swearangin - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pretenders (Audio CD)

If you're thinking of buying the Audio Fidelity version because you believe it won't have any compression, don't because it does. Despite the marketing claims on the cover there is compression. The cover states "The original dynamic range of this recording was not maximized, brickwalled, limited, or compressed in anyway during remastering." Just put up Space Invader (as and example) from this release in any garden variety audio editing program and compare it to the 1980's cd version and you'll see that some substantial limiting and compression has be done.

Audio Fidelity and Steve Hoffman have really tarnished their image with this one, and the fact that emails to AF have not been answered makes me think they don't care what they're selling. So if the 'no compression' thing is deceptive, what else about this reissue also is? Is it from the master tapes? Personally, I'm not going to buy anymore AF or Hoffman releases because I don't like being lied to and I no longer trust them.

BTW, the one star is for the AF release, not the music which is 5 stars all the way.