To finish off my binge of listening to live concerts, this Blu-ray from 2010, Pretenders: Live in London, seems a good way to wrap things up. I’ve been a fan of the Pretenders since I heard “Brass in Pocket” back in 1979. Over the years, I bought Pretenders CDs and enjoyed them. This concert in 2010 captures the energy of the band and the vocal artistry of Chrissie Hynde.
The sell-out London audience reveled in the Pretender’s concert. The group performed many of their hits (and my favorite songs) like “Talk of the Town” (1980), “Back on the Chain Gang” (1982), “I’ll Stand By You” (1994), and “Love’s a Mystery” (2008).
Things got pretty heated–literally–during this concert because Chrissie Hynde’s eye shadow started running down her face a la Rudy Giuliani. Are you a Pretenders fan? GRADE: A
TRACK LIST:
| 1 | Boots Of Chinese Plastic | ||
| 2 | Don’t Cut Your Hair | ||
| 3 | Talk Of The Town | ||
| 4 | Message Of Love | ||
| 5 | Kid | ||
| 6 | The Nothing Maker | ||
| 7 | Don’t Lose Faith In Me | ||
| 8 | Back On The Chain Gang | ||
| 9 | Love’s A Mystery | ||
| 10 | Rosalee | ||
| 11 | I Go To Sleep | ||
| 12 | Don’t Get Me Wrong | ||
| 13 | Tequila | ||
| 14 | Stop Your Sobbing | ||
| 15 | Day After Day | ||
| 16 | Cuban Slide | ||
| 17 | Break Up The Concrete | ||
| 18 | Thumbelina | ||
| 19 | Middle Of The Road | ||
| 20 | The Wait | ||
| 21 | Tottooed Love Boys | ||
| 22 | Precious | ||
| Bonus Tracks | |||
| 23 | I’ll Stand By You | ||
| 24 | Brass In Pocket |
Not a huge fan, but I like some of their stuff. Probably “Middle of the Road” and “Back on the Chain Gang” are my favorites. “Stop Your Sobbing” was written by Ray Davies of the Kinks. Chrissie had a baby with him (said child must be in their thirties by now), but the relationship broke up not long after and she’s never had a good word to say about him since. Davies doesn’t even mention her or their child in his autobiography, X-RAY.
Deb, I love how you know the backstories to these rock stars!
I mentioned it because I’m surprised that in 2010 the Pretenders were still doing “Stop Your Sobbing.” I would have guessed that as badly as the relationship with Davies ended, Chrissie would not have wanted to perform it, but perhaps time healed the pain.
Also, unless I’m missing it, “My City Was Gone,” Hynde’s song about how Ohio had changed over the years, is not on this recording. It’s perhaps best known for its magnificent bass intro (which Rush Limbaugh used as a “bumper” on his show for years, even though Hynde hated the fact that he did).
Deb, I remember Chrissie Hynde complaining about Rushing Limbaugh using her music on his radio show. At one point in the concert, Chrissie asks the crowd what song they’d like them to play next. Some knucklehead shouted out a current song title and Chrissie chastised him by saying, “It has to be a Pretender song!” I was hoping they would do “My City Was Gone” but someone shouted out another Pretender hit song title instead.
Hynde still loved the song, presumably, and it was an early hit for them.
Erm, she’s had nothing but good words for him and it’s more than he deserves, given that he ignored their daughter for almost twenty years from when she was a baby. It was her who raised her.
Ray mentions Chrissie in his follow up book Americana, probably because his first didn’t sell that well and he needed to name drop his famous ex.
Cyd, thanks for the information!
She’s never had a good word about him?! All she does is speak highly of his songwriting. But he did choose not to see their kid until she was grown. She doesn’t have to be nice about the man who got her pregnant and then left the raising of the child to her. He didn’t even pay for the kid
I’ve also loved the Pretenders since “Brass in Pocket” but never saw them live. It’s hard to believe now that “Brass in Pocket” was more than 40 years ago. I never knew that about Chrissie and Ray Davies.
Michael, Deb knows all the inside info on these rock stars!
It was hard to miss at the time. She went on to hanging with the Simple Minds lead singer for a while. ROLLING STONE couldn’t get enough of that about then, and I still read the magazine then.
I’m a big fan. Seen them live several times. Just love her voice Her autobiography is also very good, mostly about her growing up in Akron, Ohio
Steve, I hadn’t known that Chrissie Hynde grew up in Akron, Ohio.
She was at Kent State at the time of the shootings and knew one of the victims.
Steve, wow! That might explain some of the lyrics in some of the songs Chrissie Hynde wrote.
George, I’m surprised you hadn’t gathered the autobiographical nature of a Whole Lot of her songs, not least “My City Was Gone”…
Todd, I confess I need to listen to more Pretender’s music and read Chrissie’s book.
I like “Back on the Chain Gang” too, but not a huge fan. Yes, Deb knows it all! That’s why it’s good when every once in a while I come up with something she doesn’t know !
Jeff, with you and Deb and Jeff Smith, we have the Music Scene covered!
Don’t forget Todd! He has a truly encyclopedic recall.
Deb, you and Todd help keep the rest of us educated!
I’m on the cusp of forgetting most of what I’ve known, if not as readily as I do where I just put down…that thing, you know…
Todd, I’m having trouble sometimes recalling people’s names especially ones from my working years. It’s just the aging process…
I do like The Pretenders but never saw them in concert.
Don’t Get Me Wrong is one of my favorites.
Beth, while I have many Pretenders CDs, I’ve missed seeing them in concert. This PRETENDERS LIVE IN LONDON Blu-ray is the closest I’ll get.
I don’t recall any of those songs at least by name.
George, I’m clearing out a LOT of stuff and found a copy of John Varley’s the Barbie Murders Not sure if its a PBO, but let me know if you need it and I’ll send it to you
It was.
Maggie, I would love a copy of THE BARBIE MURDERS! And make sure you make room for a lunch or dinner at BOUCHERCON in Minneapolis!
as soon as I figure out the safe place I put it, I’ll send it to you
Maggie, no rush. I have plenty of books to read…as you can tell from my blog posts! Thanks in advance!
sent it today bonus, it’s signed
Maggie! I can’t wait! Thanks again for your generosity!
I haven’t loved again another Pretenders album again as much as LEARNING TO CRAWL, but remain a fan (even the “deep cuts” on that album are impressive, such as “I Hurt You” and the cover of “Thin Line Between Love and Hate”). A soundcheck playback of “Middle of the Road”, before a Busboys concert in 1983 on the U Hawaii Manoa campus where I was working security, might’ve been the precipitating factor of my first public dancing.
Todd, you and Steve have a lot of musical experiences!