The last time I watched a concert DVD of The Pretenders, it was almost a year ago (you can read my review here) and they were performing in a sweltering venue. Chrissy Hynde’s make-up and eye shadow dripped down her face like melting ice cream. Fortunately, The Pretenders Loose in L.A. features a live concert at the Wiltern Theatre on February 2003 where the temperature was more moderate.
My favorite performances from this concert are: “Lie to Me,” “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart,” and “Brass in Pocket.” The Pretenders included many of their hits like “Talk of the Town,” “Back On the Chain Gang,” and “I’ll Stand By You.” The audience cheered enthusiastically and the camera crew kept going back to a redhead in the front row again and again. All in all, a very satisfying concert video! Are you a fan of The Pretenders? Or…do you just pretend you are? GRADE: A
SET LIST:
| DVD-1 | Lie To Me | |
| DVD-2 | Time | |
| DVD-3 | Message Of Love | |
| DVD-4 | My Baby | |
| DVD-5 | Talk Of The Town | |
| DVD-6 | You Know Who Your Friends Are | |
| DVD-7 | Time The Avenger | |
| DVD-8 | The Homecoming | |
| DVD-9 | Up The Neck | |
| DVD-10 | Fools Must Die | |
| DVD-11 | My City Was Gone | |
| DVD-12 | The Losing | |
| DVD-13 | Biker | |
| DVD-14 | Complex Person | |
| DVD-15 | Nothing Breaks Like A Heart | |
| DVD-16 | Back On The Chain Gang | |
| DVD-17 | Don’t Get Me Wrong | |
| DVD-18 | Kid | |
| DVD-19 | Rebel Rock Me | |
| DVD-20 | Night In My Veins | |
| DVD-21 | Tattooed Love Boy | |
| DVD-22 | Precious | |
| DVD-23 | I’ll Stand By You | |
| DVD-24 | Middle Of The Road | |
| DVD-25 | Mystery Achievement | |
| DVD-26 | Brass In Pocket | |
BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG is the only song I know of theirs! I guess that means I’m not a fan, though I like the song!
Bob, if you like “Back On the Chain Gang” you’d like a lot more of these Pretender songs!
I’m a big Pretenders fan. I’ve seen them a couple of times although early in their career. Everything on this dvd is familiar to me.
Steve, I enjoyed THE PRETENDERS LOOSE IN LA. Great group, great songs!
I like “Back on the Chain Gang” and “My City Was Gone”, but the Pretenders have never been huge favorites of mine.
Deb, Rush Limbaugh used “My City Was Gone” as his intro music to his radio show.
I don’t think Chrissie was happy about that, but apparently she doesn’t administer the rights to the song. I never listening to Limbaugh’s show, but I understand he used that intro for years.
Deb, you’re right. Limbaugh ignored Chrissie’s objections and kept using her music for the life of his radio program.
She ended up letting Limbaugh use the song if he would donate the royalties he would have to pay to her to charity.
Steve, I wonder if Limbaugh kept up his part of the deal…
Seriously doubt that, unless the charity was of the blathering righwing sort.
Todd, I share your skepticism.
Love, love, love The Pretenders and really regret that I’ve never seen them live.
Michael, THE PRETENDERS LOOSE IN LA would give you a faux-concert experience.
I like them although I couldn’t identify a lot of their songs as theirs. I don’t think my kids listened to them a lot because from that eighties period, that was what I knew best–what they listened to.
Patti, I’m impressed that Chrissie Hynde is from Akron, Ohio and refers to growing up there in “My City Was Gone.”
She was on campus at Kent State when the shootings occurred.
Steve, I remember that Kent State connection with Chrissie. Check your email. I sent you an offer.
I’m in the same category as Deb and Cap’n Bob. Like what I know (a few) but never a big fan.
Jeff, I think if you and Deb and Cap’n Bob watched THE PRETENDERS LOOSE IN LA, you all might become bigger fans.
I do enjoy the Pretenders.
My favorite is Don’t Get Me Wrong.
Beth, excellent choice. There’s a great version of “Don’t Get Me Wrong” on THE PRETENDERS LOOSE IN LA.
LEARNING TO CRAWL, the third album that eventually included “My City was Gone” and “Back on the Chain Gang”, as half of the original quartet died during its recording…hence one of at least three obvious implications of the album title (Chrissie Hynde’s newborn child and dealing with Everything, along with shakedown of the half-new band, being those three, probably more were implied) is my choice of the band’s most necessary album…but I’m not sure I’ve heard a bad one.
Todd, I’ve enjoyed all the Pretender albums I’ve listened to. You’re right about LEARNING TO CRAWL being a pivotal album in their oeuvre.
I’ll still hold up LEARNING TO CRAWL as the one album that is necessary to have, and it’s kind of a pity that their (and mostly her) later work doesn’t quite make the same impression, as good as it can be. (It is the album that eventually included “My City was Gone”
Todd, I’ll have to dig out my copy of LEARNING TO CRAWL and give it another listen.