"...Thumbelina In A Great Big Scary World..."
I loved the stunning and ballsy debut "Pretenders" - finally slammed onto an expectant world in January 1980 on Real Records in the UK (Sire in the USA) after three killer singles across the breath of 1979. That kickass run culminated in the fantastic "Brass In Pocket" - a UK No.1 in November 1979 – and still probably one of their most famous songs. Chrissie Hynde's American-British Rock, Punk and New Wave Band started the decade well and by the time of the "Get Close" album in October 1986 with "Don't Get Me Wrong" - owned it with style.
But truth be told and even if some say it's the equal too if not better than its predecessor, I took a lot longer to warm to "Pretenders II" in August 1981. I found it oddly hard work. But all of that went out the window with platter number three. And despite (or perhaps because of) huge internal turmoil (they had lost both original guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and Bassist Don Fardon to drugs) – even though Hynde was pregnant at the time (her newborn daughter's efforts gave her the title of the LP) – still Chrissie continued regardless. She has said in subsequent interviews that it was as much to honor the losses in the band and around her personally that continuance was the only way. And what a result – a slew of great singles between the USA and Blighty – and even a Christmas classic that is arguably one of the best Seasonal tunes ever (rolled out every December on every playlist).
So I have loved January 1984's "Learning To Crawl" with a passion for over four decades now and this Edsel 2CD+1DVD Deluxe Special Edition (like all of the releases in this series – see list below) has done that mid 80ts tune-fest a proper solid. This is a great reissue gathering up in 2015 all the Audio Rarities from the 2006 "Pirate Radio 1978-2005" 4CD /1DVD DigiBook Set and the subsequent 2007 singular CD reissue of the album (both issued by Rhino). Lots to ponder, to the nitty gritty...
UK released 16 February 2015 - "Learning To Crawl: 2CD + 1DVD Deluxe Special Edition" by PRETENDERS on Edsel EDSG 8049 (Barcode 740155804930) is a 3-Disc Reissue with 2006 and 2007 Rhino Remasters that plays out as follows:
CD1 (40:43 minutes):
"Learning To Crawl"
1. Middle Of The Road [Side 1]
2. Back On The Chain Gang
3. Time The Avenger
4. Watching The Clothes
5. Show Me
6. Thumbelina [Side 2]
7. My City Was Gone
8. Thin Line Between Love And Hate
9. I Hurt You
10. 2000 Miles
Tracks 1 to 10 are their third studio album "Learning To Crawl" - released January 1984 in the UK on Real Records WX 2 (923 980-1) and in the USA on Sire Records 9 23980-1. Produced by CHRIS THOMAS - it peaked at No. 5 in the UK and No. 11 in the USA.
PRETENDERS was
CHRISSIE HYNDE – All Lead Vocals, Guitar
ROBBIE McINTOSH – Lead Guitar, Vocals
MALCOLM FOSTER – Bass and Vocals
MARTIN CHAMBERS – Drums and Vocals
Tracks 2 and 7 ("Back On The Chain Gang" and "My City Was Gone") feature Chrissie Hynde and Martin Chambers of Pretenders with session work from Billy Bremner of Rockpile on Guitar and Tony Butler of Big Country on Bass. Track 4 "Thin Line Between Love And Hate" is a cover version of the Soul hit by The Persuaders issued July 1971 in the USA on Atco 6822 - again with Hynde and Chambers as a core it features other session musicians – Paul Carrack of Ace, Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics and Solo Career fame played Piano and Vocals, Billy Bremner of Rockpile on Guitar with Andrew Bodnar of Graham Parker’s Rumour on Bass and Vocals. The rest of the tracks were finished with the 4-piece band listed above.
CD2 (38:44 minutes):
B-Sides/Live
1. Fast Or Slow (The Law’s The Law) – Martin Chambers song, sung by him – B-side of the "Show Me" 45-single from March 1984
2. Money (Live at the US Festival, May 1983) – Motown cover version
3. Time The Avenger (Live)
4. Bad Boys Get Spanked (Live)
5. My City Was Gone (Live)
6. Tequila (Outtake)
DEMOS
7. I Hurt You (August 1982 Denmark Street Demo)
8. When I Change My Life (August 1982 Denmark Street Demo)
9. Ramblin' Rob (Instrumental, August 1982 Denmark Street Demo)
10. Watching The Clothes (August 1982 Denmark Street Demo)
DVD (NTSC, No Region Restrictions):
PROMO VIDEOS
1. Back On The Chain Gang
2. 2000 Miles
3. Middle Of The Road
4. Show Me
5. Thin Line Between Love And Hate
BBC TV APPEARANCES
1. 2000 Miles – Rehearsal and Mike Smith Interviews Chrissie and Martin for Breakfast Time TV in December 1983
2. 2000 Miles – Top of the Pops, Broadcast, 15 December 1983
The stocky and chunky digipak on Edsel EDSG 8049 certainly looks the part. It folds out into four flaps and pictures the album labels and black and white live shots of the reinvigorated four-piece (McIntosh and Foster were the newbees). The 16-page booklet features lyrics - front and rear picture sleeves and Real Records labels for key singles like the LP primer "Back On The Chain Gang" (September 1982) and the lesser seen "Show Me" (March 1984) as well as the spaceship across the sky pic sleeve for "2000 Miles" and the rip between countries artwork for "Thin Line Between Love And Hate" (repeated on the rear pages). Although it looks good (see photos provided) and they have included the song lyrics, apart from the usual reissue credits - disappointingly Edsel have taken the lazy way out and provided no new liner notes. But I am here for the sounds.
Audio-wise they have used Warners Tape Archives used by Rhino in 2006 and 2007 for these 'Special Deluxe Edition' multipacks and their resident Engineer PHIL KINRADE has done the transfers at Alchemy Mastering. I loved the Rhino Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch Remasters - here we get more of the same - all of it sounding upped - even those B-sides and the surprisingly good CD2 (the DVD authoring was done by LARA RUFFLE at Sony DADC and is a hoot).
The band opened accounts on a lethal double whammy - "Back On The Chain Gang" with "My City Was Gone" on the Sire Records flipside in November 1982 – a full year and a but before the LP got released. It would be November of the 1983 for 45-single number two when the incendiary and lyrically mule-kicking Side 1 opener "Middle Of The Road" was paired with "2000 Miles" (DJs must have loved that combo). June 1984 saw The Persuaders cover hit the shops with the Non-LP live take of "Time The Avenger" on the B-side (it is included on CD2) – a less obvious Pretenders song but an inspired choice nonetheless – the domestic hurt in the song chiming true for new generations. I love the deeper album tracks like "Thumbelina" (lyrics from it title this review) and "Watching My Clothes" - bored in a Laundromat while others party – it all works. Great big chunky audio too.
CD2 is fabulous stuff – blistering McIntosh guitar on a live "My City Was Gone" that outdoes the LP original, studio quality outtakes in "Tequila" and "When I Change My Life" that rival anything on the released album and a seriously aggressive Demo of "I Hurt You" that is Punk as well Punk (dig that slap it 'til it hurts New Wave Bass and those Grrrr Guitars). The Martin Chambers track is admittedly good rather than great and the instrumental guitar jangling “Ramblin' Bob” was probably laid down as a guide track to lyrics that were to come at a later stage but never did. The Demo of "Watching The Clothes" also rocks more than the studio cut – maybe losing a little of its Punk mayhem in the transition to the studio version. And while they have included lyrics to the outtakes "Fast And Slow..." and "Tequila" – they forgot "When I Change My Life" which is a bit of a sloppy shame. Edsel has also included a very tasty visual factor this time with 5 Promo Videos and 2 Rare TV Performances on Disc 3 – the All Regions DVD.
There's a October 2015 Box Set that gathers up all eight albums from the self-titled 1980 debut right up to 1999's "Viva El Amor!" all with same card digipak packaging, Bonus Audio and Video material etc (see details below) - but this is a great starting block no matter the order.
"...I've been working so hard to make some money...would you like some sour kraut on your potatoes honey..." – Chrissie Hynde sang over 40 years ago – canny and sassy and a proper icon all rolled into one. Her band rocked then and I for one am still listening like a teen now in 2023...
2015 PRETENDERS 'Deluxe Special Edition'
Reissue Series by Edsel/Rhino
1. "Pretenders" (January 1980 debut) - Edsel EDSG 8047 (Barcode 740155804732) - 2CDs + 1DVD
2. "Pretenders II" (August 1981) - Edsel EDSG 8048 (Barcode 740155804831) - 2CDs + 1DVD
3. "Learning To Crawl" (January 1984) - Edsel EDSG 8049 (Barcode 740155804930) - 2CDs + 1DVD
4. "Get Close" (October 1986) - Edsel EDSG 8050 (Barcode 740155805036) - 2CDs + 1DVD
5. "Packed!" (May 1990) - Edsel EDSX 3022 (Barcode 740155302238) - 1CD + 1DVD
6. "Last Of The Independents" (May 1994) - Edsel EDSG 8051 (Barcode 740155805135) - 2CDs + 1DVD
7. "The Isle Of View" (September 1995) - Edsel EDSX 3023 (Barcode 740155302337) - 1CD + 1DVD
8. "Viva El Amor!" (May 1999) - Edsel EDSG 8052 (Barcode 740155805234 - 2CDs + 1DVD
9. "Pretenders 1979-1999" - Edsel PRETBOX01 (Barcode 5014797892620) - 22-Disc Card Wrap Box Set with all of 1 to 8 above (no extra booklet)
