Review:

on 2011-08-13 CharlesMartel Said:

This album made a big splash when it came out. Over 30 years on (yes, 30 years!!!!) it still has the capacity to give you pause for thought and even take your breath away - but only in places now. The album is inconsistent and, in places, sounds rather dated in a way which only late seventies new wave really can. Sometimes it can enthral you and at others, leave you feeling disappointed. Tracks which you would have once regarded as highlights of the album, indeed of the year itself, are now little more than asides in a musical journey.

Holding the whole thing up is Chrissie Hynde. Without her vocals and stage presence the band would have never risen above a residency at the Cow and Horse in Neasden. As it was, Hynde brought something to the band which was to prove the driving force. She also brought division and distraction, as evidenced by the fateful path certain members of the band took in later years after they had gained fame and which very nearly tore the band apart in the years immediately following the release of their debut album.

The album opens superbly. "Precious" is a stormer and may even be the first time a mainstream female artist used the F-word on an album (come on you muso-nerds out there, did Joni or Janis do it?). However, by the end of the track you are anticipating something special and straight away the album's inconsistency lets you down, with a downright thump. "The Phone Call" is truly awful, one of those tracks which has the capacity to mar an entire album. The cover of the Kinks' "Stop Your Sobbing" and "The Wait" are pretty good, if rather unspectacular, but then the album once again gets let down by "Space Invader" which sounds as dated as the game today would be up against modern graphics and playstations. I have strange and possibly deviant ideas about whatever "Up the Neck" is about, but I will keep those to myself.

The second side starts off well also, but not in the same way as the first. "Kid" is another good number and is followed by the most perplexing track on the album. Chrissie Hynde had shown she could swear on "Precious". Now comes "Private Life" which can best be described as prurient. To this day I have no real idea what was intended by this track and remain unconvinced as a result whether it is one which is either a fine piece of music or the musical equivalent of tabloid trash.

Then comes the hit single "Brass in Pocket" which may sound a bit MoR nowadays, but it shows Chrissie Hynde's vocal talents at their best. And now we are back with the inconsistency. "Lovers of Today" is pure filler while "Mystery Achievement" has a wonderful feel akin to holding a pair of breasts on a bouncy castle (if you know what I mean).

So what we have is an album which flatters to deceive and then deceives you with flattery. Although I can still see why this should have been such a phenomenon when it was first released, these days some of that shine has definitely worn off. Before the invention of the skip button this album was maddening. Because I still have it on vinyl and never went out and bought the CD, I only ever listen to it on iPod as a result.
Rating: 6/10