Chrissie Hynde is a pioneer. After she got her foot in the male-dominated music industry door (during the original English punk movement), she kicked that door in squarely and decisively for female rockers all over the globe.
As the leader of the Pretenders, she has one of the most discernable voices in rock and like so many, I've been a fan of the Akron, Ohio native since her ache and yearning on “Brass in Pocket” first drifted from my radio. Most Pretenders fans got that very same introduction:
“I'm special... so special/I want to have some of your attention, give it to me.” Hynde can be a determined and brusque frontwoman, but she has this uncanny ability to be delicate and sweet at those picture-perfect moments. She’s never been afraid of vulnerability and that trait has served her well in her songwriting, explaining the band’s success for so many years. Anyone who has appreciated Hynde’s career will thrill at Pirate Radio – a 4CD/1DVD box set honors the Pretenders’ classic lineup and scrappy beginnings with James Honeyman-Scott (guitar) and Pete Farndon (bass), through what Hynde calls the band’s tribute band era. This career-spanning box set hits all Pretenders eras, delivering singles, favorites, rare tracks and some intriguing covers in one gloriously well-crafted package.Among the hits on Pirate Radio: “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” “Message of Love,” “My City Was Gone,” “Brass in Pocket,” “Back on the Chain Gang,” “Night in My Veins” and the always fiery “Middle of the Road.” In the rarities category, there are a few truly divine covers. Morrissey’s “Everyday Is Like Sunday,” Warren Zevon’s “Reconsider Me” and “The Needle and the Damage Done” from Neil Young are among the collection’s best.The DVD contains rare TV appearances, including those from UK rock kingmaker “Top of the Pops.” Seeing the original lineup performing live is worthy of goosebumps and reason enough for adding Pirate Radio to your collection. Add the rare photos and historical reflections from Hynde & Co., and you’ve got a must-have, consummate collection.And if a box set is just too big of a commitment? Consider that the group’s key releases have been digitally remastered and reissued. Their self-titled debut, Pretenders, features a bonus disc with BBC sessions, outtakes and unreleased demos, instead.
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1 - Connie Phillips
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