Maybe we take Chrissie Hynde for granted? We shouldn’t, she’s a crucial part of rock n roll, absolutely sui generis in her hippie-to-punk-rocknroll life/career/attitude, and come on, she’s written so many all-time songs, by turns sensitive and sassy, venomous and poetic. All this in spite of losing half of her (as they say) extremely scorching band to drugs/death so early in their career. How potent a powerhouse the Pretenders were in their original formation can be viewed at many points (“The Wait,” “Up the Neck,” “Tattooed Love Boys,” “Bad Boys Get Spanked,” “Precious,” “Brass in Pocket”) in this full-length, made-for-German-TV live concert from 1981 that recently appeared on youtube to (as usual for the Pretenders!) not nearly enough fanfare:
“Why not respect everything? It makes the world enormous, magnificent and meaningful. Much more interesting than me against the world.” — Jane Wodening
Thank you for highlighting Chrissie Hynde--you're absolutely right that she has written so many all-time songs! My very favorite might be "My City Was Gone," which may be, come to think of it, the best song ever written about the Walmartification of America during the mid-to-late 20th Century. I was also impressed with her recent album "Relentless" with The Pretenders. I once got to see them on a double-bill in Baltimore with The Hold Steady--an amazing evening!
“Why not respect everything? It makes the world enormous, magnificent and meaningful. Much more interesting than me against the world.” — Jane Wodening
Thank you for highlighting Chrissie Hynde--you're absolutely right that she has written so many all-time songs! My very favorite might be "My City Was Gone," which may be, come to think of it, the best song ever written about the Walmartification of America during the mid-to-late 20th Century. I was also impressed with her recent album "Relentless" with The Pretenders. I once got to see them on a double-bill in Baltimore with The Hold Steady--an amazing evening!
Also, by the way, did you happen to see Arthur Magazine's being referenced in Pitchfork's review of the (excellent) re-issue of Dorothy Carter's "Waillee Waillee"? (see the second-to-last sentence: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/dorothy-carter-waillee-waillee/)
This post checks so many boxes for me - wow. Thanks, Jay, and happy new year!