10 Chrissie Hynde
BMG, 2021
You say: “Always a brilliant interpreter of other people’s material, Chrissie tackles the songbook of the great master.” Kieran Heneghan, via mojo4music.com
Inspired by Bob Dylan’s 2020 release of Murder Most Foul, Chrissie Hynde and Pretenders guitarist James Walbourne embarked upon the Dylan Lockdown Series project, releasing home-recorded versions of her favourite Bob tunes, including previously unloved compositions such as In The Summertime from Shot Of Love. Elsewhere she lent that voice to a truly haunting Blind Willie McTell, explored the spiritual dimensions of Every Grain Of Sand, and made You’re A Big Girl Now sound like a note-to-self.
9 Pretenders
BMG, 2020
You say: “The start of the Pretenders’ creative renaissance… it rocks as hard as any of the early albums.” Dave Tomlinson, via mojo4music.com
The LP that bridged the Pretenders’ past and future: the last (to date, at least) with drummer Martin Chambers and the first co-written with James Walbourne. The superfuzzy title track paid homage to The Damned, and The White Stripes-ish Junkie Walk took a tongue-in-cheek, blackly humorous attitude to an anti-hard drugs message. But there were also joyful indications that the Hynde/Walbourne partnership could produce top-drawer songs that could match anything ever released under the band’s name: including the Kid-like chiming glory of The Buzz, the slow-burning soul of You Can’t Hurt A Fool and gum-chewing glam stomper Turf Accountant Daddy.
8 Chrissie Hynde
CAROLINE, 2014
You say: “It flew under the radar, but Chrissie Hynde’s first solo album is a cracker. Guitar pop of the highest order.” Craig Stevens, via e-mail
Hynde always resisted going solo, but in 2014 she relented, calling the move “a bargaining chip” – ie, one that might attract more attention to the album. If in the end Stockholm wasn’t a huge hit, it was a productive experiment. Recorded in the titular location and mostly co-written/produced by Björn Yttling of Peter, Björn & John, it moved between tight, Cars-ish new wave (Dark Sunglasses), ’60 roadhouse country pop (A Plan Too Far) and louche rock on Down The Wrong Way, with grinding electric guitar provided by Neil Young. Hynde remained such a fan that she pocketed the plectrum he left behind on the mixing console.
7 Pretenders
SHANGRI-LA, 2008
You say: “Chrissie went full Americana with what was her best set of songs in years.” Carla Brown, via e-mail
Recorded in Hollywood with a version of the Pretenders that featured Jim Keltner on drums and introduced new guitarist James Walbourne, the title of Break Up The Concrete promoted eco vandalism, while its sound stripped away any last traces of post-punk. Ballads such as the swoony Love’s A Mystery and The Nothing Maker planted themse
