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Wednesday 4 January 2017

Back On The Chain Gang


Back to work today after nearly two weeks of eating too much, drinking too much and long lies.
Back to a department where all the good work and teamwork since 2010 has been systematically destroyed over the last year - joy of joys!
Indeed it would be safe to say that my motivation is Less Than Zero.

I've never been a huge fan of the Pretenders although I do think Chrissie Hynde is pretty cool
The only album of theirs I have is a charity shop acquired Greatest Hits. The nearest I came to seeing them was sitting outside the Free Trade pub in Newcastle whilst music from a concert they were holding in Gateshead wafted over the Tyne.

A belated  Happy New Year to all my fellow Chain Gangers

The Pretenders - Back On The Chain Gang

Elvis Costello - Less Than Zero

12 comments:

  1. If you're not a big fan, a Pretenders Greatest Hits can't be bad - as long as it doesn't contain that bloody awful duet with UB40.

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    1. I'm afraid it does Swede but that's what the fast forward function was designed for!

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  2. Good luck with the return to work, you have my sympathies!
    I don't love, nor hate, the Pretenders, but I did see them in '79 when they played at my college. From what I remember it was a pretty enjoyable set and Chrissie always did seem cool - she doesn't seem to have aged at all, either!

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  3. I like the obvious Pretenders songs but haven't ever bought any of their albums beyond the singles collection. I was considering buying the new one - I love the current single, Alone. Cool Lou Reed impersonation from Chrissie.

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  4. Actually, the limited output of the original lineup is worth a good listen, if not promptly adding to your collection. It's just Pretenders I and II, with an EP stuck in the middle. The band released some worthwhile songs after the death of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott ('Chain Gang', for instance), but nothing really approaches the earliest stuff. Said the old man.

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  5. Yes - similar feelings about the return to work from me too but hey ho. The Pretenders actually played our Student's Union the week they were at No. 1 with Brass In Pocket - My friend who worked on the student newspaper interviewed her but she was really grumpy because she'd cut her fringe and it was too short (looking at the above I can see that would have been a problem).

    Like the Pretenders but love Elvis Costello and this song just takes me back to 6th year at school (not plugging my blog or anything, much, but did a post about him and that album - C found it amusing!).

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  6. Didn't we also hear a Bryan Adams concert there?

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  7. That friendly lawyer can represent me anytime. The first album, especially, is a must for every collection.

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  8. Stop Your Sobbing, Kid, Brass In Pocket, Talk of The Town and Message of Love are as good a run of five debut singles as any other band from that era.

    Cant belive same band (although it was only in name) could be responsible for 2000 Miles, a horror show of a Xmas 45

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