Pretenders - Get Close

This Iovine/Clearmountain production features hits like "Don't Get Me Wrong," "I Remember You," and "Room Full of Mirrors." Bonus content includes an alternate version of "Hold a Candle to This" and a take on "Thumbelina." Album Description

I give it a 5

I thought this album was pretty good when it was released and it still sounds good. "Don't get me wrong" was the single and probably my least favorite song because it's a little fluffy for my tastes. Overall, the songs aren't as edgey as on previous albums but I think the writing and arrangements are very consistent and well done. Probably a disappointment only to hard core fans. July 3, 2008

The middle of the road finally got her

After the breathtaking rise from adversity that was Learning to Crawl, Chrissie Hynde did an abrupt 180. She decided she wanted to grow beyond what she saw as a preconceived "Pretenders" sound and experiment with the formula. Unfortunately, she violated an old rule about not fixing what ain't broke, and the result was "Get Close."

There is nothing dreadful about this album, but it essentially is a Chrissie solo adventure. Two of the "Pretenders" in the credits, bassist TM Stevens and drummer Blair Cunningham, barely appear here. Session cats fill most of the slots other than Chrissie and "Crawl" holdover Robbie McIntosh, and the lack of a band chemistry is obvious throughout. The songs are staid sounding, something nothing on those first three albums would ever have been accused of. Just as a 'for instance,' think of the explosive entrance "Middle Of The Road" made on "Learning to Crawl," then compare it to the MOR sounding "My Baby" here. When the band does pack a punch on "How Much Did You Get For Your Soul," the song's anger at Michael Jackson lessens the urgency. It seems more petty than need be.

However, the songs are still uniformly decent. There is even a bonafide Pretender's classic with "Don't Get Me Wrong," reprised here as a live bonus cut. The three covers also are standouts, with Carlos Alomar's "Light of the Moon" a lost single. The other cover, a stunning version of Jimi Hendrix' "Room Full Of Mirrors" highlights what is most likely what made this album so low on its impact. This was the one song salvaged from early sessions with Steve Lillywhite, and the production actually has the kick Jimmy Iovine and Bob Clearmountain seemed to suck dry from the rest of the album. (The live version of "Thumbelina" also shows up the studio tracks' lack of wattage.)

The other bonus tracks are worthy additions. The original take of "Dance" is rawer and benefits for it. "Hold a Candle to This" is a strong early version of what would eventually appear on the under-rated Packed!. The final two live cuts are valuable in showing just how great Chrissie was in front of a crowd. (They are not as invaluable as the live concert included on the re-issued Pretenders II, however.) Not as vibrant as those early CD's and a bit too middle of the road to really stick, "Get Closer" needed a bit more wildness and a little less stability. It is a good album that was preceded by three greats, and suffers accordingly in perception. December 6, 2007

Uneven album improved with bonus tracks

"Learning to Crawl" found The Pretenders coming back with a terrific, powerful album that equaled their debut. The follow up "Get Close" is more polished with a nice pop sheen but is inconsistent with great songs standing beside ordinary songs or material that should have been a B-side to a single. Producers Jimmy Iovine and Bob Clearmountain were aiming for a more funky feel with the band's fourth album. They achieved that aim but sacrificed much of what made The Pretenders great in the first place in the process. It's still an appealing album but the rhythm section which includes drummer Blair Cunningham just can't take the place of skin basher Martin Chambers (who appears on only one track--one of the best--the Hendrix cover "Roomful of Mirrors").

The album opens with a pair of great mid-tempo ballads "My Baby" has the infectious melody that has become a hallmark of Hynde's best work. "When I Change My Life" is a reflect ballad that more than holds its own with some of Hynde's best work. The filler starts with the third track Carlos Alomar's "Light of the Moon" sounds like second rate Hynde and is arranged (without a dose of irony I'm sure)like a Simple Minds cast off tune. "Dance!" has a nice funky groove and a witty lyric. It's probably the best example of what Iovine and Clearmountain were after and comes closest to integrating the funk element into The Pretenders sound.

Much of the rest of the album has filler but there are occasional gems that crop up. The arrangements aren't quite as tough as previous Pretenders albums but they do highlight Hynde's oft praised melodic sense. Guitarist (the only hold over from the previous edition of the band that appears on the entire album)Robbie McIntosh plays some scortching solos that breathes much needed life into some of the songs.

The bonus tracks are a mixed bag. The alternate version of "Hold a Candle to This" is good (the song would eventually show up on "Packed!")while the remix of "Tradition of Love" isn't substanially better than the original. "Dance!(Take One)" is a rough and ready version of the same song and I find it superior to the final version. It works better without the overproduction of Iovine and Clearmountain and is just as funky. "Worlds Within Worlds" is a song that was dropped from the running order featuring Chambers and bassist Malcolm Foster. It was part of the earlier rejected sessions produced by Steve Lilywhite and is tougher than much of the rest of the album. It would have worked well as part of the original album.

We get two live tracks with the new line up of Hynde, McIntoch, Cunningham and Stevens. "Don't Get Me Wrong" and "Thumbelina" are from an Austin, Texas appearence. The former sounds tougher than the album version. The latter from "Learning to Crawl" proves that this edition of the band could rock live pretty convincingly. It's a pity that we don't have a full disc of these performances (a flaw with the "Learning to Crawl" album as well which only features two tracks from the US Festival appearence).

While this album isn't quite as essential as the first three albums, it does have some terrific material mixed that suffers from the production sheen of Iovine and Clearmountain. "Packed!"(probably the weakest Pretenders album ever relying primarily on studio players and former Rockpile member Billy Bremmer to give life to Hynde's songs)would follow then there would be a long silence from The Pretenders. After that, Hynde would form a new line up with Adam Seymour and returning member Martin Chambers that would capture the spirit of the original band). October 29, 2007

Not the best but worth the purchase

Just as when I bought this disc back in 1987 I've enjoyed and listened to for a couple weeks and now it's back on the shelf. We were all just getting used to a new set of Pretenders with "Learning to Crawl" when she sprung a brand Pretenders on us, plus the songs were weak.
Rick October 25, 2007

3 and a half stars

The first review is right on in all that was said. I just think a two star rating is way too low. Compared to the other cds it doesn't measure up, but it is better than average (a 3 star rating). August 26, 2007

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