Thoughts on Chrissie Hynde's new album
From the Pretenders' ALONE album, that's "Never Be Together." September 6th, Chrissie Hynde's second solo album comes out VALVE BONE WOE.
Here are the 14 tracks that will be on the album.
1. How Glad I Am
2. Caroline, No
3. I'm a Fool to Want You
4. I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)
5. Meditation on a Pair of Wire Cutters
6. Once I Loved
7. Wild Is the Wind
8. You Don't Know What Love Is
9. River Man
10. Absent Minded Me
11. Naima
12. Hello, Young Lovers
13. No Return
14. Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?
"Caroline, No" is the classic Beach Boys song that Brian Williams wrote and that appeared on PET SOUNDS.
The whole allbum is covers. I'm trying to keep a positive mind. Trying.
I was okay, for example, with Rod Stewart doing his album of standards. But then, year after year, that was all he released for over a decade. 9 studio albums of covers (I'm including the Christmas album). I didn't want to hear another cover from him.
If this is a one-off for Chrissie, fine. If she's going to do a a cover album every now and then -- like Carly Simon with TORCH, MY ROMANCE, FILM NOIR, MOONLIGHT SERENADE and INTO WHITE (the best of the cover albums was INTO WHITE), okay.
But if she's about to go into Rod Stewart land, she'll do that journey on her own.
People think that they're doing something amazing with these albums and they're not. Carly, at least, can claim she's a singer because she is and she's one of the great ones and could easily do an entire jazz songbook. Jazz publications have long applauded her voice, her breath and her range.
Even so, I don't want to hear all of those songs sung by her or anyone else. If I want to hear "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning," I'll listen to Frank Sinatra, thank you.
Chrissie has a wonderful voice. She doesn't have Carly's range but she's got a wonderful voice.
But it's the same thing with regards to Carly -- when both artists can also write great songs, why do albums of other people's songs? And if Chrissie going to do covers, she should be contacting her child hood friend Meg who wrote "Hymn to Her" which remains one of the best songs the Pretenders have ever done.
The other thing about these albums is that they're not about good songs. Clive Davis explains that with regards to Rod Stewart. They didn't record obscure songs that Rod liked, he made Rod record well known songs because that would make it easier to sell the album.
So you're getting The Hit Parade and not an artistic journey.
I'll by Chrissie's album -- probably buy it on vinyl. And I'll listen to it eagerly. But even if it's perfection, I don't need three or two or even one more of it. I need her to do another Pretenders album.
Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"