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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1990)
Back on the chain ga ng—a gain train The Pretenders back in business Psychological Services for Women, Men, and Couples r with furey eileen furey BY DR. T A N T A L U S en years ago a girl transplanted from Ohio to London in search of fame and fortune released an album of tender love songs and hard driving rockers that received plaudits from critics and fans alike. The slower tunes became radio favorites, especially “Brass in Pocket,” and “Stop Your Sobbing.” The nail chewing, venomous rockers used the ”F ’ word, made suggestions like “let’s do it on the pavement” (“Precious”) and referenced the strange habits of bikers she either knew or imagined (‘Tattooed Love Boys”). Those old enough to remember when Flossie’s was the Bushes may recall seeing Doctor Tantalus . bouncing around the dance floor to “Mystery Achievement” off that same album. It’s been ten years since that ground breaking album appeared and Chrissie Hynde still calls her band the Pretenders, although the lineup has changed steadily over the last decade. After the 1981 release of T Kristine L. Falco, Psy.D. exercise physiologist personal trainer Licensed Clinical Psychologist 3903 SW Kelly, Suite 210 Portland, OR 97201 223-8071 GOLD’S GYM 222-1210 Portland's N ew Gay Bar rK Afi ’5 back room Lounge and Restaurant P hilippine C uisine C o c k ta ils . 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Mechanical by appointment (503) 227-6168 1029 NW Davis, Portland, OR 97209 • Insurance Work • Pick-up/Delivery »Free Estimates ft <_ > 0 c > 73 I £ m 73 0 m 0 m c/> OD m N Z Ò 5 (/> C z J A G U A R - M E R C E D E S B E N Z - D A T S U N /N IS S A N - A L F A R O M E O - A U D I just out y 30 V August 1990 movin’ on. More fire is provided by such songs as m Pretenders II, guitarist James Honeyman Scott “Downtown”’ about her native Akron, and “Hold a Candle to This,” in which she and bassist Pete Famdon died directly or comments, among other things, on Nancy indirectly as a result of drug use. There was some question whether the band Reagan’s handgun and interracial sex in the Navy (“same meat—different gravy”). could continue after such severe losses but the If truth be told—and Nurse Conseulo is a 1983 “comeback” album. Learning to Crawl, stickler for that—Packed! is not the greatest proved that Hynde could take that trademark sound and graft it onto a set of new musicians. album the Pretenders have ever released, but it Learning to Crawl, as the title implies, was makes most other recordings on the market seem half-baked. And considering how fresh an album about starting over, a theme best those earlier recordings remain, it won’t be exemplified by one of the Pretenders’ best surprising if ten years from now Packed! will songs, “Back on the Chain Gang.” As a have improved in our assessment. metaphor for her reappearance on the music And now for something completely scene, “Chain Gang” is simultaneously sad, different: Those looking for dance records this eerie and compelling as a tribute to her lost summer may want to pass up the obvious and mates. try two recent collections. The first, FFRR— The Doctor forgets the personal reasons Gold On Black 1990, is a terrific sampling of why Hynde’s next recording effort was the soulful tunes, including D-Mob’s C’Mon and 1986 release of “Get Close.” The album’s elegance and grace, as well as Get Your Love” and “Dirty Mind” by Shakespeare’s Sister. Available as a double an infusion of some funk, added a new dimension to the Pretenders’s musical vocabu album or single CD, it’s hard to resist the smooth sounds of Diana Brown and Barrie K. lary. Worth particular mention on that album was Sharpe on “The Masterplan” or Satoshi “How much did you get for your soul?” a first- Tomie’s “And I loved you.” class putdown of Michael Jackson accepting On the other side of the dance universe is “Welcome to the Technodrome,” whose title sponsorship from Pepsi for his tour. Such commercial sponsors now back everyone from more than demonstrates what the listener the Rolling Stones to the Who, but you will should expect to find. Although both the Doctor and Nurse Consuelo confess that this probably never see them back the Pretenders. “Right up to the top/Millions of kids are music doesn’t exactly tickle our collective G looking at you/You say ‘let them drink soda spot (it can sometimes sound like the perfect background music for an auto assembly plant), pop . It’s been a few years since that last album it seems like a representative sampler of the and what do you know? Yep, the Pretenders robotic end of the dance music spectrum. Our are back in business. Another new lineup, favorite is Axodry’s “You.” And don’t worry: another collection of finely crafted pop songs We don’t know who Axodry is, either. A and that same unique Pretenders’s sound. German sampler, this is probably available only Packed!—the 1990 Pretenders entry into the on CD. summer music sweepstakes—takes up right Finally, those in need of a Morrissey fix where the Pretenders left off. This has spawned have already purchased the latest single, some criticism, but if the album’s lead song, “November spawned a Monster.” What will “Never do That “ appears to borrow some of its that poet/queer /rocker think of next? And riffs from “Back on the Chain Gang” then at those in need of more mainline dance relief least Chrissie is stealing froni) herself and not would be better steered toward “World in someone else. Nor does the fact that the Motion” by New Order and England. A tribute current recording has more mid-tempo numbers to the British soccer team, the single is great, than might be desired by hard-core fans become even if the socially responsible thing to do a distraction. The voice remains clear and true would be to de-emphasize soccer among those and the tough girl on the outside with the heart rowdy and violent British hooligans who riot of gold inside still shines forth. whenever their team loses. Nowhere is this more clear than on the In August, remember to check out the tour single “Sense of Purpose,” in which our heroine “Escape from New York,” with Deborah Harry, asks her lover to give her some reasons to go Tom Tom Club, Jerry Harrison, and the on. That is somewhat ironic, since for the past Ramones. They’ll be appearing at the Arlene ten years Chrissie Hynde has had the gump Schnitzer Concert Hall on Tuesday, August 14, tion. drive and yes, sense of purpose, to keep on at 7:30 p.m.
