Album Review Friday - 1984 Countdown, #8

#10 Couldn’t Stand The Weather - Stevie Ray Vaughan

#9 Let It Be - The Replacements

#8 Learning to Crawl - The Pretenders

No matter the art, be it cinema, writing or music, what separates the great from the mediocre is commitment.  Commitment to the craft, the desire the artist has to create that drives them no matter the obstacle in front of them.  The eighth album on this list, The Pretenders Learning To Crawl,  is the product of the passionate drive of its lead singer Chrissie Hynde.   Her rise to fame with that of her band is unique and inspiring, especially reflecting on how difficult it must have been for a woman in rock music in the 1970s.  Fascinated with music and art she moved to London in 1973 where she ended up working for the magazine NME, and eventually connecting to Malcolm McLaren and his band of music renegades The Sex Pistols.  Legend has it that she tried to get a British visa by marrying Sid Vicious, which may be the ultimate example of rock and roll dedication.  She was forced to leave England but returned a few years later, again trying to make her mark with a band, even trying to form a band with Mick Jones from The Clash.   Eventually she would form the first iteration of the Pretenders in 1978 and the following year release their classic “Brass In Pocket”, which hit number one in Britain the following year.  All should have been good, the struggle complete and the achievement obtained.  But only three years later The Pretenders would be forced into hiatus, after drug use forced the firing of bassist Pete Farndon and drug overdose took the life of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott.  The test of Hynde’s commitment to rock and roll was upon her.

By the end of 1982 Hynde and drummer Martin Chambers were able to cobble together a reformed but temporary version of The Pretenders and released their biggest single in the USA “Back On The Chain Gang” (with the equally strong B-side “My City Was Gone”).   By 1983 a permanent group was intact, with Malcolm Foster on bass and Robbie McIntosh playing guitar.  This quartet released what would become the classic rock album of the 1980s Learning To Crawl in January 1984.  Looking back it should not be a surprise this album is so strong, coming after a string of singles listed above that remain relevant to this day.  But even with the power of time it is remarkable to listen to the consistent, robust music of Learning To Crawl.

The album makes no mistake about its intent with the lead track “Middle Of The Road”, opening with a powerful drum beat that announces what will be forty minutes of rock and roll.  Listening to the album over thirty years later is an awakening to just how brilliant the music is from start to finish.  Blindfold a novice Pretenders fan and have them listen to this album and they will think you mistakenly slipped in a greatest hits collection.  The all time classic “Back On The Chain Gang” follows as the second track, powered by Hynde’s snarl and Chambers relentless beat.  This pattern continues, without letting up, demonstrating that despite the tragic circumstances, Hynde and The Pretenders were here to stay.  The closing of the first half of the album features their ability to work catchy melody with a rock backbeat as  “Show Me” finishes off what is a near perfect album side. If their ability to rock were in doubt at all then those doubts were erased when the bass groove of “My City Was Gone” begins. This song fits into the reflection Hynde put into her songwriting, recalling changes in her youth, her home state, and her recent personal life.  The album ends with what is likely the most misunderstood song of the album, the beautiful “2000 Miles”.  Its lyrics have often been misinterpreted as a holiday song due to the references to snow and Christmas.  But more examination reveals it is  written to lost bandmate Honeyman-Scott -

                        He’s gone 2000 miles

                        Its very far

                        The snow is falling down

                        Gets colder day by day

                        I miss you

Learning to Crawl is a clear example of triumph from tragedy, that commitment and desire will not be stopped in the search for something beautiful.   This album is the result of that search,  and its strength resonates over three decades later.