Search - Pretenders :: Get Close

Play that funky music, white girl?

Douglas Phillips | 10/31/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first Pretenders album that is clearly a Chrissie Hynde album rather than a group effort. It even shows on the cover, the first where she's alone on the front with the band on the back, even showing the hierarchy - the lone musician kept on from the Learning to Crawl sessions gets the biggest picture. Somewhere in the tradition between blue-eyed soul and white rappers, Chrissie tries to get funky, and pulls it off with mixed results. Except for the fact that she doesn't stick to a single musical style for the entire CD, this is a bit like the series of Neil Young albums where he tries playing with various genres for fun - it might be interesting to hear him try to be a soul man, but in the end that's not his strength, and you want to hear Harvest or one of the CD's with Crazy Horse.My Baby is a nicely done soft love song not out of step with some of her earlier material. When I Change My Life is another gentle love song that's not as well-written. Light of the Moon is a poor attempt at funk with a musically dated sound. Dance! is an embarrassing attempt at a dance/protest song. There is some great material here, however. Tradition of Love is gorgeous in both melody and in the faux middle eastern singing style. Don't Get Me Wrong was the radio hit, a remarkably well-crafted pop song - Pretenders Lite. I heard enough of it in 1986 to last nearly a lifetime, but there's no denying it's a minor Chrissie classic. I Remember You is musically dated, has weak lyrics and I find the use of the synthesizer annoying, but this love song has a pretty melody. How Much Did You Get For Your Soul is bad in so many ways. Mind you, I'd be happy hearing Chrissie sing Sesame Street, but while some protest songs are timeless, this one is just old. A Sun City protest is a historical novelty now, and the funk doesn't work. Nor does hearing Chrissie Hynde chanting "who's got soul? super soul!"Chill Factor, on the other hand, is a strikingly beautiful song in which Chrissie captures the 60's style soul sound perfectly. She gets it just right here - Otis Redding couldn't have done it better. Hymn to Her is a gorgeous song too, an anthem, and a great Chrissie Hynde song (if not a great Pretenders song). Room Full of Mirrors is a mediocre Hendrix cover. The Pretenders pulled it off extremely well live - next to Precious, it was the highlight of the set I heard on the Get Close tour - but the version here doesn't do the song justice.Overall, this experiment with horns and synthesizers and funky bass isnt awful, and if you're in just the right mood, you may enjoy it. I do every few years, though I usually prefer the more typical Pretenders sound. I'm a bit surprised to read from a reviewer here that this is Chrissie's favorite album - perhaps that's the case, and she just gives the people what they want in concert, but I've never heard her cover more than a song or two from this album live. (To be fair, I haven't heard her in concert in several years). Even the Get Close tour, as I remember it, mostly featured material from Pretenders and Learning to Crawl. (Which would be smarter purchases than this CD if you don't have them). If you're a Pretenders collector and lack this album, you'll probably enjoy some of it. But, as others have written, be prepared to dislike some of it as well."

Uneven

Douglas Phillips | 11/04/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"From 1986, "Get Close" is one of the Pretender's most uneven album. Highlighted by sensational cuts such as "Don't Get Me Wrong," "Hymn to Her," "My Baby," "Chill Factor" and "When I Change My Life" rank with their best. Unfortunately "Dance," "How Much Did You Get For Your Soul" "Room Full Of Mirrors" etc. are little more than uninspired filler."

Weakest album since Pretenders II

Douglas Phillips | 10/23/1998

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Thank goodness for programmable CD players. Some of the songs on this album among the best that Chrissie Hynde has ever done: "My Baby," "Hymn To Her," "Don't Get Me Wrong," for example.On the other hand, to get to those gems, you'll have to put up with weak stuff like "Dance!," "How Much Did You Get For Your Soul?," "I Remember You," and the misguided cover of Hendrix's "Room Full Of Mirrors." Not only does that Hendrix tune sound completely out of place next to the rest of the songs, it proves once again why Hendrix tunes are so hard to cover effectively: Hendrix's mastery of the electric guitar just can't be duplicated."