Pretenders II
Pretenders II is the second album by the rock band The Pretenders. It was released in the Summer of 1981.
The success of the Pretenders' debut album in 1980 created a great demand for more material from the fledgling band, however a lack of songs precluded the quick release of a followup album; in the UK the band released two hit singles in 1980 and early 1981, "Message of Love", and "Talk of the Town". In the US, where standalone singles had become rare, these tracks were combined with three others for a stopgap EP release in Spring 1981. The full album, Pretenders II, was released a scant two months later, to mixed critical reception, partly because two of the better songs on the album had been previously released, and partly because many of the songs were viewed as overly-similar (though not quite as groundbreaking) to the band's debut. Nevertheless, several of the album's songs became hits and the album has increased in critical stature with time.
The album is notable for the inclusion of a cover of The Kinks' "I Go To Sleep" (they had covered that band's "Stop Your Sobbing" on their debut album and band leader Chrissie Hynde would have a personal relationship with Kinks' frontman Ray Davies), as well as the sexually-forward tunes "Bad Boys Get Spanked" and "The Adultress". Perhaps the album's most ambitious track, "Day After Day" spins a common second-album narrative of unaccustomed celebrity, with the band rushing from gig to gig, hotel to hotel, head-spun from the swiftness of it all. The song ends suddenly, mid-guitar-solo, with the sound of a crashing fighter plane.
The album would be the final release from the original lineup of the band, as shortly afterword the band would be fractured by the drug abuse that would take the life of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, leading to a long recording hiatus.
Except for "I Go to Sleep", all songs on the album were by Chrissie Hynde (Honeyman-Scott shared writing credits for "Pack It Up" and "Day After Day"; the album was produced by Chris Thomas, and the front cover was photographed by Gavin Cochrane.
Songlist
- "The Adultress"
- "Bad Boys Get Spanked"
- "A Message of Love"
- "I Go To Sleep"
- "Birds Of Paradise"
- "Talk Of The Town"
- "Pack It Up"
- "Waste Not Want Not"
- "Day After Day"
- "Jealous dog"
- "The English Roses"
- "Louie Louie"