The Feminine Mystique, Rock 'N'Roll Style
287. Pretenders "Kid"
With the advent of punk and post-punk rock, female musicians rushed into the popular consciousness like never before. Among them was Chrissie Hynde, a woman from Ohio who traveled to England and hooked up with a couple of hardened rock and roll yobbos and formed the Pretenders.
At first glance, Hynde with her leather jacket and kohl-rimmed eyes could be mistaken for another rendition on the rock cliche of the vulnerable tough girl, albeit a rendition of a very high order. Her songs showed that Chrissie was much more than a post-Pistols Suzi Quatro. Songs like "Talk Of The Town," "Tattooed Love Boys" and "Kid," a great rock and roll song about...parenthood?
Yup, parenthood. And I'm not talking "You're Having My Baby," here. This song reflects the whole stew of emotions a parent must feel: anxiety, joy, devotion, angst. The band gives the song the performance it deserves. James Honeyman-Scott and Hynde's guitars alternately shimmer and thud. Martin Chambers and Pete Farndon's crack rhythms propel the song along. For rock and roll in 1980, this was uncharted territory, and they explored it beautifully.
With the advent of punk and post-punk rock, female musicians rushed into the popular consciousness like never before. Among them was Chrissie Hynde, a woman from Ohio who traveled to England and hooked up with a couple of hardened rock and roll yobbos and formed the Pretenders.
At first glance, Hynde with her leather jacket and kohl-rimmed eyes could be mistaken for another rendition on the rock cliche of the vulnerable tough girl, albeit a rendition of a very high order. Her songs showed that Chrissie was much more than a post-Pistols Suzi Quatro. Songs like "Talk Of The Town," "Tattooed Love Boys" and "Kid," a great rock and roll song about...parenthood?
Yup, parenthood. And I'm not talking "You're Having My Baby," here. This song reflects the whole stew of emotions a parent must feel: anxiety, joy, devotion, angst. The band gives the song the performance it deserves. James Honeyman-Scott and Hynde's guitars alternately shimmer and thud. Martin Chambers and Pete Farndon's crack rhythms propel the song along. For rock and roll in 1980, this was uncharted territory, and they explored it beautifully.
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