Pretenders - Pretenders II [2 CD's][1981][2015][320 KBPS][DE]

Track Listings:

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Disc 1:

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01. The Adultress

02. Bad Boys Get Spanked

03. Message Of Love

04. I Go To Sleep

05. Birds Of Paradise

06. Talk Of The Town

07. Pack It Up

08. Waste Not Want Not

09. Day After Day

10. Jealous Dogs

11. The English Roses

12. Louie Louie



Disc 2:

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01. Talk Of The Town (Demo)

02. I Go To Sleep (Guitar Version)

03. Pack It Up (Radio Mix)

04. In The Sticks

05. What You Gonna Do About It

06. The Wait (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

07. The Adultress (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

08. Message Of Love (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

09. Louie Louie (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

10. Talk Of The Town (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

11. Birds Of Paradise (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

12. The English Roses (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

13. Up The Neck (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

14. Bad Boys Get Spanked (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

15. Stop Your Sobbing (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

16. Private Life (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

17. Kid (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

18. Day After Day (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

19. Brass In Pocket (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

20. Higher And Higher (Live At The Santa Monica Civic 1981)

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**320 KBPS CBR

**Cover Art

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The Pretenders are an English-American rock band formed in Hereford, England, in March 1978. The original band comprised initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Farndon (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Martin Chambers (drums, backing vocals, percussion). Following the drug-related deaths of Honeyman-Scott and Farndon, the band has experienced numerous subsequent personnel changes, with Hynde as the only consistent member, and Chambers returning after an absence of several years.

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Pretenders II is the second studio album by British rock band the Pretenders.



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 follow-up album. In the UK, the band released two hit singles in 1980 and early 1981: "Talk of the Town" and "Message of Love," respectively. In the US, where standalone singles had become rare, these tracks were combined with three others for a stopgap EP release called Extended Play, in March 1981. Their second 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 song "Louie, Louie" is an original composition and not a version of identically titled and often covered song by Richard Berry.



The album would be the final release from the original line-up of the band, as shortly afterwards the band would be fractured by the drug abuse that would take the life of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon, leading to a long recording hiatus.



Twenty years after its release, it was certified gold (500,000 sold) in 2001.



This is the first album to be released while their producer, Chris Thomas, was working with Elton John.



Rhino released a re-mastered edition of Pretenders II in 2006, including with it a second disc of live tracks and outtakes. On disc two, tracks 1–3, 5–6, 8–13, and 15 originally appeared as a Warner Bros. promotional live album, Pretenders Live at the Santa Monica Civic, from 1982. Tracks 4 and 7 appeared as b-sides to the single release of "I Go to Sleep". Tracks 14 and 16–18 are previously unreleased.



Specialist label Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs known as MFSL or MoFi released a re-mastered version in 2010. Using their in-house GAIN II process in the remastering process it is also presented in the Hybrid SACD format but omits any 5.1 option. Packaged in a high quality replica vinyl sleeve, this is for those demanding the absolute best in reproduction. The track listing however reverts to that of the original release i.e. no bonus tracks.

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Personnel:



Chrissie Hynde: rhythm guitar, lead vocals

Pete Farndon: bass guitar, backing vocals

Martin Chambers: drums, backing vocals

James Honeyman-Scott: lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals



Additional Personnel:



Chris Mercer: tenor saxophone

Henry Lowther: trumpet

Jim Wilson: trumpet

Geoff Bryant: French horn

Chris Thomas: sound effects