The Pretenders' "Learning to Crawl": A Phoenix Rising from the Ashes
"Learning to Crawl," released in early 1984, marked a significant turning point for The Pretenders. Following a period of immense personal and professional upheaval, this album represented not only a comeback but also a profound evolution in the band's sound and songwriting. While many critics favor their debut album, "Pretenders," "Learning to Crawl" stands out due to its outstanding tracks and the sheer resilience it embodies.
A Band Forged in Tragedy
The journey to "Learning to Crawl" was fraught with tragedy. After their commercially disappointing second album, "Pretenders II," in 1981, the band faced a devastating crisis. Bassist Pete Farndon was fired due to his escalating heroin abuse, and just two days later, guitarist James Honeyman-Scott died of heart failure brought on by cocaine intolerance. Chrissie Hynde and drummer Martin Chambers were left to grapple with the loss of their bandmates and the future of The Pretenders.
In a 1984 interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Hynde reflected, “What else were we going to do? Stay at home and be miserable, or go into the studio and do what we dig and be miserable?” A month after Honeyman-Scott’s death, Hynde hired Big Country bassist Tony Butler and Rockpile guitarist Billy Bremner, along with Robbie McIntosh (who would go on to become the band’s lead guitarist) to record a new single “Back on the Chain Gang” along with its B-side “My City Was Gone”. The losses profoundly impacted Hynde, leading her to take a more active role in shaping the group's sound and compositional direction.
Rebuilding and Rebirth: The New Lineup
Hynde and Chambers decided to persevere, recruiting guitarist Robbie McIntosh and bassist Malcolm Foster as permanent members. This new lineup brought a fresh energy and perspective to The Pretenders, allowing Hynde to explore new sonic territories and delve deeper into her songwriting. In a sense, "Learning to Crawl" could also be a metaphor for The Pretenders regaining their footing as a band.
Themes of Loss, Resilience, and Social Commentary
"Learning to Crawl" is often interpreted as an album steeped in loss, but Hynde herself dismissed this notion in a 1984 Rolling Stone interview. She stated, “It’s just a collection of 10 measly songs. It’s not a real important deal. I hate this sort of romantic or sentimental take people have on it-you know, the tragic demise, the reawakening. It wasn’t like that at all. I even regret naming the album ‘Learning To Crawl’, because it just sounds pathetic."
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Regardless of Hynde's own perspective, the album undeniably grapples with themes of loss, resilience, and the complexities of modern life. Hynde's songwriting took on a social consciousness, reflecting her observations of the world around her and her concerns for the future. Her voice exuded confidence, and the production pulsed with forward-looking energy.
Standout Tracks: A Deep Dive
"Middle of the Road": The album explodes to life with this thundering opener, a straightforward rocker driven by a catchy chorus hook and Hynde's rapid-fire vocals. Martin Chambers' energetic drumming and Robbie McIntosh's solid lead solo contribute to the song's pulsating energy. The song seems rather simple on its surface but actually has a deeper underlying meaning interpreted from the Tao Te Ching. Hynde's harmonica lead at the end of the song completes the track, which reached the Top 20 in America.
"Back on the Chain Gang": This bittersweet anthem, released as a single in 1982, became one of The Pretenders' signature songs. With its jangly guitars, haunting lyrics, and Hynde's distinctive vocals, the song is at once uplifting and melancholy. Some say this song is at least in part about their late lead guitarist, James Honeyman-Scott, and I suppose the “I found a picture of you” line could be a reference. Hynde wrote "Back on the Chain Gang" as a tribute to Honeyman-Scott and dedicated it to him. The song was also written during her strained on-and-off relationship with Kinks front man Ray Davies and recorded when she was three months pregnant with their daughter. What gives the song its power is Chrissie Hynde’s ability to move beyond personal experience to universal experience, and feel with all of us who are “victims of the system” spending our lives in the grind, in the “circumstance beyond our control” that saps our energies and leaves us little time for the truly important things like love and friendship.
"Time the Avenger": This upbeat rocker features a relentless rhythm that mirrors the relentless march of time. Hynde's confident vocals and the band's tight musicianship create an exhilarating experience. Here Chrissie isn’t talking about her battle with age but the classic case of the middle-aged gent seeking to rediscover his youth between the legs of a younger paramour. Singing ahead of and behind the beats, Chrissie gives us a confident and varied lead vocal, flittering beautifully over the high-pressure feel of the music.
"Watching the Clothes": This frantic punk rock-infused track delves into the drudgery and resentment of a housewife trapped in a monotonous routine. Beneath the compliance, we find deep resentment towards the system (“I’ve been kissing ass, trying to keep it clean/Serving the middle class, yeah, it’s a clean routine”) and the self (“There goes my Saturday night, I go without a fight”). The driving energy of the piece highlights the tension between reality and desire as she tediously describes the entire wash-and-rinse cycle. Chrissie Hynde’s sense of modern society going down the toilet is colored by a clearly-expressed need for love as the antidote to a poisonous environment. The song ends and fades with a passionate desire to find love in the muck, and her vocal here is both heartfelt and sincere.
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"Show Me": A hopeful plea for love and humanity, this track features shimmery guitars and intricate musical touches. Hynde sings, “Welcome to the human race, with its wars, disease and brutality / You with your innocence and grace restore some pride and dignity to a world in decline.”
"Thumbelina": This road song, narrated by a woman who's escaped a lousy marriage, carries a country-rock flavor. This appears to be written about Hynde’s daughter, Natalie (fathered by Kinks’ leader Ray Davies). In fact, Hynde named the album “Learning to Crawl” because that’s exactly what her daughter was doing at the time.
"My City Was Gone": With its iconic bass riff (later infamously adopted by Rush Limbaugh), this song laments the destruction of traditional communities in the name of progress. The Ray Davies theme of preservation is applied to what passes for progress: the destruction of the nice old downtown shopping areas, the diaspora of family in the pursuit of wealth, farms turned into freeways and shopping malls themed to muzak. The band is exceptionally tight on this track, balancing bass and lead guitar bite with solid drumming from Martin Chambers. Chrissie delivers another knockout vocal, this one more restrained with a tone of head-shaking wonder.
"Thin Line Between Love and Hate": The album's only cover, this song explores the complexities of a troubled relationship. Former Squeeze member Paul Carrack plays piano on this track.
"I Hurt You": This track takes a pure new wave funk approach with multiple voices and vocal melodies and another driving, simple bass line. This song is most interesting at the very end with overdubbed, slightly strummed guitars and a cool lead by McIntosh.
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"2000 Miles": This flowing, melodic ballad serves as an ode to the late James Honeyman-Scott. Robbie McIntosh's delicate guitar work and Hynde's vulnerable vocals create a poignant and memorable conclusion to the album. The picture she paints with the lyrics is crystal clear: I can see her in a house full of Christmas revelers, but she is in another room, maybe her childhood bedroom, watching the snowfall and remembering James. She can hear people singing carols on a subliminal level, but what she is experiencing is the anguish of separation that the holidays often accentuate.
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