''The Pretender'' is the fourth album by the American singer-songwriter
Jackson Browne, released in 1976. It peaked at No. 5 on
''Billboard'''s album chart. The singles from the album were "
Here Come Those Tears Again", which reached No. 23, and "
The Pretender", which peaked at No. 58.
History
''The Pretender'' was released after the suicide of Browne's first wife, Phyllis Major, and one of the album's songs "
Here Come Those Tears Again" (co-written by Major's mother Nancy Farnsworth) is dedicated to her. The album has production by
Jon Landau
Jon Landau (born May 14, 1947) is an American music critic, manager, and record producer. He has worked with Bruce Springsteen in all three capacities. He is the head of the nominating committee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and rec ...
and a mixture of styles.
The title track was used in the 1995 film ''
Mr. Holland's Opus''.
The album was certified as a gold record in 1976 and platinum in 1977 by the
RIAA. It reached multi-platinum in 1997 and 2006.
The back cover of ''The Pretender'' shows
Pablo Neruda's poem Brown and Agile Child, translated by
Kenneth Rexroth, in its entirety.
Reception
''The Pretender'' was nominated for a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
in 1978, but did not win.
In his review for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
, William Ruhlmann was equivocal about the album, stating Browne "took a step back from the precipice so well defined on his first three albums, but doing so didn't seem to make him feel any better... The man who had delved so deeply into life's abyss on his earlier albums was in search of escape this time around."
In ''
The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', Marc Coleman wrote, "...even when his songwriting is sharp, the mellowing trend in his music dulls the impact. Browne eerily predicts the rise of the yuppie on ''The Pretender''s title track, only to have his point undercut by a creeping string section."
Music critic
Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
gave the album a B grade, but explained, "This is an impressive record, but a lot of the time I hate it; my grade is an average, not a judgment" and "The shallowness of his kitschy
doomsaying and sentimental sexism is well-known, but I'm disappointed as well in his depth of craft."
In 2012, the album was ranked number 391 on ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' magazine's list of
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
''The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll'' says, "Its sense of despair is derived in part from the suicide of his first wife, Phyllis, in 1976, two and a half years after the birth of their son, Ethan." The single "
Here Come Those Tears Again" was credited as co-written with Nancy Farnsworth, Phyllis Major's mother.
Track listing
All tracks are written by
Jackson Browne except where noted.
Side 1
#"The Fuse" – 5:50
#"Your Bright Baby Blues" – 6:05
#"Linda Paloma" – 4:06
#"
Here Come Those Tears Again" (Browne, Nancy Farnsworth) – 3:37
Side 2
#"The Only Child" – 3:43
#"Daddy's Tune" – 3:35
#"Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate" – 2:37
#"
The Pretender" – 5:53
Personnel
*
Jackson Browne – vocals, acoustic guitar (1, 2)
*
David Lindley –
slide guitar (1, 6), violin (5)
*
Leland Sklar – bass (1, 6, 7, 8)
*
Craig Doerge – acoustic piano (1, 6, 7, 8)
*
Russ Kunkel – drums (1)
*
Roy Bittan – acoustic piano (2)
*
Jim Gordon – drums (2, 4)
*
Bill Payne –
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated ...
(2), acoustic piano (4, 5)
*
Chuck Rainey
Charles Walter Rainey III (born June 17, 1940) is an American bass guitarist who has performed and recorded with many well-known acts, including Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Quincy Jones. Rainey is credited for playing bass on more than 1,0 ...
– bass (2, 5)
*
Lowell George
Lowell Thomas George (April 13, 1945 – June 29, 1979) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer, who was the primary guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and founder/leader for the rock band Little Feat.
Ear ...
– slide guitar (2), harmony vocals (2)
* Arthur Gerst –
harp (3), backing vocals (3), musical arrangements (3)
* Roberto Gutierrez –
guitarrón (3), violin (3), backing vocals (3)
* Luis Damian – acoustic guitar (3), backing vocals (3)
*
Michael Utley – Hammond organ (4)
*
John Hall – guitar solo (4)
*
Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar (4, 5, 7, 8), electric guitar (4, 7, 8), guitar left (6)
*
Bob Glaub – bass (4)
*
Albert Lee
Albert William Lee (born 21 December 1943) is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked, both in the studio and on tour, with many famous musicians from a wide range of genres. He has also mai ...
– electric guitar (5)
* Gary Coleman – percussion (5)
*
Jeff Porcaro
Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (; April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was an American drummer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his work with the rock band Toto but is one of the most recorded session musicians in history, working o ...
– drums (5–8)
*
Waddy Wachtel – guitar right (6)
*
Jim Horn
James Ronald Horn (born November 20, 1940) is an American saxophonist, woodwind player, and session musician.
Biography
Horn was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for ...
– saxophone (6), horn arrangements (6)
* Quitman Dennis – saxophone (6)
*
Dick Hyde – trombone (6)
*
Chuck Findley
Charles B. Findley (born December 13, 1947 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania) is an American trumpet player known for his diverse work as a session musician. He also plays other brass instruments such as flugelhorn and trombone. His technical abilities ...
– trumpet (6)
*
David Campbell – string arrangements (7, 8)
harmony vocals:
*
Rosemary Butler (4),
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...
(4)
*
Don Henley (5),
J. D. Souther (5)
*
David Crosby (8),
Graham Nash (8)
Production
* Producer – Jon Landau
* Engineers –
John Haeny
John Haeny is an American-born music producer, recording and mixing engineer, sound designer and academic. From the late 1960s through the late 1980s he recorded, mixed and produced hundreds of albums. He worked with a variety of artists across m ...
(Tracks 1, 2 & 4–8);
Greg Ladanyi (Track 3).
* Additional recording – Mark Howlett
* Assistant recording – Paul Black
* Mixing – Greg Ladanyi (Tracks 1–6 & 8);
Val Garay (Track 7).
* Mix assistant – Dennis Kirk (Tracks 1–6 & 8)
* Mixed at
The Sound Factory (Hollywood, CA).
* Mastered by
Bernie Grundman at
A&M Mastering Studios (Los Angeles, CA).
* Management – Mark Hammerman
* Art direction and design –
Gary Burden
Gary Burden (May 23, 1933 – March 7, 2018) was an American artist specializing in the field of album covers. He is considered one of the pioneers of the concept of album cover art.
Early life
Gary Burden was born on May 23, 1933, in Cleveland ...
* Back cover photo – Jackson Browne
* Front cover photo – Tom Kelley
* Other photography – Howard Burke, Peter Golden and Tony Lane.
* Liner notes –
Pablo Neruda and
Kenneth Rexroth
Charts
Album –
''Billboard'' (United States)
Singles – ''Billboard'' (United States)
Certifications
References
External links
Album onlineon
Radio3Net a radio channel of
Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pretender, The (Album)
Jackson Browne albums
1976 albums
Asylum Records albums
Albums arranged by David Campbell (composer)
Albums produced by Jon Landau
Albums recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders