European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 1, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Wrong Chrissie Hynde May be a Mother but she s still a great pretender by David Bauder associated press critics can be found in the strangest places. Try the Back seat of Chrissie Hynde s a a a one evening this Spring. The pretenders Leader popped a working tape of her band s new album into the cassette deck of her car. She drove around London trying to decide if the running order of the songs made musical sense. Hynden a 5 and 7ryear-old daughters were in the Back seat. Suddenly a Small voice peeped up. Quot Mummy Quot her youngest daughter asked. Quot can we hear sense of purpose again a a a a a a a a smart kid. The longing for love Ballad is probably the Best song on packed the first new pretenders album since 1986, since the Early 1980 release of a debut pretenders album that has aged info a classic Hynde s life a and band a have changed considerably though her music Hasni to. Hynde is the Only constant in the pretenders. Over the years she s seen two band members die drug related deaths fired a drummer and seen another guitarist quit to join Paul Mccartney a band. A she insists the pretenders Are still a band although she and drummer Blair Cunningham Are currently the Only members. They re searching for a guitarist and Bass player in time for a tour of America expected to Start in late september. Hynde s two daughters Are aware of what their Mother does for a living but the car ride was the first time she remembered them reacting to her work. They usually listen to their Nanny a opera or classical recordings. Ticel like in a More humanitarian because of my relationship As a Mother Quot said Hynde who was in new York. Recently for a publicity tour. Quot when i walk through Central Park i want to be seen in the Community As a Mother. I Don t want to be seen As a celebrity or d show business a her children Are the product of relationships with musicians Ray Davis of the kinks and Jim Kerr of . She married Kerr but they re now separated. Motherhood has t softened the outspoken woman. Just ask her opinion about the nations drug War. More about that later. A but the differences in her life have obviously changed her approach to work. It s the chief reason for the four year Gap Between pretenders albums. Quot since in be been in the hotel the past week i Wake up at 6 of clock in the morning and the first thing i do is reach for a guitar a Hynde said. Quot i Haven to done that for years when i m Home the first thing j do is go downstairs and turn the television off and get breakfast together for the kids a a packed is a combination of hard nosed rockers such As hold a Candle to this and downtown Akron and such ballads As let s make a pact and when will i see you. In spots it sounds eerily like the first pretenders album a too much so for some critics tastes who be cited the Mournful first single never do that As a close Cousin to 1983 s Back on the Chain gang that s of Hynde said let them All talk. Quot they re allowed to say whatever they want Quot she said. Quot if that s How they that s How they , Fine. I use the same five chords rearrange them talk about different things and have different melodies i Don t consciously think of no this sounds too much like something else a a athe album contains Hynde s second song about her Hometown of Akron Ohio. The first my City was gone bemoans Akron a economic slump. Downtown is about How the 1980s mall culture affected the City. The critical Eye she displays in he songs does t Lessen her feelings for Akron. She said she had a great time in her most recent visit. Hynde even toyed with the idea of buying a House where she used to live in the Early 1970s, but was sidetracked when she got Back to London a that visit also taught the 37-year-old Hynde an Art student at Kent Stata University at the time of Vietnam War demonstrations How things have changed in the country she left in the mid-1970s. 1 Quot when i went to my High school reunion and tried to Roll a joint half the room turned into my parents Quot she said and she a angry about the Quot right Wing Fern or that has lumped marijuana use with harder drugs As criminal behaviour. Quot As far As in a concerned i Reserve the right to smoke a Herb that grows in the ground Quot she said. Quot i Don t drink. I done to smoke cigarettes. I Don t take any drugs i m completely vegetarian. I Lead a Nice clean easy life and done to cause any trouble. The fact that i m automatically of a criminal status because i smoke pot Quot her voice trailed off. Hynden a musical career took shape in London s Fertile Punk Shefte during the late 1970s. These Days she s found planning a tour is a lot More complicated than piling everyone into a Van. Hynde May be the first Rocker whose work schedule May be governed by her Nanny. Quot my Nanny a in school training to be a dance therapist for deaf children Quot she said. Quot i am sort of planning my career around her schedule because i like her. She a part of the family and its important to have a secure a a motherhood has changed pretenders Leader Chrissie Hynde s approach to work but it has t softened the outspoken Moody blues by Nestor Aparicio Baltimore evening Sun j Ustyn Hayward knows the attention Span of the american music audience tends to be \ Short. So without a new album and without record company support Hayward and the rest of his British band the Moody blues believed it was Lime to return to the United states and perform for a few weeks Quot we be been two years already Between albums and we did no to go on the Road at All last year so we Felt like three years away would have been too much Quot Hayward said in a recent Telephone interview while rehearsing for the tour in Atlanta Quot we did t want to be neglectful of America because we have great fans Here. It seems you have to keep the name alive so a a people wont forget. A 4 a a the one problem we be had is knowing what songs to include in the show Quot he added. Quot we have five new songs written for the next album which will be released Early next year. But we did t find time to rehearse them because we went to Seattle to play at the opening ceremonies for the Goodwill games. I suppose Well get a few of them into the show Hayward said that despite the hiatus from the band s touring and recording he has been quite Busy for the past 24 months he recorded a classical album London philharmonic called classic Blue which was released solely in Europe. He was also invited to contribute to some bbl programming. Quot that was great fun Quot Hayward said. Quot i guess the producers of the television shows Are about my Ace 43 now a and they grew up with the Moody blues music. Along with Tony Visconti who helped produce our last album we did some things for this Sci i series a about an intergalactic police Force. It was sort of like Star cops actually it looked More like the old drive a to episodes Quot but Hayward said that going away from the band for a period of time always Means hell bring More Back when it comes together again. Quot the Moody blues has always been no. 1 for me Quot he said but in order to get satisfaction working with the band i have to experience working with others As Well. Whatever we do outside brings a freshness when we return. Besides no matter what you do people always mention the band Hayward assures that the new songs done to Crift too far from the natural goodies sound which is usually described As dreamy or orchestral Rock. Quot its funny How we be Kepi this style that we developed so Long ago Quot said Hayward who has been playing with the band since 1968. Quot but we be never had pressure from anyone to do it a certain Way. Even if we did we always managed to do it our Way. But the Moody blues have never belonged to any fashion or style Quot he added. Quot people have found he Moody blues on their own there has never been a 00d7 week where we were the biggest thing Quot on Earth i think that s helped us maintain our j popularity More than anything. The fans always seem to come Back.1. Page 16 the stars and stripes wednesday August 1, 1990
