| The Pretender | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Jackson Browne | ||||
| Released | November 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 1976 The Sound Factory (Hollywood, California) |
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| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 35:07 | |||
| Label | Asylum | |||
| Producer | Jackson Browne, Jon Landau |
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| Jackson Browne chronology | ||||
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The Pretender is the fourth album by American singer/songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 1976 (see 1976 in music). It peaked at #5 on Billboard's album chart. The singles from the album were "Here Come Those Tears Again" which reached number 23 and "The Pretender" which peaked at number 58. It was ranked number 391 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
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The Pretender was released after the suicide of Browne's first wife, Phyllis Major. The album features production by Jon Landau and a mixture of styles.
The Pretender was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1978, but did not win. In 2003, the album was ranked number 391 on Rolling Stone 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, the mother of Browne's wife, after the untimely death of her daughter.
The title track was featured 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.[1]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [2] |
| Robert Christgau | (B) [3] |
| Rolling Stone | [4] |
In his review for Allmusic 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."[2]
Rolling Stone rated the album 5 of 5 stars but also 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."[4] Music critic Robert Christgau 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."[3]
All songs by Jackson Browne, except where noted
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Pop Albums | 5 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | "Here Come Those Tears Again" | Pop Singles | 23 |
| 1977 | "The Pretender" | Pop Singles | 58 |
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