Members present: Swedish Oxers, Cuban Pete, Plan B, Charlie Face, Consigliere, MMM
Members absent: ILoveDisco, William A. Rawls
Favorite song: “Back on the Chain Gang”
Discussed: Unanimous AC love for Chrissie Hynde; album’s accessible, straightforward, traditional American sound; Hynde as one of the few musically talented members (and few women) of the McLaren/Westwood scene; diversity of the music (punk, rock, romantic); best of the 80s sound, but in a good way, not kitschy; small number of bands with a woman as chief creative member; honesty of the album, with meaningful, hardcore lyrics; Hynde as a unique figure, bringing something new to the scene, including an uncompromising sexuality; flexibility of the underrated and instantly recognizable voice; album coming off losses of two original members — band starting again with this album; is Hynde really a solo act?; Hynde’s endurance, popular far after punk ended and still making relevant music; huge commercial success of band; familiarity of many of the album’s songs; Rush Limbaugh’s appropriation of “My City Was Gone”; Hynde’s balancing of tough, punk stance and newfound motherhood, always without sentimentality
Next album, courtesy of Ms Mistoffeles: Hounds of Love, Kate Bush (1985)
