Review: Chrissie Hynde Returns With A Host Of Pals On ‘Duets Special’

Chrissie Hynde has dropped her latest solo album – from a solo career I only recently became aware of (shame on me) – and this time she’s brought a bunch of “pals” to sing with her. The new album Duets Special follows her last solo disc Standing In The Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan and like that 2021 album, this one is comprised of all cover songs. I really enjoyed Standing In The Doorway, although I had one reader say and I quote, “I really like Chrissie but thought this album was total shite.” All opinions are welcome but this brings us to the crux of what a solo career is meant to be. If you expect a Hynde solo album to more of the same glorious rock n roll racket she makes with the Pretenders then you’re missing the point. Doing something solo is like skipping out on the day job to pursue something completely different, like say, unwinding from your sales gig to write a blog about rock music during mad fits of insomnia. In the case of Standing In The Doorway, that “something different” was an album of all acoustic Dylan covers. I’m on record as loving cover albums and Dylan covers, so I was all in. Covers songs are like a 2 for 1 down at the local bar. You hear a song you perhaps liked before in the original release which is conjured by the cover and it’s done by someone new, the proverbial “double whammy.” Everybody wins.

Duets Special is Hynde’s fifth solo album (depending on how you count) but have no fear, she’s not abandoning the Pretenders. She’s actually been able to maintain a low key solo career for the last decade or so. In that time she’s put out some great stuff with the Pretenders as well. While I was on the Pretenders’ bandwagon since middle school when I heard “Brass In Pocket” in study hall (they let the inmates, er I mean students, play music in there) after Learning To Crawl, I was sort of hit and miss on the Pretenders. I lost track of them (double shame on me). But with 2020’s great Hate For Sale, I was back on the bandwagon. My reborn fandom continued on 2023’s late career gem Relentless. Those were both the type of albums this blog was founded to extol. Earlier this year the Pretenders actually served up a great live album with the very Hynde-like title, Kick ‘Em Where It Hurts. 

Chrissie is one of my favorite female vocalist. And I think I included her on my list of favorite rhythm guitarists. I tend to gravitate to the solo career of any artist from a band I dig, and clearly, I dig the Pretenders, so I was up for whatever genre experiment she had in mind. Admittedly, I tend to recoil from duets albums, much like Christmas albums, they usually are a marketing stunt for an artist “in decline.” Although admittedly, B.B. King did a few duets albums toward the end that I liked – but then I’m on record for loving the blues, blues rock and rock stars singing the blues. I was pleasantly surprised that this duets album exceeded all my expectations. It’s actually quite a gem of a record. I love the pals she chose to sing with and she has exquisite taste in the covers she chose.

The album, like the last solo record, is a pretty laid back affair. It’s mostly Chrissie and her pals croony over lush arrangements with touches of pedal steel and acoustic guitars. There are a few songs on the album that kick up a little dust but for the most part, these are late night love song, or at least songs about love that hit home in those wee small hours. I wouldn’t call it a concept album, but it’s certainly in the neighborhood.

The album starts off with a bang with k.d. lang joining Chrissie for a bang up, lush cover of Billy Paul’s sordid tale of an extramarital affair, “Me and Mrs. Jones.” Having k.d. lang join turns this into a gender bending party. It’s all 70s swing and swagger. It certainly had me snapping my fingers and swinging my hips around, much to the visible horror of the Rock Chick. I love the original and this version does it proud. Smooth as finely aged whiskey…a nice Blanton’s. Hynde, always a fan of the King, does two songs made famous by Elvis. The first is with the late Mark Lanegan, one of my all time favorite songs by Elvis, “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” Hynde and Lanegan make a formidable duet pair. It’s gorgeous. It does beg the question, when was this recorded as Lanegan tragically passed in 2022? “Always On My Mind,” another Elvis gem features a stunning vocal turn with Rufus Wainwright. Wow, that one is a knockout. The song features a beautiful, plaintive pedal steel guitar.

Other highlights include a down and dirty, bluesy cover of the Stones’ “Sway,” with the wonderful Lucinda Williams. I love Stones covers. These ladies do the Stones proud. While she’s covering British Invasion bands, she also does a Beatles’ cover “It’s Only Love” with the son of original singer John Lennon, Julian Lennon. I didn’t know Julian was still around career-wise. They harmonize beautifully. There were some unexpected pairings that work very well. “Dolphins,” with Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan is a stunner. “First Of The Gang To Die,” a track I’m not familiar with, sung with Cat Power who I’m also not terribly familiar with, was another great track that actually breaks the laid back mood of the album and was a little rockier…a nice change of pace. “County Line” with Low’s Alan Sparhawk, whose track “Everybody’s Song” was recently covered by Robert Plant on his recent LP Saving Grace, is a stunningly beautiful ballad. It’s a real highlight, up there with “Me And Mrs. Jones.”

The album ends with two stunners, “Love Letters” with Shirley Manson of Garbage fame and “(You’re My) Soul And Inspiration” with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. When Shirley and Chrissie lock in on the harmonies on this fine country-ish track, it’s sheer goosebumps up and down the arms. Although the spoken word piece loses me a bit. The Auerbach duet is straight out of the 70s. These guys have worked together before (I think) and they should do it a lot more. I love that they take this ol’ soul nugget and turn it into an acoustic strummer that puts their vocals out front, where they belong. This is a real triumph. Again, it’s slightly marred by a spoken word passage but then the drums kick in and it’s all okay.

It’s great to sit back and listen to all these talented people laying back, having a blast and singing some rootsy, groovy tunes from days gone by. At this point in her career, I’ll follow Chrissie Hynde into whatever alley she wants to lead us down. There’s great music being made all around us, all we gotta do is listen. This one is a perfect, late night seduction album. Most of the tracks deal with love or love lost or perhaps forbidden love in that first track, but as my friend Alf used to say, “it’s all about love.” Definitely, give this one a spin!

Take care of yourself out there!

Cheers!