I have always felt that this was a well crafted and credible work from the Pretenders. But only lately has it dawned on me how incredibly well done "Last Of The Independents" really is.

Here you have the 2nd reincarnation of a great band. Chrissie Hynde has said in interviews that her strength lies in being able to bring out the best in her band mates. This is wholly in evidence here. The band here (and still the band 6 years on) are a polished, streamlined and cohesive rock unit.

When James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon died many people I am sure (myself among them) thought the Pretenders were finished. Just another great band who found out that going too far and staying alive coulden't bear the traffic. There were great songs which followed over the years and some weak ones as well. That all ends with "Last Of The Independents".

"Last Of The Independents" is remarkable for its variety, passion and as is always the case with Chrissie Hynde, a uniquely focused view of the modern world.

On the subject of variety, I have always felt that one of Chrissie Hynde's biggest attributes was her ability to rock as well as sing the slow soft ones when called to. Listen to "Money Talk" (my personal favorite on this album) and then listen to "Every Mother's Son" and then ask yourself if that was just the same person who sang (and wrote) both.

It has taken me almost 6 years to really appreciate how incredible "Last Of The Independents" really is. Sometimes great works take time to show their true worth.

Given the challenges Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders have faced over the years, it is amazing that they continue to create the fine body of work they do.

People might say that the best Pretenders music came in 1979 or 1980. Great as that music was (and is), Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders have evolved and survived to become one of the truly great rock bands of all time.

As Chrissie now approaches 50 years old, it seems like she is looking forward, not back, to her best days.

Buy this record.

Many Pretenders fans prefer their first, self-titled, album. In my opinion, "Last of the Independents" is by far their best album. Chrissie Hynde still has the cocky attitude from the first album, but this one is more melodic. While many of the group's other albums contain a couple of weaker filler songs, all the songs on this album are great. The song sequence is just right, with a perfect balance between the faster, energetic songs and the slower ones. It never gets dull. Chrissie Hynde's voice is as good as ever, seeming both confident and fragile at the same time. After several years, this remains one of my all time favorite albums.

This is the best Pretenders album that didn't come out in the `80s. This doesn't compare with those great classics but it's still well worth owning. Favorite tracks are "Night in My Veins", "Money Talk" with some great guitar by Adam Seymour, "Forever Young" which is one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs, and the hit "I'll Stand by You" which is simply a beautiful ballad that Chrissie's voice really shines on.

I think the reason why The Pretenders albums of today don't compare with the early stuff is the songwriting. The best songs on this CD were mostly written by Tom Kelley & Billy Steinberg (the same guys that wrote "True Colours" for Cyndi Lauper and "Alone" for Heart). But I still have hope that Chrissie Hynde has one more great album in her. She still has the voice.

After releasing 3 sensational albums, the Pretenders starting going downhill with Get Close and bottoming out with Packed. They (she) made a nice recovery with Last of the Independents. It is interesting how a group will release an album every year, but as they get older, the time between albums gets much longer. Packed was released in 1990 and this came out in 1994. The next Pretenders album (the poor Viva La Amor) wouldn't come out until 1999.

This is an album of very good songs, but nothing sensational. There aren't really any bad songs on the album (unlike Get Close, Packed or Viva La Amor). My least favorite song on this album is the one hit, I'll Stand By You.

The song writing is strong throughout, with many interesting ideas and phrasing, like Just Another Night in My Veins. The music is strong and rocks.

I would get this, and the first three (Pretenders, II and Learning to Crawl) and skip the rest, unless you really need your Hynde fix.

This is one majestic piece of music, easily in the band's top two or three albums. I agree with the notion that through this album, Chrissie indeed shows she can lead the group to great heights in spite of its tumultuous past. Her lyrics and music are biting, passionate and quite honestly rise above most of her contemporaries. What a rocking and groundbreaking sound! It has the ring of true, heartfelt rock n' roll in the way it should be played and experienced by the listener. If this was the only album the band ever put out, it would seal their status as one of the enduring and great acts in modern rock. Long Live The Pretenders!!!