Celebrating Women's History Month 2020
'Reckless' by Chrissie Hynde
5 / 5 Stars
Here at the PorPor Books Blog, we celebrate Women's History Month by reviewing a book - fiction or nonfiction - that tells a story about a Woman or Women (or Womyn, if you prefer).
For Women's History Month 2020, we are reviewing 'Reckless: My Life As A Pretender' (324 pp) was published in hardbound by Random House in 2015.
For Women's History Month 2020, we are reviewing 'Reckless: My Life As A Pretender' (324 pp) was published in hardbound by Random House in 2015.
Chrissie Hynde is of course best known as the founder and lead singer of the Punk / New Wave band 'The Pretenders'.
'Reckless' starts off, logically enough for an autobiography, with the birth of Chris Hynde in September 1951 in Akron, Ohio. Hynde relates growing up in Akron and other Ohio cities as a Baby Boomer who loved horses, and, as she grew older, rock n' roll.
With her graduation from high school in 1969, and her subsequent enrollment at Kent State University, Hynde's love for rock, when combined with the sociocultural ferment of the late 60s, kicked off the long journey that would see her becoming a 'punk', a singer, a guitarist, and the leader of a band.
These chapters of the book offer an engaging account of this period in American society (I won't give away spoilers, save to say that Hynde Was There at the Kent State Shooting on May 4, 1970).
Baby Boomers are going to recognize - and even submerge in nostalgia - when reading about Hynde's experiences during this period of time. Her references to Zap Comics, S. Slay Wilson (Hynde bestowed the name 'Star-Eyed Stella' on a friend), Quaaludes, and polyester shag carpets call to mind the time and place as well as any 70s memoirist.
And Hynde discloses some gems of pop culture that I was unfamiliar with, among them the Hallelujah The Pill ! poster - ?!
It's during these middle chapters that the implications of the title 'Reckless' come into play. Hynde relates how her embrace of the counterculture during the early 70s often led her to do things that, nowadays, would give Helicopter Parents, and sexual assault counselors, white hair. Again, I don't want to disclose spoilers, but Hynde makes clear that the inspiration for the classic Pretenders song 'Tattooed Love Boys' came from an unforgettable night spent in the company of some bikers:
'SHUT UP OR YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE SOME PLASTIC SURGEON RICH !'
Readers will have to draw their own conclusions about the controversy that enveloped Hynde in 2015 with the publication of 'Reckless', and her remarks in a Sunday Times interview about rape and responsibility. However, Hynde points out that she suffered from depression in her younger days, which undoubtedly played a role in some of her actions during that time:
"...........if you go into the club house of the world’s most notorious bikers, it’s not going to be for a Bible reading," she tells The [Washington] Post.
The final third of 'Reckless' starts with Hynde travelling to Britain in 1973; from her perspective as an 'outsider', she offers amusing insights into the British way of life. Over the next six years Hynde drifted from one job to another, while she became a member of the emerging punk rock scene. There are lots of insider anecdotes about such famous figures as the members of the Sex Pistols and The Clash.
Hynde describes how her ambition to be in a rock band came to reality (after many false starts) in 1979, when The Pretenders were formed. She details the pivotal role of lead guitarist James Honeyman Scott in the band's 'sound' and success, something that, as a Pretenders fan, I was not truly aware of.
The closing chapters of 'Reckless' cover the years 1980 - 1983, and the deaths of both Honeyman Scott and Pete Farndon. This is where the book gets a bit disappointing; the reformation of the band following the deaths of two of its members, and the success of the 1984 album 'Learning to Crawl' (as well as all subsequent Pretenders accomplishments) don't get covered (in interviews done at the time 'Reckless' was released, Hynde stated that she considered the interval between the albums 'Pretenders II' and 'Learning to Crawl' to be the stopping point for the book).
Summing up, if you are interested in The Pretenders; the pop culture and sociology of America and Britain in the 1970s; or the early days of the punk rock movement, then you will find 'Reckless' a quick and engaging read.
With her graduation from high school in 1969, and her subsequent enrollment at Kent State University, Hynde's love for rock, when combined with the sociocultural ferment of the late 60s, kicked off the long journey that would see her becoming a 'punk', a singer, a guitarist, and the leader of a band.
These chapters of the book offer an engaging account of this period in American society (I won't give away spoilers, save to say that Hynde Was There at the Kent State Shooting on May 4, 1970).
Baby Boomers are going to recognize - and even submerge in nostalgia - when reading about Hynde's experiences during this period of time. Her references to Zap Comics, S. Slay Wilson (Hynde bestowed the name 'Star-Eyed Stella' on a friend), Quaaludes, and polyester shag carpets call to mind the time and place as well as any 70s memoirist.
And Hynde discloses some gems of pop culture that I was unfamiliar with, among them the Hallelujah The Pill ! poster - ?!
'SHUT UP OR YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE SOME PLASTIC SURGEON RICH !'
Readers will have to draw their own conclusions about the controversy that enveloped Hynde in 2015 with the publication of 'Reckless', and her remarks in a Sunday Times interview about rape and responsibility. However, Hynde points out that she suffered from depression in her younger days, which undoubtedly played a role in some of her actions during that time:
"...........if you go into the club house of the world’s most notorious bikers, it’s not going to be for a Bible reading," she tells The [Washington] Post.
The final third of 'Reckless' starts with Hynde travelling to Britain in 1973; from her perspective as an 'outsider', she offers amusing insights into the British way of life. Over the next six years Hynde drifted from one job to another, while she became a member of the emerging punk rock scene. There are lots of insider anecdotes about such famous figures as the members of the Sex Pistols and The Clash.
The closing chapters of 'Reckless' cover the years 1980 - 1983, and the deaths of both Honeyman Scott and Pete Farndon. This is where the book gets a bit disappointing; the reformation of the band following the deaths of two of its members, and the success of the 1984 album 'Learning to Crawl' (as well as all subsequent Pretenders accomplishments) don't get covered (in interviews done at the time 'Reckless' was released, Hynde stated that she considered the interval between the albums 'Pretenders II' and 'Learning to Crawl' to be the stopping point for the book).
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