[1] The back cover of The Pretender shows Pablo Neruda's poem Brown and Agile Child, translated by Kenneth Rexroth, in its entirety.

Record World said that "Browne's tender concerns are as insightfully expressed as has become the norm, Jon Landau's production adding a subtle broadening of the rock base" and said that "'The Fuse,' 'The Pretender,' 'Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate' and 'The Only Child' are particularly moving and beautifully arranged.

"[2] In The Rolling Stone Album Guide, Marc Coleman 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.