Break Up the Concrete

Break Up the Concrete
Break Up the Concrete
Studio album by The Pretenders
Released	7 October 2008
Recorded	April 2008
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	36:49
Label	Shangri-La Music
Producer	The Pretenders
The Pretenders chronology

Break Up the Concrete is the ninth studio album by rock group The Pretenders. It is their first studio album since Loose Screw in 2002. Several "exclusive" editions of the disc exist (see track listing below); each appends a new countrified version of a vintage Pretenders song, in keeping with the general sound of the album. The title song "Break Up the Concrete" was used in the opening scene of an episode of House M.D. ("5 to 9", season 6, episode 14).

The first edition of Break Up the Concrete also includes a small sheet of "handmade seed paper", which can be planted, and if cared for, promise to sprout within a few weeks. The cover art parodies the sleeve of fellow power-popper Joe Jackson's 1979 debut Look Sharp!

Break Up the Concrete was the first Pretenders album since 1994's Last of the Independents not to feature Martin Chambers on drums. In an interview, Chrissie Hynde said that she was looking for a different style, one she did not believe Chambers was capable of playing to her satisfaction. Session drummer Jim Keltner took his place in the studio, although Chambers would return for the tour in support of the album.

There were conflicting reports about Chambers' temporary ouster. Hynde claims that Keltner was actually recommended by Chambers and that he was fully aware of his replacement. Chambers, however, claimed in an interview that Hynde had not told him about being replaced by Keltner; in fact, he was unaware that an album was even being made until after the sessions were well underway.^[1] In a 2016 interview, Chambers said that he gave Hynde his blessing to record the album without him, citing his reluctance to record and Hynde's reluctance to compromise on songwriting and production.^[2]

Reception[]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	74/100^[3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[4]
Billboard	(favorable)^[6]
Blender	^[5]
Entertainment Weekly	B^[7]
Paste	(8.6/10)^[8]
Pitchfork	(6.4/10)^[9]
PopMatters	^[10]
Robert Christgau	^[11]
Rolling Stone	^[12]
Spin	(7/10)^[13]

The album has a score of 74 out of 100 from Metacritic based on "generally favorable reviews".^[3] Mojo gave the album four stars out of five and said that it was "looser and more organic, and a different sonic palette for Hynde."^[3] Q also gave it four stars out of five and said, "It's Hynde who steals the show with her lip-curling vibrato, part Elvis, part Dusty, never more intoxicating than on the seductive 'Almost Perfect.'"^[3] The Boston Globe gave it a positive review and said that the album "just might be [Hynde's] most congenial, and certainly rootsiest, collection yet."^[14]

Other reviews are average or mixed: Under the Radar gave the album six stars out of ten and said it had "a few throwaway tunes", but that it was "probably the best Pretenders album since Get Close."^[15] Uncut gave it three stars out of five and said that the album might be "a bargain... but the triumphs of yore tend to expose the new album's low-fi rockabilly and country strums."^[3] The Observer also gave it three stars out of five and said that Chrissie Hynde was "reinvestigating her roots with some rockabilly and a Dylan vibe."^[16] The Austin Chronicle, however, gave it two-and-a-half stars out of five and asked, "Why not take the five really good tracks... and offer a stellar EP for download?"^[17]

Track listing[]

All tracks are written by Chrissie Hynde, except where noted for bonus tracks.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Boots of Chinese Plastic"	2:31
2.	"The Nothing Maker"	3:58
3.	"Don't Lose Faith in Me"	2:45
4.	"Don't Cut Your Hair"	2:14
5.	"Love's a Mystery"	3:03
6.	"The Last Ride"	3:40
7.	"Almost Perfect"	4:48
8.	"You Didn't Have To"	3:09
9.	"Rosalee"	4:14
10.	"Break Up the Concrete"	2:39
11.	"One Thing Never Changed"	3:46

Wal-Mart edition bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"I Go to Sleep" (new version)	Ray Davies	2:55
13.	"Both Sides of Goodbye" (with Willie Nelson)	Jackson Leap Kim Williams	4:03

iTunes edition bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Tequila" (new version)		2:34
13.	"Can't Help Falling in Love"	Hugo Peretti Luigi Creatore George David Weiss	4:03
14.	"977" (new version; pre-order only track)		4:03

Best Buy bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Biker" (new version)		2:34
13.	"Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" (new version)	Hynde Billy Steinberg Tom Kelly	3:03

UK and Brazilian versions track listing[]

Disc 1 – The Best of Pretenders[]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Talk of the Town"	Hynde	3:16
2.	"Kid"	Hynde	3:05
3.	"Back on the Chain Gang"	Hynde	3:53
4.	"Brass in Pocket"	Hynde, James Honeyman-Scott	3:04
5.	"Message of Love"	Hynde	3:28
6.	"Night in My Veins"	Hynde, Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg	3:17
7.	"Don't Get Me Wrong"	Hynde	3:48
8.	"Middle of the Road"	Hynde	4:15
9.	"I'll Stand by You"	Hynde, Kelly, Steinberg	3:58
10.	"Stop Your Sobbing"	Ray Davies	2:37
11.	"Hymn to Her"	Meg Keene	4:32
12.	"Precious"	Hynde	3:37
13.	"Thumbelina"	Hynde	3:19
14.	"Cuban Slide"	Hynde	4:33
15.	"My City Was Gone"	Hynde	4:27
16.	"Day After Day"	Hynde, Scott	4:03
17.	"I Go to Sleep"	Davies	2:57
18.	"Thin Line Between Love and Hate"	Richard Poindexter, Robert Poindexter, Jackie Members	3:41
19.	"Fools Must Die"	Hynde, Adam Seymour	2:36
20.	"Up the Neck"	Hynde	4:22
21.	"2000 Miles"	Hynde	3:40
22.	"Tattooed Love Boys"	Hynde	3:00

Disc 2 – Break Up the Concrete[]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Boots of Chinese Plastic"	Hynde	2:31
2.	"The Nothing Maker"	Hynde	3:58
3.	"Don't Lose Faith in Me"	Hynde	2:45
4.	"Don't Cut Your Hair"	Hynde	2:14
5.	"Love's a Mystery"	Hynde	3:03
6.	"The Last Ride"	Hynde	3:40
7.	"Almost Perfect"	Hynde	4:48
8.	"You Didn't Have To"	Hynde	3:09
9.	"Rosalee"	Robert Kidney	4:14
10.	"Break Up the Concrete"	Hynde	2:39
11.	"One Thing Never Changed"	Hynde	3:46

Personnel[]

Chrissie Hynde – rhythm guitar, vocals
Eric Heywood – pedal steel guitar, background vocals
James Walbourne – guitar, piano, accordion, background vocals
Nick Wilkinson – bass guitar, background vocals
Jim Keltner – drums, background vocals

Charts[]

Break Up the Concrete debuted at number 32 on Billboard's album chart in the issue dated 25 October 2008 and it stayed on the chart for three weeks. The album was issued with a 'best of' in a double-disc edition in the UK and charted at number 35 on the UK Albums Chart.

Chart (2008)	Peak position
US Billboard 200	32
UK Albums Chart	35
US Digital Albums	18
US Alternative Albums	10
US Tastemaker Albums	7
US Top Rock Albums	12
US Independent Albums	2

In popular culture[]

"Boots of Chinese Plastic" was featured on the AMC television show Breaking Bad during Walt's "joyride" scene in episode 407, "Problem Dog".

"Break Up the Concrete" has been used in the FOX television show House M.D. during the first scene in episode 123, "5 to 9".

References[]

^ "NUVO News – Indianapolis, IN". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
^ "Pretenders drummer Martin Chambers on Chrissie Hynde, Live Aid and playing with a Beatle". Herefordshire Live. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Critic Reviews for Break Up The Concrete". Metacritic.
^ Allmusic review
^ Blender review Archived 7 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Billboard review". Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2008.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ "Break Up the Concrete - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com.
^ "The Pretenders: Break Up The Concrete". pastemagazine.com.
^ "The Pretenders". Pitchfork.
^ "The Pretenders: Break Up the Concrete". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
^ "Robert Christgau: CG: pretenders". robertchristgau.com.
^ "Rolling Stone review". Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2008.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ "The Pretenders, 'Break Up the Concrete' (Shangri-La)". Spin.
^ "Hynde gets to the roots". boston.com.
^ "Break Up The Concrete". undertheradarmag.com.
^ "CD: Pop review: The Pretenders, Best/Break Up the Concrete". The Guardian.
^ "Review: The Pretenders – Music – The Austin Chronicle". austinchronicle.com.

External links[]

Break Up the Concrete at Metacritic

[1] "NUVO News – Indianapolis, IN". Retrieved 19 September 2016.

[2] "Pretenders drummer Martin Chambers on Chrissie Hynde, Live Aid and playing with a Beatle". Herefordshire Live. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.

[meta-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Critic Reviews for Break Up The Concrete". Metacritic.

[4] Allmusic review

[5] Blender review Archived 7 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine

[6] "Billboard review". Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2008.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

[7] "Break Up the Concrete - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com.

[8] "The Pretenders: Break Up The Concrete". pastemagazine.com.

[9] "The Pretenders". Pitchfork.

[10] "The Pretenders: Break Up the Concrete". Retrieved 19 September 2016.

[11] "Robert Christgau: CG: pretenders". robertchristgau.com.

[12] "Rolling Stone review". Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2008.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

[13] "The Pretenders, 'Break Up the Concrete' (Shangri-La)". Spin.

[14] "Hynde gets to the roots". boston.com.

[15] "Break Up The Concrete". undertheradarmag.com.

[16] "CD: Pop review: The Pretenders, Best/Break Up the Concrete". The Guardian.

[17] "Review: The Pretenders – Music – The Austin Chronicle". austinchronicle.com.

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hide v t The Pretenders
Chrissie Hynde Martin Chambers Nick Wilkinson James Walbourne Eric Heywood Carwyn Ellis James Honeyman-Scott Pete Farndon Robbie McIntosh Malcolm Foster Blair Cunningham T. M. Stevens Johnny Marr Adam Seymour Andy Rourke
Studio albums	Pretenders Pretenders II Learning to Crawl Get Close Packed! Last of the Independents ¡Viva El Amor! Loose Screw Break Up the Concrete Alone Hate for Sale
Live albums	The Isle of View
Extended plays	Extended Play
Compilation albums	The Singles Greatest Hits Pirate Radio The Best of Pretenders
Songs	"Stop Your Sobbing" "Kid" "Brass in Pocket" "Precious" "Private Life" "Talk of the Town" "Message of Love" "I Go to Sleep" "Back on the Chain Gang" "My City Was Gone" "2000 Miles" "Middle of the Road" "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" "Don't Get Me Wrong" "Hymn to Her" "My Baby" "Where Has Everybody Gone?" "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" "I'm Not in Love" "I'll Stand by You" "Human"
Related articles	Discography Members John McKenzie