Break Up the Concrete

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).

Break Up the Concrete
Studio album by
The Pretenders
Released7 October 2008
RecordedApril 2008
StudioSage And Sound Studios (Hollywood, California)
GenreAlternative rock
Length36:49
LabelShangri-La Music
ProducerThe Pretenders
The Pretenders chronology
Pirate Radio
(2006)		 Break Up the Concrete
(2008)		 Alone
(2016)

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
SourceRating
Metacritic74/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Billboard(favorable)[5]
Blender[6]
Entertainment WeeklyB[7]
Paste(8.6/10)[8]
Pitchfork(6.4/10)[9]
PopMatters[10]
Robert Christgau(2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention)[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

Break Up the Concrete track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)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"Robert Kidney4:14
10."Break Up the Concrete" 2:39
11."One Thing Never Changed" 3:46
Walmart bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."I Go to Sleep" (new version)Ray Davies2:55
13."Both Sides of Goodbye" (with Willie Nelson)
  • Jackson Leap
  • Kim Williams
4:03
iTunes Store bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Tequila" (new version) 2:34
13."Can't Help Falling in Love"
4:03
14."977" (new version; pre-order only track) 4:03
Best Buy bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Biker" (new version) 2:34
13."Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" (new version)
3:03

UK and Brazilian versions track listing

Disc one – The Best of Pretenders

All tracks are written by Chrissie Hynde, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Talk of the Town" Extended Play and Pretenders II (1981)3:16
2."Kid" Pretenders (1980)3:05
3."Back on the Chain Gang" Learning to Crawl (1984)3:53
4."Brass in Pocket"Hynde, James Honeyman-ScottPretenders3:04
5."Message of Love" Extended Play and Pretenders II3:28
6."Night in My Veins"Hynde, Tom Kelly, Billy SteinbergLast of the Independents (1994)3:17
7."Don't Get Me Wrong" Get Close (1986)3:48
8."Middle of the Road" Learning to Crawl (1984)4:15
9."I'll Stand by You"Hynde, Kelly, SteinbergLast of the Independents3:58
10."Stop Your Sobbing"Ray DaviesPretenders2:37
11."Hymn to Her"Meg KeeneGet Close4:32
12."Precious" Pretenders3:37
13."Thumbelina" Learning to Crawl3:19
14."Cuban Slide" Extended Play4:33
15."My City Was Gone" Learning to Crawl4:27
16."Day After Day"Hynde, Honeyman-ScottPretenders II4:03
17."I Go to Sleep"DaviesPretenders II2:57
18."Thin Line Between Love and Hate"Jackie Members, Richard Poindexter, Robert PoindexterLearning to Crawl3:41
19."Fools Must Die"Hynde, Adam SeymourLoose Screw (2002)2:36
20."Up the Neck" Pretenders4:22
21."2000 Miles" Learning to Crawl3:40
22."Tattooed Love Boys" Pretenders3:00

Disc two – Break Up the Concrete
No.TitleWriter(s)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"Robert Kidney4:14
10."Break Up the Concrete" 2:39
11."One Thing Never Changed" 3:46

Personnel

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

Certifications
Certifications for The Best Of/Break Up The Concrete
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] Gold 100,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  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.
  3. "Critic Reviews for Break Up The Concrete". Metacritic.
  4. Allmusic review
  5. "Billboard review". Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. Blender review Archived 7 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  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.{{cite web}}: 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.
  18. "British album certifications – Pretenders – The Best Of/Break Up The Concrete". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
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