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Break Up the Concrete | 
| Artist: The Pretenders
Label: Artist First
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $11.99
You Save: $6.99 (37%)
New (49) Used (12) Collectible (2) from $9.00
Rating:  34 reviews
Sales Rank: 171
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.3
MPN: 101009
UPC: 811771010095
EAN: 0811771010095
ASIN: B001CVCB94
Release Date: October 7, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Boots Of Chinese Plastic | | • | The Nothing Maker | | • | Don't Lose Faith In Me | | • | Don't Cut Your Hair | | • | Love's A Mystery | | • | The Last Ride | | • | Almost Perfect | | • | You Didn't Have To | | • | Rosalee | | • | Break Up The Concrete | | • | One Thing Never Changed |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Think of this long awaited studio album as if it were the first Pretenders record: musical turf that's defined by attitude, lyrical and melodic mastery, and the unexpected...and Chrissie Hynde's voice as you've always known it. "Break Up The Concrete" is an authentic slice of rock Americana, ranging from blistering punk to the most delicate storytelling as told by the queen of rock royalty herself.
Album Description
Think of this long awaited studio album as if it were the first Pretenders record: musical turf that's defined by attitude, lyrical and melodic mastery, and the unexpected...and Chrissie Hynde's voice as you've always known it. "Break Up The Concrete" is an authentic slice of rock Americana, ranging from blistering punk to the most delicate storytelling as told by the queen of rock royalty herself. WEA 2008.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 29 more reviews...
 The Pretenders - Break Up the Concrete January 5, 2009
D. EVELAND
This CD reminds me of earlier Pretenders, some really great songs here. Would recommend getting this CD.
 You're The Best Thing About Ohio January 5, 2009
Tim Brough (Springfield, PA United States)
Chrissie Hynde has basically been a solo artist since Viva el Amor!, dropping albums as The Pretenders with an assorted line-up of musicians, each of varying quality. I kind of stopped listening after "Viva," even though it had the terrific single "Human" on it. But when I read a column where Steven King called "Break Up The Concrete" his favorite album of 2008, I figured I'd try the free download of "Boots Of Chinese Plastic." br / br /That song kicked my butt. A rockabilly rave-up, it's a great Pretenders' song and I was hooked. "Break Up The Concrete" was in my player soon after. If you've been a fan, then you'll groove on this one; Chrissie has worked herself up one fine batch of songs and seems to have her ear on country music these days. There's pedal steel in "Love's A Mystery" and an almost Jordanaires harmony in "The Last Ride," along with the Sun Records sound of "Chinese Plastic." Maybe this return to roots is fueled by her return to her native Ohio (which she alludes to on "Almost Perfect"), and it may be why "Break Up the Concrete" seems the most heartfelt Pretenders album since Last of the Independents. br / br /There's also a delightfully Dylan-esque theme running through many of the lyrics, with "The Nothing Maker" and "One Thing Never Changed" getting the Nashville Skyline honors. There are so many reasons to be happy about this album that I am in some agreement with Mr King on this one. What makes "Break Up The Concrete" such a joy for me is that Chrissie seems to be making music for the joy of it again, be it the Bo Diddly bop of the title track or the beauty of "The Nothing Maker." All I can say is that I can heartily recommend this album to fans of The Pretenders or folks that have gotten into Lucinda Williams' Car Wheels on a Gravel Road or The Captain by Kasey Chambers.
This CONCRETE Showcases A Band That's Aging Like A Fine Adobe! December 26, 2008
Jef Fazekas (Newport Beach, California United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
When Chrissie Hynde made the comment a few years back that she might be ready to pack it in and retire from the rock scene, well, I was majorly bummed. As more and more of the artists that I've followed over the years seem to be taking longer between releases ~ if they're still recording at all! ~ the world of pop music has become increasingly alien to me. br / On top of that, I really liked The Pretenders' last album, 2002's LOOSE SCREW...while I would never say Hynde was mellowing, the disc brilliantly balanced aging with traditional rock spirit and attitude. br / Needless to say, I was thrilled earlier this year when Hynde announced that, in fact, she hadn't said everything she wanted to say, and was indeed ready to make another album. The result, the captivating BREAK UP THE CONCRETE, is a welcomed addition to an already sterling catalog. Full of trademark grooves and new, fresh sounds, Hynde dances between energetic rockers and thoughtful mid-tempo ballads. Yes, she's getting older, and she's doing it gracefully, but there's still a lot of fire left in her. But we'll discuss that more later...! br / Things kick off with "Boots Of Chinese Plastic", a retro raver that transports us back to 1979. Hynde's vocal is sultry, yet strong, the arrangement whip-smart....I wasn't nuts about this track upon my first few listens, but it has really grown on me. br / Much more of an instant hit for me was "The Nothing Maker." A hushed mid-tempo strummer, this beauty has it all...a gorgeous lead vocal, sublime instrumentation and great lyrics ("He doesn't make movies/To suit an audience's whim/He lives by a code/Known only to him/And he doesn't make money/To buy watches and cars/For there's no time and no place to go/For a man who has nothing to show"). One of Hynde's best compositions to date, this is a classic in the making, and would be a great single to boot! br / There's a blues-drenched vibe to "Don't Lose Faith In Me" that's absolutely infectious. Channeling her inner Etta James, Hynde delivers a smokingly sexy lead vocal. The whole track has such a classic feel to it that, upon my first listen, I just assumed it was a cover of a lost RB gem from the early-to-mid 60's. Another big winner! br / Not so strong is "Don't Cut Your Hair", a noisy mess. Hynde just comes across as trying too hard on this post-punk rocker, like she's trying to recapture her lost youth/a bygone era, and that is SO not Chrissie Hynde! The country inflections also come across as silly, condescending and phony. The disc's only real dud. br / Far better is "Love's A Mystery." Hynde's vocal just soars, wrapping around honest, straight forward lyrics ("Lovers of today/Aren't like lovers of the past/They used to find a way/To get a love affair to last/I saw him leaving/That's all I had to see"). Toss in Eric Heywood's lovely pedal steel guitar and you have a smooth slice of stunning pop perfection. br / "The Last Ride" is also strong, anchored by a killer lead vocal, Jim Keltner's ace drumming (Martin Chambers is definitely missed, but you can't get much better than Keltner!) and lead guitarist James Walbourne's turn on piano. Weaving in and out, providing a sturdy, yet shimmering, foundation for the cut, Walbourne's playing is smart, strong, supple and sophisticated. Brilliant! br / Another favorite track of mine is "Almost Perfect." With it's minimalist instrumentation and detached lead vocal, there's a sort of dissonance to the cut that just draws you in. The track totally stands out from everything else on the disc, creating it's own wonderful little world (And I REALLY like that little throat-clearing at the end...SO Hynde!). br / "You Didn't Have To" is another example of everything perfectly coming together. Hynde's sweet lead vocal, skillful guitars (both electric and acoustic), Heywood's pedal steel and Walbourne's atmospheric accordion (this guy's a keeper!) all blend together to form a track that's equal parts pure and purcolating. Yet another of the disc's high points! br / The same can't be said about "Rosalee"; if this were a movie, we would have to say Hynde was miscast. I could see Bonnie Raitt or Melissa Etheridge pulling this blues-rocker off, or maybe even someone as left field as Martha Davis, but it just seems calculated and insincere coming from Hynde. Even the playing feels slightly generic, resulting in one of the disc's few unauthentic moments. br / Things rebound with the bouncy title track. Edgy percussion, staccato guitars, distorted backing vocals...they all come together to support Hynde's assured, slightly smirking lead vocal. Toss in some pointedly political lyrics and you have a rarity in pop music today...a song that's fun, but still has something to say! br / The album ends on a strong note, with the poignant "One Thing Never Changed." Hynde's vocal is stunning, while the arrangement is understated and economical. br / All in all, BREAK UP THE CONCRETE is one of 2008's best albums, and leaves me wanting more from the Pretenders. Here's hoping Chrissie Hynde has been revitalized, and we'll get at least a few more albums out of her before there's any more talk of retirement. Along with such other elder stateswomen of rock and pop as Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Rosanne Cash, Stevie Nicks and Martha Davis, all of whom are currently doing some of the best work of their careers, this a voice that still needs to be heard! (As with all my reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star for including the lyrics). br /
 disapointed December 15, 2008
Richard Lion (st. louis,mo)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
had enjoyed her earlier work and this was a mistake in my believing her intensity in sharing believed feelings was still important
Another Chrissie Classic December 8, 2008
John Lynn Book
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
If you don't like this album, SHUT UP!!! br /Go play a Coldplay album or something. br / br /The End br / br /I'M A MOTHER! br /John L. Book br /Palm Springs, Ca.
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