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 A Mystery 	3:02
6 	The Last Ride 	3:41
7 	Almost Perfect 	4:48
8 	You Didn't Have To 	3:10
9 	Rosalee		4:15
10 	Break Up The Concrete 	2:41
11 	One Thing Never Changed	3:44

    Jim Keltner – drums, background vocals
    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

Break Up the Concrete is the first Pretenders album since 1990s Packed! where Chrissie Hynde wrote almost every song on the album on her own, but unlike the generally listless Packed!, Break Up the Concrete is an effective rebirth for Hynde, a reconnection to her roots undoubtedly effected by her return to her native Ohio. This may be a stripped-down record carrying echoes of the Pretenders past, but this is hardly a conscious re-creation of the group's first two records, as it lacks any of the stylish guitar colorings of James Honeyman-Scott, and the group's early hard rock swagger has been swapped out for a frenetic rockabilly bop, as infectious on the barrel-headed boogie "Don't Cut Your Hair" and Bo Diddley romp of the title track as it is on the ingenious Dylan send-up "Boots of Chinese Plastic." Hynde's revived rockabilly roll finds a comfortable pairing in the easy county-rock vibe of her ballads, of which there are far more of than there are rockers here. This emphasis on rockabilly and country-rock gives Break Up the Concrete a bit of an Americana feel -- something enhanced by the gently murmuring accordion on "You Didn't Have To," which otherwise is a cousin to the sighing pop of "Kid" -- but this doesn't necessarily feel like a departure for Hynde: it just feels like a lively, deeply felt Pretenders album, one that has better songs and better performances than usual. --- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com

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Side one

1.    "Precious" – 3:36
2.    "The Phone Call" – 2:29
3.    "Up the Neck" – 4:27
4.    "Tattooed Love Boys" – 2:59
5.    "Space Invader" (Pete Farndon, James Honeyman-Scott) – 3:26
6.    "The Wait" (Hynde, Farndon) – 3:35
7.    "Stop Your Sobbing" (Ray Davies) – 2:38

Side two

8.    "Kid" – 3:06
9.    "Private Life" – 6:25
10.    "Brass in Pocket" (Honeyman-Scott, Hynde) – 3:04
11.    "Lovers of Today" – 5:51
12.    "Mystery Achievement" – 5:23

Musicians:
    Martin Chambers – drums, backing vocals
    Pete Farndon – bass guitar, backing vocals
    James Honeyman-Scott – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
    Chrissie Hynde – rhythm guitar, lead vocals
+
    Fred Berk – bass guitar
    Geoff Bryant – horn
    Henry Lowther – trumpet
    Gerry Mackelduff – drums
    Chris Mercer – saxophone
    Nigel Pegrum – drums
    Chris Thomas – keyboards, sound effects, production
    Jim Wilson – trumpet

Few rock & roll records rock as hard or with as much originality as the Pretenders' eponymous debut album. A sleek, stylish fusion of Stonesy rock & roll, new wave pop, and pure punk aggression, Pretenders is teeming with sharp hooks and a viciously cool attitude. Although Chrissie Hynde establishes herself as a forceful and distinctively feminine songwriter, the record isn't a singer/songwriter's tour de force -- it's a rock & roll album, powered by a unique and aggressive band. Guitarist James Honeyman-Scott never plays conventional riffs or leads, and his phased, treated guitar gives new dimension to the pounding rhythms of "Precious," "Tattooed Love Boys," "Up the Neck," and "The Wait," as well as the more measured pop of "Kid," "Brass in Pocket," and "Mystery Achievement." He provides the perfect backing for Hynde and her tough, sexy swagger. Hynde doesn't fit into any conventional female rock stereotype, and neither do her songs, alternately displaying a steely exterior or a disarming emotional vulnerability. It's a deep, rewarding record, whose primary virtue is its sheer energy. Pretenders moves faster and harder than most rock records, delivering an endless series of melodies, hooks, and infectious rhythms in its 12 songs. Few albums, let alone debuts, are ever this astonishingly addictive. --- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com

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CD 1: The Best of

01. Talk of The Town 
02. Kid 
03. Back on The Chain Gang 
04. Brass in Pocket 
05. Message of Love 
06. Night in My Veins 
07. Don’t Get Me Wrong 
08. Middle of The Road 
09. I’ll Stand By You 
10. Stop You Sobbing 
11. Hymn to Her 
12. Precious 
13. Thumbelina 
14. Cuban Slide 
15. My City Was Gone 
16. Day After Day 
17. I Go To Sleep 
18. Thin Line Between Love And Hate 
19. Fools Must Die 
20. Up The Neck 
21. Miles 
22. Tattooed Love Boys

CD 2: Break Up the Concrete

01. Boots of Chinese Plastic 
02. The Nothing Maker 
03. Don’t Lose Faith In Me
04. Don’t Cut Your Hair 
05. Love’s A Mystery 
06. The Last Ride 
07. Almost Perfect 
08. You Didn’t Have To 
09. Rosalee 
10. Break Up The Concrete 
11. One Thing Never Changed

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

Playing with a new Pretenders (on album at least), Chrissie Hynde is in fiery, fiery form on this, the group’s ninth album. Released in the US late last year, it marked their return to the Top 40 for the first time in over 20 years. And it is easy to hear why. In many respects, it's as good as their first two albums.

With regular Pretenders James Walbourne on guitar and Nick Wilkinson on bass, Hynde is here augmented by Eric Heywood on pedal steel, and, replacing long serving Martin Chambers for this album only, drum legend Jim Keltner. Session drummer Keltner, who’s played with everyone from John Lennon to Steely Dan, adds bite to the record with flawless, earthy playing.

There is no respite here. We are for a 36-minute old-fashioned ride. Classic rockabilly and with touches of Tex-Mex abound, and the Bo Diddley beat is dusted down and showcased.

But this is no hoary self-tribute. Hynde’s forever acerbic, poignant and witty lyrics, combined with her unique voice make this sound positively modern. Almost Perfect, with killer lines “a lady who has two black eyes is not the best one to advise, she’s already been told twice” and “employed, illegal, you’re a whole film by Don Siegal” is a fine example of this.

The no-nonsense rockabilly of opener Boots Of Chinese Plastic, has all the rush of the late 70s power pop coursing through it, with a great chorus (“By the way you look fantastic/in your boots of Chinese plastic”). It is 2:31 of top quality stupidity that sets the tone for the next 10 tracks. The touching You Didn’t Have To evokes Kid; Don’t Lose Faith In Me, has a soulful, gospel influence.

Taking few chances, Breaking Up The Concrete has been coupled with a 22-track Best Of, making it even more desirable. Shimmering pop like Brass In Pocket or I’ll Stand By You need little introduction, but to hear them again is akin to very good friends returning from afar. ---Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk

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