http://www.nme.com/news/pretenders/38401



Pretenders announce innovative release of new album

Jul 23, 2008

The Pretenders have announced that they will release their forthcoming album in a unique way this autumn.

The veteran rockers' first album in six years is called 'Break Up The Concrete' and will be released in the US on September 23 via Shangri-La Music.

However, starting today (July 23), the label is giving away a new free track each week leading up to the album's release. Today's song is 'Boots Of Chinese Plastic', which is available through AOL's http://www.spinner.com.

In subsequent weeks, fans can find out where to download the next free MP3 by visiting the band's website.

Chrissie Hynde and company recorded 'Break Up The Concrete' in just 10 days and are calling it a "stripped-down roots album".

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Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CVCB94/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon Canada
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B001CVCB94/?tag=imwanca-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001CVCB94/?tag=imwan-21

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. [title]Break Up The Concrete[/title] 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.

Tracklist
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

Hope they tour behind it. I had a ticket to see them some years ago, but forgot to go! Aaarrggh!

Just don't wear a baseball cap to the show, Goog. Rumor has it that Chrissie Hynde will call you filthy names if she catches you in one.

The first track is "Boots of Chinese Plastic"? Some kind of takeoff/update of "Boots of Spanish Leather"?

"forgot to go"????????????

goog,

the imagine rainbow.

forget to go.

hmmmmmm

renny

Here is the cover art--



Hear the new track "Boots Of Chinese Plastic" here:
http://www.spinner.com/2008/07/22/prete ... c-free-mp3

Pretenders website:
http://www.thepretenders.com

It should be noted that Shangri-La is releasing the VINYL on September 23. The CD version will follow some time in October.

The listing for the vinyl version is now up at Amazon, scheduled for release September 23rd as you said:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CVCAYK/?tag=imwan-20

But Amazon has also updated their listing page for the CD (see full tracklisting and large cover image in the first post), and it's also showing as a September 23rd release.

Anybody know anything about the Shangri-La label? Who distributes it, any other noteworthy artists, new label or established-indie, etc?

Only other Shangri-La label band I'm aware of is The Duke Spirit:

http://www.imwan.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=26405

Bump: the release of the Break Up The Concrete CD has now been pushed back to October 7th. (Rock'n'Roll Elitist was right all along. )

A newspaper article today in the Boston area called this a "Country Album".

The great Mr. Jeff Ayeroff (remember... my idols are the industry movers, not the artists) will be hosting a private party Sunday at Shangri-La's new digs on Sunset (the old Geffen building). Chrissie & Co. will play the new album in its entirety. But the great news for the fans without credentials is the Pretenders will also perform a complete unannounced show at Amoeba this coming Monday with many special guests planned (can't give out names, but one gentleman's initials are "T.P."). If this will be anything like when McCartney played in the store, it's sure to be sensational. If yer here in Hollywood or the surrounding communities, be sure to switch your "Amoeba Run" day to Monday!

Actually, this show was listed in the Amoeba ad in the LA Weekly, so it has now been announced.
Expect a large turnout for this.

Right you are, Dean - a late change I overlooked. Will you be there? Always great to meet fellow ICE'rs. First round's on me at the Cat & Fiddle!

P.S. Don't forget the Jackson Browne in-store performance on 10/7.

It depends on how early I can get off work.
I'll PM you if I'm going to go.

Bump: added finalised tracklisting to the first post. Amazon is showing 11 tracks now, which is one more than the 10 they'd been showing for weeks. There's discussion in the Flyers thread today about different stores getting exclusive bonus tracks for this album ~ does Amazon's version include anything unique or was the album always supposed to contain 11 tracks?

I got an early copy at 'Rama on Friday. It does have 11 tracks, matching the lineup in the first post. No BBuy bonus tracks though.

It does come with a "First Edition" obi which is really a seed strip. "Soak this handmade seed paper in water overnight and plant under a thin layer of soil. Keep moist. Seedlings may sprout in 1-4 weeks." Seems like they're taking this "break up the concrete" thing seriously!

As with Jimbo I received a promo and it contains 11 tracks. I'll tell you, just with one listen I am ready to say that this is their best album in a long time. Next to the first two I say this may be their best.

I like the single and "Love's A Mystery," but based on one listen, I'm not knocked out by much else here. Nothing really to dislike; several of the songs just seem kinda sleepy. Hope it will grow on me.

This is a Pretenders album only in name, right? I hear only Chrissie Hynde is on here from the original group. I realize that Pete Farnham and James Honeyman-Scott are no longer with us, but she should have at least Martin Chambers to call this a Pretenders project.

Gotta say, this is pretty mediocre and feels completely like a Chrissie Hynde solo album, which it is. The production is bare-bones and dry as hell and the songs are, for the most part, short and Country influenced or Rockabilly.
There are some nice songs though, but calling this The Pretenders is a real stretch. A few songs in, I thought it sounded like a session guy on drums and not Martin Chambers, and sure enough it's Jim Keltner, a fine drummer, but not Martin Chambers in the least.
I saw Martin playing with the band last night on Letterman, so maybe he was hurt or unavailable.
Overall, I'd say this is weak and makes me miss the glory days of old very much. Those first two album remain among my very favorite albums by anybody, and the next two were very good but less exciting. Everything after that was really just Chrissie solo until "Last Of The Independents" which had some sparks and Martin Chambers was back.
But again, since then, it's been fairly weak and this continues that trend. They're still great live though, and I will continue listening to this (I did buy it after all), but I'm unimpressed so far.