Joseph_J's Full Review: The Last DJ by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Petty is back with his first album in a few years, The Last DJ. This is Petty's attempt to put in his 2 cents worth in on the state of of the music industry, which in his opinion has become an impersonal, money driven shadow of its former self. It has become a thing of satallite radio stations deciding what you're going to hear, and greedy CEOs putting out cookie cutter artists for mass consumption (i.e. making big bucks). In a way he is right, I mean there is little debate there, the question is whether this is an all bad thing. Isn't it capitalism at its finest? I don't have an answer to that question, but I do have an answer to the question, "Was The Last DJ worth the wait?" Absolutely!
This is a finely crafted Rock and Roll album, and should be appreciated for being such. The album starts out with the title track and first single-
1. The Last DJ
This is a fun song. It's great to listen to, and sing along with, as I have a tendency to do. It has jangly guitars and lyrics that just roll off your tongue, a solid and enjoyable song.
2. Money Becomes King
The latest in his series of narratives about characters and fame. This series has included such songs as Into the Great Wide Open, Something Big, Swingin', and Mary Jane's Last Dance just to name a few. I like this latest entry quite a bit. It is longer than most songs, but it reflects what I believe to be Petty's most urgent message from this album, the corporate smothering of self expression, i.e. taking what is good and pure, and making it profitable as Petty feels has been done with his beloved Rock n Roll. In this song Petty laments, "but all the music gave me was a craving for light beer" sadly I often associate songs with commercials I've seen them in, so Petty's point is not lost on me.
3. Dreamville
What an absolutely gorgeous song! It was love at first listen. This I think is one of the 2 or 3 best songs on the album. The dreamy lyrics, coupled with the slow dream like music leaves me relaxed and happy after this song has ended, this is a song I often sing my son ,who is mos. old right now, as a lullaby, he loves it too.
4. Joe
This song just rocks. It is a soliloquy of Joe the CEO, a high powered mover and shaker in the music industry. This song is not subtle, this is a scathing review of the uppercrust of the music and their attitude toward musicians and music in general. This is very evident as Petty comments on the Brittney Spears clone phenomenon with the line "...bring me a girl, they're always the best, you put them on stage and you have them undress, some angel/wh*re who can learn a guitar lick, hey, that's what I call music." I enjoy this song and feel it helps keep the album diverse and the sound ecclectic.
5. When a Kid Goes Bad
Not much to say about this song, it's kind of reminiscent of Criminal Kind, I enjoy that song and this song is not bad either. Kind of cliche in content, but Petty does have a history of writting about the unrest of youth (see Zombie Zoo, Free Fallin', etc.
6. Like a Diamond
This is a wonderful love song probably inspired, at least in part, by Tom's recent marriage. I think this song is simply beautiful. Elegant, wistful, it almost sounds fragile, like the nw love Tom is singing about.
7. Lost Children
I enjoy this rocking wish for God to watchover "all those lost children". When Petty and the Heartbreakers played this live at the show I attended he introduced it as "a rock n roll prayer" and I can not think of a more appropriate summary. Soft lyrics that almost sound like a church hymn, are contrasted with crashing guitar and banging drums to create a mavelous song.
8. Blue Sunday
When I first listened to this song it sounded almost incomplete. I wished he would have fleshed it out a bit and added some depth. The more I listened, however, the more I realized that more was unnecessary, he wasn't talking about one of the great romances of the 20th century, he was talking about the brief time shared between two people. A time together that would have left each wanting more. The more I though about it the more I liked it and eventually it almost brings a tear to my eye when I hear about the lovable loser and his brush with happiness during the road trip with the woman who payed for his cigarettes in the 7-11.
9. You and Me
A simple little song. Fun to sing along with, as usual it features quality guitar work. An idealistic song about you and me and the open road. Not the best on the album, but certainly quality.
10. The Man Who Loves Women
This is reminds me of Breakdown, a short concert friendly tune. Great Ukulele work on this song, great backing vocals by Lindsey Buckingham. In all it's fun and shallow but offers a bit of lighthearted relief to the album.
11. Have Love Will Travel
This is my favorite song on the album. I think this is a song that ranks up with the greats. This is really Petty at his best. I don't know how to explain what draws me to this song, but it just seems everything came together and it just shines. The instrumentals are flawless and inspiring, the lyrics are sentimental, tough, and optimistic, everything I look for in a great song.
12. Can't Stop the Sun
I could not think of a more appropriate way to end this album than this gem. The music business is crashing around him, but he is defiant and optimistic. He may not win the battle, but the battle will be won someday, because "You can't stop a man from dreaming"
In all I heartily recommend this album. Kick back, put it on, close your eyes and dream of days past and days to come, when rock and roll is made for the fan by the artist, until that special relationship return en masse, here is a glimpse of what it's like.
Released in 2002, The Last DJ features Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at their finest, with the songs Money Becomes King, Dreamville, and the superb ti...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.