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There is one thing that we all experience in our lives (or at least we should, hopefully): growth. Growing also means, from an age standpoint, getting older. As we age, we all learn a little more about life, day by day we all become a bit more experienced. And it is normal and right that everyone, when they see fit, takes stock of their existence. Tom Petty was born in 1950. Today he is 55 years old, and in 2002, the year of the release of his latest studio work "The Last DJ," he had already passed half a century "on the road"... and like all musicians, he tells us what he thinks through his music.
The first thought I had after listening to this album was: melancholy and sadness seasoned with a fair amount of anger. It indeed starts right away with "The Last DJ," which sounds like a polemical outburst against the system, the mainstream that commands and dictates the rules of music. Tom sings of this last DJ, as the last paladin, the last "Human Voice" that speaks the truth and doesn’t lower itself to the laws of the market, of show business, saying what it wants and playing what it wants. This concept is reiterated by the excellent follow-up "Money Becomes King," a very explanatory title on its own, here with a pleasant fairytale-style text he tells us the story of Johnny who enjoys singing and playing only because he believes in it, until he is "manipulated" into becoming a product without soul and heart. It continues with the delicate and moving "Dreamville," which starts with a stunning piano melody that gives chills for its intensity and harmony, enriched by almost symphonic yet dark arrangements. Tom sings about the innocence that is no longer there in his world that he no longer finds today. The discourse against the Musicbiz continues with "Joe," who candidly tells the starlet of the moment "you have to become famous and I have to make money", clearer than that??
"When A Kid Goes Bad" analyzes the pain of a father and a mother who see their children falling victim to a society that makes integration within it increasingly difficult if certain standards are not met. He tells us this with a rock featuring electric arpeggio and a relentless pounding enhanced by harmonics that place accents on the singing. Notably, in my opinion, the very brief solo that seems Hendrix-like. "Lost Children" starts with a full 70s-style riff and turns into an acid ballad, with lyrics that are a prayer for all the kids lost in any way, hoping they can find their way. Fortunately, the sadness that has so far been predominant in the album gives way to brighter Rock and Folk melodies and rhythms. There are more "light-hearted" pieces like "You And Me," enriched by the excellent dialogue between the acoustic "strumming" and the exquisite keyboard work. The beautiful "The Man Who Loves Women," a folk-blues-rock ballad with an engaging rhythm, begins with the sound of a Banjo that rises higher and higher until it makes way for the guitar. The following two songs feature Tom Petty's classic Rickenbacker sound, a trademark.
An excellent album that aligns with "Wildflowers" with an added advantage represented by straightforward, sharp, polemical, and angry lyrics. If you hold Tom Petty in high regard, this album is definitely recommended as it alternates easy moments with more introspective ones. The rocker ages but like wine, he ages well.
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