Don't let people tell you that trying something new is always a good thing. "The Last DJ," the new studio album from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, is proof of the contrary. The band's first studio release in over three years was rather disappointing.
The CD is a concept album, with characters and a very sketchy storyline. It follows the decline of "the last DJ" and how the radio industry has become immensely corporate.
A favorite line from the album comes from "Joe," in regards to all the pop out there today: "Bring me a girl, they're always the best/ You put 'em on stage and you have 'em undress/ Some angel whore who can learn a guitar lick/ Hey, that's what I call music." It's interesting lyrical material, but the music just isn't there.
The music throughout the album varies from rock and roll to slower, more melodic tunes. There is a good variation of song types, but there's nothing catchy. Without a strong base, the record is unsuccessful. Their experimentation, though interesting, comes to no avail.
Stronger control of the theme needed to be made by the band. Nominally a rock opera, characters are introduced and then forgotten, and some songs don't gel with the album's motif.
There are some decent songs on this album. The closest song to Petty's older stuff is "Lost Children," with a catchy guitar line and some nice solos by Mike Campbell (Petty's longtime guitarist and co-writer), but Petty's vocal style sounds too pushed, making the song lose some of its edge.
Nearing the end of the album, Petty tries to bring the characters and story to a close. In "Have Love Will Travel," he brings up names and situations that were heard earlier on in the album - but without providing closure. The music in this song is phenomenal - it's probably the best and brightest track on the album - but without the support of the other tracks, it becomes lyrically obscure.
The last song on the album, "Can't Stop The Sun," sums up what the band is trying to say, and it comes across quite clearly: Corporations may try and get rid of the true musicians and the individualism of life, but it will never happen. They may as well try to stop the sun from coming up.
Die-hard Petty fans will probably want "The Last DJ" just to get their hands on some new material, but don't expect anything like "Full Moon Fever" or "Wildflowers," two of Petty's best albums. While it's easy to name numerous Petty songs off the cuff, it's hard to remember anything about "The Last DJ" after an hour.
Sorry, Tom, stick to what you do best: rock and roll.
