By Emily Werchadlo
You’ve heard it all before. The man upstairs is taking advantage of the little guy, and the American public is turning a blind eye. Many artists try to force us into thinking that they are fighting for us, then charge $20 for their CD and $100 for decent seats to their concert.
Tom Petty, on the other hand, is more than just talk. His new album, “The Last DJ,” is filled with lamentations on American society, but Petty has been spreading his message, relatively, cheaply for years.
The new album will cost you around $12, and the concert, coming to the FleetCenter Saturday Dec. 14, will run you from $32.50 to $57.50, a bargain on both ends.
As for the album, it does not pull any punches. His message is straight-forward from the first track, “The Last DJ.”
“As we celebrate mediocrity/ All the boys upstairs want to see/ How much you’ll pay/ For what you used to get for free.”
A catchy, upbeat song, it is a strong start to the album.
Skip a few tracks to the hard rockin’ track, “Joe.” Here, Petty is taking an evident stab at pop music “engineers,” a.k.a., record executives. “Bring me a girl…/ And have ’em undress/ Some angel whore/ Who can learn a guitar lick/ Hey, that’s what I call music.”
The most important thing about “The Last DJ,” is that it is exactly that; new. Many artists fall into a rhythm and become complacent about trying new things. Petty’s done the love songs, the rock-out tunes, and now is focusing on making a political statement.
On the tracks “When A Kid Goes Bad,” and “Lost Children,” Petty speaks out about children who fall to the wayside, and turn to crime or drugs.
He doesn’t stray completely away from the love song, as he does include one heart-felt track, “Have Love Will Travel.” Here, Petty bemoans the long lost love, and the harsh realities of life on the road. “Oh, and if perhaps I lose you/ In the smoke down the road/ I want you to know/ You were the one.”
Included on the CD is some fun, interactive material for enjoyment on your PC. The CD-Rom includes mini-music videos of the studio recordings of “The Last DJ” and “Have Love Will Travel.” It also includes pictures of Petty and his band, the Heartbreakers, as well as the link to his Web site, tompetty.com.
As fun as it is to jam out to a Petty album in the comfort of your own home, the live show is something that you must see. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, put on a tight show loaded with high energy numbers. Petty has had numerous hit songs over the years, and included on his setlist for this tour is favorites “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” “I Won’t Back Down,” and “Refugee.”
So, if you’re still in town, and need a post-finals celebration, head down to the FleetCenter and catch Tom Petty. Put your money towards something worthwhile, have fun and keep fighting the man. As Petty says on the final track of the his album, “Can’t Stop the Sun,” “Well you may take my money/ You may turn off my microphone/ But you can’t steal/ What you can’t feel.”
For information on concert times and ticket prices, check out ticketmaster.com.
