NASHVILLE |FROM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/LATHUM NELSON
TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM ‘THE LAST DJ‘ OCTOBER 8
TOM PETTY and the HEARTBREAKERS will release their new album THE LAST DJ October 8 on Warner Brothers.
Recorded in Los Angeles, the album was produced by George Drakoulias, TOM PETTY and MIKE CAMPBELL. Petty (Guitars, Bass, Piano, Ukulele, Vocals), Campbell (Guitars, Bass) and BENMONT TENCH (Keyboards) are joined by longtime associates SCOTT THURSTON (Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar, Ukulele) and STEVE FERRONE (Drums). Playing bass on two tracks is RON BLAIR, the Heartbreakers’ original bass player who left the band after the Hard Promises album. He is also playing bass with the Heartbreakers on the current tour. THE LAST DJ features special guests Lindsey Buckingham, who lends background vocals on “The Man Who Loves Women,” and Jon Brion, who conducts the orchestra as well as arranges orchestrations with Petty on “Money Becomes King,” “Dreamville” and “Like A Diamond.”
The complete track listing for THE LAST DJ is as follows:
The Last DJ
Money Becomes King
Dreamville
Joe
When A Kid Goes Bad
Like A Diamond
Lost Children
Blue Sunday
You and Me
The Man Who Loves Women
Have Love Will Travel
Can’t Stop The Sun
“I saw it as a little audio movie,” PETTY told the Los Angeles Times (6/30/02) about the new album. “There are a few characters and, I guess, a loose concept. But I didn’t want it to be too defined, too nailed down to where it’s all a narrative. I wrote a love song or two. I felt that these people had to have some hope in their lives. By the end of the thing it’s an optimistic view.”
PETTY and the HEARTBREAKERS have been performing three of the new songsÑ”Have Love Will Travel,” “Lost Children” and “Can’t Stop The Sun”–on their current summer tour. Here are some critical reactions:
“PETTY and company played three of the new songs: ‘Have Love Will Travel,’ a richly arranged mid-tempo love song; ‘Lost Children,’ a dynamic guitar opus whose loud passages recalled Neil Young’s band Crazy Horse; and the psychedelic-tinged ‘Can’t Stop The Sun,’ which featured defiant lyrics such as ‘There’ll be more like me/Who won’t give in/Who’ll rise again/You can’t stop a man from dreaming.'”
–Gary Graff, REUTERS, 6/28/02
“PETTY and his band the HEARTBREAKERS were in top formÉThe new songs indicated PETTY is up for new challenges in expanding on various facets of classic-rock. Each song was a complex piece with varying paces and several distinct parts, yet boasting a catchy chorus or refrain. ‘Have Love, Will Travel’ provided the most immediate gratification.”
–Ben Horowitz, STAR-LEDGER (New Jersey), 7/8/02
‘Can’t Stop The Sun,’ a blast of ’60s-flavored pop that, like ‘Lost Children,’ features some serious wah-wah pedal action, was perhaps the best performance of the night, evolving through the twists and turns of a surprisingly complex arrangement while touching on hook after hook.”
–Ed Masley, PITTSBURGH POST GAZETTE, 7/18/02
“All three tunes earned surprisingly favorable audience reactions, with ‘Have Love Will Travel’ getting my vote as the ‘New Song Most Likely To Keep Die-Hard Petty Fans Happy’ with its jangly, roots-rock flavor and classic PETTYlyrics.”
–John Sinkevics, THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS (Michigan), 6/28/02
For updated info on the in-progress TOM PETTY and the HEARTBREAKERS tour, go to www.tompetty.com.
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