Search - Tom Petty :: Live at the Olympic: Last DJ & More (CD & DVD)

Petty Rocks

M. R. Haven | 09/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've always thought that studio albums don't even compare with live performances. I've also always loved Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. But even I was astounded at how great "The Last DJ" sounds live. From the opening notes of the title track to Mike Campbell's solo on "Lost Children" to the final chords of "Can't Stop The Sun", Tom and the Heartbreakers sound incredible. It's almost like listening to a completely new album. And that's not all. The band goes on to play classics including "Change of Heart" and "I Need To Know", then closes with a ten-minute-long "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and a "You Wreck Me" encore.Unfortunately, the editing is poor. In some songs the camera changes every three seconds. Some shots don't last for more than half a second. Occasionally the camera will slow down for a minute to watch Tom sing or to pan across the stage, but it doesn't happen often enough. One of the longest shots is of a woman in the audience singing along to two verses of a song. Who knows what's happening on stage. Also, the lighting on some camera shots leaves a lot to be desired. In other places, however, the colors and lighting effects are awesome. Overall, the quality of the music makes the camera problems seem minor. The extra features are hardly worth mentioning: two TV commercials promoting "The Last DJ" album and some random outtakes of Tom making a video.As of this time, Amazon hasn't included a track listing, so...
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 - Change Of Heart - I Need To Know - Shake Rattle And Roll - Around And Around - Mary Jane's Last Dance - You Wreck MeThe bonus CD features four songs from the band's appearance on PBS's Soundstage program:
I'm Crying - Done Somebody Wrong - I Got A Woman - CarolIf you own the Soundstage DVD, it's hardly worth the extra six dollars.So, what more do you want? It's Tom Petty live. Buy it."