‘The Last DJ’: the lesson Tom Petty taught every musician
When it came to answering questions about the current status of the music industry, Tom Petty never held back his words. Despite the fact that he was overjoyed to be living the dream of any child, which was to perform the music that he cherished, he was also aware that he needed to be worried about the direction that music was moving in order to ensure that his favorite acts were preserved. Therefore, after his divorce album Echo was released, The Last DJ became the kind of handbook that every artist owes it to themselves to listen to at least once. This is because The Last DJ was released just after his divorce album.
If, on the other hand, the only thing that a person hears is the title track, then you can get the impression that this is the sound of an elderly guy lamenting the current situation of the company while shaking his fist in the air. Hearing Petty talk about the last DJ playing what he wants to play and watching all of the pure voices falling like flies for something manufactured does give the impression that someone is peering through the reality TV-ification of rock and roll, but that is just the beginning of the story.
After listening to the first half of the record, Petty found that he had a lot of thoughts on what it means to be successful in the industry in the present day. The song “Money Becomes King” is possibly one of the most true-to-life songs that Tom Petty has ever written, but there are other pieces of rock that are still making their way into the conversation. Watching John go from being a sincere songwriter to a puppet that moves about is the terrible tragedy that every artist must face at some point in their lives. As we follow John’s story, we are able to witness this transformative transformation.
And the song “Joe” is the only place where this is depicted in a more sinister light. Petty, who is never one to pass up a chance for dark humor, portrays the figure of a washed-up businessman who is trying to claim his next victim by forcing them to perform onstage while holding a guitar in their hands and exploiting them for as much as they are worth. Even while it still has a great tune behind it, it is difficult to feel uneasy when this purported business expert that Petty talks about begins to take advantage of the wealth of people who are prostituting themselves in order to live their wildest ambitions.
I am aware that this is all extremely upbeat information, but there is still a great deal more to adore and appreciate outside of the conventional rock and roll fingerpointing. In addition to the love songs that he wrote for his wife, Dana, such as “Like a Diamond” and “Have Love Will Travel,” the mere performance of a song like as “Dreamville” is sufficient to evoke feelings of melancholy and longing in any listener. Hearing Petty talk about obtaining his first guitar and recollections of his mother encouraging his skills is enough to make any creative person shed a single tear. No one knows precisely what Petty’s neighborhood looked like when he was a child, but hearing him talk about it is enough to make anyone cry.
Taking into consideration the progression of the album with the song “Lost Children,” it is clear that Petty is not only trying to shield himself from the perils of the outside world. His goal is to protect those individuals who are still attempting to determine what their future holds in the music industry, while simultaneously addressing the question of whether or not they want it as badly as they believe they do.
In spite of the fact that Petty did not provide any definitive answers for the entirety of the album, ‘Can’t Stop the Sun’ at least brings the record to a pleasant conclusion. Petty is aware that if he continues to push himself farther, he will be able to do whatever he wants behind the glass of a studio, regardless of what some business mogul believes his music should sound like. This is true even if people try their utmost to silence any artist who dares to speak out of line.
From a musical point of view, The Last DJ is not even close to being Petty’s most significant or noteworthy album. A significant number of individuals who are fans of the music of the heartland rocker are aware of what they are going to get on an album such as this one; however, it is more essential to take a step back and examine what he is saying. Petty’s booklet is a love letter to the past as well as a severe look at what the future may hold for the industry. Anyone who is even somewhat interested in having a career in music owes it on themselves to go through the booklet in order to understand what Petty is genuinely trying to convey. mostly due to the fact that if you are only interested in selling millions of records and then asking questions later, you are most likely doing it for the wrong reasons.