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TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS Long After Dark ( Deluxe Edition ) 2xLP
( Geffen / UMe )
Although not equal to the world-stopping classic status of Damn the Torpedoes or its successor , Hard Promises , the fifth album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is a satisfying listen that closes an important chapter by the band . 1982 ’ s Long After Dark was the Heartbreakers ’ fifth album and the last of three to be co-produced by Jimmy Iovine before Petty explored 80s-centric sonics with Dave Stewart on Southern Accents . It was also notably the first Heartbreakers album to feature bassist and high harmony singer Howie Epstein . Long After Dark stands as a purer shot of the Heartbreakers ’ rock and roll sound than what followed , notwithstanding Benmont Tench ’ s dystopian synthesizers on the captivating poison-pen single “ You Got Lucky ” ( with Mike Campbell ’ s spaghettiwestern guitar solo ). Additional album standouts include the rollicking “ Change of Heart ” with its slashing power chords a la The Move ’ s “ Do Ya ” and the anthemic jangle-pop of “ Straight into Darkness .” The hard-charging “ One Story Town ” may not have scored on radio or MTV . Still , it was full of inimitable Heartbreakers interplay elevated by the tasteful touch of Mike Campbell ’ s lead guitar . Tench ’ s Hammond organ gave bristling texture to songs , including the reflective “ A Wasted Life ” and the hard snap of Stan Lynch ’ s snarepropelled tough rockers , including “ We Stand a Chance ” and “ Finding Out .” This Deluxe Edition vinyl release expands the original album with a second platter of 12 bonus tracks . “ Finding Out ,” “ Straight into Darkness ,” and “ Between Two
Worlds ” are all cooking live performances of Long After Dark album cuts that were recorded for a French television program . The TV tape also yields “ Stories We Could Tell ,” a country rocker by John Sebastian ( The Lovin ’ Spoonful , “ Welcome Back ”) that ’ s cut from similar cloth to Kris Kristofferson ’ s “ Me and Bobby McGee .” The song was also recorded by Jimmy Buffett and the Heartbreakers ' heroes , the Everly Brothers . Yet another version appears on the Pack Up the Plantation live album from the Heartbreakers ’ tour supporting Southern Accents . The performance here leans into vocal harmony between Petty and drummer Stan Lynch . Co-written with keyboardist Benmont Tench , Petty ’ s “ Never Be You ” is a lovelorn and jilted tearjerker that must have been a near-miss for inclusion on Long After Dark . The song was a # 1 country single in 1985 for Rosanne Cash , preceded by Lone Justice singer Maria McKee ’ s version for the Streets of Fire soundtrack . A different version of “ Turning Point ” appeared on the 1995 Playback compilation with more of a Fleetwood Mac “ Go Your Own Way ” vibe in the rhythm section . The version here features Stan Campbell ’ s original drum track , meshing with Petty ’ s harmonica for a more straightforward countryrock feel . The singalong B-side “ Heartbreakers Beach Party ” is good fun as a casually tossed-off number that would be considered a throwaway if it wasn ’ t so much campy fun to hear Petty sing about eating potato salad and wearing a muumuu . This version stretches an additional minute past the “ Change of Heart ” B-side edit , but you can hear the Heartbreakers party even longer on Live at the Fillmore . “ Keeping Me Alive ” is a midtempo cruiser about good love that sees a couple through hard times . It could have had a welcome home on just about any of Petty ’ s records but may have been considered too sunny for Long After Dark . A different version surfaced on Petty ’ s posthumous An American Treasure box set in 2018 . Gliding atop Tench ’ s shimmering Hammond organ and Campbell ’ s chiming 12-string Rickenbacker , the energy on LAD Deluxe would top that earlier take if not for a continuous bongo track that might have been remedied with the drop of a fader ( or press of a mute button ) during mixdown . Unlike “ Never Be You ,” the Heartbreakers ’ taut and choppy version of Petty and Campbell ’ s “ Ways to Be Wicked ” from a Denver studio doesn ’ t steal the thunder from the more famous 1985 version by Lone Justice , which still
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12 illinoisentertainer . com november 2024