Review: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, ‘Long After Dark (Deluxe Edition)’ – Revisiting The Oft Overlooked Gem…
I woke up this glorious fall morning thinking, “Man, it’s Friday, it’s beautiful outside, it just might be a perfect day?” Just when I thought today couldn’t get any better, I remembered Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers released Long After Dark (Deluxe Edition) today. The Deluxe Edition boasts 2 CDs, the first has the original album, the second disc is 45 minutes of previously unreleased music from that late 82/early 83 time period. There is also a Blu-ray but I typically don’t comment on those and in this case, I can’t… my physical copy hasn’t arrived yet. But as long time readers know… I’m focused on the tunes here at B&V. And have no fear, focusing on these bonus tracks is all I did today…well, besides some pesky work.
By the time of the release of Long After Dark, Petty & his Heartbreakers were on a white-hot streak. After two solid albums (the self titled debut in 1976 and You’re Gonna Get It in 1978), Petty released his commercial breakthrough in October of 1978 in Damn The Torpedoes. I remember going into my brother’s room and listening to that album and just staring at the picture of the blonde guy on the inner sleeve smokin’ a cigarette. Talk about making smoking look cool, but I digress. I recorded that album to cassette but didn’t buy it until I was in college… thus were my skinflint ways back then. I still don’t know where my brother was getting all this cash for vinyl back then? Petty’s follow up to that album was no less fabulous in 1981 with Hard Promises. Add to that, Stevie Nicks released her duet with Petty, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” which was written by Petty & his “first mate” Mike Campbell, and it was a high time for the Heartbreakers.
Needless to say, anticipation for Long After Dark was running high by late 1982. I’ve commented in these pages before about the curse of anticipation. That intense anticipation has caused many an artist to take a creative or stylistic left turn to avoid the crush of the expectations – Fleetwood Mac on Tusk after Rumours, or Prince on Around The World In A Day after Purple Rain – to name but a few. Petty didn’t really change things up on this album, it was still that jangle Byrds-ian rock n roll we’d all expected. He added some touches of synth, especially on the lead single “You Got Lucky,” but this was a straightforward Heartbreakers’ album to my ears.
One of the major changes the Heartbreakers did make was on bass guitar. Founding member bassist Ron Blair had quit the band, purportedly at the time because of burn out. It was rumored he went back to Florida to open a bathing suit shop. There are worse things than selling bikinis to sun worshiping spring breakers. Ron was replaced with Howie Epstein who not only took up the bass guitar but provided some wonderful harmony vocals. You can hear him all over this record. The rest of the band’s line up remained stable: Petty (guitar/vocals), Campbell (guitar/any other stringed instrument needed), Benmont Tench (incredible keyboards) and the irascible Stan Lynch (drums).
Sadly, back in ’82 Long After Dark was seen as a critical and commercial disappointment. It wasn’t a failure by any stretch of the imagination but it didn’t keep the Heartbreakers stunning momentum going. The common trope about this album is that the band had been on the record-tour-record-tour-rinse-repeat cycle so intensely for 6 years that they were just plumb worn out. The exhaustion from the constant touring led to sub par song writing, blah blah blah. The album was produced by Jimmy Iovine and he guided the band on some questionable choices in terms of what to include and what to leave out. “Keep A Little Soul” was a great song that Iovine talked them out of including that didn’t see the light of day until An American Treasure. One of Petty’s favorites, “Keeping Me Alive” met the same fate and wasn’t released until Petty’s first box set, the excellent Playback.
At the time, in ’82, I actually loved this album. It’s a dark little record chalk full of break up songs. I listened to his album a lot this week in anticipation of the Deluxe Edition, and I think it’s aged incredibly well. Probably better than Southern Accents, but then I’m quite fond of that record too. When this album came out I had graduated from high school and was in the midst of my first, rather disastrous college semester. I loved the first single “You Got Lucky” with it’s futuristic video.
Since I lived in a college town with the absolute worst radio station situation, MTV was how I first heard “You Got Lucky.” “Change Of Heart” was a spectacular rock song, and helped me through some tough times in the early part of 1983. “Between Two Worlds” was sort of a theme song for me that first college semester – I was trapped between my happy youth, where I was on top of the world as a senior, and the horror show it was when I became a freshman, on the bottom of life’s ladder. I was admittedly way too immature for what life was throwing at me, thankfully I had Tom Petty to comfort me. “Finding Out” is just a great, rocking Heartbreakers deep track. “Deliver Me” is another track that I think should have been a single. I love the riff on that song.
“We Stand A Chance” is another great overlooked rock song on this album, complete with what sounds like a talk box. “Straight Into Darkness” features great piano from Tench and was coincidently where my relationship at the time headed. “The Same Old You” has a raw guitar edge that I always liked. “I remember you back in ’72 with your David Bowie hair and your platform shoes…” “One Story Town” became a favorite jam of mine when I was exiled to Ft. Smith for obvious reasons. The only tune I didn’t connect with but have grown to appreciate is “Wasted Life.” It’s a nice goodbye.
I’ve enjoyed listening to the original album all week, but for me in these Deluxe Editions, it’s all about the bonus material. I know “Keep A Little Soul” has been previously released, but it’s exclusion feels like a misstep to me. It’d be nice to hear in the context of the bonus material here but that’s probably a nit.
There are some real gems in this bonus stuff. There’s a version of “Stories We Could Tell” from some French TV broadcast – I don’t hear an audience so maybe this was like the McCartney “live in the studio” stuff on One Hand Clapping that he recently released. Anyway, this track reminds me of my late friend Tom, “And if this all blows up and goes to hell, I can still see us sittin’ on the bed in some motel, listening to the stories we could tell…” Oh, the stories Tom and I could tell…but those records are sealed. The track was originally released in a live version on Pack Up The Plantation, but this version is definitive.
The previously unreleased track “Never Be You” is just a stunningly beautiful song. I can’t believe it’s been in the vaults this long. It’s worth the price of this whole thing. I can’t hear it enough. A version of “Turning Point” with different drums has been released but it’s a great track and I wonder why it wasn’t considered for inclusion. “Don’t Make Me Walk The Line” is a jaunty Heartbreakers rock song. “One On One” is a nice riff rocker. It sounds like earlier era Petty but I really like it too. The set ends with the Heartbreakers covering perhaps the greatest garage rock song ever, the Troggs’ “Wild Thing.” I know many have covered it, Jimi Hendrix, the Runaways, and X to name but a few but it’s great to hear the Heartbreakers, a great garage band themselves, take on the greatest garage rock song ever written.
There are a number of tracks from the French TV show and I’ll just say they’re nice to have but if you have any of Petty’s previously released versions on box sets, they’re not essential. There’s a version of “Keeping Me Alive,” “Straight Into Darkness,” “Between Two Worlds” and “Finding Out” that fall into that category. There’s a longer version of “Heartbreakers Beach Party” that’s a fun novelty. There’s also a different version of “Ways To Be Wicked” recorded in Denver that is interesting.
Overall this is a great look back to an oft overly criticized album. It was a good album back in ’82, despite all the expectations dragging it down, and it’s even better on the ears now. Again, if you don’t have any of Petty’s big box sets the stuff from the French TV show will be new and fascinating to you. I didn’t mean to make it sound meh, it’s just I’ve heard it all before in another form. The other stuff from “Stories We Could Tell,” “Never Be You,” through “Wild Thing” are great additions to the wonderful Petty canon.
The folks down at the Petty archives are really doing some nice work. I’d advise all fans of Petty, especially the ones who might have overlooked this great album to check it out, post haste!! I can see pouring a strong one later and entertaining the Rock Chick with my stunning rendition of “Never Be You.”
Cheers!
“Looks like we finally found the turning point, Oh me, oh my, Looks like it’s time for me to kiss it goodbye, yeah kiss it goodbye…”
Unlike many, I started to appreciate Tom Petty’s music mainly with the album Full Moon Fever. From then on his music became more mature and I suspect that producer and friend Jeff Lynn had a large part to do with that.
In the 70s and 80s his music was too new wave and too post-punk for my old-fashioned taste. And his albums with The Heartbreakers and his solo projects only got better and better over the years. But as always, this is my personal opinion and definitely not shisseld in stone. Schol.
Guy, I’ve heard people say that about Petty’s early music – that it was post punk/new wave – and I guess that never occurred to me. I got on the bandwagon after ‘Damn The Torpedoes’ and of course ‘Hard Promises’ so I guess I got in on Petty relatively early. I totally agree with your premise that Petty just got better and better with age. His last few records – ‘Mojo’ and ‘Hypnotic Eye’ were superb late career albums. It gets me thinking, alas, what else might have come? Guess we’ll never know! Cheers!
I disagree with Guido on every single point. I feel like almost anyone would. Petty never sounded new wave or punk. Not once. His music has clearly always been rooted in 1960s rock and pop, period, end of story.
I don’t think that’s a matter of opinion. It’s obvious. It is, however, my opinion that Jeff Lynne absolutely did not elevate Petty’s music. He nearly ruined “Into the Great Wide Open,” although he got away with “Fever” mostly because the songs are so good.
Petty didn’t fall apart as he got older but none of the later albums compare favorably to the debut, much less “Torpedoes,” “Promises” or “Long After Dark.”
I remember reading somewhere that people thought he was punk because of how he was dressed on the cover of his debut album. That really made no sense to me. I just don’t hear that kind of influence in Petty’s music – punk or new wave. I would tend to agree with you about Lynne’s work on ‘Into The Great Wide Open,’ which was pale in comparison to “Full Moon.” I would consider ‘Wildflowers’ to be a later Petty album that ranks with his best work. Petty’s early career was such a hot streak, it’s some of my all time favorite music. Cheers!
Even the press at the time labeled Tom Petty’s music as New Wave. In the late 70s and 80s, New Wave and punk were all over the place.
I also bought Damn the Torpedo’s and Hard Promisses, but I couldn’t really relate to his music. Of course his music was also embedded in the music of the 60s, The Byrds etc., but it didn’t really convince me.
I must admit that I was a fan of the Laurel Canyon sound, close harmonies and the laidback style of that time.
I just like melodic music. Neil Young can rock hard with Crazy Horse, and I like that very much, but he always falls back on his melodic vocals. I love that combination.
But of course I respect your opinion.
And as I said – it’s my personal opinion and not everyone has to agree with it. I certainly appreciate your response. Greetings!
Sorry Jeffrey, but I don’t agree with you that Into the Great White was ruined by Jeff Lynn. On the contrary, it is a great album with fantastic songs and is perfectly produced. It received a warm reception and praise from music critics.The three albums Jeff Lynn recorded with Tom Petty – Full Moon Fever, Into the Great White Open and Highway Companion are all great albums and are among the best he ever made. Cheers.
I have to admit I always liked ‘Highway Companion’ and the song “Down South” in particular. Frankly I always held it in higher regard than ‘Great Wide Open.’ I bought ‘Great Wide Open’ the day it came out but remember being somewhat disappointed but that was probably more about my sky high expectations after ‘Full Moon.’ I saw Petty & the Heartbreakers on the ‘Full Moon’ tour and they were exceptional which even heightened my expectations as well. I think ‘Great Wide’ has aged well but if push came to shove I’d probably choose ‘Highway Companion’ before ‘Great Wide Open’ to drop onto the stereo but that’s just me. The only Petty album I don’t like is ‘Last DJ.’ In my opinion – again just my opinion – Petty was always really solid and sometimes spectacular through out almost his whole career. I’ve really enjoyed rediscovering ‘Long After Dark’ with this ‘Deluxe Edition.’ Cheers!
One can’t discuss about musical preference and taste. But with Full Moon Fever and the rest that followed he made connection with the older music lovers like me. What’s not to like about songs like Learning to Fly, King’s Highway, Into the Great Wide Open, All or Nothing, All the Wrong Reasons, You and I will meet again, Makin’ some Noise and Built to last? There’s not one stinker on it. But sorry, I feel like I disrupted your review a bit, and that wasn’t my intention. My apologies. Cheers.
No, not at all!! No disruption whatsoever. ‘Into The Great Wide Open’ has grown in my estimation over the years. I respect all opinions on B*V! Thank you for your thoughtful comments. Cheers!
Another classic post. I’ve always loved this album, particularly “Change of Heart.” It’s a really a rockin’ album that didn’t fold into that dreaded Eighties sound.
Thank you sir!! “Change Of Heart” remains my favorite track on this album. It’s a timeless classic! I’ve really enjoyed reconnecting with this album over the last week or so… I’m waiting for the wife to leave the house for a while before putting the Blu-ray on… no need for her to know I ordered the ‘Deluxe Edition’… Cheers!