Album reviews: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Alison Moyet

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Long After Dark – Deluxe Edition
(Geffen/UMe)

Originally released in 1982 and produced by Jimmy Iovine, Long After Dark rocked a bit harder than its more successful predecessor Hard Promises. But heavy rotation for the spacey “You Got Lucky” video on a nascent MTV and the jangly “Change of Heart” still propelled both into the top 10 at AOR radio and resulted in a gold album certification. This was the first studio effort to feature Howie Epstein, and the bassist bolstered the harmony balance between Tom Petty and drummer Stan Lynch. The terrific sounding 3CD expanded edition (also available in other configurations) has been remastered. Besides the classic singles and “Straight Into Darkness,” highlights include the Stonesy “The Same Old You,” and Mike Campbell’s sharp guitar riff on “Deliver Me.” Among the 12 rediscovered tunes (7 previously unreleased) are five solid in-studio performances recorded for a French TV show. The Springsteen-esque “Never Be You” later became a country chart topper thanks to Rosanne Cash’s cover; Maria McKee also did a version on the “Streets of Fire” soundtrack. The latter singer made Petty’s “Ways to Be Wicked” – also included here - a signature song for Lone Justice. Other gems include the poppy “Don’t Make Me Walk the Line,” the whimsical and extended 1960s-influenced “Heartbreakers Beach Party” and a fun take on The Troggs’ “Wild Thing.” Audiophiles are sure to be thrilled by the Blu-Ray Audio disc containing the music in Dolby Atmos, TrueHD 5.1 and 24-bit PCM Stereo.

tompetty.com

Alison Moyet
Key
(Cooking Vinyl)

Hindsight is 20/20. There are often elements of an artist’s work that they wish could be changed. With that in mind, Alison Moyet – who came to prominence in Eighties synth-pop duo Yaz alongside Vince Clarke (hit dancefloor banger “Situation” has been in multiple TV commercials) – pored through her past solo albums to put a modern sheen on songs she felt were “never fully realized or have had their relevance to me altered by time.” What results is a regal and electronic-tinged 18-track collection heavy on deep cuts, plus stellar renditions of U.K. top 10 pop singles (“All Cried Out,” “Love Resurrection,” “Is This Love”) and prior collaborations with Lightning Seeds’ Ian Broudie (a buoyant “So Am I,” the positive ode “My Best Day”). Additionally, there are two new ones: a gorgeous “Such Small Ale,” co-written by Suede guitarist Richard Oakes, who also plays on a third of the album; and a mellifluent “The Impervious Me.”

alisonmoyetmusic.com