Tom Petty: 1950-2017
I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, and I spent countless hours exploring Ventura Boulevard as a kid. I think I’ve mentioned before on this blog that I used to ride my bike down to The Wherehouse on Ventura every Saturday to buy 45s (89 cents each!!). While I never purchased any Tom Petty 45s during that time (we relocated to Texas in 1979 and my tastes before then ran more towards Olivia Newton-John and Rod Stewart), I did have a Tom Petty experience in my college years that took me right back to those Ventura Blvd. days of The Wherehouse, Licorice Pizza, Pup ‘N’ Taco, and Winchell’s Donuts.
The date was April 25, 1989. It was a Tuesday. The Waterloo Records release board had let me know a few weeks earlier that Tom Petty’s first solo album would be released on this day. I had long ago traded in my trusty Schwinn for a 1979 Ford Thunderbird, but my excitement level on new-release Tuesdays always took me right back to the way I felt on those glorious ’70s Saturdays. Waterloo opened at 10 AM that morning, and I was waiting at the door. I was the first person to buy a copy of Full Moon Fever that day– in fact, I watched them pull the new CD copies out of the box. I didn’t have a CD player in my car at that time, so I had to wait until I got home to pop on the disc.
Of course, you know what song leads off the album. Move west down Ventura Blvd, indeed…
Yesterday’s Tom Petty tribute featured the strangely out-of-print 1996 soundtrack for She’s The One. Today’s post features another OOP Heartbreakers record, but this time the lack of CD availability makes a little more sense. Simply put, 2002’s The Last DJ is one giant middle finger to the music industry. I wasn’t a big fan of the record when it came out, but The Last DJ has grown on me over the years. Since the music industry won’t even let you buy a CD copy of the album on Amazon at this time, I’m happy to post the entire album here on The Analog Kid Blog. Oh, and I’m sure Tom would like me to add a big “FUCK YOU” to Warner Bros. as well.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: The Last DJ
Reprise Records, 2002
1. “The Last DJ” (Tom Petty)
2. “Money Becomes King” (Tom Petty)
3. “Dreamville” (Tom Petty)
4. “Joe” (Tom Petty)
5. “When A Kid Goes Bad” (Tom Petty)
6. “Like A Diamond” (Tom Petty)
7. “Lost Children” (Tom Petty)
8. “Blue Sunday” (Tom Petty/Mike Campbell)
9. “You And Me” (Tom Petty)
10. “The Man Who Loves Women” (Tom Petty)
11. “Have Love Will Travel” (Tom Petty)
12. “Can’t Stop The Sun” (Tom Petty/Mike Campbell)
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Bonus Tracks!
The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.
Tom Petty: “Free Fallin'” (Tom Petty/Jeff Lynne)
From the album Full Moon Fever
Warner Bros, Records, 1989
Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs: “Free Fallin'” (Tom Petty/Jeff Lynne)
From the album Under The Covers, Vol. 3
Shout Factory!, 2013
Stevie Nicks: “Free Fallin'” (Tom Petty/Jeff Lynne)
From the album Music From Party Of Five
Reprise Records, 1996
Rod Stewart: “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” [Special Disco Mix] (Rod Stewart/Duane Hitchings/Carmine Appice)
From the U.S. 12″ Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?
Warner Bros. Records, 1978
Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? [Special Disco Mix]
Olivia Newton-John: “A Little More Love” (John Farrar)
From the album Totally Hot
MCA Records, 1978
The Analog Kid 
Nice to see you back in business. Thanks for the heads up on She’s the One. I thought I was on top of Tom Petty’s catalog. What a great loss.