Almost As You Remember Them

Madonna's Hard Candy and Tom Petty's reunion with his first band Mudcrutch will be heartwarming reminder's for die-hard's of those 2 80's icons. With a triple assist from the Neptunes, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake, Madonna's 50th birthday album is pure, well ear candy. But there are some ominous break up lyrics lurking beneath the dance grooves. You'll be dancing too much to care. If, like me, you think Madonna's music is better when she thinks less and dances more than you'll hear Hard Candy as it's supposed to be. One listen to Mudcrutch, which features 2 members of the Heartbreakers, and its clear that the rocking "Refugee" days are over. There's not much Rock here, but there is plenty of bloozy Country Rock a/la the Dead. Remember, Petty's band started just as the jam band era was at its peak. Why is this better than Petty's albums of the last decades. For one, even on the mid-tempo stuff Petty sounds more inspired than when he's sleepwalking through them on his own albums. It's odd that Petty no longer want to rock out, but not uncommon for someone who's 58. Think about other rockers his age: Springsteen still rocks but it usually sounds stilted. McCartney can still get off a good Little Richard imitation but not much else. Elton John? No. Bob Seger's 2006 comeback included very few rockers of any distinction. The drive is lost as you get older, and the rock and roll begins to sound forced. No wonder most of these acts find their new stuff ending up on AC channels and shunned by Classic rock ones.