YES, go buy Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers “Hypnotic Eye” immediately if not sooner. You will hear one of the very best albums recorded by a Classic Rock artist, hell, by any artist, in quite some time.

It’s so good I really don’t know where to start. First off, the songs are some of the best he’s written in a long time—yes, like Bob Dylan still can, Tom uncorked a doozy on this one. And, THAT voice, and the harmonies—you’ll be singing along in no time.

The sounds of the instruments are all wonderfully warm, and the parts are well thought out and played incredibly great by one of the best bands on the planet (The Heartbreakers just may be THE best band on the planet!). I am partial to the guitars cuz I’m a guitar guy and there are so many different and great flavors of guitar sounds on this album that each guitar part is like a little hit record all on its own. The keyboards are very tasty—especially the electric piano parts, and the drums are flat out terrific—again with a great range of styles and sounds.

The production and mix are STELLAR—the way albums ought to sound, with plenty of dynamic range and space—none of this flavor of the month, cram every sound into one big brick of loud nonsense. This record sounds so good you’d almost swear it was true analogue.

My favorite tracks are “Fault Lines,” “Red River,” All You Can Carry,” “Power Drunk,” “U Get Me High,” and “Shadow People,” and the rest aren’t far behind! I have been driving in my car for 2 weeks listening to the whole thing over and over, and over again. I just can’t get enough of it.

When was the last album you got that had THAT effect on you?!!

If you only buy one album a year, make this be the one—it will give you hours of listening pleasure (like an album is suppose to).

Best,

~Rap

PS. The photo is me in front of Rough Trade Records in Brooklyn—great store! Lot’s of vinyl.

© Paul Rappaport 2014