Talking about Tom Petty’s latest release ‘Highway Companion,’ a terrific album, requires a little back tracking and some thoughts on the idea of ‘the maturing of music.’First I would like to say that I have no idea what Tom was trying to do with ‘The Last DJ’ album, other then his assult on the record industry, which was well done and way over due. There were some fine tunes on that release to be sure, but on some level [and it’s not just me], it seemed scattered and lost, as if it had no direction at all. I really tried to get into the concept, but when I watched the DVD that came with the album, and heard Tom say, “this is one, you’re really gonna’ want in your collection ...,” I knew that he was just trying to SELL that piece of dribble. Wait, wait, I’m being unkind. The man has been putting out quality music for thirty years, he’s entitled to one bummer. What got me, was that I think he knew just how bad the release was and was just trying to push it. I resented that, especially with a song that cut to the quick of the music industry like ‘The Last DJ’. It was almost as if Tom had become the record executive ... but hey, maybe that was the joke and I missed it. Silly me!Maturing of music is an easy phrase to throw around and few people understand what it actually means. I’m going to try to give you my best thoughts on the topic. Tom, as I’ve said, has spent thirty years giving us great rock and roll, played with the best of the best, including Bob Dylan, George Harrison and The Heartbreakers, who backed his vision with splendid ferocity. To use the word mature, in regards to music, is to say that the artist is no longer concerned with the formula and has freed themselves to sing their songs, usually in a simpler manner, with less effort. This by no means indicates that the artist is going to lose his audience, it’s just that at some point in a career the artist finally decides that they are going to show the world who they actually are, at last able to stand with their back to the wind. This sense of freedom must feel totally liberating and this is what Tom has brought us with the release of ‘Highway Companion.’The songs are simple and elegant. He’s dipped heavily into some simple studio effects that spice up and brighten spaces on a couple of songs. The musical work is flawless, quiet and to the point. Each song is a story unto itself, as if they’re being told from the back seat, on a road trip across the landscape of America. ‘Ankle Deep’ is splendid Americana, where each word has a double meaning and each meaning is a entendre for something else; a fine example of what the Traveling Wilburys were all about.This album feels to have been effortless to make, therefore feels effortless with the listen, and therein lies the joy of this music. You’re going to hear some old stokes from Tom’s brush, but that only goes to connect this work to his past, tying it all together in a nice package. There’s a strong tight back beat here, the trademark THUMP THUMP of the bass, and Tom’s signature chord changes. The guitar solos, short as they are, seem lighter, more silver, airy, and magical.‘Night Driver’ will bring you chills on the open road, windows rolled down, wind in your hair. If you pass a red Jeep heading into the desert’s setting sun, a skull and bones decal on the back window, that’s me ...’a night driver drifting home again.’ Review by Jenell Kesler