Anthology: Through The Years

the most striking thing about this two-disc overview of tom petty & the heartbreakers is the powerful case it makes for its creators as the most consistent band of not only their era, but of all time. think of another rocker who can claim to have created a quarter-century of recordings that, when ranked on a 10-point scale, never dip below a solid 7? indeed, while disc 1 reflects a marginally more aggressive mindset than disc 2, it wouldn't be difficult to imagine the discs flip-flopped; maturity has yet to induce lethargy for petty and the boys. occupying the solid middle ground between the 18-track greatest hits and the six-disc playback box, anthology serves up 34 selections, nearly every one an fm staple. from 1976's "breakdown" through the collection's only new offering, 2000's "surrender," this retrospective never flags. but how could it?