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Documentary

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - "Runnin' Down A Dream" - (Warner Bros.)

With the advent of reality television and digital video, it seems that even emerging artists often have their own "Behind the Music" episodes even before their first album is released.

Therefore, when a documentary about a seasoned, proven artist is released, it almost always deserves a look. "Runnin' Down a Dream" doesn't just deserve a look, it should be required viewing material for anyone who calls him or herself a fan of rock music.

Filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich ("The Last Picture Show") directed this film, which tells the 30-year history of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

When it was released in theaters, the film was commended for its depth and entertainment value.

On DVD, Bogdanovich is able to release a director's cut that clocks in at four hours and takes two DVDs to hold all of the material.

That might not sound attractive when you consider the time you'll need to set aside to view the film, but trust me, you'll want to make room in your busy schedule.

Using photographs, live concert footage, and even home video from the band member's own collection, "Runnin' Down a Dream" tells the fascinating story of an artist who has not only written some of rock's most enduring songs, but who also took the title of one of his own songs, "I Won't Back Down," very seriously.

The stories of Petty locking horns with his record company over various issues, as well as the tales about former bandmates Stan Lynch and Howie Epstein, unfold with a storytelling style that keeps you glued to the screen.

This is easily the best music documentary to come along in years. It is a bit disconcerting that fans can only buy this DVD set at one major music retailer, but the fact that the set includes an extra DVD with a full-length concert in Petty's hometown of Gainesville, Fla., as well as a CD of rare tracks, makes that minor marketing inconvenience bearable. (A+)

Rock

Foo Fighters - "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" - (RCA)

Forget about Robert Johnson, the legendary blues singer who supposedly struck a deal with the devil in return for his musical skills. I'm willing to bet that Dave Grohl, former Nirvana drummer and current front man for the Foo Fighters, made a similar agreement with Beelzebub in return for the power to write a seemingly endless supply of great rock hooks. Think of songs such as "Monkey Wrench," "Evermore" and "Big Me," and you begin to see that it's odd for one guy to be so adept at songwriting.

On "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace," the latest release from Foo Fighters, Grohl once again has that highly effective muse at work for him. Just check out songs such as "The Pretender," "Erase/Replace" and "Long Road to Ruin," which rock out in the manner we've come to expect from Foo Fighters.

But wait, Grohl and his band have apparently developed a penchant for the acoustic guitar, which leads to mixed results elsewhere on the album. "Summer's End" is pretty enough, but other tracks, such as "Ballad of Baconsfield Miners" and "Home" are just a bit too unplugged for what we've come to expect from this band. Hopefully, the next Foo Fighters release will rock out a little more. (C+)

Download These: "The Pretender," "Long Road to Ruin," "Summer's End"

Folk-rock

Bob Dylan - "Dylan" - (Columbia/Legacy)

I know exactly what you're saying to yourself. "Oh great, yet another collection of Bob Dylan songs." Actually, that isn't quite the case. In reality, "Dylan," the new compilation release from Columbia, is actually three separate collections of Bob Dylan songs. One can choose the single-disc, three-CD, or collector's edition version of this greatest-hits album.

The collector's edition, which features frou-frou deluxe packaging, is for the uber-fans. The single CD features a mere 18 tracks, which basically scratches the surface of scratching the surface of Dylan's long and illustrious career.

If you go for that version, you may as well admit that you don't know who Dylan is.

That leaves the three-CD set, which does a decent job of covering the artist's output up until now.

The selections start at Dylan's debut and go all the way to his most recent release, "Modern Times." Expected tracks, such as "The Times They are A-Changin'," "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35," and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" are there, alongside surprising but no less deserving tracks such as "Ring Them Bells," "When the Deal Goes Down" and "Things Have Changed."

Obviously, the only way to properly market a collection of Bob Dylan hits would be through a boxed set that encompassed 10 or more CDs.

Until that day arrives, the three-CD version of "Dylan" is a good place for budget-minded potential fans to start. (B)

Download These: "Ring Them Bells," "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," "Forever Young"

Pop rock

Nellie McKay - "Obligatory Villagers" - (Hungry Mouse)

When Nellie McKay made her recording debut at the ripe old age of 19, with a two-CD release no less, she caused quite a stir in the music industry.

That first CD, "Get Away from Me," sounded like what might happen if Eminem and Ethel Merman joined forces and wrote a Broadway musical.

When it came time for McKay to release her sophomore effort, she once again showed up at the table with two-CDs of material.

The record company reportedly told McKay to cut it down to a single CD, and McKay told the record label where to go. She eventually released that second two-CD set, "Pretty Little Head," to mostly good critical acclaim, but to disappointing sales.

McKay is now back with "Obligatory Villagers," which benefits from its brief nine-song, 32-minute length. The whole thing sounds like a cast recording to a nonexistent musical.

McKay recruited respected jazz artists such as Phil Woods, Bob Dorough, and Dave Liebman to lend an authentic sound to this wildly creative and often hilarious CD.

Standout tracks include "Identity Theft," "Testify" and "Zombie." Also good is "Galleon," although the chorus to that one gets a bit repetitive.

Though she's still in her 20s, McKay writes and plays music as if she were possessed by the ghost of some Tommy Tune-like poltergeist. She takes great glee in sprinkling seemingly serious songs with expletives, and even includes a 30-second song about bodily functions.

Fans of the previous two releases might argue that this latest effort is too short, but even those naysayers will have to agree that even a little Nellie McKay is more amusing than 99 percent of what passes for music these days. (A)

Download These: "Identity Theft," "Testify," "Zombie"

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