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Upon the release of their first album in the late '70s, Tom Petty & the
Heartbreakers were shoehorned into the punk/new wave movement by some observers, who
picked up on the tough, vibrant energy of the group's blend of Byrds riffs and Stonesy
swagger. In a way, the categorization made sense. Compared to the heavy metal and art-rock
that dominated mid-'70s guitar-rock, the Heartbreakers' bracing return to roots was nearly
as unexpected as the crashing chords of the Clash. As time progressed, it became clear
that the band didn't break from tradition like their punk contemporaries. Instead, they
celebrated it, culling the best parts of the British Invasion, American garage rock, and
Dylanesque singer/songwriters to create a distinctively American hybrid that recalled the
past without being indebted to it. The Heartbreakers were a tight, muscular and versatile
backing band that provided the proper support for Petty's songs, which cataloged a series
of middle-class losers and dreamers. While his slurred, nasal voice may have recalled
Dylan and Roger McGuinn, Petty's songwriting was lean and direct, recalling the simple,
unadorned style of Neil Young. Throughout his career, Petty & the Heartbreakers never
departed from their signature rootsy sound, but they were able to expand it, bringing in
psychedelic, southern rock and New Wave influences; they were also one of the few of the
traditionalist rock & rollers who embraced music videos, filming some of the most
inventive and popular videos in MTV history. His willingness to experiment with the
boundaries of classic rock & roll helped Petty sustain his popularity well into the
'90s.
Born and raised in northern Florida, Tom Petty began playing music while he was still
in high school. At the age of 17, he dropped out of school to join Mudcrutch, which also
featured guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench. By 1970, Mudcrutch had
moved to Los Angeles with hopes of finding a record contract. The fledgling Shelter
Records, founded by Leon Russel and Denny Cordell, offered the group a contract. However,
Mudcrutch splintered apart shortly after relocating to LA. Cordell was willing to record
Petty as a solo act, but the singer's reception to the idea was tenative. Over the next
few years, Petty drifted through bands, eventually hooking back up with Campbell and Tench
in 1975. At the time, the duo were working with bassist Ron Blair and drummer Stan Lynch;
soon, Petty became involved with the band, who were then named the Heartbreakers. Petty
was still under contract to Shelter, and the group assumed his deal, releasing Tom Petty
& the Heartbreakers in 1976.
Initially, the band's debut was ignored in the United States, but when the group
supported it in England with a tour opening for Nils Lofgren, the record began to take
off. Within a few months, the band was headlining its own British tours and the album was
in the UK Top 30. Prompted by the record's British success, Shelter pushed the album and
the single "Breakdown" in the US, this time to success; "Breakdown"
became a Top 40 hit and "American Girl" became an album-oriented radio staple.
You're Gonna Get It, the Heartbreakers' second album, was released in 1978 and it became
the group's first Amerian Top 40 record. Petty & the Heartbreakers were poised to
break into the big-time when they ran into severe record company problems. Shelter's
parent company, ABC Records, was bought by MCA Records, and Petty attempted to renegotiate
his contract with the label. MCA was unwilling to meet most of his demands, and half-way
through 1979, he filed for bankruptcy. Soon afterward, he settled into an agreement with
MCA, signing with their subsidiary Backstreet Records. Released late in 1979, Damn the
Torpedoes was his first release on Backstreet.
Damn the Torpedoes was Petty's breakthrough release, earning uniformly excellent
reviews, generating the Top 10 hit "Don't Do Me Like That" and the number 15
"Refugee," and spending seven weeks at number two on the US charts; it would
eventually sell over two million copies. Though he was at a peak of popularity, Petty ran
into record company trouble again when he and the Heartbreakers prepared to release Hard
Promises, the 1981 followup to Damn the Torpedoes. MCA wanted to release the record at the
list price of $9.98, which was a high price at the time. Petty refused to comply to their
wishes, threatening to withhold the album from the label and organizing a fan protest
which forced the company to release the record at $8.98. Hard Promises became a Top 10
hit, going platinum and spawning the hit single "The Waiting." Later that year,
Petty produced Del Shannon's comeback album Drop Down and Get Me and wrote "Stop
Draggin' My Heart Around," as a duet for himself and Stevie Nicks. Featured on her
album Bella Donna, which was recorded with the Heartbreakers support, "Stop Draggin'
My Heart Around" became a number three hit. Petty & the Heartbreakers returned
late in 1982 with Long After Dark, which became their third Top 10 album in a row.
Following its release, bassist Ron Blair left the band and was replaced by Howie Epstein,
who previously played with John Hiatt.
Petty & the Heartbreakers spent nearly three years making Southern Accents, the
followup to Long After Dark. Hiring Eurythmic Dave Stewart as a producer, the band
attempted to branch out musically, reaching into new territories like soul, psychedelia
and New Wave. However, the recording wasn't easy - at its worst, Petty punched a studio
wall and broke his left hand, reportedly in frustration over the mixing. Southern Accents
was finally released in the spring of 1985, preceded by the neo-psychedelic single
"Don't Come Around Here No More," which featured a popular, psuedo-Alice in
Wonderland video. Southern Accents was another hit record, peaking at number seven and
going platinum. Following its release, Petty & the Heartbreakers spent 1986 on tour as
Bob Dylan's backing band. Dylan contributed to the lead single, "Jammin' Me,"
from the Heartbreakers' next album Let Me Up (I've Had Enough), which was released to
mixed reviews in the spring of 1987. Just after the record's release, Petty's house and
most of his belongings were destroyed by fire; he, his wife and two daughters survived
uncathed.
During 1988, Petty became a member of the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, which
also featured Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne. The Wilburys released
their first album at the end of 1988 and its sound became the blueprint for Petty's first
solo effort, 1989's Full Moon Fever. Prodcued by Lynne and featuring the support of most
of the Heartbreakers, Full Moon Fever became Petty's commercial pinnacle, reaching number
three on the US charts, going triple platinum, and generating the hit singles "I
Won't Back Down," "Runnin' Down A Dream" and "Free Fallin',"
which reached number seven. In 1990, he contributed to the Traveling Wilburys second
album, Vol. 3. Petty officially reunited with the Heartbreakers on Into the Great Wide
Open, which was also produced by Jeff Lynne. Released in the spring of 1991, Into the
Great Wide Open sustained the momentum of Full Moon Fever, earning strong reviews and
going platinum.
Following the release of 1993's Greatest Hits, which featured two new tracks produced
by Rick Rubin, including the Top 20 hit "Mary Jane's Last Dance," Petty left MCA
for Warner Brothers; upon signing, it was revealed that he negotiated the $20 million deal
in 1989. Drummer Stan Lynch left the Heartbreakers in 1994, as Petty was recording his
second solo album with producer Rubin and many members of the Heartbreakers. Like Full
Moon Fever before it, 1994's Wildflowers was greeted to enthusiastic reviews and sales,
tying his previous solo album for his biggest-selling studio album. In addition to going
triple platinum and peaking at number eight, the album spawned the hit singles "You
Don't Know How It Feels," "You Wreck Me" and "It's Good To Be
King." Petty and the Heartbreakers reunited in 1996 to record the soundtrack for the
Edward Burns film She's the One. The resulting soundtrack album was a moderate hit,
peaking at number 15 on the US charts and going gold. Echo followed three years later.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - 1976
At the time Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' debut was released in 1976, they were
fresh enough to almost be considered punk. They weren't as reckless or visionary as the
Ramones, but they shared a similar love for pure '60s rock and, for the Heartbreakers,
that meant embracing the Byrds as much as the Stones. And that's pretty much what this
album is - tuneful jangle balanced by a tough garage swagger. At times, the attitude and
the sound overrides the songwriting, but that's alright, since the slight songs
("Anything That's Rock & Roll," to pick a random example) are still infused
with spirit and an appealing surface. Petty and the Heartbreakers feel underground on this
album, at least to the extent that power pop was underground in 1976; with Dwight Twilley
providing backing vocals for "Strangered in the Night," the similarities between
the two bands (adherence to pop hooks and melodies, love of guitars) become apparent.
Petty wound up eclipsing Twilley because he rocked harder, something that's evident
throughout this record. Take the closer "American Girl" - it's a Byrds song by
any other name, but he pushed the Heartbreakers to treat it as a rock & roll song, not
as something delicate. There are times where the album starts to drift, especially on the
second side, but the highlights - "Rockin' Around (With You)," "Hometown
Blues," "The Wild One, Forever," the AOR staples "Breakdown" and
"American Girl" - still illustrate how refreshing Petty & the Heartbreakers
sounded in 1976. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
01 - (2:29) Rockin' Around (With You)
02 - (2:45) Breakdown
03 - (2:15) Hometown Blues
04 - (3:03) The Wild One, Forever
05 - (2:25) Anything That's Rock & Roll
06 - (3:33) Strangered In The Night
07 - (3:53) Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)
08 - (3:04) Mystery Man
09 - (4:01) Luna
10 - (3:32) American Girl
You're Gonna Get It! - 1978
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers didn't really have to knock out their second album -
it was released two years after their debut - but it sure sounds as if they did. There are
some wonderful moments on this record, but it often feels like leftovers from a strong
debut, or an album written on the road, especially since the music is simply an extension
of the first album. That said, when You're Gonna Get It works, it devastates. That's not
saying that "When the Time Comes" is a masterpiece, even if it's a fine opener,
but it does mean that "I Need to Know" and the scathing "Listen to Her
Heart" are testaments to how good this band could be when they were focused. If the
rest of the album doesn't achieve this level of perfection, that's a signal that they were
still finding their footing, but overall it's still a solid record, filled with good
performances that are never quite as good as the songs. It's pretty good as it spins, but
once it finishes, you remember those two songs at the heart of the record, maybe the
opener and closer, which are stronger than the rest of the competent, enjoyable, yet
unremarkable roots-rockers that surround them. Not necessarily a transitional effort -
after all, it pretty much mirrors its predecessor - but a holding pattern that may not
suggest the peaks of what's to come, but still delivers a good sound-alike of the debut. -
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
01 - (2:49) When The Time Comes
02 - (3:01) You're Gonna Get It
03 - (3:21) Hurt
04 - (3:02) Magnolia
05 - (2:59) Too Much Ain't Enough
06 - (2:27) I Need To Know
07 - (3:05) Listen To Her Heart
08 - (2:42) No Second Thoughts
09 - (3:24) Restless
10 - (2:55) Baby's A Rock 'N' Roller
Damn The Torpedoes - 1979
Not long after You're Gonna Get It, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' label, Shelter,
was sold to MCA Records. Petty struggled to free himself from the major label, eventually
sending himself into bankruptcy. He settled with MCA and set to work on his third album,
digging out some old Mudcrutch numbers and quickly writing new songs. Amazingly, through
all the frustration and anguish, Petty & the Heartbreakers delivered their
breakthrough and arguably their masterpiece with Damn the Torpedoes. Musically, it follows
through on the promise of their first two albums, offering a tough, streamlined fusion of
the Stones and Byrds that, thanks to Jimmy Iovine's clean production, sounded utterly
modern yet timeless. It helped that the Heartbreakers had turned into a tighter, muscular
outfit, reminiscent of, well, the Stones in their prime - all of the parts combine into a
powerful, distinctive sound capable of all sorts of subtle variations. Their musical
suppleness helps bring out the soul in Petty's impressive set of songs. He had written a
few classics before - "American Girl," "Listen to Her Heart" - but
here his songwriting truly blossoms. Most of the songs have a deep melancholy undercurrent
- the tough "Here Comes My Girl" and "Even the Losers" have tender
hearts; the infectious "Don't Do Me Like That" masks a painful relationship;
"Refugee" is a scornful, blistering rocker; "Louisiana Rain" is a
tear-jerking ballad. Yet there are purpose and passion behind the performances that makes
Damn the Torpedoes an invigorating listen all the same. Few mainstream rock albums of the
late '70s and early '80s were quite as strong as this, and it still stands as one of the
great records of the album rock era. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
1 - (3:24) Refugee
2 - (4:30) Here Comes My Girl
3 - (4:02) Even The Losers
4 - (4:28) Shadow Of A Doubt (A Complex Kid)
5 - (3:47) Century City
6 - (2:46) Don't Do Me Like That
7 - (4:37) You Tell Me
8 - (3:28) What Are You Doin' In My Life?
9 - (5:58) Louisiana Rain
Hard Promises -1981
Damn the Torpedoes wasn't simply a culmination of Tom Petty's art; it happened to be a
huge success, enabling him to call the shots on its successor, Hard Promises. Infamously,
he used his first album as a star to challenge the record industry's practice of charging
more for A-list artists, demanding that Hard Promises should be listed for less than most
records by an artist of his stature, but if that was the only thing notable about the
album, it would have disappeared like Long After Dark. Instead, it offered a reaffirmation
that Damn the Torpedoes wasn't a fluke. There's not much new on the surface, since it
continues the sound of its predecessor, but it's filled with great songwriting, something
that's as difficult to achieve as a distinctive sound. As the opener, "The
Waiting" became the best-known song on the record, but there's no discounting "A
Woman in Love (It's Not Me)," "Nightwatchman," "Kings Road,"
"Insider," and "The Criminal Kind," album tracks that would become fan
favorites. If Hard Promises doesn't have the sweep of Damn the Torpedoes, that's because
its predecessor was blessed with good timing and an unusually strong set of songs. Hard
Promises isn't quite so epochal, yet it has a tremendous set of songs and a unified sound
that makes it one of Petty's finest records. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
01 - (3:58) The Waiting
02 - (4:24) A Woman In Love (It's Not Me)
03 - (4:02) Nightwatchman
04 - (4:45) Something Big
05 - (3:25) Kings Road
06 - (3:26) Letting You Go
07 - (3:33) A Thing About You
08 - (4:25) Insider
09 - (4:01) The Criminal Kind
10 - (4:19) You Can Still Change Your Mind
Long After Dark - 1982
Riding high on the the back-to-back Top Five, platinum hits Damn the Torpedoes and Hard
Promises, Tom Petty quickly returned to the studio to record the Heartbreakers' fifth
album, Long After Dark. Truth be told, there was about as long a gap between Dark and
Promises as there was between Promises and Torpedoes, but there was a difference this time
around - Petty and the Heartbreakers sounded tired. Even if there are a few new wave
flourishes here and there, the band haven't really changed their style at all - it's still
Stonesy, Byrdsian heartland rock. As their first four albums illustrated, that isn't a
problem in itself, since they have found numerous variations within their signature
sound...providing they have the right songs. Unfortunately, Petty had a dry spell on Long
After Dark. With its swirling, minor-key guitars, "You Got Lucky" is a classic,
and "Change of Heart" comes close to matching those peaks, but the remaining
songs rarely rise above agreeable filler. Since the Heartbreakers are a very good band, it
means the record sounds pretty good as it's playing, but apart from those few highlights,
nothing much is memorable once the album has finished. And coming on the heels of two
excellent records, that's quite a disappointment. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
01 - (3:04) A One Story Town
02 - (3:33) You Got Lucky
03 - (3:26) Deliver Me
04 - (3:18) Change Of Heart
05 - (3:34) Finding Out
06 - (3:36) We Stand A Chance
07 - (3:47) Straight Into Darkness
08 - (3:31) The Same Old You
09 - (5:14) Between Two Worlds
10 - (4:33) A Wasted Life
Southern Accents - 1985
Produced by Dave Stewart, Southern Accents is an ambitious album, attempting to
incorporate touches of psychedelia, soul, and country into a loose concept about the
modern South. Occasionally, the songs work; "Rebels" and "Spike" are
fine rockers, and "Don't Come Around Here No More" and "Make It Better
(Forget About Me)" expand The Heartbreakers' sound nicely. But too often, the record
is weighed down by its own ambitions. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
1 - (5:22) Rebels
2 - (5:13) It Ain't Nothin' To Me
3 - (5:08) Don't Come Around Here No More
4 - (4:45) Southern Accents
5 - (4:25) Make It Better (Forget About Me)
6 - (3:34) Spike
7 - (3:41) Dogs On The Run
8 - (3:48) Mary's New Car
9 - (4:05) The Best Of Everything
Pack Up The Plantation: Live! - 1986
Considering that Southern Accents took so much time and money to complete, finally
hitting the stores two and a half years after Long After Dark, it wasn't surprising that
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers decided to release a double-live album, Pack Up the
Plantation - Live!, a mere eight months after its release. After all, Southern Accents was
criticized from many corners for being too slick, too much in Dave Stewart's corner
instead of the Heartbreakers', so it made sense to quickly return the focus to the band,
showcasing the group as the rockers they are. Pack Up the Plantation does do that, even if
it isn't quite the barn-burner it should have been. Part of the problem is that the song
selection isn't quite as good as it could have been, relying heavily on Southern Accents
material, including the weak "It Ain't Nothin' to Me." Then again, the weaker
songs and dubious choices are outweighed by a strong performance and neat surprises like a
tough "Insider" and covers of "So You Want to Be a Rock & Roll
Star," "Needles and Pins" and "Don't Bring Me Down." That alone
makes it worth investigating for dedicated fans, even if it doesn't quite deliver the
knockout punch many listeners might have wanted. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
01 - (3:42) So You Want To Be A Rock & Roll Star [Live]
02 - (2:29) Needles And Pins [Live]
03 - (5:22) The Waiting [Live]
04 - (7:43) Breakdown [Live]
05 - (4:06) American Girl [Live]
06 - (6:19) It Ain't Nothin' To Me [Live]
07 - (5:31) Insider [Live]
08 - (3:25) Rockin' Around (With You) [Live]
09 - (5:30) Refugee [Live]
10 - (5:20) Southern Accents [Live]
11 - (6:19) Rebels [Live]
12 - (3:57) Don't Bring Me Down [Live]
13 - (9:41) Shout [Live]
14 - (3:47) Stories We Could Tell [Live]
Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) - 1987
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers spent much of 1986 on the road as Bob Dylan's backing
band. Dylan's presence proved to be a huge influence on the Heartbreakers, turning them
away from the well-intentioned but slick pretensions of Southern Accents and toward a
loose, charmingly ramshackle roots-rock that hearkened back to their roots yet exhibited
the professional eclecticism they developed during the mid-'80s. All of this was on full
display on Let Me Up (I've Had Enough), their simplest and best album since Hard Promises.
Not to say that Let Me Up is a perfect album - far from it, actually. Filled with loose
ends, song fragments and unvarnished productions, it's a defiantly messy album, and it's
all the better for it, especially arriving on the heels of the well-groomed Accents. Apart
from the (slightly dated) rant "Jammin' Me'" (co-written by Dylan, but you can't
tell), there aren't any standouts on the record, but there's no filler either - it's just
simply a good collection of ballads ("Runaway Trains"), country-rockers
("The Damage You've Done"), pop/rock ("All Mixed Up," "Think
About Me") and hard rockers ("Let Me Up [I've Had Enough]"). While that
might not be enough to qualify Let Me Up as one of Petty & the Heartbreakers'
masterpieces, it is enough to qualify it as the most underrated record in their catalog. -
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
01 - (4:09) Jammin' Me
02 - (5:14) Runaway Trains
03 - (3:53) The Damage You've Done
04 - (3:10) It'll All Work Out
05 - (4:39) My Life/Your World
06 - (3:50) Think About Me
07 - (3:46) All Mixed Up
08 - (3:02) A Self Made Man
09 - (2:43) Ain't Love Strange
10 - (3:22) How Many More Days
11 - (3:34) Let Me Up (I've Had Enough)
Full Moon Fever - 1989
Although Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) found the Heartbreakers regaining their strength
as a band and discovering a newfound ease at songcraft, it just didn't sell that well.
Perhaps that factor, along with road fatigue, led Tom Petty to record his first solo
album, Full Moon Fever. Nevertheless, the distinction between "solo" and
"Heartbreakers" is a fuzzy one because Full Moon Fever is essentially in the
same style as the Heartbreakers albums; Mike Campbell co-wrote two songs and co-produced
the record, and he, along with Benmont Tench and Howie Epstein, all play on the album.
However, the album sounds different from any Heartbreakers record due to the presence of
former Electric Light Orchestra leader Jeff Lynne. Petty co-wrote the lion's share of the
album with Lynne, who also is the record's main producer. In his hands, Petty's roots rock
becomes clean and glossy, layered with shimmering vocal harmonies, keyboards, and acoustic
guitars. It was a friendly, radio-ready sound, and if it has dated somewhat over the
years, the craft is still admirable and appealing. But the real reason Full Moon Fever
became Petty's biggest hit is that it boasted a selection of songs that rivaled Damn the
Torpedoes. Full Moon Fever didn't have a weak track; even if a few weren't quite as strong
as others, the album was filled with highlights - "I Won't Back Down," the
wistful "A Face in the Crowd," the rockabilly throwaways "Yer So Bad"
and "A Mind With a Heart of Its Own," the Byrds cover "Feel a Whole Lot
Better," the charging "Runnin' Down a Dream," and "Free Fallin',"
a coming-of-age ballad that could be Petty's best song. Full Moon Fever might have been
meant as an off-the-cuff detour, but it turned into a minor masterpiece. - Stephen Thomas
Erlewine
01 - (4:17) Free Fallin'
02 - (2:59) I Won't Back Down
03 - (4:09) Love Is A Long Road
04 - (4:00) A Face In The Crowd
05 - (4:53) Runnin' Down A Dream
06 - (2:50) I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
07 - (3:06) Yer So Bad
08 - (2:49) Depending On You
09 - (2:33) The Apartment Song
10 - (2:01) Alright For Now
11 - (3:32) A Mind With A Heart Of It's Own
12 - (2:57) Zombie Zoo
Into The Great Wide Open - 1991
Since Full Moon Fever was an unqualified commercial and critical sense, perhaps it made
sense that Tom Petty chose to follow its shiny formula when he reunited with the
Heartbreakers for its follow-up, Into the Great Wide Open. Nevertheless, the familiarity
of Into the Great Wide Open is something of a disappointment. The Heartbreakers' sound has
remained similar throughout their career, but they had never quite repeated themselves
until here. Technically, it isn't a repeat, since they weren't credited on Full Moon, but
Wide Open sounds exactly like Fever, thanks to Jeff Lynne's overly stylized production.
Again, it sounds like a cross between latter-day ELO and roots-rock (much like the
Traveling Wilburys, in that sense), but the production has become a touch too careful and
precise, bordering on the sterile at times. And, unfortunately, the quality of the
songwriting doesn't match Fever or Let Me Up (I've Had Enough). That's not to say that it
rivals the uninspired Long After Dark, since Petty is a better craftsman in 1991 than he
was in 1983. There are a number of minor gems - "Learning to Fly," "Kings
Highway," "Into the Great Wide Open" - but there are no knock-outs, either;
it's like Full Moon Fever if there were only "Apartment Song"s and no "Free
Fallin'"s. In other words, enough for a pleasant listen, but not enough to resonate
like his best work. (And considering this, perhaps it wasn't surprising that Petty chose
to change producers and styles on his next effort, the solo Wildflowers.) - Stephen Thomas
Erlewine
01 - (4:04) Learning To Fly
02 - (3:09) King's Highway
03 - (3:44) Into The Great Wide Open
04 - (3:11) Two Gunslingers
05 - (3:25) The Dark Of The Sun
06 - (4:09) All Or Nothin'
07 - (3:47) All The Wrong Reasons
08 - (4:01) Too Good To Be True
09 - (3:42) Out In The Cold
10 - (3:43) You And I Will Meet Again
11 - (3:28) Makin' Some Noise
12 - (3:59) Built To Last
Greatest Hits - 1993
All of Petty's biggest hits collected, along with two new tracks - the excellent
"Mary Jane's Last Dance" and a cover of Thunderclap Newman's "Something In
the Air" - on one essential disc. Everything from "American Girl" to
"Free Fallin'" is included, with sixteen tracks proving that Petty is one of the
best rockers of the past fifteen years. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
01 - (3:34) American Girl
02 - (2:43) Breakdown
03 - (3:04) Listen To Her Heart
04 - (2:24) I Need To Know
05 - (3:23) Refugee
06 - (2:43) Don't Do Me Like That
07 - (3:40) Even The Losers
08 - (4:26) Here Comes My Girl
09 - (4:00) The Waiting
10 - (3:37) You Got Lucky
11 - (5:05) Don't Come Around Here No More
12 - (2:57) I Won't Back Down
13 - (4:24) Runnin' Down A Dream
14 - (4:17) Free Fallin'
15 - (4:03) Learning To Fly
16 - (3:45) Into The Great Wide Open
17 - (4:35) Mary Jane's Last Dance
18 - (3:18) Something In The Air
Wildflowers - 1994
Under the guidance of producer Rick Rubin, Tom Petty turns in a stripped-down, subtle
record with Wildflowers. Coming after two albums of Jeff Lynne-directed bombast, the very
sound of the record is refreshing; Petty sounds relaxed and confident. Most of the songs
are small gems, but a few are a little too laid-back, almost reaching the point of
carelessness. Nevertheless, the finest songs here ("Wildflowers," "You
Don't Know How It Feels," "It's Good to Be King," and several others) match
the quality of his best material, making Wildflowers one of Petty's most distinctive and
best albums. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
01 - (3:12) Wildflowers
02 - (4:51) You Don't Know How It Feels
03 - (3:16) Time To Move On
04 - (3:24) You Wreck Me
05 - (5:12) It's Good To Be King
06 - (4:32) Only A Broken Heart
07 - (5:00) Honey Bee
08 - (3:33) Don't Fade On Me
09 - (3:49) Hard On Me
10 - (2:52) Cabin Down Below
11 - (3:24) To Find A Friend
12 - (3:57) A Higher Place
13 - (5:33) House In The Woods
14 - (5:07) Crawling Back To You
15 - (5:21) Wake Up Time
Playback - 1995
The consequence of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' enduring affection for the music of
the mid-'60s was that, in essence, they were a singles band, a fact driven home on the
first three CDs of the six-disc set Playback; even when abbreviating each of their first
nine studio albums to four to six cuts, the songs break down into the hits and the
also-rans. To be fair, there are quite a few of the former, and some of the latter are
could-have-beens; and since Petty is more a song maker (or, more precisely, a track
cutter) than an album artist, his work is more amenable to compilation. Still, three discs
are more than enough, and then come three more discs of rarities and outtakes. The first
of these contains non-LP B-sides, most of which are pleasant throwaways (although
"Trailer" suggests that the failed concept album Southern Accents could have
been more of a success if it had been included). The last two discs present early and
alternate histories of Petty, as his pre-Heartbreakers group, Mudcrutch, searches for a
sound; later, he tries out different approaches that never made it onto his regular
albums. Some of this material will be of interest to hardcore fans, but to justify the
length and price of the box, there would have to be real lost treasures here. Not
surprisingly, then, Playback is a box set that would have been twice as good at half the
size. - William Ruhlmann
Disc 1
01 - (2:44) Breakdown
02 - (3:35) American Girl
03 - (2:13) Hometown Blues
04 - (2:25) Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll
05 - (2:25) I Need To Know
06 - (3:04) Listen To Her Heart
07 - (2:46) When The Time Comes
08 - (2:59) Too Much Ain't Enough
09 - (2:40) No Second Thoughts
10 - (2:53) Baby's A Rock 'N' Roller
11 - (3:24) Refugee
12 - (4:27) Here Comes My Girl
13 - (4:00) Even The Losers
14 - (4:27) Shadow Of A Doubt (A Complex Kid)
15 - (2:43) Don't Do Me Like That
16 - (4:01) The Waiting
17 - (4:25) A Woman In Love (It's Not Me)
18 - (4:46) Something Big
19 - (3:33) A Thing About You
20 - (4:24) Insider
21 - (4:18) You Can Still Change Your Mind
Disc 2
01 - (3:38) You Got Lucky
02 - (3:20) Change Of Heart
03 - (3:49) Straight Into Darkness
04 - (3:31) The Same Old You
05 - (5:21) Rebels
06 - (5:07) Don't Come Around Here No More
07 - (4:46) Southern Accents
08 - (4:25) Make It Better (Forget About Me)
09 - (4:04) The Best Of Everything
10 - (3:32) So You Wan't To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star
11 - (3:53) Don't Bring Me Down
12 - (4:09) Jammin' Me
13 - (3:12) It'll All Work Out
14 - (0:40) Mike's Life
15 - (3:47) Think About Me
16 - (3:02) A Self-Made Man
Disc 3
01 - (4:17) Free Fallin'
02 - (2:58) I Won't Back Down
03 - (4:09) Love Is A Long Road
04 - (4:25) Runnin' Down A Dream
05 - (3:07) Yer So Bad
06 - (2:03) Alright For Now
07 - (4:04) Learning To Fly
08 - (3:45) Into The Great Wide Open
09 - (4:09) All Or Nothin'
10 - (3:42) Out In The Cold
11 - (3:59) Build To Last
12 - (4:35) Mary Jane's Last Dance
13 - (4:16) Christmas All Over Again
Disc 4
01 - (3:38) Casa Dega
02 - (1:58) Heartbreaker's Beach Party
03 - (3:17) Trailer
04 - (3:35) Cracking Up
05 - (4:51) Psychotic Reaction [Live]
06 - (3:44) I'm Tired Joey Boy [Live]
07 - (2:48) Lonely Weekends [Live]
08 - (1:36) Gator On The Lawn
09 - (5:06) Make That Connection
10 - (2:55) Down The Line
11 - (4:44) Peace In L.A. (Peace Mix)
12 - (1:32) It's Rainin' Again
13 - (2:06) Somethin' Else [Live]
14 - (2:29) I Don't Know What To Say To You
15 - (3:31) Kings Highway [Live]
Disc 5
01 - (2:11) On The Street
02 - (3:27) Depot Street
03 - (3:07) Cry To Me
04 - (2:48) Don't Do Me Like That (Mudcrutch)
05 - (3:01) I Can't Fight It
06 - (4:41) Since You Said You Loved Me
07 - (4:23) Lousiana Rain
08 - (3:00) Keeping Me Alive
09 - (2:53) Turning Point
10 - (4:13) Stop Draggin' My Heart Around [Demo]
11 - (2:38) The Apartment Song [Demo]
12 - (2:42) Big Boss Man
13 - (2:34) The Image Of Me
14 - (1:05) Moon Pie
15 - (3:17) The Damage You've Done [Country Version]
Disc 6
01 - (2:52) Got My Mind Up [Original Version]
02 - (3:28) Ways To Be Wicked
03 - (3:12) Can't Get Her Out
04 - (3:31) Waiting For Tonight
05 - (3:16) Travelin'
06 - (2:34) Baby, Let's Play House
07 - (2:10) Wooden Heart
08 - (4:19) God's Gift To Man
09 - (2:49) You Get Me High
10 - (3:06) Come Down To My House
11 - (5:17) You Come Through
12 - (3:29) Up In Mississippi Tonight
Echo - 1999
Although the stripped-down, immediate production of She's the One was reminiscent of
Wildflowers, Tom Petty's forays into Lindsey Buckingham-inspired pop turned out to be a
passing thing, since Echo, his first full-fledged record with the Heartbreakers since
1991's Into the Great Wide Open, is an extension of Wildflowers, at least in terms of
sound and feel. The weird thing is, Echo sounds like a sinewy band recording, but its
sentiment makes it feel like a solo record. To be blunt, much of Echo feels like a
by-product of Petty's divorce from his wife of over 20 years; even the intoxicating hard
rock of "Free Girl Now" has a layer of sorrow and regret. That weary melancholy
is the bond that keeps Echo together, bridging the gap between the ballads and the
rockers, providing an emotional touchstone that makes the record more than just another
Petty record. Then again, the music on Echo manages to sound like every other Petty album,
yet it stays fresh. Petty, Mike Campbell, and Rick Rubin (along with some help from George
Drakoulias) keep the spirit of Wildflowers alive by keeping the production uncluttered,
direct, and muscular - which just reveals what a strong, versatile band the Heartbreakers
are. And while there are no surprises, Petty once again delivers an album that works as a
whole while having several clear highlights - which is a pretty neat trick, actually. At
times, the disc feels a little long, but all the pieces work individually and illustrate
that Petty is the rare rocker who knows how to mature gracefully. Although the album is
spiked with sadness and regret, nothing on the album feels forced or self-conscious,
either lyrically or musically - and he is one of the few rockers of his generation that
can make such a claim. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
01 - (5:05) Room At The Top
02 - (4:09) Counting On You
03 - (3:34) Free Girl Now
04 - (4:36) Lonesome Sundown
05 - (5:35) Swingin'
06 - (2:49) Accused Of Love
07 - (6:41) Echo
08 - (4:26) Won't Last Long
09 - (4:13) Billy The Kid
10 - (2:51) I Don't Wanna Fight
11 - (2:46) This One's For Me
12 - (3:19) No More
13 - (3:16) About to Give Out
14 - (4:01) Rhino Skin
15 - (5:40) One More Day, One More Night
Anthology: Through The Years - 2000
For the fan that wants more than the superb single-disc Greatest Hits yet doesn't want
to delve into actual albums or the exhaustive, rarities-heavy box set Playback, Tom Petty
& the Heartbreakers and MCA Records offered the double-disc Anthology: Through the
Years in the fall of 2000. This set basically offers all the singles and album rock radio
favorites, with a couple of odd selections here and there and one new song,
"Surrender." There are a few omissions - "Make It Better (Forget About
Me)" isn't here, for instance - but not enough to really be noticeable, especially
since this consolidates the bulk of Petty's great songs and plays very, very well.
Greatest Hits might have a slight edge to Anthology because of its conciseness, but this
double-disc set illustrates that Petty's catalog was deeper than just the hits. - Stephen
Thomas Erlewine
Disc 1
01 - (2:46) Breakdown
02 - (3:37) American Girl
03 - (2:15) Hometown Blues
04 - (3:04) The Wild One, Forever
05 - (2:27) I Need To Know
06 - (3:05) Listen To Her Heart
07 - (2:59) Too Much Ain't Enough
08 - (3:25) Refugee
09 - (4:29) Here Comes My Girl
10 - (2:46) Don't Do Me Like That
11 - (4:03) Even The Losers
12 - (4:03) The Waiting
13 - (4:26) A Woman In Love (It's Not Me)
14 - (4:07) Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
15 - (3:41) You Got Lucky
16 - (3:52) Straight Into Darkness
17 - (3:19) Change Of Heart
Disc 2
01 - (5:24) Rebels
02 - (5:08) Don't Come Around Here No More
03 - (4:06) The Best Of Everything
04 - (3:42) So You Want to Be A Rock & Roll Star
05 - (4:11) Jammin' Me
06 - (3:15) It'll All Work Out
07 - (4:11) Love Is A Long Road
08 - (4:21) Free Fallin'
09 - (3:10) Yer So Bad
10 - (2:59) I Won't Back Down
11 - (4:27) Runnin' Down A Dream
12 - (4:07) Learning To Fly
13 - (3:47) Into The Great Wide Open
14 - (3:13) Two Gunslingers
15 - (4:35) Mary Jane's Last Dance
16 - (3:34) Waiting For Tonight
17 - (2:55) Surrender
The Last DJ - 2002
Tom Petty has always battled corporations and the music industry - fighting for lower
retail prices for Hard Promises, complaining about videos, and always fighting for
old-school, artist-first '60s rock aesthetics. There's a lot to admire about this stance,
especially since he's essentially right about corporations having too much of a
stranglehold on pop music, but it doesn't provide a solid foundation for an album, as the
stultifying The Last DJ illustrates. Not every song on the record is about the death of
rock & roll and the evils that corporations do, but it sure feels that way, since it
begins with the one-two punch of "The Last DJ" and "Money Becomes
King." The former is a bitter lament for the loss of free thought in pop culture,
using the DJ as a truth-telling seer; the latter is a rewrite of "Into the Great Wide
Open," all about a favorite artist who sells out. Both are didactic with their
tortured metaphors and stretched narratives, but they seem subtle compared to the fourth
song, "Joe," a heavy-handed tirade about a record company CEO that is unbearable
in its awful, vulgar lyrics and is rendered unlistenable by Petty's hammy vocals; it is
easily the worst song he's ever written. These front-loaded tracks obscure the lovely
"Dreamville," the best song here, and effectively offer an early deathblow to an
album that alternately finds Petty muddling through ballads and stumbling through rockers.
Though his songcraft serves him well on occasion, it's only on occasion - the
aforementioned "Dreamville," "You and Me," "Have Love Will
Travel" - and the record's spare, black-and-white production doesn't add color to
compositions that need it. Throughout The Last DJ, Petty sounds utterly lost - and instead
of liberating him like it did in the past, it paralyzes him, boxing him into a corner
where he can't draw on his strengths. It's the first true flop in a career that, until
now, had none. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
01 - (3:31) The Last DJ
02 - (5:37) Money Becomes King
03 - (3:52) Dreamville
04 - (3:21) Joe
05 - (5:02) When A Kid Goes Bad
06 - (4:38) Like A Diamond
07 - (4:32) Lost Children
08 - (3:01) Blue Sunday
09 - (3:16) You And Me
10 - (2:59) The Man Who Loves Women
11 - (4:10) Have Love Will Travel
12 - (5:01) Can't Stop The Sun
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