Tom Petty | ||
| Allmusic Biography : 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 groups 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 didnt 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, recalling the past without being indebted to it. The Heartbreakers were a tight, muscular, and versatile backing band that provided the proper support for Pettys songs, which cataloged a series of middle-class losers and dreamers. While his slurred, nasal voice may have recalled Dylan and Roger McGuinn, Pettys 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 21st century. Born and raised in northern Florida, 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 Russell and Denny Cordell, offered the group a contract. However, Mudcrutch splintered apart shortly after relocating to L.A. Cordell was willing to record Petty as a solo act, but the singers reception to the idea was tentative. 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, which was 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 bands 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 U.K. Top 30. Prompted by the records British success, Shelter pushed the album and the single "Breakdown" in the U.S., this time with success; "Breakdown" became a Top 40 hit and "American Girl" became an album-oriented radio staple. Youre Gonna Get It, the Heartbreakers second album, was released in 1978 and it became the groups first American Top 40 record. Petty & the Heartbreakers were poised to break into the big time when they ran into severe record company problems. Shelters parent company, ABC, was bought by MCA, and Petty attempted to renegotiate his contract with the label. MCA was unwilling to meet most of his demands, and halfway 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 Pettys breakthrough release, earning uniformly excellent reviews, generating the Top Ten hit "Dont Do Me Like That" and the number 15 "Refugee," and spending seven weeks at number two on the U.S. 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 follow-up 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 that forced the company to release the record at $8.98. Hard Promises became a Top Ten hit, going platinum and spawning the hit single "The Waiting." Later that year, Petty produced Del Shannons 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 Ten 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 follow-up to Long After Dark. Hiring Eurythmics 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 wasnt 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 "Dont Come Around Here No More," which featured a popular, pseudo-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 Dylans backing band. Dylan contributed to the lead single "Jammin Me," from the Heartbreakers next album, Let Me Up (Ive Had Enough), which was released to mixed reviews in the spring of 1987. Just after the records release, Pettys house and most of his belongings were destroyed by fire; he, his wife, and two daughters survived unscathed. In 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 Pettys first solo effort, 1989s Full Moon Fever. Produced by Lynne and featuring the support of most of the Heartbreakers, Full Moon Fever became Pettys commercial pinnacle, reaching number three on the U.S. charts, going triple platinum, and generating the hit singles "I Wont 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 1993s Greatest Hits, which featured two new tracks produced by Rick Rubin, including the Top 20 hit "Mary Janes Last Dance," Petty left MCA for Warner Bros.; upon signing, it was revealed that he negotiated a $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, 1994s Wildflowers was greeted by 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 Dont Know How It Feels," "You Wreck Me," and "Its Good to Be King." Petty & the Heartbreakers reunited in 1996 to record the soundtrack for the Edward Burns film Shes the One. The resulting soundtrack album was a moderate hit, peaking at number 15 on the U.S. charts and going gold. Echo followed three years later, becoming the first Heartbreakers record to make the Top Ten in almost 15 years. The Last DJ, a scathing attack on the corporate greed inherent in the music business, was released in 2002, followed in 2006 by a solo album, Highway Companion; both albums reached the Top Ten, and Highway Companion went gold in the U.S. After this, Petty reunited his original band Mudcrutch for a 2008 album and tour. Mojo, credited to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, appeared from Reprise in 2010. The band toured fairly regularly over the next four years, then returned in the summer of 2014 with Hypnotic Eye, the first number one album in their career. Two years later, Petty reconvened Mudcrutch for their second album, appropriately entitled 2. On October 2, 2017, Petty was found at his home in cardiac arrest, and he died at a hospital in Santa Monica later that day. Nearly a year later, his family and band released the box set An American Treasure as a tribute to the departed rocker. A double-disc hits collection, The Best of Everything, followed in March 2019. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 5 Title: Full Moon Fever Released: 1989-04-25 Tracks: 12 Duration: 39:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Free Fallin’ (04:15) 2 I Won’t Back Down (02:57) 3 Love Is a Long Road (04:07) 4 A Face in the Crowd (03:59) 5 Runnin’ Down a Dream (04:52) 6 Feel a Whole Lot Better (02:49) 7 Yer So Bad (03:05) 8 Depending on You (02:48) 9 The Apartment Song (02:32) 10 Alright for Now (02:00) 11 A Mind With a Heart of Its Own (03:31) 12 Zombie Zoo (02:58) |
| Full Moon Fever : Allmusic album Review : Although Let Me Up (Ive Had Enough) found the Heartbreakers regaining their strength as a band and discovering a newfound ease at songcraft, it just didnt 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 lions share of the album with Lynne, who also is the records main producer. In his hands, Pettys roots rock becomes clean and glossy, layered with shimmering vocal harmonies, keyboards, and acoustic guitars. Its 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 Pettys biggest hit is that it boasted a selection of songs that rivaled Damn the Torpedoes. Full Moon Fever didnt have a weak track; even if a few werent quite as strong as others, the album was filled with highlights: "I Wont 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 Pettys best song. Full Moon Fever might have been meant as an off-the-cuff detour, but it turned into a minor masterpiece. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 5 Title: Wildflowers Released: 1994-11-01 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:02:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wildflowers (03:11) 2 You Don’t Know How It Feels (04:49) 3 Time to Move On (03:15) 4 You Wreck Me (03:23) 5 It’s Good to Be King (05:10) 6 Only a Broken Heart (04:30) 7 Honey Bee (04:58) 8 Don’t Fade on Me (03:32) 9 Hard on Me (03:48) 10 Cabin Down Below (02:51) 11 To Find a Friend (03:23) 12 A Higher Place (03:56) 13 House in the Woods (05:32) 14 Crawling Back to You (05:05) 15 Wake Up Time (05:19) |
| Wildflowers : Allmusic album Review : 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 Dont Know How It Feels," "Its Good to Be King," and several others) match the quality of his best material, making Wildflowers one of Pettys most distinctive and best albums. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 5 Title: Highway Companion Released: 2006-07-24 Tracks: 16 Duration: 57:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Saving Grace (03:47) 2 Square One (03:25) 3 Flirting With Time (03:15) 4 Down South (03:27) 5 Jack (02:28) 6 Turn This Car Around (03:58) 7 Big Weekend (03:15) 8 Night Driver (04:27) 9 Damaged by Love (03:22) 10 This Old Town (04:16) 11 Ankle Deep (03:23) 12 The Golden Rose (04:43) 13 Home (03:12) 14 Around the Roses (03:00) 15 Big Weekend (demo version) (03:05) 16 This Old Town (demo version) (04:28) |
| Highway Companion : Allmusic album Review : Tom Pettys concept for his third solo album is laid bare in its very title: its called Highway Companion, which is a tip-off that this record was made with the road in mind. As it kicks off with the chugging Jimmy Reed-via-ZZ Top riff on "Saving Grace," the album does indeed seem to be ideal music for road trips, but Petty changes gears pretty quickly, down-shifting to the bittersweet acoustic "Square One." Although the album ramps back up with the 60s-styled pop of "Flirting with Time" and the swampy, Dylan-esque "Down South," the quick move to the ruminative is a good indication that for as good as Highway Companion can sound on the road, Petty looks inward on this album just as frequently as he looks outward. Perhaps this is the best indication that this is indeed a solo affair, not a rock & roll record with the Heartbreakers. Petty of course doesnt go it completely alone here: his longtime guitarist Mike Campbell is here as is producer/co-writer Jeff Lynne, who helmed Pettys 1989 solo debut, Full Moon Fever, and the Heartbreakers 1991 Into the Great Wide Open and now returns to the fold 15 years later. Lynnes previous Petty productions were so bright, big, and shiny, they would have been suitable for an ELO album, and given that track record, it would be easy to assume that he would follow the same template for Highway Companion, but thats not the case at all. Highway Companion has as much in common with the rustic, handmade overtones of 1994s Wildflowers as it does with the pop sheen of Full Moon Fever -- it is precise and polished, yet its on a small scale, lacking the layers of overdubs that distinguish Lynnes production, and the end result is quite appealing, since its at once modest but not insular. But Highway Companion also feels a little off, as if Petty is striving to make a fun rock & pop record -- a soundtrack for the summer, or at least a good drive -- but his heart is in making a melancholy introspective album, where hes grappling with getting older. This gives the album a sad undercurrent even at its lightest moments, which makes it ideal for driving alone late at night. Since it arrives after the bombastic The Last DJ, its refreshing to hear Petty underplay his themes here, and it also helps that Lynne helps toughen up his songcraft. All this makes Highway Companion at the very least another typically reliable collection from Petty, but at its core, its moodier than most of his records. It has a lot in common with Pettys divorce album, Echo, but its coming from a different place -- one thats content, yet still unsettled. That may mean that this album isnt quite as fun as it initially seems on the surface, but that bittersweet undercurrent does indeed make Highway Companion a good partner for long nights on the road. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 5 Title: Transmission Impossible Released: 2015-08-14 Tracks: 43 Duration: 3:19:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Bye Bye Johnny (03:13) 2 Breakdown (04:32) 3 King’s Road (06:44) 4 The Waiting (07:10) 5 Don’t Come Around Here No More (07:21) 6 For What It’s Worth (05:10) 7 The Image of Me (03:19) 8 Here Comes My Girl (06:34) 9 Should I Stay or Should I Go (02:58) 10 You Can’t Judge A Book By Its Cover (03:35) 11 Any Way You Want It (03:18) 12 Runaway Trains (05:57) 13 Refugee (05:33) 1 Bye Bye Johnny (03:44) 2 The Damage You’ve Done (04:55) 3 Breakdown (04:55) 4 Free Fallin’ (04:58) 5 The Waiting (05:34) 6 Benmont’s Boogie (02:38) 7 Don’t Come Around Here No More (08:21) 8 Southern Accents (04:50) 9 Even The Losers (04:14) 10 Listen to Her Heart (02:58) 11 A Face in the Crowd (03:54) 12 Something Big (04:42) 13 I Won’t Back Down (03:19) 14 I Need To Know (02:18) 15 Refugee (05:25) 16 Runnin Down a Dream (05:24) 1 Free Fallin’ (Bridge School Benefit 1994) (04:22) 2 Rainy Day Women 12 & 35 (Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert 1992) (04:44) 3 Straight Into Darkness (Farm Aid 1985) (04:47) 4 Refugee (Live Aid 1985) (04:42) 5 License To Kill (Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert 1992) (04:36) 6 Even The Losers (Farm Aid 1986) (03:40) 7 Spike (Farm Aid 1986) (06:42) 8 Across The Borderline (Farm Aid 1985 w. Bob Dylan) (04:08) 9 Mr. Tambourine Man (Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert 1992 w. Roger McGuinn) (04:01) 10 I Won’t Back Down (Bridge School Benefit 1994) (03:13) 11 Time To Move On (Bridge School Benefit 1994) (04:19) 12 A Face In The Crowd (Letterman 1991) (04:04) 13 Thank God (Chabad‐Lubavitch Benfit 1986 w. Bob Dylan) (02:21) 14 Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It) (06:17) |
 | Album: 5 of 5 Title: An American Treasure Released: 2018-09-28 Tracks: 26 Duration: 1:50:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Rockin Around (With You) [2018 Remaster] (02:26) 2 Anything Thats Rock N Roll (Live at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA, 1977-11-11) (03:37) 3 Listen to Her Heart (Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA, 1977-04-23) (03:20) 4 Louisiana Rain (Alternate Version, 1979) (05:04) 5 Here Comes My Girl (Alternate Version, 1979) (04:57) 6 Kings Road (Live at The Forum, Inglewood, CA, 1981-06-28) (05:14) 7 Keep a Little Soul (Outtake, 1982) (03:11) 8 Straight Into Darkness (Alternate Version, 1982) (04:30) 9 Dont Treat Me Like a Stranger (2018 Remaster) (03:05) 10 Rebels (Alternate Version, 1985) (05:18) 11 Youre Gonna Get It (Alternate Version, 1978) (03:14) 12 Walkin from the Fire (Outtake, 1984) (04:44) 13 The Best of Everything (Alternate Version, 1985) (04:10) 1 I Wont Back Down (Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA, 1987-02-04) (03:39) 2 Two Gunslingers (Live at The Beacon Theatre, New York, 2013-05-25) (03:50) 3 Crawling Back to You (2018 Remaster) (05:02) 4 Wake Up Time (Alt. Take, 1992) (05:30) 5 Accused of Love (2018 Remaster) (02:44) 6 Gainesville (Outtake, 1998) (04:05) 7 You and Me (Clubhouse Version, 2007) (03:12) 8 Like a Diamond (Alt. Version, 2002) (04:15) 9 Southern Accents (Live at Stephen C. OConnell Center, Gainesville, 2006-09-21) (05:01) 10 Insider (with Stevie Nicks) (Live at Stephen C. OConnell Center, Gainesville, FL, 2006-09-21) (04:56) 11 Something Good Coming (2018 Remaster) (04:10) 12 Have Love Will Travel (2018 Remaster) (04:04) 13 Mudcrutch / Hungry No More (Live at House of Blues, Boston, MA, 2016-06-15) (07:16) |