Tom Petty once represented what Rock N’ Roll is all about. He had great songs with strong lyrical content, hooks, melody and they were superbly recorded. He also had one bad-ass band.
Petty never really lost it. He never sold out. But like a lot of other greats, over time, his creativity lost a spark. “The Last DJ” and “Highway Companion” both boast some high quality songs, but overall, they lack the cohesive brilliance of his earlier work. Today he is basically a legacy artist. He can go down the path of mediocrity with his studio work and no one will blink an eye because he can rest on his laurels. He released a tremendous body of work at one time. That is what he is remembered for.
Just listen to his first album, “Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers,” issued in 1976. You can hear the hunger and swagger in the band. The excitement and energy flows throughout. The moment you hear the opening drum beat and riff for “Rockin’ Around (With You)” you know you are in for a sweet ride. How about the legendary Rickenbacker riff of “American Girl” or the bluesy soulful groove of “Breakdown”? “Luna” goes down as one of his greatest tracks as far as I’m concerned. It takes you straight to the heart of the night with mystical melancholy musical passages, a stunning vocal performance, and some sweet lyrics. How about that first verse:
White light cut a scar in the sky
Thin line of silver
The night was all clouded with dreams
Wind made me shiver
Black and yellow pools of light
Outside my window
Luna come to me tonight
I am a prisoner
Luna glide down from the moon
And over the next few years, it just got better with every album. Petty’s 3rd album, “Damn The Torpedoes,” is a masterpiece, one of Rock’s finest albums. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, Petty’s studio output was a mixed bag. Some records like “Full Moon Fever” and “Wildflowers” for the most part still delivered the goods from cover to cover, but nothing would ever match the organic intensity and power of his first 4 albums.
It isn’t even the subject matter or direction of a particular album that doesn’t resonate like previous efforts. It is a feeling that the lyrics and music were once free-flowing. That the creativity was endless and full of possibilities. You can actually hear it when you listen to Petty's first 4 albums. Now it seems like it is an effort, almost a work-out to get it down on tape.
Petty isn’t the only one. You even hear it in more contemporary bands like Pearl Jam. Just look at the reviews from Pearl Jam’s last 3 studio efforts. The journalists all make statements like “…it is the best album since ‘Ten.’” Every time, the new release is compared to a past glory or past hit. The journalists are run by the machine. None of them can just come out and say that while there are a few redeeming tracks on the new Pearl Jam album, overall, it is flat and pretty lackluster – like the last three efforts!
But so what? Should anyone expect artists like Tom Petty to be able to write like they once did? Creativity should never be taken for granted, especially by the public. Seriously, how many “Damn The Torpedoes” can be released by one artist in a lifetime? I don’t care if “Highway Companion” is average at best. I didn’t think it would change my life anyway.
And I have to mention his live work. Bottom line, he has a great band. They can play. I have heard some people say that he is a boring performer. You want action? Go to the circus or to a soulless fabricated Timberlake show. You want to hear some invigorating bona fide Rock N’ Roll? Go see Tom Petty. I guess Tom Petty still does represent what Rock N' Roll is all about.
In the end, Tom Petty can continue to release average studio work for the next 15 years and it won’t matter. What does matter is that he had a moment in his existence as an artist where the music and ideas flowed through him. It allowed him to create a large catalogue of incredible timeless songs that enhanced the Rock N’ Roll landscape and made it a better place. 30+ years later, there is nothing more refreshing than being able to spin an ageless classic like “Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers.” Hail Hail to a real Rock N’ Roll Star.
Petty never really lost it. He never sold out. But like a lot of other greats, over time, his creativity lost a spark. “The Last DJ” and “Highway Companion” both boast some high quality songs, but overall, they lack the cohesive brilliance of his earlier work. Today he is basically a legacy artist. He can go down the path of mediocrity with his studio work and no one will blink an eye because he can rest on his laurels. He released a tremendous body of work at one time. That is what he is remembered for.
Just listen to his first album, “Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers,” issued in 1976. You can hear the hunger and swagger in the band. The excitement and energy flows throughout. The moment you hear the opening drum beat and riff for “Rockin’ Around (With You)” you know you are in for a sweet ride. How about the legendary Rickenbacker riff of “American Girl” or the bluesy soulful groove of “Breakdown”? “Luna” goes down as one of his greatest tracks as far as I’m concerned. It takes you straight to the heart of the night with mystical melancholy musical passages, a stunning vocal performance, and some sweet lyrics. How about that first verse:
White light cut a scar in the sky
Thin line of silver
The night was all clouded with dreams
Wind made me shiver
Black and yellow pools of light
Outside my window
Luna come to me tonight
I am a prisoner
Luna glide down from the moon
And over the next few years, it just got better with every album. Petty’s 3rd album, “Damn The Torpedoes,” is a masterpiece, one of Rock’s finest albums. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, Petty’s studio output was a mixed bag. Some records like “Full Moon Fever” and “Wildflowers” for the most part still delivered the goods from cover to cover, but nothing would ever match the organic intensity and power of his first 4 albums.
It isn’t even the subject matter or direction of a particular album that doesn’t resonate like previous efforts. It is a feeling that the lyrics and music were once free-flowing. That the creativity was endless and full of possibilities. You can actually hear it when you listen to Petty's first 4 albums. Now it seems like it is an effort, almost a work-out to get it down on tape.
Petty isn’t the only one. You even hear it in more contemporary bands like Pearl Jam. Just look at the reviews from Pearl Jam’s last 3 studio efforts. The journalists all make statements like “…it is the best album since ‘Ten.’” Every time, the new release is compared to a past glory or past hit. The journalists are run by the machine. None of them can just come out and say that while there are a few redeeming tracks on the new Pearl Jam album, overall, it is flat and pretty lackluster – like the last three efforts!
But so what? Should anyone expect artists like Tom Petty to be able to write like they once did? Creativity should never be taken for granted, especially by the public. Seriously, how many “Damn The Torpedoes” can be released by one artist in a lifetime? I don’t care if “Highway Companion” is average at best. I didn’t think it would change my life anyway.
And I have to mention his live work. Bottom line, he has a great band. They can play. I have heard some people say that he is a boring performer. You want action? Go to the circus or to a soulless fabricated Timberlake show. You want to hear some invigorating bona fide Rock N’ Roll? Go see Tom Petty. I guess Tom Petty still does represent what Rock N' Roll is all about.
In the end, Tom Petty can continue to release average studio work for the next 15 years and it won’t matter. What does matter is that he had a moment in his existence as an artist where the music and ideas flowed through him. It allowed him to create a large catalogue of incredible timeless songs that enhanced the Rock N’ Roll landscape and made it a better place. 30+ years later, there is nothing more refreshing than being able to spin an ageless classic like “Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers.” Hail Hail to a real Rock N’ Roll Star.
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