Posted on 06/22/2006 9:07:25 AM PDT by dennisw
When Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their first album 30 years ago, they could hardly have known that they would become one of the biggest touring acts in rock 'n' roll. They probably had no premonition of playing a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, as they did on Tuesday night, or providing theme music for the broadcast of the N.B.A. Finals, which wrapped up the same evening. Those would have seemed like grandiose benchmarks for a band so scrappy and garage-like, so devoted to grease and grit.
But then again, the band's hunger was clear from the start. It's there in the bright swagger of "American Girl," the song that closed that first album (and, as an encore,
This was largely because of the hits themselves, with their calmly searching lyrics and sturdy, effortless melodies. (It felt as if the whole arena sang along to "I Won't Back Down" and "Free Fallin,' " which were sequenced in a satisfying one-two punch.) But the show's impact also had a lot to do with the Heartbreakers' refusal to let those songs gain an ounce of weight, in either pretense or flab.
The guitarist Mike Campbell brought a raucous lift to the compact breaks that seemed built into every song. Benmont Tench and Ron Blair, also charter Heartbreakers, played keyboards and bass respectively; Steve Ferrone played drums.
Among the concert's few covers was Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well," which featured Mr. Petty strutting the stage, Jaggeresque, with a pair of maracas. This prefaced an appearance by the Fleetwood Mac survivor Stevie Nicks, who joined Mr. Petty on half a dozen songs, including their duet "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." She took the lead vocal on the early Heartbreakers hit "I Need to Know," with strident enthusiasm.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I saw Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers in 1978 (I think) at the Orpheum in Memphis. The Orpheum is a 1920's or 30's classic theatre, you know, with gold leaf and crystal chaneliers, etc. I estimate it only holds 3,000 or 4,000.
TO THIS DAY - I still maintain that was the best rock and roll concert I have EVER seen/heard. They can really rock. THAT'S why they are still touring - they are just that good.
And I won't back down! Ping
It's good to hear that they are so good in concert, I've wanted to go to one for a long time. I love "Running Down the Dream", it totally rocks. I'm not sure if I've ever heard any Petty that I don't like.
GO. SEE THEM.
(I wasn't too thrilled with "The Last DJ" CD, but that's ok.)
"Runnin' Down a Dream" is my roll-the-windows-down-drive-real-fast-pretend-I'm-a-kid-again theme song. (I'm 46...oh well...)
That was on his first solo record but his lead guitarist (Mike Campbell) is playing the stupendous licks
LINK I've long admired Campbell, for the reasons mentioned above. One of his
better known tracks, (although some people may not know he co-wrote it,) is
The Boys of Summer by Don Henley. There was a great sidebar in Guitar Player
years ago that detailed how he got his sound on that track - I've looked but
can't find the issue anymore
Cool! I KNEW I liked "Boys of Summer" for some reason... but I didn't know why until now. Thanks for that info.
And you're not THAT old...I'll hit 42 Monday.
"Ain't it amazing what you can do with three chords!"
gotta Love Tom Petty
Happy Birthday!
Cassette? My first TP was on vinyl! And Tom himself was campaigning against his own record label to keep the cost down.
I seem to remember he was mad as you-know-what that albums were going from $9 to $11... Man! Those were the good ol days, weren't they... I believe the one he insisted remain at the old price was "Damn the Torpedoes". I won a copy for free, playing the "Sea Wolf" arcade game in a PEACHES store.
Thanks for the HB! :)
I have one or two old Petty vinyls down in the basement storage. I'm going to order the "Greatest Hits" today on CD. Nowadays you can't hardly find cassettes anymore either...man, we're really getting old! ;)
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