Tom Petty Song Discussion Thread

[Erik]

Unfortunately for Sheep, there are more tracks on Wildflowers than there are rounds in this draft.

[senorsheep]

Unfortunately for Sheep, there are more tracks on Wildflowers than there are rounds in this draft.

There's still one Wildflowers track left that the band liked enough to play live, but I didn't want to be greedy.

[Erik]

If after the last pick we post songs we would have drafted had there been more than 12 rounds, I expect to see all remaining songs from Wildflowers on your list. And maybe an outtake or two.

[Erik]

Album breakdown:

Wildflowers 12
Damn the Torpedoes 8
Full Moon Fever 7
Long After Dark 6
Into the Great Wide Open 6
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 5
You're Gonna Get It! 5
Hard Promises 5
She’s the One soundtrack 3
Mojo 3
Southern Accents 2
Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) 2
Mudcrutch 2
Hypnotic Eye 2
Echo 1
Highway Companion 1
The Last DJ 1
Other 13

[Gregg]

I find it funny that they bothered to bring Ringo Starr in to drum on this track, since I probably could have programmed the simplistic beat in less time than it took for Ringo to be driven from his hotel to the studio... S. Sheep.

It is way more fun to play with Ringo Starr than a machine.

[senorsheep]

If after the last pick we post songs we would have drafted had there been more than 12 rounds, I expect to see all remaining songs from Wildflowers on your list. And maybe an outtake or two.

Nope, I'm done with it. My next three picks would have been a Long After Dark outtake, a Long After Dark album track, and one from Into The Great Wide Open.

I kept going to Echo, because I've always liked the sound of that record, but I couldn't settle on a stand-out track. Plus, with all the Wildflowers picks, my album was already depressing enough.

As a fan, I have to admit I checked out after The Last DJ and Highway Companion . They weren't bad, but I didn't like the bitter vibe of the former, and the latter seemed lackadaisical and a bit too familiar to me. On further review, my opinion of those two records hasn't changed much.

I'm glad for the opportunity to dig into the Mudcrutch records and Hypnotic Eye a bit. They all could grow on me with a few more listens, I think. Mojo might warrant some more exploration, too.

Thanks, everybody, that was fun!

[Erik]

I definitely think Mudcrutch gave a spark to Petty's career. Wildflowers was his last outstanding effort before then. She's the One is eh except for a few standouts, Echo is very interesting thematically but less interesting musically, The Last DJ is mostly simplistic and bitter (and is the record with the most bad songs on it in his career) and Highway Companion is pleasant but not distinctive. By contrast, Mudcrutch, Mojo, Hypnotic Eye and Mudcrutch 2 are energetic and vital despite occasional missteps. All take major detours from the sound that was expected of him for his entire career. Petty changed things up by getting the Mudcrutch guys back together and seemed to be more committed to his material from that point on.

[Gregg]

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHh...DMT grabs my last pick!!

[Fresno Bob]

I'm just as bad with Wildflowers picks....I think I have 5....

[DMT]

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHh...DMT grabs my last pick!!

Almost made it through without a single argh, thanks!

[Redbirds Fan]

And that's a wrap for me, with "Something in the Air", the live version of course.

With the exception of selecting "You Come Through" (going 85 mph* on the Interstate) and "Fault Lines" (slightly drunk), I'm very happy with the songs I wound up with. I'm especially happy to have "I Need To Know", "Love Is A Long Road", and "Ways To Be Wicked".

I was probably the least knowledgeable Petty fan in the draft, and I will say that my appreciation for him (and especially the band) has risen a minimum of 80%. As songwriters, he and his cohort are as good as it gets, and these guys can play some serious rock and roll. I can take or leave the acoustica, but I would put the electric band up against any outfit of the era. And they could obviously play just about anything they wanted to play.

RIP.


* (137 kph)

[Fresno Bob]

and of course Gregg snakes my last pick....

[Gregg]

You can thank DMT for that as he snaked my last pick.

[nots]

Rebels from Southern Accents is one of my favorite Petty tines. Really surprised it went unstated. Going to make some ones team as a spring training non roster invite for sure

[Erik]

The answers to my trivia questions from many pages back:

Live Aid setlist: American Girl, The Waiting, Rebels, Refugee
Super Bowl setlist: American Girl, I Won’t Back Down, Free Fallin’, Runnin’ Down a Dream