Tom-Petty

Certain Songs #1036: Tom Petty – “Flirting With Time”

November 5, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Highway Companion
Year: 2006

Finally, in the last third of his recording career, Tom Petty began to slow down a bit, releasing only five studio albums (if you count the two Mudcrutch records, and you should) between 2002’s The Last DJ and his death.

Compare that with eight albums (if you count the Traveling Wilburys, and you should) between 1976-1988, and seven (again, counting the Wilburys) between 1989-2002, and it was clear the Tom Petty was going into a more relaxed phase of his life. And why not? He’d already had a nearly unprecedented run of success, and was as beloved as any musician of his era could possibly be.

Certain Songs #1028: Tom Petty – “Crawling Back To You”

October 28, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Wildflowers
Year: 1994

Usually, I like to prepare for all of this: when I know I’m getting near time to write about an artist about whom I’m going to go really deep, I’ll start incorporating their music in my life in weeks in advance — watching YouTube videos while on the elliptical; putting their songs on my house mix; reading books about their life and/or works.

That’s what I did with Led Zeppelin earlier this year, and what I’ll be doing next year with Neil Young.

But of course, because he basically dropped dead with no warning, I had no chance to do all of that with Tom Petty. Of course, in the weeks since he died, I’ve immersed myself in his music, hoping to glean some kind of insights on old favorites, as well as maybe discover some new favorites.

Certain Songs #1027: Tom Petty – “Time To Move On”

October 27, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Wildflowers
Year: 1994

The seventh time I saw Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers was with Sherilyn & Kim at Neil Young’s Bridge School show at the Shoreline Amphitheatre on October 2, 1994.

It was about a month before Wildflowers dropped, and it was cool that Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers previewed some new songs from that record: this one, “You Don’t Know How It Feels” and the hilarious b-side, “Girl on LSD.”

Certain Songs #1026: Tom Petty – “You Don’t Know How It Feels”

October 26, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Wildflowers
Year: 1994

Nobody knew it at the time, of course, but Tom Petty’s first single for his new record company — Warner Bros — was the last top 20 single this quintessential singles artist ever charted.

At the time, of course, it seemed like he could go on forever: the previous year, the song added to his contractually obligated Greatest Hits album — “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” — was also a huge smash, making it the one time in the history of adding a new song to a greatest hits album actually worked.

Certain Songs #1023: Tom Petty – “Runnin’ Down a Dream”

October 23, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Full Moon Fever
Year: 1989

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mike Campbell!

I’m pretty sure I haven’t understated the importance of Mike Campbell to Tom Petty’s music. Certainly, Petty didn’t: when he was signed to a deal in the wake of Mudcrutch’s failure, Campbell was the first person he reached for, and he subsequently featured on every single album — hell, probably every single song — that Tom Petty ever released.

Certain Songs #1022: Tom Petty – “I Won’t Back Down”

October 22, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Full Moon Fever
Year: 1989

The fifth time I saw Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers was at the Universal Ampitheater in Studio City on January 24, 1990, but they weren’t even the reason I was there.

No, the reason that John, Nikki, Mark & I drove down to L.A. was to see the taping of the eighth anniversary special of Late Night With David Letterman, which was still my favorite pop culture thing in the universe, so seeing Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers as the special musical guest was icing on the cake.

Certain Songs #1021: Tom Petty – “Free Fallin'”

October 21, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Full Moon Fever
Year: 1989

Who would have thought that “Free Fallin'” would be the Tom Petty song that gave me writer’s block?

Here’s the thing: I’m not even sure from which angle to come at “Free Fallin’,” a song that has been completely ubiquitous since it was released in 1989, and — along with “The Waiting,” and “Don’t Come Around Here No More” — is probably the man’s greatest song.

At the very least, it’s the Tom Petty of Tom Petty’s songs.

Tom, Thanks For Not Suing The Chili Peppers!!

June 29, 2006 by Jim Connelly

An Open Letter To Tom Petty,

Tom, you still don’t know me, but earlier this month I asked you to not sue the Red Hot Chili Peppers for their purported plagarism of your song “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.”

And once again, you’ve provided another example of your ongoing menschdom (menschiosity? menschitude?) by telling Rolling Stone that suing is the furthest thing from your mind:

Tom, Don’t Sue The Chili Peppers!

June 5, 2006 by Jim Connelly

An Open Letter to Tom Petty,

Tom, you don’t know me, but I’ve been a pretty big fan of yours for nearly 30 years. Recently, I read an article that said that you might be contemplating suing the Red Hot Chili Peppers because of “similarities” between their new single “Dani California” and your 1993 hit single “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.”

All I can say is this: Tom, don’t sue the Chili Peppers! While it might be legal, it just wouldn’t be right.