We're Not Who You Think We Are
Album: The Live Anthology
Year: 1995
On the short list of The Prettiest Songs Ever Written, Tom Petty Division, “Wildflowers” was an atypical opening number for the album for which it also served as the title track : it was neither a single nor an uptempo rocker, which was usually how he opened his records.
But of course, it didn’t matter: “Wildflowers” was always about setting a mood of wistfulness. And hope. And regret. But most of all, inevitability of change.
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.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #1028: Tom Petty – “Crawling Back To You”
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.”
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #1027: Tom Petty – “Time To Move On”
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.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #1026: Tom Petty – “You Don’t Know How It Feels”