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 Tom Petty (from the box set Wildflowers & All the Rest available on Warner Records) (by Joe Burcaw)
On November 1st, 1994 Tom Petty graced the world with a body of work that has over time become legendary, timeless and still fresh decades later. Wildflowers was a successful attempt to write from deep within the soul, allowing for vulnerability and pain to prevail throughout the creative process. Before this record Tom Petty had been in ‘the hits years’, pumping out Jeff Lynne-produced masterpieces for good ol’ MTV to place into heavy rotation when music (not The Real World) was still a priority. It was time for change and new blood was necessary in order to fulfill Petty’s stripped-down approach. Who better to take on that role than Mr. Stripped-down-rock-n-roller himself, Rick Rubin. Rubin, well known for his minimalist style of recording, was the perfect choice and proved worthy of Tom Petty’s trust. Wildflowers went on to sell millions, and went top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The album was originally intended to include 25 songs but the Warner Brothers label heads wanted a single album, not a double disc. This meant having to shelve ten songs that have not seen the light of day… until now. Although Tom Petty was in agreement with the label plans, he always intended on eventually releasing the remaining other half of Wildflowers for the fans to hear. There was even talk of doing a full tour of the complete album in sequential order, one through 25, the way Tom would have heard things. Unfortunately, we lost Tom Petty in October of 2017, leaving his vision to fade into mist. I cannot stress enough how incredible the listening experience will be when hearing these lost tracks that were left to collect dust in the vaults. Not only that, the four-disc box set of Wildflowers & All the Rest includes home demos and live versions of the Wildflowers catalog from 1995 up until 2017, just a few months before his passing. Highlight tracks that come to mind are “California”, “Leave Virginia Alone”, and the home recording of “You Don’t Know How It Feels”, a prime example of how a strong melody can sound just as catchy with just an acoustic guitar and harmonica. The sound is one of pure genius! Tom Petty’s daughter Adria was pivotal in making sure her father’s request to release this material was carried out. She did a wonderful job with the packaging and overall layout of the box set. For all of you ‘Heartbreakers’ geeks, original drummer Stan Lynch makes an appearance on the song “Something Could Happen”, one of his last recordings before departing the band in the fall of 1994. His replacement (Steve Ferrone) ended up playing with the band longer than Lynch. Go purchase this release and feel the essence of true craftsmanship that no longer exists in modern music. Tom Petty was a one-of-a-kind pioneer who always pushed the envelope in his songwriting, and who knew how to tell a story with words that will cut through you to the core. This will make a great holiday gift as December closes in on us, I promise you it will not let you down. (by Joe Burcaw) Listen and buy the music of Tom Petty from AMAZON For more information head on over to the Tom Petty website
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