My Middle Name Is Earl - The Official ILM Track-By-Track TOM PETTY Listening Thread

Too Good To Be True

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek2_lOix9zI

Petty described this one as "modal" or something. I like the way it presses its points and groove. Campbell's squiggles help.

interesting melody over the verse. the campbell squiggles are ok, but just for once if there were a solid, say, buck dharma lead in there it would really take off.

Well, there's that Harrison-esque solo after the second chorus.

yeah that's pretty nice.

This is still a very bad album, but that's almost a good song. If he'd re-recorded it around the time of Mojo it could have had more bite, but it's OK.

I must say, listening to this album with y'all as a filter has warped my POV. I've long classified it as second-tier Petty but still in my top five. How you respond in toto depends on whether complacency = death.

"listening to this album with y'all as a filter has warped my POV."

Prolonged exposure to Unperson will do that to a person. Haha!!

I do what I can.

Out In The Cold

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19Z06genVX8

i always forget about this song even though you can still hear it on the radio. i dig it. for the guitars. reminds me of "twilight zone" by golden earring.

yeah, this was an airplay single and a considerable hit: #1 on album rock radio that summer. Petty says that for a looooong time he hated this song and hated playing it. I can hear why: Lynne's production keeps it too tightly reined? The live versions are way looser. The main riff rules.

it does sound like "twilight zone," even down to the voiceovers. i like his flirtation with riff rock. an underexplored direction.

Wow, where the hell did that come from? I'd say they must have locked Lynne out of the studio for an hour, but you can still hear the chiming acoustic guitars buried in there. That song belongs on a better album.

Yeah this is a good one.

You And I Will Meet Again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MVZ1en8evE

I know I'm alone with this one, but "You and I Will Meet Again" is one of my favorite Petty songs -- it moves me! The harmonies, the verse about the red-wing hawk circling (reminds me of Robert Penn Warren), the ascending melody Tench plays on his organ in the outro...