Shelter

Ran across this pic I hadn't seen before....looks pretty recent, no?

The way I analyze Stan's drumming reminds me of something which Steve Gorman (drummer for The Black Crowes) said about his own style: "I don't play the drums, I play songs on the drums."  I think Stan was similar, he was very musical and wanting to serve the song, but he wasn't The One - he played with the band.  So he wasn't a traditional drummer in that sense, I would say.  He had a more musical kind of focus in the way he approached his parts.

My rules for myself were:
songs from the 2nd 20 years only including the two Mudcrutch albums; with a general trend of moving from sadder songs about messy lives towards the more joyous songs (music & lyrics);  about 25-30 songs; and not more than 4 songs from any album. Plus, sInce it's an introduction / overview, none that'll scare off a new listener (so not any from Echo). Current list is this.
Messing up
Saving Grace (to kick start with idea of flying over & looking down...) Fault Lines Crawling Back To You High In The Morning Wrong Thing House of Stone Oi! Time to change
Wake Up Time Don't Scare Easy Dreams of Flying Something Good Coming I Forgive It All June Apple instrumental for end of sad section Reasons for hope & reliance
Walls#4  Wildflower Angel Dream Down South Square One No Reason To Cry Happiest ones
You  and Me Beautiful World Dreamville You Wreck Me Airport (jaunty instrumental flourish)  

I tried using the same strings as Tom once.
I mean literally the same strings. Taken off his guitar, put on mine.
As far as sounding alike goes.. that did not work.  

Ehm.. yeah, I've been pondering the task at hand from a wide variety of angles now, and I can't see how a disc or two, no matter how it would be sequenced, would add anything substantial to anyone. If the goal is to find new fans, potential new fans may, just perhaps, buy a package that include all the key songs - that is the old hits again, but their interest in a second era disc on its own would be limited, and for good reasons too. If the goal is to screw the old fans for more money, it would probably work - it always does - but few of us would ever actually listen to the record, since we already have everything anyway and chanses are slim that any collection would coinside with what we think is the ultimate list of "best" songs. Besides, I'd say that Tom's latter era stuff are not the songs or albums for it, and these are not the times. Frankly.
To add some trade mark Shelterisms and extra dimension to that reasoning: I guess I see latter era Tom to be extremely album-oriented. TPATH always excelled at making albums, mind you, but up until the Great Wide Open they always did albums with stand alone single hits as pillars or show-offs sprinkled all over them. Later on that aspect lost it's charm to them, evidently, growing older in a changing world. Speaking of honest emotions, I'm not sure they are more honest, but they are arguebly less scattered and bursting, more contemplateive. So what we are dealing with in trying to make a Greatest Hits vol 2, is to cherry pick random stuff - since the hits aspect is rather elusive or obsolete for a lot of these songs - from albums to construct a new album of those, in a time when people don't even listen to albums anymore. Not sure it would ever fly. So, with regards to this whole concept, I suppose I've come to the conclusion that the best way to handle it is to - in the words of Paul - let it be.
 
Yes. That's it! Exactly. I've been thinking the same thing. For this type of sample display - being it "the acoustic Petty", the rocking Petty" or simply "the best Petty" or "an introduction to Petty", playlists would be the best and most effective way to go for most people, including die hards who wants a quick break from their huge record collections, to just have fun and listen to a "mix tape". (For anyone seriously and deeply interested in the music and/or in physical formats, Nurk is right, there is always the whole discography. The only way to go, really, in terms of buying records, if you ask me. No greatest hits can never compete for your most beloved artists.)
Given a theme or a title, under which to collect a number of Tom Petty songs, making such list would be very rewarding, no doubt, both for the person constructing the list and for the person - new or old - listening to it, exploring this universe. If anything, this is a method of exploring that was rather rare in the old days, when, unless you had imaginative friends that could make you actual mix tapes, you had to discover albums yourself or rely on company made hits collections. But those days are no more, and even if a lot about the state of rock'n'roll these days smells like death, this aspect of sampleing and discovering music, actually do have a lot of perks for the children of our times.
I mean, just think about it. What would a playlist "Tom Petty Roadtrip" or "The Secret Adventures of Tom Petty" run like... Now we're really letting our imagination loose.. Never mind the minute mark, nor the "hit" stamp. Just ride that river, wherever it goes. 
Now, this would not be a  fair way to discover the art of making albums that Tom was such a master of, mind you, the way discovering his music the old way was. But I suppose people that becomes interested enought will end up down that route anyway eventually. Besides, Greatest Hits albums never was a good way to familiarize yourself with the albums, and between having a stale Greatest Hits collection - even one as briliantly stacked with wonders as TPATH's "Greatest Hits" - and a personally cured "tape"/playlist with a theme, angle or twist, I'd much rather go down that latter rabbit hole myself.
So. Playlist it is.

It's Canada Day! And as such, I'll link to this.
Once I get started on Canadian rock music, it can be a bit hard for me to stop. (Admittedly, my knowledge of it stops somewhere around 1990...)

Yeah.. to me that Spike story routine in general is rather tired, but I must say that May 1, 2012 one, is among the best ever! Really great way to introduce the song and to keep the story going at the end like that. Good version of the story too. After all, this is a song that, in a way, begs to be tangled up in some kinda storytelling. 
Fun fact: Just weeks prior to this performance TPATH had a few of their rare old guitars stolen from the "Clubhouse" in Culver City. No wonder then, that among the crooks and goons Tom tells of seeing inside the Cypress Lounge, there are not only "retired shrimp boat captains", but there are also... guitar theifs! Way to improvise, Tom! 
(Oh, and in case you wondered: the stolen guitars had been found and recovered by the time Tom performed this Spike version.) 

That's very kind of you! But really, I wish you didn't feel the need. I mean.. that's exactly what I'm talking about.. You DID use a smiley, remember. And still I somehow found a way to misread you apparently, and dig this silly hole for myself.
Like I said, I'm used to stuff my own posts full with multidimensional meaning, subtext, attempts at humor (fun stuff!) and so on, that largely goes unnoticed. Have been that way for years, so smileys may not be where it's at after all. (Tell you the truth, I kinda don't even like them.) May be a cultural thing. Either way, I'm sure you and I are perfectly in agreement on the substantial stuff and very much enjoy the rest of it too. Not sure how this thread ended up here. Must have been something I said.. haha
Here's for future good hearted discussions. And plenty jokes, too. Check the history of these boards for reference. Even what may look boring, may be a kneeslapper... what may look uptight, sometimes ain't.
(The tone of this message is by design!)

That's how I roll. Or.. you just caught me on a good day. What's between the lines, as always, is in the eye of the beholder. I'm glad your glad.
Sounds like an interesting job! Kids will be kids. As will rock stars.....

Ok, anyway... some more:
http://www.947wls.com/2018/06/18/mick-fleetwood-hints-new-music-might-be-coming-from-fleetwood-mac/
 
So, for the people speculating if Mick and Neil will have stuff in the FM set now...
"Fleetwood also said that Campbell and Finn’s music would also be incorporated into the Mac setlists."
There you have it! Depending on what that actually means, this could be great news.

 
 

Ok, anyway... some more:
http://www.947wls.com/2018/06/18/mick-fleetwood-hints-new-music-might-be-coming-from-fleetwood-mac/
 
So, for the people speculating if Mick and Neil will have stuff in the FM set now...
"Fleetwood also said that Campbell and Finn’s music would also be incorporated into the Mac setlists."
There you have it! Depending on what that actually means, this could be great news.

 
 

We need a pro-shot Mudcrutch concert video!  One from each tour!

^ Indeed. Of course also at Rockpalast, 77... with visuals.
 

Annnd I just realized last night that I saw Mudcrutch at the House of Blues Boston on 6/15/16.  I guess its my Pettiest Month and days having seen them three days in a row in seperate years plus my bonus firtst show.... 
Quite a nice run of days for me..
6/13/2008 Boston Garden
6/14/2017 Hartford
6/15/2016 Mudcrutch Boston House of Blues

"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." - Plato

I wonder if Tom ever asked Ringo Starr to join the Heartbreakers! That would have been amazing... 😜

..emerge from the devastating wreckage created by this presidency?
 

Hu? Great news!
No wonder, really. I heard one of the Fleetwood Mac guys is in this band.......

Yes it's Lindsey Buckingham 😉

Well written romantic summation of the band, Shelter!

Well, I hadn't...  I've read it by now and agree on everything. Nice distinction between studio and live situations.
I think what secured Ben his seat at the piano over all those years was 1) his unbelievable chops and - probably more importantly - 2) his encyclopedic knowledge of the music Petty loved. Because he was obviously also not the one to shut up, as Gregory18 pointed out:
He surely was, along with Stan, the most opinionated Heartbreaker. Still, there are people who are very opinionated but make their point based on knowledge and know how to discuss. Maybe Ben is like that, and maybe Stan is more of a hothed who simply states, "It's either my way or it sucks!".  I don't know. But there must have been a difference somehow!

^  Maybe it's because people that remember telegrams are dead by now!

Thank you!  Been lurking for a while, but was thinking about Tom quite a bit today when I came across this thread.  I have been lucky enough to see the band a few times over the years and the atmosphere thar night was electric and so was the show.  Met some real nice people in line for merch who attended the show even though there was a wildfire going that threatened their home and neighborhood.  The entire band (Tom especially) looked more at ease than I think I've ever seen them and quite happy to be home playing for family and friends.  I remember how enthusiastic the crowd was, one of the best.  The gratitude Tom showed the audience was given back just as much.  Lots of fans shouting "We love you!" and "Thank you!" right back at Tom.
Some funny moments like when Mike's Gretsch White Falcon went horribly out of tune during Wildflowers, he gave up and sat on the drum riser and tossed picks in to the crowd for the rest of the song.  While introducing Free Fallin', Tom had asked the crowd "Do you want to do a big sing-a-long?  I love those!" and turned to face a laughing Mike.
One moment that truly stuck out in my mind, but only came back to me after Tom's passing was after Refugee when Steve was counting in Runnin' Down A Dream.  Seated next to me was a young couple, probably not even out of their teens yet.  As Steve clicked his drum sticks together, the young man turned to his girlfriend and was so excited.  He knew what was coming next.  He said "Here we go, here we go!" and cheered loudly.  After Tom passed, that memory came back to me and it gave me hope for the future of rock and roll.  There are still kids out there who appreciate the finer things in life, like going to a Heartbreakers show.  As long as there are younger people out there discovering his music, he will never die.  That has brought me a bit of peace these past few months.  

^ Unless it was just Tom, Jeff and George hanging out after being to some other people's show, since they were obviously friends, hanging out around that general time? That could, to DH, easily be "Traveling Wilburys" hanging out "after a show." Seems like they were at a Denny's anyway. But even if the incident took place there, the song may not have been written right there and then, right.