Shelter

Yeah, clearly it's Randall.

Yeah, thanks for posting this gem! I didn't even listen at first.. since I thought I already have it. But like TomFest says, this one seems to be different. And sounds good too. Cool! (Makes you wonder what else Danny may have been keeping under his belt, all these years. I know he always said he had stuff. Perhaps/hopefully someone at the "office" could/should contact him in order to get some tapes available for a potential future official release of old Mudcrutch stuff.)
 
Randall?

Once you are done I will add these to a permanent page on this site if you would like. I am thinking of adding some content back to the site the way we used to do it.

been sooo long since I saw this...
 
 

March 2,1977...Royal Oak....I believe the billing was for Tom Petty & the LA Heartbreakers...I still have my stub...

I hadn't seen this
 

The Lawsuit Tour plus the Damn the Torpedoes tour 1979-80.  Dozens of new dates added.
The Lawsuit Tour
July 23, 1979                          Sherwood Hall, Salinas, CA                                  with the Greg Kihn Band
July 24, 1979                          Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, CA         with the Rebels
July 25, 1979                          Sacramento Community Theater, Sacramento, CA  with the Greg Kihn Band
July ??, 1979                          Reno, NV
July 28, 1979                          Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles, CA
July 29, 1979                          Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles, CA
MUSE Concerts
September 22, 1979               Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Damn the Torpedoes Tour
Opening act: Fabulous Poodles
November 8, 1979                  Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY         cancelled
November 10, 1979                NBC Studio 8-H, New York, NY                             Saturday Night Live
November 11, 1979                Palladium, New York, NY
November 13, 1979                Tower Theater, Philadelphia, PA
November 14, 1979                Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA (postponed)
November 16, 1979                Masonic Auditorium, Detroit, MI
November 17, 1979                Palace Theatre, Cleveland, OH
November 18, 1979                Seneca College, Toronto, Canada
November 19, 1979                Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA
November 20, 1979                Agora, Columbus, OH ?
November 20, 1979                Memorial Hall, Dayton, OH ?
November 23, 1979                Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL
November 25, 1979                St. Paul Civic Theatre, St. Paul, MN
November 27, 1979                Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, IA
November 28, 1979                Elliot Hall, West Lafayette, IN
November 29, 1979                Memorial Hall, Louisville, KY
December 2, 1979                  Orpheum Theatre, Memphis, TN
December 5, 1979                  Opry House, Austin, TX
December 6, 1979                  Music Hall, Houston, TX
December 8, 1979                  The Warehouse, New Orleans, LA
December 23, 1979                Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA ?
December 27, 1979                The Gardens, Vancouver, Canada
December 28, 1979                Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR
December 29, 1979                Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA ?
December 31, 1979                Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA                           with Eddie Money, Chuck Berry, and the Fabulous Poodles
January 1, 1980                      Dallas Convention Center Theatre, Dallas TX
January 8, 1980                      Civic Center, Oklahoma City, OK
January 9, 1980                      Tulsa Municipal Theatre, Tulsa, OK
January 11, 1980                    Memorial Hall, Kansas City, MO
January 12, 1980                    Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
January 13, 1980                    Civic Auditorium Music Hall, Omaha, NE
January 18, 1980                    Golden Hall, San Diego, CA
January 19, 1980                    University of California, Santa Barbara, CA            postponed
January 20, 1980                    The Forum, Los Angeles, CA
January 21, 1980                    Whisky A Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA
January 22, 1980                    Symphony Hall, Phoenix, AZ
January 26, 1980                    Main Auditorium, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
January 27, 1980                    University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
March 2, 1980                        Birmingham Odeon, Birmingham, England
March 3, 1980                        Manchester Apollo, Manchester, England
March 6, 1980                        Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
March 7, 1980                        Hammersmith Odeon, London, England                King Biscuit Flower Hour
March ?, 1980                        Oxford Polytechnic, Oxford, England                    Rock Goes to College, broadcast date March 24, 1980
March 11, 1980                       Empire, Paris, France                                           TV show
April 16, 1980                         Mainichi Hall, Osaka, Japan
April 17, 1980                         Kinrou-Kaikan, Nagoya, Japan
April 19, 1980                         Yomiuri Hall, Tokyo, Japan
April 21, 1980                         Yomiuri Hall, Tokyo, Japan
April 22, 1980                         Yomiuri Hall, Tokyo, Japan
April 26, 1980                         Sydney, Australia
April 27, 1980                         Sydney, Australia
April 29, 1980                         Brisbane, Australia
May 1, 1980                           Melbourne, Australia
May 2, 1980                           Melbourne, Australia
May 3, 1980                           Adelaide, Australia
May 6, 1980                           Christchurch, New Zealand
May 8, 1980                           Wellington, New Zealand
May 11, 1980                         Honolulu, Hawaii
Summer 1980
Opening act: Tommy Tutone
June 6, 1980                          ABC-TV Studios, Hollywood, CA                           Fridays
June 9, 1980                          Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver, CO
June 13, 1980                         Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN
June 17, 1980                         Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkson, MI
June 18, 1980                         Poplar Creek Music Theatre, Chicago, IL
June 20, 1980                         Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
June 21, 1980                         Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD
June 24, 1980                         Allentown Fairgrounds, Allentown, PA
June 25, 1980                         Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
June 27, 1980                         Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ
June 28, 1980                         Cape Cod Coliseum, South Yarmouth, RI
June 29, 1980                         Pinecrest Inn, Shelton, CT
July 2, 1980                           Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, ME
July 3, 1980                           Ocean State Theatre, Providence, RI
July 4, 1980                           Palladium, New York, NY
July 5, 1980                           Palladium, New York, NY
July 6, 1980                           Palladium, New York, NY
July 8, 1980                           The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
July 9, 1980                           The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
July 10, 1980                          Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
July 11, 1980                          Mosque Theatre, Richmond, VA
July 15, 1980                          Bayfront Center, St. Petersburg, FL
July 17, 1980                          Jai-Alai Fronton, Miami, FL
July 18, 1980                          Hollywood Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, FL
 

Thanks for the additions.  Found one more for 1978 from that site.
1978 West Coast tour
Opening act: David Johansen
May 7, 1978                           NBC Studios, Burbank, CA                                   taping of the Midnight Special broadcast June 2, 1978
May 11, 1978                         Montezuma Hall, SDSU, San Diego, CA
May 13, 1978                         Freeborn Hall, UC Davis, Davis, CA
May 14, 1978                         UC Riverside, Riverside, CA
June 3, 1978                          Stanford Memorial Auditorium, Palo Alto, CA
June 5, 1978                          Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
June 9, 1978                          Chico State Gym, Chico, CA
June 10, 1978                         Winterland, San Francisco, CA                              with Earth Quake and David Johansen
June 11, 1978                         Veterans Memorial, Santa Rosa, CA                      with Sarah Baker
June 14, 1978                         Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR
June 15, 1978                         Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, Canada
Knebworth Festival
June 20, 1978                         BBC Studios, London                                           Old Grey Whistle Test
June 24, 1978                         Knebworth Festival, Hertfordshire, England           with Genesis, Jefferson Starship, Devo, Brand X, Atlanta Rhythm Section
June 27, 1978                         Marquee Club, London                                         surprise gig
1978 U.S. tour
July 6, 1978                           Jacksonville, FL                                                   opening for the Patti Smith Group
July 7, 1978                           Curtis Hixon Hall, Tampa FL                                  opening for the Patti Smith Group
July 8, 1978                           Miami Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, FL                          opening for the Patti Smith Group
July 12, 1978                          Cobo Hall, Detroit, MI                                           opening for Journey
July 13, 1978                          Music Hall, Cleveland, OH                                     with Derringer
July 14, 1978                          Palladium, New York, NY                                      with Derringer
July 15, 1978                          Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ                     with U.K.
July 16, 1978                          Paradise Theater, Boston, MA                               King Biscuit Flower Hour
July 17, 1978                          Warner Theater, Washington, D.C.
July 18, 1978                          Tower Theater, Philadelphia, PA                            with Mink DeVille
July 22, 1978                          Cape Cod Coliseum, South Yarmouth, MA            opening for the J. Geils Band
July 23, 1978                          Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, MA                              opening for the J. Geils Band
July 28, 1978                          Calderone Concert Hall, Hempstead, NY opening for the J. Geils Band
August 1, 1978                       Civic Center, Oklahoma City, OK                           opening for the Kinks
August 3, 1978                       The Warehouse, New Orleans, LA                          opening for the Kinks
August 5, 1978                       Fox Theater, Atlanta, GA                                       opening for the Kinks with Blondie
August 6, 1978                       Fox Theater, Atlanta, GA                                       opening for the Kinks with Blondie
August 13, 1978                     Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, TX                    opening for Kansas
September 10, 1978               Opry House, Austin, TX
September 14, 1978               Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
September 16, 1978               Uptown Theatre, Kansas City, MO
September 20, 1978               Memorial Auditorium, Louisville, KY                      with Walter Egan
September 22, 1978               Circle Theater, Indianapolis, IN
September 23, 1978               Riviera Theater, Chicago, IL
September ??, 1978               State Theatre, Minneapolis, MN                             Gary Busey joins the band for encores of "Rock and Roll Music" and "I Fought the Law"
October ??, 1978                    Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA                         Tom guests with the Knack
December 29, 1978                Redding Civic Auditorium, Redding, CA                with the Greg Kihn Band
December 30, 1978                Winterland, San Francisco, CA                              with the Greg Kihn Band
December 31, 1978                Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA with the Greg Kihn Band (guest Del Shannon)
 

UK tour opening for Nils Lofgren
May 8, 1977                           Capitol Theater, Cardiff
May 9, 1977                           Lancaster University
May 10, 1977                         BBC Studios, London                                           Old Grey Whistle Test
May 11, 1977                         Birmingham Odeon
May 12, 1977                         Brighton Dome
May 14, 1977                         Hammersmith Odeon, London
May 15, 1977                         Hammersmith Odeon, London
May 16, 1977                         Hammersmith Odeon, London
May 17, 1977                         Bristol Hippodrome
May 19, 1977                         Manchester Apollo
May 20, 1977                         Sheffield City Hall
May 21, 1977                         Leeds University
May 22, 1977                         Trentham Gardens, Stoke on Trent
May 23, 1977                         Empire Theatre, Liverpool
May 24, 1977                         Newcastle City Hall
May 25, 1977                         Edingurgh Playhouse
May 26, 1977                         Glasgow Apollo

May 30, 1977                         Pinkpop Festival, Geleen, Netherlands                  with the Kinks, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Nils Lofgren, Golden Earring, Racing Cars
June 1, 1977                          Pavillion de Paris, Paris, France                            opening for the Kinks with Nils Lofgren
June 2, 1977                          Frankfurt, Germany                                               opening for Nils Lofgren
June 4, 1977                          Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
June 6, 1977                          Lund, Sweden
Terminal Romance UK tour
June 12, 1977                         Manchester Free Trade Hall
June 14, 1977                         WDR Studio, Cologne, Germany                           taping of Rockpalast TV program
June 16, 1977                         Top of the Pops                                                   TV program - broadcast date
June 16, 1977                         Birmingham Town Hall                                          with the Boomtown Rats
June 17, 1977                         Cardiff University                                                 with the Boomtown Rats
June 18, 1977                         Aylesbury Friars Club                                           with the Boomtown Rats
June 19, 1977                         Rainbow Theatre, London                                     with the Boomtown Rats
June 20, 1977                         Club Lafayette, Wolverhampton                            with the Boomtown Rats
June 21, 1977                         TV Special, Belgium
June 24, 1977                         Exeter University
June 25, 1977                         Hull University
Late 1977 U.S. dates
August 5, 1977                       Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR                          with the Ramones and Mink DeVille
August 7, 1977                       The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA
August 10, 1977                     Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA
August 11, 1977                     Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA
August 12, 1977                     Whisky a Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA
August 13, 1977                     Whisky a Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA
September 10, 1977               Winterland, San Francisco, CA                              opening for Be Bop Deluxe
September 11, 1977               Warnors Theatre, Fresno, CA                                opening for Be Bop Deluxe
September 12, 1977               The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA                                with The Rubinoos
September 14, 1977               Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA opening for Be Bop Deluxe
September 15, 1977               Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA opening for Be Bop Deluxe
September 16, 1977               Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ                              opening for Be Bop Deluxe
October 29, 1977                    Yakima Valley Community College, Yakima, WA    opening for the J. Geils Band
November 7, 1977                  Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA opening for Nektar
November 10, 1977                Portage Theatre, Chicago, IL                                 with Eddie Money
November 11, 1977 ?              Capitol Records, Hollywood, CA                           radio broadcast
November 14, 1977                Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, OH                             opening for Meat Loaf
November 15, 1977                Painesville Agora, Painesville, OH                         opening for Meat Loaf
November 19, 1977                Bottom Line, New York, NY                                  with the Dingoes
November 20, 1977                Bottom Line, New York, NY                                  with the Dingoes
November 23, 1977                Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA                                   opening for the J. Geils Band
November 26, 1977                Tower Theatre, Philadelphia, PA                            opening for Rush
November 29, 1977                My Father's Place, Roslyn, NY                              WLIR radio broadcast
November 30, 1977                Palace Theatre, Albany, NY                                   opening for Edgar Winter
December 2, 1977                  Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL                                   with Elvis Costello and the Attractions
 

Someone just said Debbie Gibson around here?? 

Seriously though, ODouglas, that's a great post! Thanks for sharing thoughts and insight. Good to have the album put in a wider context. Although context is always something vast and everchanging, right. 
As for myself, I first heard FMF from up in a tree. That is, I was sitting in the tree and the music came from a tape in a carstereo right underneath. Inside the car with "Tom", was this slightly older girl that I had taken a liking to. "They" kept the door open and I was listening closely to what was going on in there. He was telling her about how he used to live in a two room apartment and how love is a long road and how he won't back down, stuff like that. Things that are all very intruiging for a kid in a tree. Of course, just like Poison, certain things that seem so distant and unlikely today, still happened back then, like 13 year old boys climbing trees. And then what? Well, the girl drove off (next time I saw her, she was listening to The Rembrants) and I rode my bike right home to my dad's record collection to dig out Long After Dark, to restart my lifelong journey with Tom Petty properly. Of course, within days I got hold of a FMF copy, the weather was unusually sunny and warm I seem to recall. And the rest? Is history.
 
Hmm. Yeah. That in itself is a very interesting observation.
 

Hmmm... that was during the time of my last days at university. So my memory is a big foggy. (just about to start the college hangover) 
But I do remember the thoughts of FMF being a breath of fresh air.
The late 80's was a strange time for music for me. I just went through the Duran Duran (guilty pleasure) MTV days. Classic rock was not classic yet. Some of the staples of the 'soon to be' genre were having in my opinion... uninspired(ing) years (e.g. Rush, AC/DC, Stones, Van Halen was soon to be in shambles even post DLR Hagar years, etc. - of course I know some will argue this is their best work  )
We didn't have the Internet, or streaming, so it wasn't like now where you listen to Buried Treasure and think... Wow! I forgot how good T-Bone Walker is, I think I'll check out his entire catalog. Where there's a will, there's a way... and I still have thousands of vinyl records as I explored and discovered... but it was a much different journey back then. No better, no worse... just different.
1989 was still in the years of Poison, Motley Crue and the hair metal bands (I did listen to my fair share... I admit), the introduction of Gn'R, the up-and-coming years of Debbie Gibson, boy bands, teen-pop and the transition from 80's 'rap' music to 90's hip hop.
None of that is bad, as that's the great thing about music... it speaks to different people differently. But for me, many of those transitions just drove me back to the bands I loved in junior high and high school... Led Zeppelin, early Rush, The Cult. I even went back to Damn the Torpedoes for TPatH music, and although I love those records now, I did not have an in-the-moment appreciation of his late 80's catalog.
FMF to me was something new/fresh, yet it was still rock and roll. I liked I could drink my wine coolers, shoot pool, talk with friends... and still enjoy great music without having to shout over some over-the-top guitar solo or thumping hip hop beat. It's a soundtrack to my life back then... and whenever I hear a track from FMF, it takes me back to the day and I think of drinking, smoking and throwing darts. (all good things!)
And I think that was true for many of my friends too. FMF introduced (and re-introduced) many to Tom's back catalog that was already extensive at that time... and I feel helped propel him for the big things to come... ItGWO, Greatest Hits... Wildflowers... and the catalog continues.
So, at least that's how I (hazily) remember it. If I could just find my Rubik's cube, Montgomery Ward boom box and neon color tank top I'd be set!!

A current piece from down under...
http://www.watoday.com.au/entertainment/rock-yourself-into-the-stars-stevie-nicks-doing-it-for-tom-petty-20171101-gzcoyz.html
 
-----
Rock yourself into the stars': Stevie Nicks doing it for Tom Petty
When Stevie Nicks closes the shows on her Australian tour with her 1981 hit Edge of Seventeen, it will hold a particularly special meaning for the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll. "There was a whole verse written about Tom Petty that I never really referred to," Nicks said.
Petty, who died in October, was a long-time friend and collaborator of Nicks and she credits him with helping her launch her solo career. But it was a misheard conversation Nicks had with Petty's wife Jane that inspired the song's famous title. "The verse 'he was no more than a baby then, well he seemed broken hearted, something within him, but the moment that I first laid, eyes on him all alone, on the edge of seventeen' that was about Tom," Nicks says. "Jane has a real Florida accent and she said something about him being around the age of 17 and I thought she said the edge of 17 and I just thought that was so poetic. "She corrected me when I asked her about it, but I didn't care. I kept it."
Nicks said she would normally be spending this difficult time with Petty's family and going through her grief privately, but wanted to fulfil her Australian tour commitments, mostly because it's 'what Tom would want'. "I am going to be going over the loss of Tom while I am on this tour. Since he just died and I am actually here in my time when, under normal circumstances I would be with his family and going through my grief. But I am here in the arms of Australia and if I was going to be anywhere I want to be here," Nicks said. "Its going to be an interesting thing to perform Edge of Seventeenand all the other songs Tom was part of but he would not want me to change my show one little bit because of him. He would say 'do your show exactly as you did it 55 times in the United States, rock yourself into the stars'."
Nicks current Australian tour, which kicks off in Perth on November 2, is just two years after she was last here with her band Fleetwood Mac, and comes on the back of her 2014 solo album 24 Karat Gold. "Honestly, after I delivered the album to the record label I didn't listen to it again for almost two years because I had to go straight into rehearsals for the Fleetwood Mac tour," Nicks said. "So we did 110 shows on the first tour and then Chris (Former Fleetwod Mac songwriter Christine McVie) said she wanted to come back, so we did another 110 shows with her. "When I got back I literally didn't even take a day off, I went to my managers and said 'I know it's been 18 months since we released the album, let's book a tour'." The original 28 show tour was extended to 55 dates and then an Australian leg of the tour was added.
Now, she admits, she is ready for some time off. "This is the most successful tour I have ever done, so it is really worth it," she said. "I have a Fleetwood Mac show in January and then I am taking some time off to go to Hawaii." But she already has her eye on more touring as soon as she can after the holiday ends. "You just have to," she said. "Especially what has happened to me with Tom, you can't take anything for granted, if you have music to play that you love, why not? "I don't want to not play Edge of Seventeen again."
Stevie Nicks plays Perth Arena on November 2, Botanic Park, Adelaide  on November 4, ICC Sydney Theatre on November 7 and 8, Bimbadgen, Hunter Valley on  November 11, Sirromet Wines, Mt Cotton on November 12, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne on  November 16 and  Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley on November 18.
-----
 
"He would say 'do your show exactly as you did it 55 times in the United States"
He would, too!
 

And Howie and Ben lol. They're not wrong. It is overrated.

Must say, there something to be said for this. Agreed. Oftentimes you hear fans say how what happened was mostly Stan's fault, how he treated Tom badly, how what went down was Stan's loss. (Well.. d'uh. His loss, financially, I bet.)  But, personally I find it hard, if not pointless, to point blame, who was wrong and who was right. Musical visions change, as do people. I really think long time personal differences from.. well, the start?...  should not be underestimated, in this case.  Bottom line, for me, is that we are ALL on the losing end of Stan jumping ship, in some ways!
As long as we strictly talk about the music aspect at least. I think the Stan dimension of the music had a lot of merit. What he added to the TPATH sound and what visions he may have had for moving on, did have  a lot of credit. If nothing else, I think history has proven him right, the way lots of Mojo and HE is written. It's not that Tom ever regretted the switch from a sonically "equal" rhythm section (with temper and soul) to what is essentially more of a "backdrop" (a "time keeping machine" as it were). It's not that he ever doubted that he found his "favorite drummer in the world" in Steve. No, God bless Tom for sticking to his visions, follwing his muse and for keeping on releasing fantastic music. But there is more to this, as I see it. Stuff that goes beyond personal issues that may have been at the core, and beyond how the music was produced that may have been used as a "reason" for falling out, stuff that has to do with the very music itself, the inner qualities in Tom's songwriting.
The way I hear Tom's music, I would suggest that while the certain streak in Tom's songwriting that did rub Stan the wrong way, was gonna be there to stay from FMF on, it had in fact, been there a long time already by then. Perhaps it can be traced to a desire or a calling to write things with more of a polished and/or easy going pop sentiment, around the Southern Accents era? Perhaps even further back? More importantly: in hindsight it's plain to see that there wasn't a universal and irreversible shift from rock to mellow, from band to solo, the way Stan perhaps perceived it. If he perhaps felt the experiences with FMF, ITGWO and WF were substantially a logical end station for Tom, a new level at which Tom had arrived with his music, one that very rarely required the Heartbreakers as a band anymore, let alone in the original rock'n'roll sense, that is quite understandable. But if he did so, he was wrong! Not only did those very albums have stuff that was essentially Heartbreakers in character still - if at times masked by production beyond recognition - but before long, Tom was again to write and release more consistently in a rather Stan oriented, TPATH band vein, that is stuff that Stan would have added beautifully to, had he ever had the chance. If anything, by Mudcrtuch reunion and Mojo, Tom seemed to be fully back at an understanding and a desire in terms of his music, that was as band oriented and no-bs as it had ever been, writing stuff that was very "equal", very grounded in rock'n'roll and in many ways.. very Stan!* 
I for one can see how Stan would have suffered some, trying to stay alive creatively through some eras, had he stayed. Stan much more  so than say Ben (or Mike, who seemed to alwas to stay on the bright side ). And for me as a listener, I'm not sure I would have benefited much either, from hearing Stan on Wildflowers sessions, or on the lion parts of Echo or Last DJ. Very few songs there feels right for him and even fewer of the ideas on how to produce the stuff. He would be largely obsolete in that context. In the same way I also doubt I would have felt much difference, had it been Steve on ITGWO, for that matter. Stan is there, but he's not really there. All of it is a transitional era, where the drumming became as much a wallpaper as an integral instrument, is what I'm saying. That's how I hear it.
I'm sure, had the the personal aspects been different, Stan would have delivered perfectly (and in my taste, perhaps more interestingly as well) in the live context throughout. Most of all, Stan would have been right back in style on all levels for the last 10 years that was to be had of TPATH music - live AND studio. That is my conviction.** 
But that was never to be, for many obvious reasons and it is what it is. One such reason though is surely that Tom really - no matter the material he wrote, or the creative phases he went through in terms of roots and band aspects of his music - had made his mind up, he had decided sometime around his affiliations with Jeff Lynne that he wanted his beat to clinical, a sort of "preprogrammed" backdrop to his songs rather than a dynamic integral part of it. He wanted reliable. He wanted Steve. And he stuck to that vision to the very end, despite everything else. In that sense, I guess Stan may have been right all along, and he may have sensed it early on: Tom did develop a new vision for his songs - no matter where he went with his music - pop or rock, kicking or mellow, band or solo - he was ultimately gonna go with another beat than Stan would offer. He found his perfect technical solution (and perhaps also important, a socially smoother solution too) in Steve. Good call in some ways, I'm sure. It may have been what prolonged the journey, what saved the vessel, as it were.
But again, focusing on the music only, to me all this means, that at least in some ways - even with all the great post Stan music we've had, kept in mind, and even if Tom himself would've never admited as much - some of the Stan leaving, was not only his loss, or our loss, it was also Tom's loss.
In short: Stan's wild streak doesn't always fit, but to me it fits a lot better and a lot more often with Tom's music, than Tom seemed to think.
Not sure how this thread became a Stan thread.. quite ironically so..     
 
---
*Not that neither Tom nor Stan would like Stan to come near it... Just saying. As far as visions and ideals go, what goes around comes around.. 
**In my book Steve works perfectly for some of the 1994-2002 studio material. Further he works great in every live context, of course! My personal taste for.. soul?.. though, tells me I prefer Stan's live drumming over Steve's. Further, Big chunks of Mojo and Hypnotic Eye make me think that Stan perhaps would have been preferable to the late era TPATH studio work too. To some extent Stan strikes me as the "missing link" in making HE the all out bad ass rock album it promises to be. (And almost is. It's a great album!) That's all rather hypothetical, but that's how I understand the songs and how I like the drums to work within the music.
 

Sounds like a hip hop outfit.... But, yeah, it sure takes two. Always been my take on this, as well.

Yeah they did cherry pick stuff from the old Behind the Music from 99 so there isn't much in the way of Stan which is a shame because I would really like to hear an updated opinion and view he has on the whole experience. But I gotta disagree with him not being a team player. If I was probably in his position, I too would probably be putting up a fight and trying to have some input on the material that's being worked on. Sure it's Tom's vision but they were a band, a cohesive unit, not just session musicians. They are the Heartbreakers, not the Wrecking Crew. One of the things that makes this band so great is the fact there was basically no lineup changes for 40 years. There aren't many bands that can say they were able to stay together as a unit for that long.
Also, the way you hear how Iovine and others talk about Stan, you can tell it's overly critical. The man is the most underrated member of the band. He was the engine that set the beat for nearly 20 years and helped drive those songs. So Stan may have been volatile and pissy at times, but Tom was as well. That's why they butt heads, both have strong personalities. I don't blame him for that. And I don't blame him for being mad on being asked to tour and play the songs off FMF after being told you weren't good enough and wanted for the actual making of the album. I'm glad the HBs did back him on that tour because who knows what would have become of the band and if they would still be a thing after 94 but still, I get where Stan was coming from.

Rather than flat out "rejecting" the album, I suppose what happened at MCA was "the A&R man said 'I don't hear a single' ". Literally, they did see no hits on FMF as Tom presented it to them! That is almost as absurd as Decca passing on Beatles, imo. However, when he added the decided light weight cover of "Feel a Whole Lot Better" and a few people changed chairs at MCA, then suddenly they DID feel a whole lot better about the prospect. That is actually as weird as it is funny. Not a bad song at all, but seriously...
I'm not positive if this is correct, but could it, possibly, be that be while hanging, unsure if the album was gonna be released or not, that he searched for something to push it over the edge, so to speak, that he recorded Waiting For Tonight with The Bangles?? Did I dream this? Then again, the latter track featured a more complete line up of The Heartbreakers, if I'm not mistaken, and then when FMF suddenly got an ok, with the inclusion of FAWLB, there was no time or need to figure out how or if that new song fitted anyway... Also, I always thought Waiting For Tonight originally was penned for a planned TPATH Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) follow up album that got scrapped or put on hold, when Tom steered in the arms of the Traveling Wilburys, a context and an experience I guess you could say FMF was born out of. Not sure if any of this has anything to do with The Heartbreaker's recenting Tom's solo album. Perhaps to some extent it did.
To me what makes FMF a solo album is not only the arrangements. As for Wildflowers and to some extent also Highway Companion, I can imagine TPATH versions of the material, that is with a slightly different arrangement and production they could both have been full blown and great band albums. With FMF, I really think there is something intrinsically solo about the whole thing, about the very material. (I mean, in no small ways are the cover shot of FMF a sorta half body remake of the first album, which was, btw, originally labeled as "Tom Petty" rather than "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers" since the deal was originally his alone). In my mind, Love Is A Long Road is the only song on the album that could be reimagined as a band song, in the traditional Heartbreakers sense.
That goes to say that while I can understand what people say about The Heartbreakers (sans Mike) supposedly feeling let down with some of Tom's choices in 1988-1989, leaving them on the outside as it were, I really think that Stan and Ben truly felt the music - both many of the songs and much of how they were realized by Tom and Jeff - was less band oriented and interesting from their perspective. Perhaps this goes for Howie too (although, admittedly, he was per se as much of a session player/singer as a band guy). They probably could appreciate the stunning parade of pop hits that was the album, but they might not have seen much of their own music identity in it. I can imagine they initially - before they all had to play many of the songs every night for the rest of their lives, making them TPATH anyway in a way - did not actually like FMF that much. Not only because they basically weren't on it or because they felt Tom left them hanging, but because it was not really the type of material or production style that they were into. Especially Stan, I'd say. Don't get me wrong, but in terms of his personal musical integrity he was probably quite happy not to be on FMF, as he seemed a bit frustrated about what he had to "act up", as it were, on ITGWO.
In short, I think FMF promised to mean a bigger artistic change in Tom than it ended up becoming and I think that put a little bit of a scare on everybody. Save for Mike, for some reason. Perhaps his love for the Running Down A Dream riff made him look past everything else, perhaps he just had trust enough in Tom to stick with it, to ride it out and see what happened, perhaps he really was the only one Tom trusted enough to stay a core part of it. I don't know. But it must have been tricky times for The Heartbreakers. Until the tour went underway, anyway. As a sidenote: It is funny to me, how they - in various ways - seem to mock the whole situation shamelessly in the few video skits they filmed for extra material to the "A Bunch Of Videos and Some Other Stuff" release around this same time. It's hard to be quite sure if Stan was just acting when he butchered that drum machine, or if Howie was perhaps grumpy and bitter for real when he storms off on his bike. Either way, it's fabulous stuff.
All that aside, I think there can be no question that a vast majority of the fans REALLY fell in love with this album and this collection of songs, from the start. I think the success speaks for itself, really. There may have been fans recognizing the same dimensional shift that Stan saw, seeing that it was a bit different, perhaps not being totally thrilled about how it seemed to steer away from rock'n'roll a bit. But I think very few of them could dismiss the charm of it all together. Moreover FMF did pull in tons of new fans, and also.. let's not forget.. The combination of that laid back pop style of Tom's songs, Jeff's ideas on sound (like commented on above!), the recent success of Traveling Wilburys, the peak of MTV, all line up like that, with a whiff of skateboards, palm trees, sunshines and boulevards, south Cal and LA style, in 1989 this created the perfect storm in terms of success for Tom. Never before and never since has a Tom Petty album been more fashionable, commercially right-in-time for the big league, and straight out hip. ITGWO did ride the tail on that same wave, so to speak, and Wildflowers was prefect and right in time too, in a slightly different, less sunny way.. But I'd say that 88-95 era was when Tom was the most in-tune with mainstream fashion, most full blown "adult pop" he ever was, and obviously recognized as much himself, keeping the landmarks of this era close to his heart and to his live act all to the very end. 
We can say whatever we like (and I do) and we can disect other "deeper" or "technical" or even "social" aspects of the music Tom made on FMF, but in short: what's not to like??

That's another great idea, yeah! It may not fit the frame under the circumstances, but wow.. would be great to hear that one. SB is one of my big favs too. I always took it to be a more or less deliberate attempt to write a story song of a certain kind, a case study that, much like later King Of The Hill plays out much like a little film. Moreover, SB sounds to me like Tom's own go at a Hotel California. Quite great at that! Bob is obviously a master of that type of hidden-wink-towards-others type of songwriting and a great fan of the sort. We are after all talking about the man who penned the likes of I Wanna Be You Lover and Tweeter & The Monkeyman. The first a good song and a quite a half-joke directed at the Beatles' I Want To Be Your Man and the latter a great materpiece of a Bob song in its' own right and a great Springsteen pastische/tribute too. Two birds in one stone. Every time. Bob would love SB as a somewhat special song in the Tom Petty cataloge that plays in that same tradition. At least that is how I always understood it.    

I think the "Bootleg Series, Vol. 14" should be the tour with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers!

Thanks, nice!
 
Also from the same source:
http://innocentwords.com/tom-petty-by-lucinda-williams-rebels/
 

Precious memories of concerts past...
March 19, 1976                       Van Nuys Recreation Center, Van Nuys, CA (as Tom Petty and Nightro)
November 24, 1976                Performing Arts Center, Tampa, FL
November 25, 1976                Performing Arts Center, Tampa, FL
November 27, 1976                Other Place Niteclub, Miami, FL                            cancelled?
November 28, 1976                Other Place Niteclub, Miami, FL                            cancelled?
November 30, 1976                Municipal Auditorium, Columbus, GA                    opening for Kiss
December 3, 1976                  George's Galaxy Lounge, Cocoa Beach, FL
December 4, 1976                  George's Galaxy Lounge, Cocoa Beach, FL
December 12, 1976                Paul's Mall, Boston, MA                                       opening for Al Kooper
December 14, 1976                CBGB's, New York, NY
December 15, 1976                CBGB's, New York, NY
December 22, 1976                Exit/In, Nashville, TN                                           opening for Al Kooper
February 9, 1977                    Whisky a Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA                  opening for Blondie
February 10, 1977                   Whisky a Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA                  opening for Blondie
February 11, 1977                   Whisky a Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA                  opening for Blondie
February 12, 1977                   Whisky a Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA                  opening for Blondie
February 14, 1977                   Keystone Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA                        with the Greg Kihn Band
February 15, 1977                   Keystone Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA                        with the Greg Kihn Band
February 17, 1977                   Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA                          with the Greg Kihn Band
February 18, 1977                   Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA                          with the Greg Kihn Band
February 19, 1977                   Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA                          with the Greg Kihn Band
February 25, 1977                   Ivanhoe Theater, Chicago, IL
February 28, 1977                   Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, OH                             cancelled
March 7, 1977                        Bottom Line, New York, NY                                  opening for Roger McGuinn
March 8, 1977                        Bottom Line, New York, NY                                  opening for Roger McGuinn
March 9, 1977                        Bottom Line, New York, NY                                  opening for Roger McGuinn
March 10, 1977                       Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, OH                             opening for the Runaways
March 13, 1977                       Bogart's, Cincinnati, OH
March 14, 1977                       The Flying Machine, Akron, OH
March ??, 1977                       Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI               opening for the Runaways with Cheap Trick
April 23, 1977                         Record Plant, Sausalito, CA                                  KSAN radio broadcast
April 24, 1977                         Winterland, San Francisco, CA                              opening for Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band with Starz
April 26, 1977                         Whisky a Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA
April 27, 1977                         Whisky a Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA
Next installment - the group heads off to England.

I don't know if this has been posted here yet.  
Dana's letter:
 
Sending my love and a long overdue heartfelt thank you for the outpouring of love, cards, gifts, flowers, donations and your prayers. Your sentiments mean the world to me, our 3 children, and our family. I have yet to turn on a tv or computer, but I understand that most of you grieved, right along with me and those who loved him dearly; our kids- Adria, AnnaKim and Dylan, our granddaughter, Everly. Tommy’s only sibling, Bruce, his wife, kids and grandchildren, cousins, my family, the Heartbreakers; brothers of 40+ years, his longtime devoted crew and management teams, many close friends, and his amazing fans . Those who knew him well, knew he was so much more than a musical icon and amazing artist... he was a beautiful, compassionate, empathic, complicated, generous, and a very private man. He was Tommy; who was, hands down, the coolest man, friend, dad, grandfather, bandmate, brother, son, uncle, cousin, boss, lover, soulmate, husband. He loved with all he had and if you could see us now, (including his beloved dog, Ryder), you would understand how shattered and lost we all are. His beloved 10 year old yellow English lab, Ryder, is grieving with me. He holds my hand (paw in hand), and I honestly watch tears flow from his eyes. I’ve never before seen a dog cry.
Losing Tommy is, by far, the most devastating event in my life. Selfishly, I wish he were here with me. With all of us. Tragically he isn't and it can only mean that we will have to turn to each other now, and learn to be strong and go on without him, our king, patriarch, fearless leader. He would want us to all remain united as friends, family, comrades...and his beloved fans-who encouraged him to keep going, to keep reaching higher and higher-please know, how much he loved and appreciated each one of you and know, he will always be with you. All of us combined gave him a forever family and the respect and admiration he deserved since he came into this world. He needed that love. No one was more deserving than TP.
He was compassionate, kind, full of integrity when it came to how he lived his life and his music. Sensitive, yet tough as nails when fighting for justice. He cared about the average joe as much as as he did high profile folks, especially when they had a shared passion for the art of music, no matter what genre or what position one held as part of his team, be it touring, recording, sound mixing, producing, engineering, film, photography, critics, radio staff, management and administrative staff, business management, security, personal assistants, drivers, personal staff, radio listeners, fans, friends, so many friends, family: anyone--who shared his deep love of music, was held on high regard. Duckhead (Scott T.), Mike, Ben, Ron, Steve, Bugs (Alan W), Ryan U, Richard F., Mark C., Dean C., Queenie-Linda, Mary K, Robert S., Chris A., Bernie G, Anna M, Tony D, Randal W., Mark F., Tommy L, Randall M, Greg L, Dr. Jim, George D, Peter B, Jeff L, Olivia & Dhani H, Stevie N, Dan M, Glenn P.,Jack D & Regina S, Mimi (Dolores), Randal W., Peter B, Sean P, the Vedder’s, the Shelters, the Webb sisters, so many musician pals, too many to list here, and on and on... along with many of his closest friends, lost too soon... He enjoyed reading mail from radio show fans and jotting down their requests. He fought with all he had to keep his art, his music affordable and ticket prices fair & away from scalpers--he truly cared. He never forgot where he came from; his humble beginnings, he hated pretense + sell-outs, manufactured fame, music + film theft, all of that bullshit that pretty much killed the industry...he was a moral, humble, genuinely kind, a musical genius, a total badass who knew how to make his point, whatever tactics he pulled out of his hat... our fearless TP. Who never once sold out! ❤️ He had an amazing sense of honor and humor. A bit (lot) of cynicism and quick wit and always a ready laugh. And work wise, that he could keep a band together for over 40 years is amazing and speaks volumes about him and each member of the band. To nurture one another and cultivate creativity for that long is a testament to him and all of you. He loved each of them like brothers. As well as his crew. And their unwavering dedication to Tommy is a reflection of his love and dedication to them. 
He loved his family so much. Our children, Adria, AnnaKim, Dylan and our beloved granddaughter, Everly. He loved all of us, every single day and we benefited from it in every human way possible. We were truly blessed to have him love us so profoundly.
He was my very best friend, my sublime soul mate, the very very best husband, a wonderful father and grandfather, brother, uncle, boss/leader, and friend. I will miss him every minute of everyday. Our lives are forever changed by his presence and love. I hope that we continue to allow that to incapsulate us and protect us. He would want that. For us to band together in love and humor. And be present. To live. He will always be with us. His music was everything to him and it will live forever in the world. We are truly blessed.
Thank you for all you have given me, my love. And for your beautiful and eternal mark on the world. And thank you friends and family for your thoughtful, loving kindness and support through this incomprehensible and unbearable loss.
❤️Dana Petty💔

^ That old shot of Steve's from 2006 is so great, thanks!!