MaryJanes2ndLastDance
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Posts posted by MaryJanes2ndLastDance
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Ha, thanks for that wish. That would make me happy, indeed.
Although with acoustic I don't necessarily mean the so-called unplugged approach. I consider ITGWO an album that heavily relies on the acoustic guitar, because the songs are based on it. All the strumming going on. I like the sound of that. There's a lot of great acoustic playing on FMF. particularly the chorus of Runnin' Down a Dream and Yer So Bad.
Runnin' really benefits from the mix of electric and acoustic on the chorus. Of course, full on electric in concert is also great on this song!
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Having said that, I love their acoustic versions of Even The Losers and even Listen to Her Heart.
Those are both really good, particularly Even the Losers. The song becomes so powerful when it's reduced to acoustic guitar and maybe some Benmont flourishes.The version out there from the 89 S. Carolina boot is phenomenal, if you haven't heard it, find a copy! American Girl works well acoustically, too. Maybe it was played that way in the Fillmore shows?
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Plus their acoustic arrangement never seemed much inspired to me. It seems more like 'let's play it slower and quieter', and that's not enough. To me, all that mandolin jangling through the whole song is a bit too much of that Instrument, since there's not much chord change below it... so it gets a little monotonous.
Kings Highway is one of those generic rockers that don't quite rock, but for some reason, the sparse, mellow approach worked. I think because I don't care for the original musically, having all those over the top Lynne moments and touches and the blandness of the chords stripped away, reveals a more interesting core. I think the theme of "getting out" is still there, just expressed in a perhaps more subtle fashion. I understand your points about why it doesn't work for you, though.
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Just a case of different preferences, I guess.
Cheers!
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Finding Out to me is the weakest song here. Similar to Century City, the point of which I don't see either.
What???
I understand your thoughts on Century City, that song has gone down with time since I first heard it; the song is a bit generic, one of those rockers lacking the riff of let's say, Runnin' Down A Dream. It sounds like it's trying to be a longer I Need To Know and failing.
For me, Finding Out is the opposite! There's catchiness to the music, power in the lyrics and an amazing bridge. While Tom and the fellas have come out with some generic, derivative filler type rock songs over the years, I think Finding Out is one of their finest.
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. Which never bothered me on the album itself, though, because Phil Jones plays most of the drums and it's a solo album and somehow it's all perfect for the songs...
Yes, I love the drumming.
And I think what Steve does on You Don't Know...fits that song perfectly as well and was an interesting accident, having no cymbals.
But as to why he limits Steven's playing, or keeps it to a minimum, I don't know, since presumably, Steve gets on fine with everyone in the band. It must just be Tom's drumming preference. I guess I'll pay extra attention to the drumming on Mojo since it was a very self-indulgent album and see if Steve had more freedom than usual.
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It's a good example how one song can scatter a whole concept album. It makes you wonder: What if there are more songs that do not fit the concept? Is there a A-side, B-side logic to it, with the A-side dedicated to the DJ concept and the B-side to other songs? Like on Simon & Garfunkel's "Bookends"? But Can't Stop The Sun is on the B-side, so to speak, and it definitely adds to the concept... all very confusing.
That's a good idea. Side A for the concept, Side B for the songs that don't fit. Could've changed Southern Accents and this album quite a bit!
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You don't have to qualify it!
I figure everyone on here is expressing their thoughts on TPATH and Mudcrutch!
I think it was a magazine article or maybe it was an online review but when they said the Last Dj needed to be electrified I knew they were right.
With your love of acoustic, there's quite a wealth of material for you to enjoy. I hope if you got to see them live, they went on one of their extended mid set acoustic moments while you were in the audience! Oh, you must really love the acoustic Kings Highway...! That really transformed the song, and made it much better, in my opinion.
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Really it's code for "All The Resting This Music Will Be Doing On The Shelf Of The Record Company For All Eternity".
Looks like ITGWO has some competition...
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What I have heard of Mojo has been a bit surprising as well but that’s for another time.
When I've the time I plan on sharing my thoughts on Mojo.
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I heard about that, a very poor decision. They could just add Jammin and Stop Draggin' to the album as is, plenty of room for all of those songs; knocking off Something In The Air was a mistake!
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I've always been kind of ambiguous about The Last DJ. It's none of my favorites. I love the title track, I think it's one of Tom's absolutely best songs ever,
I like the song, but don't feel as strongly about it as you do. I remember reading an opinion saying it should've been more electric and I agreed; picture the same riff, but with more of a bite to it. Would that approach have worked for you or you're happy with it as is?
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Overall, it's a shame the concept isn't properly developed on this one, but it does start and end strong.
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The Man Who Loves Women (what's THAT doing on the album anyway???)...
I agree! Terrible song. I understand it's a tribute to George Harrison (only because I read that somewhere) but I don't care. It's an awful song. This album needed more rockin' songs, not this weird beatles/jeff lynne hybrid. I just tried listening to it before finishing this post and I stopped.
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But Money Becomes King,
I think it's one of his most unique songs, a dreamlike melody without a chorus. Think how odd that is for Tom, who writes songs with verse/chorus/solo (bridge) structures. The strings on this one help create a strange, floating feeling, like you're listening to a fable. It's sad and fits the themes of the record, yet could also be heard outside of that context as a lament on its own.
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Holding out for the Phonautogram edition.
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Of course, in hindsight I've heard an even bigger "step" between the 1989 and 1991 tours, and perhaps that - the trying and succeeding in bringing the Jeff sound on stage -
I don't think the "jeff sound" lasted very long at all, actually, I don't even know if it happened at all. I think, the Heartbreakers overtook the Jeff sound from the album and made the songs their own on stage. I also don't really associate Lynne's sound (got tired of typing Jeff's sound) with heaviness. It seems more twee.
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You Wreck Me for starters.. Especially the latter could have benefited, IMO, from some #ss kicking, runaway qualities, rather than the flat, if perfect, time keeping it got.
Yes, I think he was hoping for something like You Wreck Me and I agree, his drumming would've done good on that one!
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Of course, in hindsight I've heard an even bigger "step" between the 1989 and 1991 tours, and perhaps that - the trying and succeeding in bringing the Jeff sound on stage - was the real starting point for the journey towards the "heaviness, groove, the increasing bass and drum drive"
From the Carolina 89 or 90 bootleg, I think their sound on the Strange Behavior Tour had more in common with their 70s/80s sound and Touring the Great Wide Open was the mid-transition tour. They don't quite sound like they had before, but at the same time, they haven't achieved the heaviness either.
95 to me, sounded heavier, with some nice thick guitar sounds. While I like the Echo tour as well, whatever they were doing guitar-wise isn't as satisfying. Still good, though! That sound kinda felt the same through the Last Dj.
2010 and 2012 seem to have some nice Mojo influenced guitars, etc. I enjoy the prominence of Ron Blair's bass as well.
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All right, that makes it even more confusing as to why they left it off! Was it the celebrity references?
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Greatest Hits is the perfect Tom Petty album for the casual fan and it’s obvious why it’s such a successful album; it’s some of his best song writing in one place; no filler. The chronological track listing is great, one good song after another, with American Girl as the perfect opening song.
If I were a casual TPATH fan I’d probably listen to it quite a bit.
The only songs missing are:
Jammin’ Me. C’mon, why wasn’t it on here? Would’ve fit perfectly between Don’t Come Around and Won’t Back Down. It’s a good shift in tempo from those two songs. Maybe it wasn't a huge hit, but it was a big enough radio single to qualify.
And Stop Draggin’ my heart around. Maybe it was skipped cause it’s considered a Stevie Nicks song? But Tom wrote it and sings on it! And it made the other collection that came out years later. Oh well.
How strange and cool that Mary Jane is on here and became a huge hit…! Has that happened with other bands? A new contractual song added to an album that becomes a big hit? People purchasing the album after 93 would think, well, of course Mary Janes is on here, not knowing that it was new at the time. Their last HUGE hit, to date.
I even enjoy the cover (the song) quite a bit, Something in the Air just feels like the most random song to have on here; it’s not even something they play live (except maybe once in 93?). It feels like a nice little bonua.
What a great album.
A bit of a double edged sword from a certain perspective though.
While it did make them wealthier, it also cemented the notion that they are a Greatest Hits band and nothing more.
The only thing to have prevented this would’ve been Tom taking some version of the Pearl Jam approach to live shows; different set lists night to night, longer shows and a healthy dose of whatever the new album is. It’s possible (maybe not?) that TPATH could’ve acquired a very large energized fan base following them from city to city or even country to country. Sure, a lot of people on here do it, but I’m guessing this is a minority of his concert going fans.
But he didn’t and consequenlty they are largely known as a Greatest Hits group. Go see them, sing along to Even the Losers and Free Fallin’ and grab some peers or go to the bathroom during a new song.
But it's still just a great album.
I also like the cover (of the album). There’s a playfulness to that image that appeals. A fun camaraderie.
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I like all of them. My favorites are the Lynne years, the mellower years (Wildflowers through Highway Companion) and the classic years (DTT through LAD).
Nice. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this topic.
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But most of all, I think the gradually growing thickness, dynamics, heavyness, groove, the increasing bass and drum drive that has eveloped in the last 10-12 years (and especially since the Mudcrutch and Mojo tours) is clearly fantastic! That in most ways they have never sounded better as they do right now
I think there was a big shift in the live sound from Stan to Steve in 95. Besides Steve's playing (which I also enjoy), the guitar sounds on that tour were really good and already there was a heaviness that wasn't there as much in the 91 tour. I'm sure some of this was also due to Tom's new songwriting style. I really like it quite a bit. 91 seemed the farewell tour for the "jangle." Not that it isn't still there in some songs, but just in the overall feel, they're heavier. Like the show from the Vic, Two Men Talking is heavy, thick, jam. And it's great.
I haven't listened to much of any live recordings from the Hypnotic Eye tour and only one from Mojo but the "heaviness, groove, the increasing bass and drum drive" all sound good to me.
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Sometimes the stage that TP&TH really are in only show in part on the album and the real "development" over time is a lot more complicated and back and forth than following the albums chronologically would suggest.
That's a good point and if someone were to write their thoughts on it, I'm sure it would be an interesting read, exploring how what was left off helped shape the finished record. The albums do tell a tale of the band's change over time, since these were, for better or worse, per an Iovine or a Lynne or Tom and Mike, the songs chosen to be released. This is the statement they're making at that point in time.
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Some Thoughts on Into The Great Wide Open
in Great Wide Open
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I agree. I watched this so damn much I started recognizing faces in the...crowd.