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MaryJanes2ndLastDance

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Posts posted by MaryJanes2ndLastDance


  1.  I never meant weird as a pejorative. They are pretty much considered the least weird band around, the perception is of a good old american rock pop band. I don't think most consider their music odd or strange but I think it's because most aren't even aware of the majority of their recordings while being overly familiar with their hits. But I think they are stranger than that. True, they're not creating atonal musical experiments but their overall result is less straightforwardly rock-n-roll than they're generally considered.

     cheers


  2. One of their best records.

    01) One Story Town----I really like this song. Again, a nice blending of their instruments, a sharp beat and catchy chorus. I like the play on words in the title. Very good bridge, too. On a side note, I hear some similarities between this and Kings HIghway at the very start.

    02) You Got Lucky----The only reason I don't listen to this more frequently is as with much of the other Greatest Hits, I've heard it often. However, it's still a very good song. Very tasteful drumming by Stan. Usually I feel Mike gets the tasteful compliment but the way Stan handles the beat is pretty good. It's interesting how you can interpret the lyrics, as sincere or sarcastic or from a delusion heartbroken, jilted guy. A really good shift from the verses to the chorus, it's really good. This song has a bit of a somber attitude to it without bogging down. And still different from their other songs and hits. 

    03) Deliver Me---Another underrated classic song. Wow, this is a good TPATH record. It's a bit faster than midtempo but not an all out rocker, occupying it's own interesting tempo between the two. What a bridge!  Nice playing by Benmont on the outro, too.

    04) Change of Heart---like I Won't Back Down, the title pretty much sums it up. It's a good song, again in much the same space as Deliver Me. I

    05) Finding Out----One of their best rock songs. Some really good lines, a great tempo, it chugs ahead, the lyrics leading to a powerful chorus. And one of his best bridges. I guess TPATH do have a lot of really good bridges or "middle eights" as they refer to them, but this is one of the best, the way the melody shifts, the lyrics grow even more positive before returning. One of their best and most neglected classic tunes.

    06) We Stand A Chance----Again, I feel like they have this classic Heartbreakers sound and it's throughout this whole album. It's this ramshackle, garage band like sound with atitude, sharp guitars, snappy drums and that sweet organ/piano. Another good bridge, it's really good.  Nice handclaps!

    07) Straight into Darkness-----Interesting that this follows We Stand a Chance. Another really really good song. A surprise this didn't become a hit. Musically it's great, the lyrics are good. The brief instrumental passage before the last verse is very good, there's a lot of space there, leading into that great optimistic last verse.  "...the strong carry on!"

    08) The Same Old You---Another song full of attitude. Man, this is an aggressive album. It goes right from the verse to that great chorus. Those guitars are razor sharp. This is another good song. I can understand why Tom didn't feel like they were progressing, but in this case, it's fine, they're doing what they naturally do, with more experience. This and Damn the Torpedoes sound like the band really pulling together. It still sounds like the 70s here but not in a bad way.

    09) Between Two Worlds----it kinda sounds like where maybe Tom's mind was, wanting to push into new territory for the band while having them want a more rocking record. He certainly delivered on the latter. But the drive to push forward would lead to Southern Accents. The music before the solo is quite inspired, the song almost sounding like classical jazz or something before Mike's brief guitar part begins. Nicely done! 

    10) A Wasted Life----after all the romantic tension of the record, it ends on a sweet sentiment. Which is good, after all the passion, it's good to send the listener on his way with a good cool down and a nice thought. The music eases up, it's like a cool glass of juice after a plate full of spicy dish laced with habaneros. The song offers friendship, love, support, as if the same man who's been through so many romantic ups-and-downs and gained wisdom, he now shares, wisdom and love.

    What's so good about this album, is the band went back to a more rocking approach after Hard Promises without being derivative. It doesn't sound like the sequel to Damn the Torpedoes though it does sound like a good progression. 

    This seems like a concept album in its own way, the record spending its time in reaction to hearbreak (no pun intended!). being braggadocious in its loss, dealing with it, being the one to let go, drowning in its wake, learning from it and transcending. All with short poppy, catchy rock songs while still perfecting their sound that dominates up until Full Moon Fever.

    cheers

     

     


  3. Yeah, these songs are primarily showcases for Ben and Mike (and Tom and in this case, Ron) and I enjoy them quite a bit. Especially Melinda, I love it.

    But as songs on their own, I also enjoy them, 1 chord or no. I'd prefer to hear either of these than Walls for an example. There's something about the groove, and the simplicity of both songs that I enjoy.

    What I really like about the above is Ron getting the spotlight for a bit. Look how excited Tom, Mike and Ben are for him!

    cheers

     


  4. 01) Refugee------One of their biggest hits ever. The way they start is great, every instrument coming in one at a time, from Stan's drums to Tom's voice. A powerful song that I go back and forth on, simply because of how much I've heard it. Currently, I'm really enjoying it.

    02) Here Comes My Girl-----whoa, another one of their biggest hits. The spoken verses were an inspired choice and really make the song different. This song has a lot of warmth, both in the playing the lyrics. The song has its own ground, between rock song and ballad, the perfect hybrid and it really does sound like someone seeing their girl approaching. It's a song of love, feels like young love but any age can feel special like this.

    03) Even the Losers----an ode to those who didn't make it or have lost or have been beaten down but still sometimes find their moment. Oh, this is such a good song. And that bridge! Again, if anything works against these three songs it's from hearing them so much. I like the rocked up version as well as the acoustic take...the 89 Chapel Hill show has a phenomenal version.

    04) Shadow of a Doubt----This song just doesn't do much for me. I forget I'm listening to it and think about other things. Cool title, nice playing but while each of the preceding trio have something distinctive, this one doesn't.

    05) Century City----I used to like this song, then it just felt a bit weak. I think it's tied with Shadow of a Doubt, definitely the two weakest points in the whole record. Usually I enjoy when they play a fast paced song like this, but the music feels a bit bland, like they're trying to rock but the music just isn't there...I feel Tom's voice really carries this one or does its best to.

    07) Don't Do Me Like That----And another HUGE hit and a really weird song. I think the weirdness has been obscured by how popular it is, but just look at the structure of the song and the time it was written. Now the intro sounds like the classic Heartbreakers approach, a bit of an instrumental before the vocals kick in. Some nice drum rolls. Benmont's subtle playing is good. All right, Tom's verse singing is different, the way the lyrics tumble out and then slur a bit on the last word of each. Then out of nowhere the bridge kicks it up, man, one of his best bridges! Maybe the best, I don't know, so fast, so short, then back to it. To me, it feels like quite the strange song, from the approach to the verses, the double-time bridge and the abrupt fade-out. Some really good playing, particularly by Stan, his drumming having so much character. A really good song and I can see why it's such a big hit for them.

    08) You Tell Me-----an underrated classic. There's no reason this couldn't have been hit single number 4, it's that good. Nice piano right at the very very start. At first this song seems like it's just going to be an average middle of the road, midtempo song, something to fill a space on the album but then they hit that chord and Tom starts singing. Now there's tension to the tune...rising...and then it goes to that great great chorus! Wonderful! Those chords, what and how Tom sings, it's fucking great! What a good song. And that bridge, the way the song shifts and then works its way back is great. What a good song, way way overdue for a residency!

    09) What Are You Doin' In My Life?----another underrated classic. Seriously, they could've kept pumping out hits from this record. It certainly would've helped the band and made the set lists a bit more diverse over the years. The beginning almost sounds like Century City, heck some of Kings Road sounds like this song, just as he starts singing, it sounds like a bit in Kings Road. But this song is so much better. Because of that chorus. Wow! One of his best. The music and the way his voice shoots up, oh, it's so darn good. The sound of the guitar and what he's doing with it in the solo is great, too. All around such a good song but that's not enough, oh no...that outro! That was made for an audience sing-along. It's an inspired touch on a good song, transforming it into a great one. The band sound so happy during this outro, there's so much energy!

    10) Louisiana Rain-----I like the little weirdness right at the start. It's a nice mellow ending to the album. Some good lyrics and a nice swampy feel. If anything, my only criticism of this one would be it seems to stop too abruptly, it feels like it needed a good little mellow instrumental outro. Another great solo by Mike Campbell!

    I've mixed feelings on the sound, it's good and on some songs, Stan's drums sound great but other times I prefer the sound of the first two records. Overall, it has a good flow to it and for me, 7/9 good songs and two that are on the fence depending on my mood.

    However,  I'm not a fan of the cover, yup, there's Tom with a guitar. It's a good photo of Tom as if he knows...behind this cover is a really good album but I prefer more interesting imagery to just the band or musician on the cover.

    Regardless, I can see why this album was so huge, it's like they found a way to coalesce everything they'd done before, making it more potent and distinctive. 

    cheers

     


  5. If not in my top 5 TPATH, this record probably comes in at six. Maybe higher depending on my mood. I also have fond feelings of this album and the tour, even with all the bits of schtick. As a souvenir of the concert experience, Take the Highway is pretty good. The only thing that would've made it better would be a complete show from the tour and less of the camera swooping in.

    It's still a bit surprising that something as great as You And I Will Meet Again was never performed live.

    The last tour with Stan as well. 

    Aside from wanting the drums to sound a bit different and for him to have had more freedom in crafting the parts, I wouldn't have known about Jeff Lynne's approach had I not read about it. 

     

    cheers


  6. 01) When the Time Comes——From the driving intro, to the optimistic lyrics and the way the instruments blend, one of their best songs. This song is incredibly catchy. It was a big step forward for them.

     

    02) You’re Gonna Get It——Here it sounds like a band that’s figuring itself out which is what they were doing. I actually prefer the live version from the new years 78 show, mainly for Mike’s playing at the end, quite inspired. Overall, the song is all right, kinda forgettable. It's fine to listen to but I don't actively seek it out.

     

    03) Hurt——man, that riff at 1:44 is amazing. Really good. It feels like a whole other song, heck, it’s too bad it’s not. It’s the best part of this song, it’s amazing. The song kinda grew on me, it’s all right.

     

    04)Magnolia—it’s like a lot of this early material, there’s just a 70s sound that feels like it’s trying to be more than a 70s sound. It’s fair, I guess.

     

    05) Too Much Ain’t Enough——a great riff. This is what songs like Kings Road/A Thing About You/Kings Highway etc. lack. A really good riff. Something that’s not like what they’ve done before but is catchy nonetheless. This song is so far above many others by them, it’s ridiculous.

     

    06) I Need To Know—And here again. Another catchy song, simple, fast, a short sweet solo. Good.

     

    07) Listen To Her Heart—And another! This is one of my favorite songs of theirs, definitely.  The way the song begins, Ron’s bass line, Stan’s drumming there, the character in each hit, that break in the middle, before he sings "my girl" is amazing, the instruments taking a brief melodic pause before the song kicks in again. the optimism in the lyrics, the passion of Tom's voice, it works all the way through yet sounds like no one else. Songs like this are when they manage to pull everything together, all their influences and transcend them.

     

    08) No Second Thoughts——the return of the weird side of the band, musically. It feels like it’s doing what some of the other songs are trying to do and failing at. It’s catchy yet offbeat. Very good!

     

    09)Restless—This is a strange song. I like the riff that opens it but the verses are a bit weak. The chorus isn’t that good but the underlying riff is great. I think it deserved a better song. Wow! Mike’s lead right at the start of the second verse is great. What an amazingly tasteful player. The second verse now sounds better than the first but the chorus isn’t that good. It’s all right. It’s growing on me. I’m typing this as I’m listening. Great bridge, the way it builds, then drops down into the solo. Nice outro playing by Benmont!

     

    I can kinda see why people thought they were more akin to punk for a bit, there’s an attitude here, a lot of it, attitude mixed with earnest emotion, a very potent combo.

     

    I forgot to mention it on the first record but both that and this one sound really good! I like the crispness of the instruments.

     

    10) Baby’s a Rock n’ Roller——high corniness. I like some of it in their music but not on this song. Not good. Back to the generic rock. Terrible title, awful chorus, just a bad song altogether. Oh, except for the bridge. That was nice.

     

     

    To sum up, this has some really good songs. Besides the big hits, When the Time Comes is one of their best numbers, Restless is interesting and Hurt has that amazing riff inside it.

     

    This and the debut feel very similar; almost like they could be combined into a double album which isn't surprising considering where they were at back then. Hearing the very beginning of the band shows how much they've evolved over time while still maintaining that Heartbreakers sound.

    cheers


  7. I think it’s a toss up between this, Echo, Highway Companion or Southern Accents for weakest TPATH album in my opinion.  Are there some bright moments on here? Of course…

     

    01)The Waiting—classic Tom Petty song. It’s so uniquely them. From the chiming opening, the lyrics, his voice, the way all the instruments work together to make something sound deceptively simple. Check out Stan’s drum rolls towards the end, all this time I’ve heard this song and never really noticed how damn good that moment is! 

     

    It’s plaintive and anthemic at the same time and can pretty much survive any changes in a live setting. It’s a great song, marvelous bridge and one of the best songs he’s written.

     

    Tom has defiant songs, despairing numbers, goofy songs but this is such a hopeful, such a HAPPY song! While it’s about the moment between desire and realization, there’s no doubting consummation is down the road.

     

     

    02)A Woman in Love——a really good song. The quiet verse/loud chorus approach works really well, there's a lot of energy there when it's just Tom's voice and that bass. The lyrics are appropriately sad and longing, the lyrical pain matched by Mike’s wailin’ guitar! Oh, great bass work by “Duck” Dunn. I’m surprised this didn’t become a huge hit for them. It's good live and seems to garner a good reaction from the crowd.

     

    03)Nightwatchman—great riff, very funky, another good one. The lyrics are playful but really, it’s the rhythm section and that riff that makes this such a unique rocker. I feel like this is part of their weirder songs, like Luna, It Ain’t Nothin’ To Me, DCAHNM, Money Becomes King, etc. Maybe not as strange as that list, but really good.

     

     

    04)Something Big—It’s all right. Like a few numbers on Let Me Up, I really love the brief intro guitar playing to this song and think that could’ve been the seed for a good song. Anyway, with what’s here, it’s all right. The lyrics and the music are a good match, the song has swagger. It’s okay. I like whatever Ben is doing during the bridge, heck, I’m not sure if he is playing a distorted organ sound or if that’s Mike’s guitar. But whomever is playing that, it’s good. The outro has a unique little riff of its own that is great and could’ve been the basis of a whole other song. It’s so short but great!

     

    I definitely prefer the live version, especially the long one from 2010 or 2012. The version on the Carolina bootleg from the 89 tour is pretty good too! The bridge on that version is really good.

     

     

     

    So far the album is an interesting mix of songs, each one distinctive and in a different style. But what follows is a somewhat bland mess. 

     

     

    05)Kings Road——Just a generic rocker. Again, I perfer the live versions but that's not saying much. The best thing is the salt shaker. There’s nothing wrong with the song but at most for me, it’s background music, if that. I just don’t have an interest in it though there are moments when I appreciate the playing, such as the outro when Stan kicks the beat up a notch. I think perhaps, like A Thing About You, the main riff is generically bad and doesn’t work as a center for the song to revolve around.

     

     

    06)Letting You Go—— I have mixed feelings on the oh oooohs and whoa ohhhs.  Maybe it will grow on me as some music does. I guess I like the simplicity of the song, there's a gentleness to it that appeals. Great bridge. Some sweet subtle playing by Benmont. Overall, I like this. I don’t even know what else to say about this. How ‘bout for now, I just let it go…

     

    07)A Thing About You——another one of these strange, bland rock songs. I think I like it more than Kings Road but not by much. The playing is good

     

    08)Insider——just a brick wall the album drives into. Or would’ve driven into had it any momentum left after the preceding three songs. It’s like Southern Accents (the song) all over again for me. While I think Tom found an amazing voice to sing with in Stevie Nicks, their pairing can’t make this song work for me. I can see why some people love it as the vocals are great though.

     

    09)The Criminal Kind——Reminds me of Nightwatchman a bit, with the slinky riff, playing and attitude. I could picture this on Let Me Up. I kinda like it. Not one of their best efforts but a definite bright spot on this record. Unlike most TPATH songs, the weakest part of this one is what Tom sings on the bridge, the solo after that is quite good, especially with that quick pause Stan throws in.

     

    10)You can Still Change your mind—this feels like a good summary of most of this album, sort of bland, excellent musicianship. There’s that moment that sounds like the Beatles or Jeff Lynne, but I don’t care for it. There’s the slightest flicker of hope when the song picks up tempo briefly but no…a bland ending to a very bland album. I figure the Waiting sold a lot of copies of this record and then listeners were disappointed with much of what followed. I do like what the instruments are doing in the last ten seconds or so of the song…and I don’t mean fading away.

     

    Taking the style of the album overall, I think it’s good Tom pushed their music into a new direction; sure a lot of it isn’t to my taste but this album is defenitel not Torpedoes 2. 

     

    It’s been so long since I’ve listened to this record I couldn’t even recall how many of these songs went and I understand why. It’s the nadir of their songwriting for me. Fortunately, things improved quite a bit with Long After Dark.

     

    Some people think of Tom and the Heartbreakers as a singles only band. I think they’re more than a singles only band, they have a lot of really good “deep cuts” but at the same time, quite a bit of filler or mediocre songs as well.

     

    Regarding the cover, on the one hand I like the off the cuff feel of it, Tom in a record store, kinda cool. At the same time, it feels like such a pedestrian image and matches the somewhat bland feel of this record for me.

     

     6 out of 10 songs I like, but two of them, Something Big and Letting You Go I can take or leave, so it's more like 4/10. 

     

    I guess I like the record a bit more than I remembered but it's not something I want to listen to, has a terrible flow and is one of their weaker efforts.

     

    cheers

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


  8. 01) Rockin’ Around With You—This is better than I remember, from Stan’s opening drums, the drawn out syllables on the verses and the way the chorus kicks up, make it all right. Lame title though.

     

    02) Breakdown—One of those songs I have to be in the mood for, but very enjoyable. One of the few times I sometimes like the studio version over the longer live takes; the brevity of this song is good.

     

    03) Hometown Blues——I just don’t like it. The best thing about this is Stan’s drumming at the beginning. I just wanted it to end already.

     

    04) The Wild One, Forever——the opening of this song isn’t something I enjoy but that first chorus transforms it quite a bit. It’s a mishmash of what I don’t like about this album and what I do. Again, brevity helps. Middle of the road, I guess.

     

    05) Anthing that’s Rock-n-Roll—another generic sounding rock song. The playing is good but it’s pretty forgettable.

     

    06)Strangered in the Night—-I really like the opening of this, the off-the-cuff feel before the song starts. Another strange song. It’s such a different style to what would come down the road. I think songs like Climb that Hill could be traced back to this, but the latter has years of experience behind it. But this is more than just a precursor, it’s got that strange groove they do. I may be in the minority but a lot of this album is just weird. They sound like some mutated version of blues/rock and country, without being any of them.

     

    07)Fooled Again—This is a definite improvement, a good mix of the Heartbreakers ability to play well off each other, to interweave their instruments over a bluesy-but not typical bluesy-type of song. It’s got attitude over a languid powerful groove.

     

    08) Mystery Man—It’s a bit of a strange song, again it feels like the typical blues/country song but when filtered through the Heartbreakers becomes something different. But not something I really feel like listening to.

     

    09) Luna—One of their best songs. Unlike the numbers that feel generic or derivative (sometimes the latter being elevated by their playing) this sounds different, refreshing and potent. Another great mesh of lyrics and title, the organ conjures up the image of the moon on a starless night. It’s a great song, with a catchy riff.

     

    10) American Girl——Their biggest hit, probably the song they’ll be most known for, even greater than Free Fallin’, though perhaps it’s a tie. I haven’t heard the studio version in a long time. It’s just a great song. It’s catchy, it’s fast, putting it at the end of the album not only gives the record an upbeat ending, but also promises better things to come. Mike’s outro lead on this is great, and much too short but it’s good he extends it a bit live. 

     

    Overall it's kind of a strange album. It's got a song that's so anthemic and so much better than anything else right at the end, some numbers that stand out and others that are a weird hybrid of earlier styles of rock, country and blues....yet through their playing, little touches in the songwriting, lyrical choices and delivery, elevate the songs to one degree or another.

     

    Again, I feel there's a solid e.p. within.

     

    When the band does something special, like Luna, American Girl or Breakdown it's pretty good and memorable. When they don't, there's Hometown Blues. It's an interesting album because while you can see their musical roots, they're twisting them, changing them, using them as a springboard into something that would become the Heartbreakers sound, pre-Full Moon Fever.

     

    cheers

     


  9. That's a really good rundown of the band, dollardime. I think you nailed the roles each of 'em have on stage and how well they fit together. Funny about Ron's lack of movement. 

    I recall seeing the Echo tour and really enjoying it, from the songs they were playing and the stage set up, that was a pretty good concert and I didn't even like the album! While I disagree a bit when the setlists became so static, it was exciting getting to hear new songs, that is, songs I hadn't heard before on that tour, such as Jamming Me.

    That was a good surprise when they opened with it! And of course, I've mentioned it before but the intro to Don't Come Around on this tour is superb. Into The Great Wide Tour also had a lot of new songs and old classics and even the acoustic American Girl. 

    Much like Jamming Me, it was good when they played Too Much Ain't Enough, especially with it jammed out and super-fast.

    cheers


  10. This is a great album, I think it's their best, right behind Full Moon Fever. A great run of songs, the best opening trio on any album of his, a variety of moods and styles that all flow together well. On top of it, you've got songs like Fault Lines, Red River, Shadow People and Full Grown Boy which sound unique for the band.

    It's been over a year since it's been released and it still holds up. 

    cheers


  11. I understand where you're coming from and it's good with how Tom organizes the set list, as he enjoys pulling out the covers.

    I just think for every cover, there could've been an original song, be it a deep cut or even something from the most recent album.

    I'm glad I stopped seeing TPATH live when I did, enjoying that concert (as I had tours previous) rather than being disappointed with setlists and covers and such as time went on. Now I can just come on here and rant! ;)

     

    cheers


  12. I didn't like the ending of Gone Girl (the movie). Spoilers for the ending:

     

    SPOILERS

     

     

     

     

    I don't accept that he would roll over and let her blackmail him into a pregnancy. Nor that the other detectives could be so stupid as to ignore the female detective's intelligent questioning of the psychotic woman. It felt like her plot should've fallen apart there or the movie needed another 20 minutes to resolve properly. There's just no way Ben Affleck's character would submit to a marriage and raising a child with her.

     

     


  13. Mikeyt in another thread shared how he plays music with his family.

    Does anyone else play any Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers? Guitar? Piano? Ukelele? Glokenspiel?

    You know what, I think a glokenspiel would sound good on the intro to Don't Come Around Here No More.

    I've played some TPATH with friends and it's a lot of fun. My friend can sometimes pull off some of Mike's guitar licks.

    Mary Jane, American Girl, Refugee, Saving Grace, Free Fallin', Runnin' Down A Dream, You Wreck Me, Honeybee, Breakdown. Hmm....looks like it's time I learned some of the more obscure Petty songs.

    Playing music with others is a lot of fun and I think, if more people played an instrument, they'd maybe be happier overall. It can be a great stress reliever.

    It's so much fun, whether taking a solo or grooving to the rhythm!

    cheers

     


  14. Let Me Up you say.. right.. that's what we were supposed to discuss. Haha

    Derailed a bit there, but back on track. I too want to hear some more takes on this kind of underrated, yet strange album.

     Ohhh, put on your hat, buckle in, brace yourself oh no oh no....

    You could say...this topic became a Runaway Train.


  15. If you can, Dollardime, find a copy of the Don't Come Around Here No More from the Echo tour, they play a great intro

    Oh yeah, Mary Janes from 02 was phenomenal.

    I'm glad they extended Shadow People and that you were able to experience it live!

    I thought maybe they'd have stretched out the bridge to Forgotten Man but I guess not.

    Somewhere on the forum is a youtube clip of One Story Town with a sweet drum break with Stan and percussionist Phil Jones.

    cheers

     


  16. Ha ha ha, I wonder if anyone else is even reading these.

    Yes, I understood your point. I was emphasizing that if they had done so, the shows would be vastly improved. 

    Even if the set was completely static, varying what songs they improvise on would be a huge improvement. "This show had the somewhat longer American Girl and the epic Zombie Zoo." Or whichever. The 10 minute It Ain't Nothin' To Me! :P

    The best, of course, would be a different set every night, with a flexibility as to what songs are jammed on, etc.

    And hey! Does anyone else have an opinion on Let Me Up?

    cheers

     

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