Off the Beaten Path: Vol. 2 - Tom Petty

Off the Beaten Path
Written By Greg Hammonds
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Artwork provided by David Edward Byrd

Asking me for a list of my favorite Tom Petty songs is like asking me which of my children that I love the most.  I love them all.  So let’s start with that in mind.  My relationship with Petty’s music began in earnest in 1979 with the release of Damn the Torpedoes.  I had heard songs on FM radio from the Heartbreakers’ first two albums but Torpedoes was released during my senior year in high school.  I had a car and a little bit of spending money – some of it spent on that vinyl with the red album cover.  I must have worn the grooves out on that record because over 40 years later I can still sing along word for word with all the songs.  Hearing them now takes me back to a time and a place that I’ll never forget.

Over the years I progressed from buying vinyl to cassettes to compact discs to down loads on my phone.  But his music has remained a constant comfortable companion.  I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about his appeal to me and so many others across the generations.  Tom Petty songs have the uncanny characteristic of being immediately identifiable as one of his but at the same time each song is so different.  If he has a signature “hook” that many other successful artists have, I don’t know what it is.  My conclusion is that like us, Petty has so many diverse music influences on his work.  Those influences are apparent in his songs.  So it’s no wonder that his music has such broad appeal over so many generations.  Add that to the fact that he never stopped writing and creating and recording and performing up to the very end and you understand why he is (as a fan screams on an obscure live recording) a Rock God.

These twelve songs that I’m sharing with you have a least one of three interesting characteristics:

  • The live performance blows away the studio recording.  I’m convince that Petty is so good live because many of the songs in the early years were recorded in one take with all instruments playing at the same time.  Pay special attention to Mystic Eyes.  It’s a cover of a 1965 Van Morrison song.  I’ve listened to the original recording.  Petty’s version puts it to shame.

  • The background vocals are at least as interesting as Petty’s lead.  His voice has never been described as stellar.  But listen to Swingin’ and Room at the Top for Howie Epstein’s pure tenor.  In Walls – Circus, you can hear Lindsay Buckingham giving it all he has – which is always a lot!  Then on Waiting for Tonight, The Bangles sing the chorus with him.

  • The one thing that separates Petty from just about any other artist are the lyrics.  He never stopped writing and was often able to compose a song in a matter of minutes.  He didn’t write according to a formula designed to get airplay.  Echo, Southern Accents and Room at the Top always make me stop and listen and not just hear the music.  The one song that gets my attention the most these days is Square One.  For me it may be his most perfect song lyrically.  “I’ve always had more dogs than bones”.  Don’t we all think that but have never been able to put it in words?  And I only recently learned that Square One was nominated for a Grammy as best song written for a motion picture (“Elizabethtown”).  It would have gotten my vote.

So here is just a small slice of music by Tom Petty.  I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

Before we go, here are some other resources that should help you on your musical journey:

Happy listening!

What is Off the Beaten Path?

Discovering and falling in love with new musical artists is what Fresh Cuts Finds is all about, and Off the Beaten Path is designed to help in that endeavor by spotlighting a particular band we think you’ll really like. Inside, you’ll find a curated playlist, our favorite music video, our favorite live/concert video, and an article about the band (written by people who actually know what they’re talking about). Oh, one more thing. Since most people research a new artist by checking out their Greatest Hits album or scrolling through the most played songs on the band’s Spotify page, our playlist considers them off-limits for inclusion as we figure you already got those covered.

If you have a specific song that you’ve recently discovered or come to love, we’d love to hear from you. Just email us at freshcutfinds@gmail.com. We’re planning to roll out more content and a new playlist series in the coming months. Stay tuned!

Greg Hammonds
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Unearthed Vol. 11 - June '20
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Planted and Enchanted: Vol. 4 - May '20