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Why is Tom Petty so revered?

#21
i like his stuff; i don't consider him the second coming of dylan. but, i have been impressed though my entire adult life, that he keeps putting out solid hits. i really don't think his songs are to different from each other, its more like he has the ability to re-work his style into new songs that always have just the right amount of hook for the radio. i think he is a great lesson in the craft of writing hits.

i saw them when they backed dylan at a show with the dead. when they did their set, in that context, it seemed very flat that they just played the song note-for-note.

and while it sounds like i am ragging, i don't mean to be. i really am impressed that he keeps coming out with more toe-tapping music. i don't think advanced music or defined a genre, but he is very solid. and the heartbreakers know how to edit down to the essential notes; less is more.
 
#22
For me it's his band -- the way they can stay out of each other's way and still play great parts!

I LOVE his first two records! The two after that were good, but then his albums went a little downhill as far as being full of good songs. The playing from the band was always good.
He always seems to have just enough hit singles to stay in the race.

My complaint is consistency of the songs. Not enough interesting or solid material to fill an album.

Love Ron Blair's bass lines. Nice and swoopy - never overplays, just plays nice, sparse lines that go into the higher register sometimes. Having a great keyboardist like Benmont Tench allows him to play a little looser and doesn't limit him to just having to play the standard "foundation" groove style (not that there's anything wrong with basic foundation playing!!).

Also sorry that Lynch elected to have himself fired from the band. I always really enjoyed his drumming and thought his personality fit the band. But if your not happy, yeah leave.
They sure replaced him with a GREAT drummer though! Ferron is a friggin' well oiled machine.

Can definitely understand why some don't dig him - he's not glitzy and kinda gets thrown into the American Rawk category. What I like is his "do what he wants to" attitude and his soul. But mostly it's his band and the way they work together musically!
 
#24
blipndub said:
I mean their stuff is okay, it's good and all. But I feel like there is something I'm missing because I don't think Petty is like the greatest songwriter since Dylan or Lennon.
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Yet Dylan and Harrison invited him to be in the Traveling Wilburys, so obviously they see something you don't.

That's cool. We don't have to like all the same stuff.
 
#26
It all became just a little too familiar and formulaic after Damn The Torpedoes, but I still have a soft spot for Mr. Petty and Mr. Campbell, if for no other reason than they keep the spirit of The Byrds and Bob Dylan alive. And between the two of them, they have a collection of vintage guitars that could pay off the national debt, and they love showing them off on tour.
 
#27
electracoyote said:
It all became just a little too familiar and formulaic after Damn The Torpedoes, but I still have a soft spot for Mr. Petty and Mr. Campbell, if for no other reason than they keep the spirit of The Byrds and Bob Dylan alive. And between the two of them, they have a collection of vintage guitars that could pay off the national debt, and they love showing them off on tour.
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Yeah I know I've seen some shots of their rehearsal space and the collected amps and guitars are most impressive.

Good solid rock and roll music. Doesn't blow your mind but makes you happy. I guess that's good enough.
 
#35
First things first. I'm a huge TP fan, no doubt in part because of growing up in Florida and spending my college years in his hometown (Gainesville, FL). Always loved his music, and his shows have been great. Loving the new "Mojo."

But about his fight with "the man," etc: Gotta say that I really wish that he could kept up the fight, and won whatever wars he needed to win against TicketMaster or Live Nation or whatever to keep prices to his shows sane. Cause they're not.

To get a "mid-level" ticket for his recent show at my local mega-arena, I would have had to pay at least $140. To take my wife, it would have cost nearly $300. I couldn't justify that, in this economy. So I missed out on a show I would have loved to have seen.

Sorry, but that ain't very rock 'n' roll, T.P. I don't care if everyone else is doing it.


FritoBandito said:
It's not only for his music (which I think is pretty great), but for his stand against the major labels and their control of musicians. I think it was in the 80's that he went to war with MCA over artistic control and the marketing of his music and eventually won, which led to big changes that has really helped lesser known artists. He is also known as one of the nicest guys in rock.
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#37
blipndub said:
I mean their stuff is okay, it's good and all. But I feel like there is something I'm missing because I don't think Petty is like the greatest songwriter since Dylan or Lennon.

Pop folks love him and serious musicians really love him too. I appreciate their great gear and the fact that they've been together for 30 years or whatever, but I don't really feel the love. What am I missing?
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The '70s was a strange decade. Those who lived through it cannot be held accountable for their actions or taste
 
#38
I can't speak for anyone else, but I can tell you why I really like him. First off, after writing my own songs, I really admire him as a songwriter. He does a great job of creating something really catchy, but at the same time it has the appearance of being really simple (that is until you really breakdown what he's doing). It's similar to reggae in many ways. On the surface it appears simple, but when you break down all the parts and pieces, and the overall song's construction, you see the genius of it. It's orchestration with all those parts, yet presenting such an open inviting feeling, is the beauty of his songs. Bands can easily put together his music, but most bands are NOT putting these songs together. As a musician it's really easy to sit back and say, 'Pfft, I can play that, and I can make a song like that', but most musicians don't.

Then there are his lyrics. They get in your head. They don't come off as pretentious and heady. They fit their deceptively simple structure. I have a ton of his stuff, and I always smile and enjoy it when I listen, even though this is not the general genre of music that I play.
 

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