“I do like that song. I think it’s a really sweet song. A nice sentiment. Very simple. Extremely simple. It’s not complex in any way” One thing I always find interesting in reading Paul Zollo's book is the way that Tom often seems to be looking at his own songs from the outside. The book came out in 2005 and in preceding decade, Tom had only played the song six times, so you can see why some of these songs he would have to go back to to think about. But I also get the sense sometimes that like a...
Jul 26, 2023•23 min•Season 8Ep. 4
Love is a Long Road is a really durable song and though I pointed out that it has a few rock tropes in it, they’re not overdone and not dated and I think this song really holds up well in its original recorded form. It’s another song with a very simple structure but with a couple of nice twists and turns in it. Listen to the song here: https://youtu.be/2AilA-M6N5U Check out this great live Sounstage version here: https://youtu.be/IZKXHkx_kec If you want to listen to the very first live performan...
Jul 19, 2023•23 min•Season 8Ep. 3
As it does with so many people, this song resonates with me in many different ways and has become part of my general outlook on life. For me, it’s less a combative thing and more about holding firm to certain principles. Loyalty. Decency. Humility. All big words and and big ideas generally, but they are important and they’re important to me. Maybe this is not a unique association that I’m making, but it’s one I feel keenly and one that I think is expressed more concisely than in any other song I...
Jul 12, 2023•22 min•Season 8Ep. 2
“I'm gonna free fall out into nothin'. Gonna leave this world for awhile.” This is exactly what great music does to me. It takes me out of my body and out into the creative ether. It helps me let go of anxiety or sadness or anger or grief and just soar on the music. I know that not everyone has that experience with music but it’s like a drug in a lot of ways. It alters your mood, changes your perception and allows you to truly escape to a place that no-one and nothing else matters. Today's episo...
Jul 05, 2023•22 min•Season 8Ep. 1
Hi folks. Technical difficulties and scheduling have prevented me from recording episode one for season eight, so I have compiled the first Twelve answers to my first quick fire question. It's interesting that there were so many different answers to what I imagined would be a pretty straight arm wrestle between Damn The Torpedoes, Wallflowers, and Full Moon Fever! But that's the beauty of Tom's cataloguel; there's something for everyone! In order, the people answering the questions are; Dallas H...
Jun 28, 2023•20 min•Season 7Ep. 17
In this special episode Kevin is joined, once again, by co-host John Paulsen to wrap up Let Me Up (I've Had Enough). Lots to talk about on this album and the "Producer for a Day" segment throws up a plethora of additional tracks to consider for inclusion! If you want to check out Kevin's alternate track listing for the album you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eZDzlGl84o&list=PL9JRklgBG7Nyp1g8JwDiFJDHnBkZ96JlD and if you want to listen to John's take on it, you can check t...
Jun 21, 2023•58 min•Season 7Ep. 16
This episode is the first installment in a new feature for the podcast; The Petty 8ight! I love talking to Pettyheads, musicians, and other people who have been influenced by Tom or his music in myriad ways, but I thought it would be neat to see what non-fans thought of Tom's music if I threw some songs at them. My first guest is the creative hurricane, Scott Haskin, who aside from podcasting himself, is also a novelist, a humourist, a musician, a producer, a film composer, and an all round gem ...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Season 7Ep. 15
The song was never played live and really, you have two Stones-y blues rock tracks on this album. The track we’re talking about today and Think About Me. The latter is superior in every way. It’s mixed better, it is way catchier, it moves more, it definitely swings more and basically, it renders Let Me Up I’ve Had Enough a little redundant. Another rare example of a genuine filler track on a Heartbreakers record and one where the title is most definitely the best thing about it Check out the son...
Jun 07, 2023•17 min•Season 7Ep. 14
Ivan gives me his answers to my formulaic 10 questions. This is almost always a highlight of every conversation as it reveals so much about the person I'm talking to and where their brain takes them. Ivan's answer to "If you could pick any artist to cover any Tom Petty song, who would it be and what song would they cover?" is brilliantly aligned with his own off-kilter way of creating music. He also eschews the easy response to question 5! Quick note - there is some profanity in this episode, bu...
May 31, 2023•20 min•Season 7Ep. 13
In Conversations with Tom Petty, Tom tells Paul Zollo that this is another song that was another one that was completely ad-libbed in the studio. He then relays a wonderful little anecdote about the Heartbreakers wardrobe lady, Queenie. Tom says “she’s been with us, God knows, since the early eighties. She always requests that one. We’ll always be back there in the hall, waiting for the encore and Queenie will run up and go, “How many more days! How many more day!” But we never do it. We don’t k...
May 24, 2023•16 min•Season 7Ep. 12
Today's episode features a wide ranging chat with the uniquely brilliant Ivan Anderson, the genius behind the Glitch Rock band Cyberattack and an all round wonderful fella. On his debut album under the Cyberattack monicker, Ivan covered Listen to Her Heart, which is how his work circled into my orbit. Not only does he find an incredibly angle on the song, but he also created a beautifully chaotic and inventive music video to go along with it, which I've linked in the episode notes. My main hope ...
May 17, 2023•44 min•Season 7Ep. 11
John Paulsen takes the reigns on this week's very special 100th episode as Kevin becomes a guest on his own podcast! The boys talk about Kevin's background with Tom Petty, how the format of the show, and John makes Kevin play his own game and answer some Petty Trivia questions. Kevin then reveals his answers to the Ten Quickfire Questions that he throws at his guests and gets a little carried away with one particular question! If you are able to donate financially to humanitarian aid relief effo...
May 10, 2023•44 min•Season 7Ep. 10
Ain’t Love Strange is short, punchy, and has a really catchy, hummable chorus. I adore Benmont’s piano tone in this one and I think it’s one of those really lean, enjoyable pop songs that doesn’t ask a lot of you in the way of listening and doesn’t overstay its welcome. Check out the song here: https://youtu.be/NXysGNwC0w4 If you are able to donate financially to humanitarian aid relief efforts in Ukraine, the Red Cross is coordinating a large-scale effort which you can contribute to by visiting...
May 03, 2023•14 min•Season 7Ep. 9
There’s an awful lot going on in this simple, short little song. So much so that I’ll be honest, I missed almost all of it before I sat down to really analyze it. I don’t know if I’d ever caught that odd, missing-a-bar timing between the verse sections, or the switch back to more conventional counting in the chorus. Check out the song here: https://youtu.be/E8kNnb08l7Q If you are able to donate financially to humanitarian aid relief efforts in Ukraine, the Red Cross is coordinating a large-scale...
Apr 26, 2023•16 min•Season 7Ep. 8
This is essentially an R&B song that would have benefited so much from a full, real horn section. While I’ve said previously that I don’t love horns and Tom Petty, for some reason, I think the synth in this track really pulls it down and makes it sound terribly dated. I also think this could really have worked as a song given to another artist and I could absolutely hear someone like Cyndi Lauper doing this one. Check out the song here: https://youtu.be/4m7-pt7bcDY If you are able to donate ...
Apr 19, 2023•13 min•Season 7Ep. 7
This is a very simple, very straight ahead rock n roll song. It’s not meant to do anything other than get your feet moving and your face smiling and it knocks that out of the park. It’s almost like the older, cooler cousin, of Anything That’s Rock n Roll. The cousin with the leather jacket and the hotrod car. It has bags of swagger and personality and some excellent off the cuff work from the entire band, but in particular Mike and Benmont. Check out the song here: https://youtu.be/5eZDzlGl84o Y...
Apr 12, 2023•14 min•Season 7Ep. 6
The song for this week's episide, My Life/Your World, has always reminded me a lot of Stop Draggin My Heart Around. It’s got the same tempo, same basic groove and the instrumentation sounds similar in a lot of places. The lyrics are a little disjointed but have good moments. Mike’s guitar work is pretty great and he chooses some good tones. The little segue into the song with that short instrumental pre-track is very cool but overall, there’s something missing in this song. Check out the song he...
Apr 05, 2023•17 min•Season 7Ep. 5
In Conversations With Tom Petty, Paul Zollo quotes Tom saying that this is one of his favourites and that it’s a “durable” song. He tells Paul, ‘I was going through a crisis at the time with my marriage. My first marriage was on the rocks. I was separated, though it was later reconciled. So I had more on my plate than I could handle. I had written ‘It’ll All Work Out” and sang it into a cassette. And I brought it to Mike’s house, giving him the cassette. He had a studio at his house and I said “...
Mar 29, 2023•14 min•Season 7Ep. 4
"There’s nothing wrong with a solid album track. It’s like the gravy at Christmas dinner. You wouldn’t want it as the main course, but the meat would probably be a little dry without it. The Damage You’ve Done is a fairly unremarkable track in the Heartbreakers catalogue and it doesn’t stand out much on this album, but it’s a fun little number and again, is one of the best-sounding songs on the record sonically, at least for me.” Today's episode covers the third track from Let Me Up (I've Had En...
Mar 22, 2023•18 min•Season 7Ep. 3
"After passing on what would become Boys of Summer during the Southern Accents sessions, Tom was clearly ready to try to use a less typical Heartbreakers groove brought to him by Mike Campbell. One of five co-writes on the album, this song shares a definite mood with Boys of Summer, with it’s minor key verse and major key chorus and the healthy dose of 80s synth. As with Boys of Summer, we can probably safely assume that Mike had the whole song demo-d and brought it to Tom almost fully formed, j...
Mar 15, 2023•16 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Season seven is here and season six is but a faded memory! Today's episode covers the lead track from Let me Up (I've Had Enough!), Jammin' Me. When Paul asks Tom, “When you write with Bob, is that something where you’re exchanging lines?”, his response is “Yeah, just like you’d think. I remember we would write a lot more verses than we needed. We did that in the Wilburys too. It’s a great honour to work with someone so great. And more than an honour; it was fun, because he’s really good at it.”...
Mar 08, 2023•17 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Another surprise bonus episode for you today. John and Kevin take a look at 1985's Pack Up the Plantation: Live! which was recorded mostly at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on August 7, 1985 as a part of the Southern Accents tour. The usual "Producer for a Day" segment is geared more toward the boys compiling their favourite live songs up to 1985 that were included on official releases. You can find Kevin's playlist here: https://spoti.fi/3mcz04e and John's here: https://spoti.fi/3ELfJgG If ...
Mar 01, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 18
In this special episode Kevin is joined, once again, by co-host John Paulsen to wrap up the Heartbreakers' sixth studio album, Southern Accents. Lots to talk about on this album and the "Producer for a Day" segment throws up very different approaches to the remix by both chaps! If you want to check out Kevin's alternate track listing for the album you can find it here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9JRklgBG7Nxb5VzMN_ZMM1p7WkIdHKm7 and if you want to listen to John's take on it, you can che...
Feb 22, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 17
Hey folks! Another bonus episode for ya today. It's the latest in the "10 questions with..." series and this week it's not just another author, but another musician! What song is Michael gonna play with the Heartbreakers? Well, he threw me a little curveball! Don't worry though, I threw one right back when I asked him which song he'd pick to give to a casual or non-Petty fan! Hope you enjoy! If you are able to donate financially to humanitarian aid relief efforts in Ukraine, the Red Cross is coo...
Feb 17, 2023•21 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Today's episode is another guest interview and another author and fan. This time I'm chatting with the fiercely brilliant Michael Washburn, who tackled this season's album, Southern Accents, in his 2019 book in the 33 1/3rd series. The book talks about the songs on the album and the story behind how it came together, it talks about Tom's transition from Southern gentleman to Southern Californian, and critically, it also talks about the failure of the album both in artistic and social contexts. T...
Feb 15, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 15
"Lyrically this one is basically a story song. Another brilliant Tom Petty opener; “She probably works in a restaurant. That's what her momma did.” So it’s that faraway dreamy recollection that we’re dropped into where the picture is just very slightly out of focus and we can’t quite make out what’s happening. No matter, whatever the deal is for this girl, the chorus shows that the narrator really hopes that it all works out. “Wherever you are tonight. I wish you the best of everything in the wo...
Feb 08, 2023•19 min•Season 6Ep. 14
"A pretty short episode this week, but really, there’s not a ton of meat to scrape off the bones of this song. For me, Mary may have a new car, but it simply never gets out of second gear. In fact, it barely makes it off the driveway. I think it’s one of the only times that Tom got anywhere near an act of hubris in including this song on the album at the expense of some of the songs that were left off. I love the sentiment of writing a song for a deservedly-beloved member of the Heartbreakers fa...
Feb 01, 2023•14 min•Season 6Ep. 13
Due to not be able ro record because of covid brainfog, I'm putting out this "10 Questions with" bonus episode pulled from my talk last fall with the wonderful Dan Spiess, the producer of the 2022 Tom Petty Weekend in Gainesville. Hope you enjoy it! If you are able to donate financially to humanitarian aid relief efforts in Ukraine, the Red Cross is coordinating a large-scale effort which you can contribute to by visiting their website here: https://donate.redcross.ca/page/100227/donate/1 The To...
Jan 25, 2023•29 min•Season 6Ep. 12
"Rebels, Southern Accents, Spike, and Dogs on the Run all feel connected by a sonic thread that sits slightly outside the dynamics of each of those four tracks. In its nostalgic wistfulness, it shares part of its soul with Southern Accents. In terms of tempo and feel, it shares its it’s skin and bones with Rebels, and in terms of its narrative form, it dovetails with the preceding Spike nicely and yet it rings with a sort of Kerouac-infused wanderlust that never lets you settle into one snapshot...
Jan 18, 2023•20 min•Season 6Ep. 11
"It’s brilliant in that it’s a character song, but the character isn’t Spike. We never learn whether Spike is a good guy or a bad guy. We don’t know his age, any of his characteristics, where he’s from, or what he’s doing there. He just doesn’t belong he’s just there for caricature of unwelcoming yokels to contrast with. It’s a very clever way to write a lyric." Check out the song here: https://youtu.be/t7ALjBfVn9I Here's the live version from Farm Aid in '86: https://youtu.be/a4HVtB7CIBo Here's...
Jan 11, 2023•16 min•Season 6Ep. 10
