Ask a Part-Time Pettyologist -- THE SECOND TRY

[aimeeandbeatles]

Yeah, I think all the Wilburys sang at least a verse on that song. Makes me wonder how the Heartbreakers interpretation goes -- if Petty sings the whole thing or wotnot. On Handle With Care, Scott Thurston does Roy Orbison's parts.

Interesting thing -- I've got to check my notes later (have to go in a minute) but I don't even think the Heartbreakers even did any Wilburys songs until the last ten years or so. Wonder why.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Haha. When going through my newspaper articles for concert reviews, I found this amusing clipping:

Spoiler :

Since I have a moment, let's dissect this horribly-written review, shall we?

Spoiler :

♪ = makes a handy frisbee
♪♪ = slightly more pleasant than meeing Lorena Bobbit in a dark alley
♪♪♪ = worth your hard earned $$$, if you got it on sale
♪♪♪♪ = oh joy! a real good listen! More exciting than the Kerrington-Harding thing!
♪♪♪♪♪ = BETTER THAN SEX!!! This album's a keeper!

I think just the ratings blow away any perceptions that this is supposed to be "professional." Half of them don't even make sense and the overuse of exclamation points is poorly done.

I've always hated Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and now I know why.

So much for expecting an unbiased review.

His voice is annoying, and his band sucks, to put it mildly. The music (what he claims is music) is repetitive and nauseating. Argh!

OK, Petty's voice is a love-it-or-hate-it thing, but I don't usually see people put down Bob Dylan for his voice. His band doesn't suck (they're all very accomplished musicians and usually in-demand at sessions). And "his band sucks"? Is this a review in a magazine or your typical post in the CFC Rants thread?

Some song on this album of greatest hits I've hated forever, and never even known it was Tom Petty.

I don't exactly think I believe this line.

I'm still stuck with the question 'Why?' Why waste money on a bunch of crappy songs that have already been released, and throw them on a greatest hits album?

Just because you're not a Petty fan doesn't mean that none exist. Anyways, GH was a contractual obligation.

Then again, if these are his greatest hits, I don't even think what the other stuff sounds like.

Some of his best songs were left off Greatest Hits. "Insider," for example. They weren't singles or radio hits.

If you haven't clued into the fact that I think this album is crap, maybe my rating of ♪ will give you a hint.

Fine then. But your opinion doesn't mean crap to me.

I was actually fairly gentle on this guy. What I really want to say wouldn't make it past the CFC auto-censors.

 

[sophie]

Yeah, I think all the Wilburys sang at least a verse on that song. Makes me wonder how the Heartbreakers interpretation goes -- if Petty sings the whole thing or wotnot. On Handle With Care, Scott Thurston does Roy Orbison's parts.

Interesting thing -- I've got to check my notes later (have to go in a minute) but I don't even think the Heartbreakers even did any Wilburys songs until the last ten years or so. Wonder why.

You're missing the point. It's not about whether or not one or another person sang a verse. It's about who sang the leads, and that was George Harrison. If Tom Petty sang leads, then I wouldn't consider it a cover, but he didn't, ergo, it is; especially since Traveling Wilburys is not explicitly a Tom Petty band. It's a band Tom Petty is associated with - but that's like saying a bunch of Tom Petty songs are Ringo songs because he played drums on them, or that While My Guitar Gently Weeps is an Eric Clapton song because he played the guitar solo on it.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Then suppose that TPATH did a cover of ... say, "Cool Dry Place" whcih TP did sing lead on? Be rather inconsistent to have that one as a non-cover.

 

[sophie]

Then suppose that TPATH did a cover of ... say, "Cool Dry Place" whcih TP did sing lead on? Be rather inconsistent to have that one as a non-cover.

Not familiar with that song, but why would it be inconsistent? If he is attributed with writing the song, AND sings leads on the song, then it is HIS song.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Except that the songs are attributed to all the Wilburys! You can pick out influences here and there but nobody (except them) really knows who wrote what percentage of a certain song.

 

[sophie]

Except that the songs are attributed to all the Wilburys! You can pick out influences here and there but nobody (except them) really knows who wrote what percentage of a certain song.

Attributed means had a hand in. It's like Jerry Garcia is attributed with The Wheel, even though he co-wrote it with Robert Hunter. The two of them wrote the song.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Except the Wilburys did co-write a lot of the songs. Its not like TP wrote one song and Dylan wrote another and Harrison wrote another. It was more collaborative than that. Yeah you can pick out influences but...

 

[sophie]

Except the Wilburys did co-write a lot of the songs. Its not like TP wrote one song and Dylan wrote another and Harrison wrote another. It was more collaborative than that. Yeah you can pick out influences but...

Are you even reading what I write? It doesn't matter who wrote what. Bands very seldom have one man writing all the music. Rock music is usually collaborative. I said attributed, and that's what I mean. ATTRIBUTED!

So then, let's get back to it. A song is not a cover, under my definitions, if the artist in question is attributed with writing the song, and if they sing lead vocals (perform lead instrument in instrumentals).

So then, The Wheel (Garcia/Hunter, sung by Garcia) is not a cover. Nor is Friend of the Devil (Garcia/Hunter, sung by Garcia). On the other hand, Revolution (Lennon/McCartney, sung by Garcia), or Oh Boy! (Holly, sung by Garcia/Weir) would be considered covers.

So let's look at Wilbury songs. End of the Line (Wilburys, sung by Harrison) would be, for me, a Wilbury or Harrison song, not a TP song. In fact, when TP plays Handle with Care at the Concert for George, he calls is "A Wilbury Song", not a TP song. Therefore, it would be a cover, not a TP song.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Yeah, and the rest of the Heartbreakers don't have any involvement in the Wilburys ... well I think Mike Campbell suggested the slide guitar part for "Handle With Care" (it was mentioned in an interview) but I dont think anything beyond that.

P.S. TP and TP&HB are different. Free Fallin' is TP. Refugee is TP&HB.

P.P.S. Except for Mike, not a whole lot of compositions from other Heartbreakers appeared on Heartbreakers albums. One of Benmont's songs was on the box set, at least.... Gonna check tomorrow. There's actually a pure Mike Campbell song on Echo called "I Don't Wanna Fight." The lyrics aren't that great, but it's a great little rock 'n' roll tune.

Interesting observation: In the song "Dogs on the Run" (fairly obscure, one of the tracks on Southern Accents), he sings "All my meals came to me on a silver tray." However, in the lyrics sheet was "served on a silver tray." And I've got a live version of it's "served." I've a feeling from this that TP might've changed the lyrics at some point but used an earlier vocal take.

The song actually sounds pretty cool, and the horns sorta fill it out where it would sound really empty otherwise. But it's not overdone like some of the other songs on the album, it still has a sparse feeling to it. Which fits the song.

All right, another interesting bit from the Petty Archives. This was from an interview.

I heard about a show you did with Dylan outside of San Francisco; when the stage was darkened during a break, Bob Dylan fell over. You rushed over, looked down, and reported to your band, "Bob Dylan is dead."
Did I really say that? [Gives a quizzical look, as if to confirm] I remember that show, what a night! Me and Stan got in a big fight, and I left the stage. Stan was wound-up about something, and he gave me the finger during the show. I just took my guitar and walked off. Left. They didn't know what to do. And I guess Al Kooper sat in, and they just carried on with Al. I went to my dressing room realty mad, I wouldn't come out. Then Bob came in and said, "Come on, come back. John Lee Hooker is here and he's going to play. Come on. Let's go play with John Lee Hooker." I was still mad, but I went back to the stage. Then John Lee Hooker came out and kicked our asses. He was just transcendental. I remember Bob walking across the back telling us, "Don't change chords with John Lee Hooker, he doesn't change chords." And Bob fell over. That was some night.

Probably the 1986 tour.

Probably the 1986 tour.

Went through my notes. Identified it to August 5, 1986, at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA.

 

[sophie]

Dude, stop bumping your own thread.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Moderator Action: That's enough. The next post in this thread will be a question about Tom Petty, or the thread will be closed.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

OK, here's a question: I didn't watch the Grammys as I dont have cable in my room. (TP&HB was nominated for "best rock album" for Mojo or something.) However, Ive heard from various people that they zoomed in on Steve Ferrone instead of TP. Is this true? Woulda liked to see that.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Does this lady make me sound relatively normal?
http://www.mediafire.com/?n1ak0cajj1evvf3

 

[jtb1127]

If Tom Petty were to throw a first pitch at a baseball game would it be a strike"? This is a question of his baseball or other athletic skills.

 

[Truthy]

How many Tom Petty concerts have you been to?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

If Tom Petty were to throw a first pitch at a baseball game would it be a strike"? This is a question of his baseball or other athletic skills.

Hes not very athletic, although he was on the 9th grade football team (probably to placate his father).

How many Tom Petty concerts have you been to?

0.

 

[sophie]

0.

How can you call yourself a true fan if you've never been to a live show. That's supposedly the thing that makes Petty a good artist.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

How can you call yourself a true fan if you've never been to a live show. That's supposedly the thing that makes Petty a good artist.

You're acting like those snobbish fans who call me a "fake" because I haven't been a show. Truth is, I tried last year. I couldn't afford it.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

How can you call yourself a true fan if you've never been to a live show. That's supposedly the thing that makes Petty a good artist.

Have you been to at least one live concert of your favorite musicians? If not, then don't throw stones.

Lots of people are true fans of artists even though they haven't been able to see them in person. Me, for instance - I consider myself a true fan of Roger Whittaker, but I've never had the opportunity to see him live in concert.