Adrian Villagomez
05/30/07, 01:17 AM
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Greatest Hits
Record Label: MCA
Release Date: November 16, 1993
After ten albums spanning three decades, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers released their Greatest Hits album featuring the best the band had to offer. With more than a few hit singles amassed during their career, it’s no wonder the band released the compilation even though they continue to create new music today.
The band has sold a sizable amount of their previous albums due to the popularity of their singles, launching them to multi-platinum success on more than one occasion. The popularity of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers can be contributed to the easily accessible nature of their southern rock sound, which appeals to a variety of listeners. Guitar work on the Greatest Hits tracks is satisfying to fans of rock music, but not overbearing enough to turn away casual listeners. Tom Petty’s voice is also smooth and easy to follow, which appeals to fans of the pop genre.
"American Girl" is the opening track of the album, and serves as a fine example of the band’s signature sound. It is immediately likable and singing along to the background lyric "Make it last all night" is too fun to resist. Instantly recognizable radio hits such as "The Waiting" and "Free Fallin'" stand as some of the most enjoyable tracks on the compilation, and both are derived from the band’s characteristic subject matter of young and complicated love. The harmonic background vocals on "Free Fallin'" overdubbing Petty’s voice again prove the vocal appeal of the band. Although titled a "greatest hits" album, two new tracks, "Mary Jane’s Last Dance" and "Something in the Air" (a Thunderclap Newman cover), are added alongside the familiar songs. Fittingly, both are standout tracks and only add to the high quality of the album.
Although it feels sacrilegious to say so, Greatest Hits isn’t perfect. When compared to the stronger tracks on the album, some songs ("Listen to Her Heart") seem as if they could have been replaced by something more favorable in the band’s catalog of music. In addition, when listening to Greatest Hits it is remarkable how little Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers changed over time. There isn’t a discernible amount of musical progression throughout the tracks, so fans of evolution in their bands may be disappointed in that aspect.
The eighteen classic rock tracks found on Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' Greatest Hits are easy to recommend, because it’s likely that some part of the music will appeal to listeners, whether it be the clean vocals or rock-inspired musicianship. Anyone who has found himself humming along to this band while listening to the radio or is looking for a simple heartland rock sound should pick up this album. Remember, this is the same band that was invited to tour with Bob Dylan before collaborating with both Johnny Cash and George Harrison.
01. American Girl
02. Breakdown
03. Listen to Her Heart
04. I Need to Know
05. Refugee *
06. Don't Do Me Like That
07. Even the Losers
08. Here Comes My Girl
09. The Waiting *
10. You Got Lucky *
11. Don't Come Around Here No More
12. I Won't Back Down *
13. Runnin' Down a Dream
14. Free Fallin' *
15. Learning to Fly *
16. Into the Great Wide Open *
17. Mary Jane's Last Dance (new song) *
18. Something in the Air (Thunderclap Newman cover)
* - definitely download
The Cars, Bob Seger, The Who, Eric Clapton, Eagles, John Mellencamp, classic rock radio
myspace.com/tompetty (http://www.myspace.com/tompetty)
Record Label: MCA
Release Date: November 16, 1993
After ten albums spanning three decades, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers released their Greatest Hits album featuring the best the band had to offer. With more than a few hit singles amassed during their career, it’s no wonder the band released the compilation even though they continue to create new music today.
The band has sold a sizable amount of their previous albums due to the popularity of their singles, launching them to multi-platinum success on more than one occasion. The popularity of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers can be contributed to the easily accessible nature of their southern rock sound, which appeals to a variety of listeners. Guitar work on the Greatest Hits tracks is satisfying to fans of rock music, but not overbearing enough to turn away casual listeners. Tom Petty’s voice is also smooth and easy to follow, which appeals to fans of the pop genre.
"American Girl" is the opening track of the album, and serves as a fine example of the band’s signature sound. It is immediately likable and singing along to the background lyric "Make it last all night" is too fun to resist. Instantly recognizable radio hits such as "The Waiting" and "Free Fallin'" stand as some of the most enjoyable tracks on the compilation, and both are derived from the band’s characteristic subject matter of young and complicated love. The harmonic background vocals on "Free Fallin'" overdubbing Petty’s voice again prove the vocal appeal of the band. Although titled a "greatest hits" album, two new tracks, "Mary Jane’s Last Dance" and "Something in the Air" (a Thunderclap Newman cover), are added alongside the familiar songs. Fittingly, both are standout tracks and only add to the high quality of the album.
Although it feels sacrilegious to say so, Greatest Hits isn’t perfect. When compared to the stronger tracks on the album, some songs ("Listen to Her Heart") seem as if they could have been replaced by something more favorable in the band’s catalog of music. In addition, when listening to Greatest Hits it is remarkable how little Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers changed over time. There isn’t a discernible amount of musical progression throughout the tracks, so fans of evolution in their bands may be disappointed in that aspect.
The eighteen classic rock tracks found on Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' Greatest Hits are easy to recommend, because it’s likely that some part of the music will appeal to listeners, whether it be the clean vocals or rock-inspired musicianship. Anyone who has found himself humming along to this band while listening to the radio or is looking for a simple heartland rock sound should pick up this album. Remember, this is the same band that was invited to tour with Bob Dylan before collaborating with both Johnny Cash and George Harrison.
01. American Girl
02. Breakdown
03. Listen to Her Heart
04. I Need to Know
05. Refugee *
06. Don't Do Me Like That
07. Even the Losers
08. Here Comes My Girl
09. The Waiting *
10. You Got Lucky *
11. Don't Come Around Here No More
12. I Won't Back Down *
13. Runnin' Down a Dream
14. Free Fallin' *
15. Learning to Fly *
16. Into the Great Wide Open *
17. Mary Jane's Last Dance (new song) *
18. Something in the Air (Thunderclap Newman cover)
* - definitely download
The Cars, Bob Seger, The Who, Eric Clapton, Eagles, John Mellencamp, classic rock radio
myspace.com/tompetty (http://www.myspace.com/tompetty)