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Post by Kapitan on Sept 30, 2020 14:25:03 GMT
I hated this album. The title track is the only song I liked. I'd rate it in the 3-4 range, and only that high because it's clearly very competent. But I dislike it almost start to finish.
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Post by B.E. on Sept 30, 2020 14:30:01 GMT
Long After Dark - 8/10
This is a personal favorite of mine. That's partly nostalgia, but I love how much it rocks. Also, its production is good, as is the songwriting. Not great song after great song - no obvious hit like "American Girl" or "The Waiting" - just a bunch of really good songs and performances that appeal to me. Spoiler - I only rank Damn The Torpedoes and Full Moon Fever higher. My favorite song is "Change Of Heart", but I love just about every song. The only (slightly) lesser ones for me are "Between Two Worlds", "We Stand A Chance", and "A Wasted Life" (to Kapitan's point, all on Side 2).
A song in contention for the album was "Keepin' Me Alive". This is a favorite of Tom's (and a favorite of mine). He actually wrote it for the Everly Brothers, but they didn't want it. Check it out.
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Post by kds on Sept 30, 2020 14:35:02 GMT
I'm a big fan of Queen and virtuosity, but I'm also a big fan of early 60s rock and roll. While I do kind of like the sound on the s/t album, I just don't think many of the songs are that great. Yeah, I appreciate that. I wouldn't say that there are many great songs on it either. There's definitely one, probably two. I think my point was just that the more you like a genre and sound, and a particular band, and the more you listen to it - the more you're gonna like it. It's just a natural thing. Every song, album, or artist needn't be "great" or "genius", necessarily, it just needs to match one's tastes. I think Kapitan made the point that there's only going to be so many great songs per album (if any). I wouldn't say Queen's earlier or later albums, and even some of their most highly regarded work, have many great songs. It's just different. With its own unique strengths, and weaknesses. I'd agree with that. Except for the assessment of Queen as I think their first two albums are actually their best, but that's for another thread.
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Post by B.E. on Sept 30, 2020 14:51:13 GMT
Southern Accents - 7/10
This is one of my least favorite Petty albums, certainly my least favorite to this point. My main issue is the production, but I also think the songwriting is a little weaker. Still, I really like the title track, "Rebels", and the dated "Don't Come Around Here No More". I also like "The Best Of Everything" and "Dogs On The Run". That's a large chunk of the album. Interestingly (or not), Petty seems to have problems with the album as well. It was recorded over a LONG, frustrating period. He actually punched a wall and severely broke his hand at one point. They were trying new things, trying to incorporate horns, collaborating with new people. He also said that it was a rare occasion of drugs being used in the studio, which affected his judgement/ability. He said that he preferred a solo demo version of "Rebels" due to his better vocal performance. He also said that while he's proud of most of his work, one of the few songs he doesn't like of his is "Make It Better (Forget About Me)". He was also asked if he ever attempted to sit down and write hit songs. He said that he didn't because it was too intimidating, with one exception: "Don't Come Around Here No More". To KDS' point about the song, I think people can sense that.
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Post by kds on Sept 30, 2020 15:15:47 GMT
Southern Accents - 7/10 This is one of my least favorite Petty albums, certainly my least favorite to this point. My main issue is the production, but I also think the songwriting is a little weaker. Still, I really like the title track, "Rebels", and the dated "Don't Come Around Here No More". I also like "The Best Of Everything" and "Dogs On The Run". That's a large chunk of the album. Interestingly (or not), Petty seems to have problems with the album as well. It was recorded over a LONG, frustrating period. He actually punched a wall and severely broke his hand at one point. They were trying new things, trying to incorporate horns, collaborating with new people. He also said that it was a rare occasion of drugs being used in the studio, which affected his judgement/ability. He said that he preferred a solo demo version of "Rebels" due to his better vocal performance. He also said that while he's proud of most of his work, one of the few songs he doesn't like of his is "Make It Better (Forget About Me)". He was also asked if he ever attempted to sit down and write hit songs. He said that he didn't because it was too intimidating, with one exception: "Don't Come Around Here No More". To KDS' point about the song, I think people can sense that. I do wonder if, 35 years later, Don't Come Around Here No More, would be an praised if not for the trippy Alice in Wonderland video. I tended to hear that one a lot more on classic rock radio than better songs (IMO at least) like I Need To Know, Listen to Her Heart, or even Here Comes My Girl. As it stands, SA might be my least favorite so far.
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Post by B.E. on Sept 30, 2020 15:23:09 GMT
I do wonder if, 35 years later, Don't Come Around Here No More, would be an praised if not for the trippy Alice in Wonderland video. I tended to hear that one a lot more on classic rock radio than better songs (IMO at least) like I Need To Know, Listen to Her Heart, or even Here Comes My Girl. I think it would still be praised, but not to the same extent. That video, as far as I can tell, was/is highly regarded. There was also a little controversy due to the ending, and that probably helped, too. I agree that those other songs are better. Certainly less dated.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 30, 2020 15:32:22 GMT
I think it's all about the video with that song. But maybe that's just because I dislike the song (and am an anomaly on that front). It's possible that the mass public doesn't align with my personal taste on occasion!
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Post by kds on Sept 30, 2020 15:33:56 GMT
I do wonder if, 35 years later, Don't Come Around Here No More, would be an praised if not for the trippy Alice in Wonderland video. I tended to hear that one a lot more on classic rock radio than better songs (IMO at least) like I Need To Know, Listen to Her Heart, or even Here Comes My Girl. I think it would still be praised, but not to the same extent. That video, as far as I can tell, was/is highly regarded. There was also a little controversy due to the ending, and that probably helped, too. I agree that those other songs are better. Certainly less dated. In a way, it's somewhat reminiscent of the video for The Cars "You Might Think." The young lady in that video wasn't exactly treated nicely by the late Ric Ocasek. I vaguely recall for some time, when the video for Don't Come Around Here would air in the 90s, the last bit with Petty downing poor little Alice was usually cut. In fact, I'd forgotten about it all together until I was gifted a DVD of the Playback.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 30, 2020 17:14:18 GMT
Contemporaneous notes on Let Me Up (I've Had Enough): "Jammin' Me," which I strongly disliked as an 11-year-old when it came out, was a breath of fresh air after Southern Accents. I felt like we were back to a real Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers album! It's a one-idea song, but it's a great sounding rock song without the Dave Stewart sound.
However, "Runaway Train" opens with the opening and those synths that turned me right back off! That said, I like the singing. Petty isn't always a singer I enjoy, but this is largely nice.
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Post by B.E. on Sept 30, 2020 17:42:15 GMT
Not sure if you're aware but Dylan chipped in with the lyrics to "Jammin' Me". They toured together at this time, prior to the Wilburys. They also collaborated on "Got My Mind Made Up", which was my favorite song on Knocked Out Loaded.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 30, 2020 17:57:29 GMT
OK, so Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) continued exactly in that vein, almost alternating between the more raw, natural-instrumentation and sounding songs that I tended to like and the more explicitly "80s" songs that I didn't. "Think About Me," "A Self Made Man," the title track and "How Many More Days" all were enjoyable (along with "Jammin' Me") recordings that would fit alongside the first five albums; the others were not as appealing to my sensibilities. I'd probably give the album a 4.5 or 5, since even the better-sounding songs weren't really great songs, just decent/cool songs.
Unless I'm mistaken, I've got the Big Hit Record of my youth coming up next! And before I even look at the track listing, I can tell you I never listened to this album intentionally but I'm sure I know several of the songs, just because it was a hit. But a late 80s hit that didn't include leather-and-spandex clad fellas doing whammy bar dives was not up my alley at the time!
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Post by kds on Sept 30, 2020 18:08:25 GMT
I listened to Let Me Up, and yeah, it's more or less a similar formula as Southern Accents. Open with a strong rock song you'd expect from Petty, then not that much great after. I can see why this is the lone album that is not represented on his Greatest Hits (1993), and can see why he decided to change things up a bit with Jeff Lynne on a "solo" album, with a little help from some Beatles.
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Post by B.E. on Sept 30, 2020 18:20:12 GMT
I'm a little surprised they didn't include "Jammin' Me" on Greatest Hits because it hit #18. That's easily among his top 20 highest charting songs. It wouldn't sound out-of-place among the other hits, but I do think it's among the lesser of them. I know they were running out of room on the CD, but still.
Edit: Might be interesting to wait and breakdown that compilation when we get to 1993. They were forced to leave off some charting songs.
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Post by kds on Sept 30, 2020 18:43:26 GMT
I'm a little surprised they didn't include "Jammin' Me" on Greatest Hits because it hit #18. That's easily among his top 20 highest charting songs. It wouldn't sound out-of-place among the other hits, but I do think it's among the lesser of them. I know they were running out of room on the CD, but still. Edit: Might be interesting to wait and breakdown that compilation when we get to 1993. They were forced to leave off some charting songs. I thought maybe it was a time consideration but that comp is 65 minutes long, so they had some room for another few songs. But, that comp is two releases away.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 30, 2020 18:45:37 GMT
Full Moon Fever warrants something like a 9. Extremely good, enjoyable album with unquestionably the strongest batch of songs on any Petty album to date. In fact, the only song I'd omit and seek to replace here is the last one, the semi-novelty song "Zombie Zoo." Everything else is pretty strong.
Indeed, I turned out to be familiar with a handful of these: I knew all the singles except "A Face in the Crowd" (which is probably next above "ZZ" if I ranked songs, but it's WELL above it and not bad at all), meaning four of 12 songs. And those other four are all killer.
But really I liked everything else. I loved the Bo Diddley beat of "A Mind With a Heart of Its Own." "Alright For Now" is far and away my favorite Petty ballad of any album so far, unless I'm forgetting something great. The Byrds cover is a perfect choice, a great fit.
Just across the board, this is a very good album. Jeff Lynne's production is still a little bit clean/shimmery for my taste. The bottom isn't really there, the rough edges seem sanded down. I probably prefer the first five albums' sound a little bit over this--just a little bit--but I prefer the detailed arrangements that Lynne provides. And realistically one feeds into the other to some extent. I'm not complaining.
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