In Praise of the (Not So) Simple Man

In Praise of the (Not So) Simple Man

Least the reader think that I only enjoy the complicated things in life, this blog is about one artist who was simplicity itself, yet managed both high art and great popularity. I'm talking about Tom Petty, who, together with his dynamite band the Heartbreakers, was perhaps the last great centralist in American rock music. He ruled the FM airwaves for over 20 years and seemed to move into the position of Grand Old Man, but things we're more complicated than they seemed. Unfortunately, he died in 2017, an unexpected tragedy that closed the door on a lot of classic American rock music.

Tom was a Son of the South, and an angry one to, with a terrible relationship between he and his father one of the driving factors in his youth. He began playing in garage bands, and by 1070 was a full time musician in a band call Mudcrutch, which, from the evidence of existing tapes, sounded more like the Grateful Dead than anyone else. Persevering, he gathered around him quality musicians, including life-long musical partners Mike Campbell and Beaumont Tench. Traveling to Los Angeles, his talents were spotted first by Shelter Records. After some cloak and dagger corporate shenanigans, Tom formed the Heartbreakers and started hitting the charts, in Britain first, then the US.

Tom had a distinctive style, firmly based in the past, with define echoes of both Bob Dylan and the Byrds, but he transcended those influences to create his own style. To my taste, he most resembles a combination of Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen, but without their stylistic quirks and with an infinitely more commercial touch. Yet his music never devolved into simple market chasing, as too often happens.

He got better with every album despite knock-down-drag-out fights with record companies and sometimes even himself, such as when he crushed his guitar playing hand in a fit of anger. There was a danger of falling into the trap of over-produced shiny 1980s corporate pop, until something as startling as this song showed up;

Suddenly Tom was going psychedelic, going beyond the Americana rock influences, using the studio in new and different ways, branching out artistically. The band was able to keep up with him, always giving very sympathetic support. He churned out classic hit single after classic hit single, and he marketed himself brilliantly, using MTV like his personal publicist. His heart was always in the right place as well, and he was always the first one to step up to the right cause; nuclear energy, corporate greed, Amnesty International, or Live Aid.

The music was good, better than anything else on the airwaves at the time that had that degree of popularity coming from America. He toured relentlessly and the world seemed to be his oyster. Whether it was his choice of producers or covers, he had superb taste. It was always about the song, and all parts had to serve the song. That's why he slotted in so well with the Traveling Wilburys; George Harrison had the exact same approach to music, and they hit it off personally. Whether it was a solo album or a Heartbreaker album, the same personnel followed him along and he could do no wrong.

But there were problems, and Tom did a good job of keeping them hidden. His first wife went off the rails mentally, and it nearly destroyed his family. He developed a heroin addiction and stopped caring for a few years. By the turn of the century, despite still being a major figure in the business, he was having to make a comeback. He did. touring endlessly, producing new music, and examining his own life and career, both in the excellent documentary 'Running Down a Dream', directed by Peter Bogdanovich, and in a searing biography written with Warren Zanes. I highly recommend both.

As the decade unfurled, Petty and the Heartbreakers became an American icon, playing halftime at the Super Bowl, getting into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, and being recognized for their magnificent body of work. Live, the band played like the world's greatest bar band, and would cover seemingly anything in every style imaginable. The album 'Mojo' was a significant return to form, and 'Hypnotic eye' was even better.'The Live Anthology', especially in the five CD version, is a superb collection of material from nearly their entire career. He even revived Mudcrutch and produced two excellent collections.

In my opinion, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were the great American Band of their generation. Some people worship Bruce Springsteen, but Petty had a sense of fun and adventure completely missing in the Boss, and the Heartbreakers could kick the E Street Band's ass any day of the week. And no one had the commercial impact of Petty yet retained such a high quality of material. As more than one person has remarked, he had the ability to create a new song that sounded like you heard it before but was remarkably fresh.

It was a great shock when Tom Petty was found dead in October 2017. It marked the end of an era; there's no one else left who could connect different audiences together after him, producing classic sing-alongs at will. He was a major talent that snuck up on, you; in my own case, it wasn't until the 1990s that I really appreciated him, after seeing a short concert on television and realized that I really liked every single song that had been played. He died of the same basic causes as Prince, and he had just finished a tour against his doctor's wishes because he had an organization to keep solvent.

In summation, Tom Petty was a Great American Artist, on par with people like Johnny Cash, and a top notch song writer as well. He will be missed, and I hope that his band finds a place behind some other worthy artist. They are entirely too good to stop playing together, every note serving the song, every part perfect. Together, the Heartbreaker, with Tom out front, were the best commercial band from 1977 until 1994, and still kept pumping out worth stuff after. Tom is already missed.