Album Review: Tom Petty – Wildflowers & All The Rest (Warner)
Weighing in with 7 (count ‘em ) 140g vinyl records and a 60 page booklet this version of Tom Petty’s 1994 solo album, Wildflowers should keep any Petty fan busy or at least serve as a decent door stop.
Actually there are multiple versions of this magnificent reissue ranging from a more modest 3LP (2CD) set to a mammoth 9 LP monstrosity. I have been wading through the 7-LP version and have emerged from the TP rabbit hole to tell you to dive in!
Why do you need an expanded version of this 25 + year old album? That’s a question I asked myself. After all, there is an awful lot of really exciting new music being released right now by both “classic” artists (Dylan, Springsteen) and up-and-comers (check out Suzie Stapleton and Low Cut Connie). Petty himself passed away three years ago, before he could put this package together. Fortunately family and band members have taken up the slack and done an amazing job.
Get Your 13th Floor Discount!
We’ve got a special discount from Southbound Records for 13th Floor Tom Petty fans. If you buy the set from their online shop, https://bit.ly/3nhrFeU, enter the code 13thFloor10%off at checkout for 10% off!
Back in the early 90s, Tom Petty was going through some stuff…his house burned down, his marriage was on the rocks and his drummer was leaving the band. For the record, Stan Lynch is my favourite drummer, and his loss was major. Replacement Steve Ferrone is solid, but doesn’t quite swing like Stan.
Anyway, hard times seem to spawn great songs and TP was writing them furiously. Together with new collaborator/producer Rick Rubin (thankfully no longer working with Jeff Lynn) Petty and the various Heartbreakers and friends poured their hearts out in the studio. When it was time to present the tracks to new label Warner Brothers, they balked at the proposed double album with 25 tracks and ended up with a 15-track single CD.
Smart move at the time…it went on to sell like hotcakes.
But now it’s time to get the whole picture.
Understand, I’ve checked out many other “expanded editions” of classic albums that end up boring me with endless versions of the same two or three tracks and adding a few duds that reveal why they never made the first cut.. There is nothing like that here.
First, we get the original 15 tracks, then the additional 10. Then 15 tracks of home recording…demos made by Petty alone in his home studio…and finally “Wildflowers Live”, 14 sizzling live tracks that prove once and for all what a great live band The Heartbreakers were.
The number of repeating songs is minimal here, the versions are very different…different lyrics, arrangements and vocal approaches. Some of the package’s most powerful tracks are the solo Petty demos.
The booklet is excellent as well. Rubin, along with Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench add touching and insightful remanences.
Petty’s songwriting is as strong as it’s ever been here, nary a naff track and a new bevy of American girls with names like Virginia, Lucy and Angela.
There are way too many highlights to go over all of them here but do check out the live versions of Drivin’ Down To Georgia and You Wreck Me and the lovely alternate version of Hung Up And Overdue with Ringo Starr and Carl Wilson.
So do yourself a favour and spend some time with Wildflowers & All The Rest. Even the least bountiful version has plenty of new thrills to offer both the Petty newcomer and the hard-core collector.
Christmas is coming…plant some Wildflowers under a tree.
Marty Duda
