The late Tom Petty was a brilliant singles artist – he wrote hit after hit of likeable, jangly rock. Contemporaries like Bob Seger and John Mellencamp were popular in America, but didn’t translate to New Zealand radio as easily; Petty’s lovable loser was easy to relate to, and songs like ‘The Waiting’, ‘Even The Losers’, and ‘Free Fallin” still sound great.
While I’m still digesting Petty’s catalogue, my impression is that his albums aren’t as consistently brilliant as his singles. One Petty album that I do enjoy all the way through, however, is 1994’s Wildflowers. It was his second solo album, although his band-mates in The Heartbreakers contribute. It was fuelled by Petty’s recent divorce, and it’s obvious to compare its stripped down, mournful sound with Bob Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BeS_BH-w0E
There are moments of levity on Wildflowers, like the rock and roll of ‘Honey Bee’, but it makes sense that ‘Girl On LSD’ was relegated to a b-side. The song is effectively a silly rhyming game – Petty going through a list of vices and finding silly couplets.
I was in love with a girl who drank coffee There were times when I couldn’t keep her off me
‘Girl on LSD’ wouldn’t have worked on the album, but it’s a great b-side – it’s a shame it’s never been released anywhere except for the original single, and fans have been clamouring for a deluxe version of Wildflowers. It makes for a logical thematic juxtaposition with its a-side ‘You Don’t Know How It Feels’ with its reference to rolling a joint. That line in ‘You Don’t Know How It Feels’ has always fascinated me; I understood that 1993’s ‘Last Dance With Mary Jane’ was about Petty quitting marijuana.
Thanks to hanspostcard for pointing out this song.
I was in love with a girl on marijuana She said, “If I’m not stoned I don’t wanna” But she got so paranoid Her place I would avoid I was in love with a girl on marijuana
I was in love with a girl on cocaine She had everything going but her brain We?d talk endlessly for hours But by morning it’d go sour I was in love with a girl on cocaine
[Chorus] Through ecstasy, crystal meth and glue I found no drug compares to you With all these pills And all this weed I don’t know just what I need
I was in love with a girl on LSD She’d see things I’d never see She broadened her perspective Then I got more selective I was in love with a girl on LSD
[Chorus]
I was in love with a girl who drank beer Till bad breath and all she disappeared She was blowing up real bad But when she left I was still sad I was in love with a girl who drank beer
I was in love with a girl on China white We were married for a year one night Her memory still lingers ?cause I burned all my fingers I was in love with a girl on China white
I was in love with a girl who drank coffee There were times when I couldn’t keep her off me That caffeine got her goin’ But her ugly side was showin’ I was in love with a girl who drank coffee
I was in love with a girl who was a dealer I was afraid somebody?d come steal her We never used to fight But the phone rang day and night I was in love with a girl who was a dealer
Graham Fyfe is probably the only music blogger to appreciate Neil Diamond and Ariana Grande. Aphoristic Album Reviews features reviews and blog posts across a growing spectrum of popular music.
15 Comments
This one I remember. It always reminded me of “Yer So Bad”…just the feel of it. I agree he was more of a singles artist. Full Moon Fever…while many good songs…they sound like a collection of singles than a cohesive album.
Yeah, Full Moon Fever is a pretty disappointing album given the greatness of the singles.
Jeff Lynne’s production came through a little too much for me… I like Jeff a lot… sometimes I want rough edges though
It’s a weird mix of slick and informal. I don’t mind it – works on stuff like ‘I Won’t Back Down’ and ‘Free Fallin”, but there aren’t quite enough good songs.
I always loved that song! I think back when it came out I actually heard it one the radio once! Wildflowers is my favorite TP album.
I’m still going through Petty’s stuff. Damn The Torpedoes has a lot of strong songs.
Damn The Torpedoes was excellent.. I liked Full Moon Fever also. Wildflowers..
Nice point about the excellent singles – his greatest hits might be among my favourite compilations. I wondered why he only had 1 album on the 1001, but I suppose that would help explain it
I think two would have been a good representation – one of the first five, then Wildflowers or Full Moon Fever.
Very amusing song, I do like the Dylan-esque feel to it.
It’s like they’d been hanging out in the same band….
You’d think it. 😉
Never heard the tune before. Catchy Petty . I really like the ‘Wildflower’ album. I lived in his first half dozen albums. Real good stuff for me. Mojo and Echo are the more recent ones I listen to a lot.
Cool, I will cover him sometime, maybe this year. Was planning to stop in mid 1990s, but sounds like I should go a bit further?
Lots of good stuff to cover. ‘You’re Gonna Get It’ was my intro. He had just released it. Something about the ‘Echo’ recordings I just dig. I listen to ‘Let Me up ..’ a couple days ago. Good album.
Graham Fyfe is probably the only music blogger to appreciate Neil Diamond and Ariana Grande. Aphoristic Album Reviews features reviews and blog posts across a growing spectrum of popular music.
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This one I remember. It always reminded me of “Yer So Bad”…just the feel of it. I agree he was more of a singles artist. Full Moon Fever…while many good songs…they sound like a collection of singles than a cohesive album.
Yeah, Full Moon Fever is a pretty disappointing album given the greatness of the singles.
Jeff Lynne’s production came through a little too much for me… I like Jeff a lot… sometimes I want rough edges though
It’s a weird mix of slick and informal. I don’t mind it – works on stuff like ‘I Won’t Back Down’ and ‘Free Fallin”, but there aren’t quite enough good songs.
I always loved that song! I think back when it came out I actually heard it one the radio once! Wildflowers is my favorite TP album.
I’m still going through Petty’s stuff. Damn The Torpedoes has a lot of strong songs.
Damn The Torpedoes was excellent.. I liked Full Moon Fever also. Wildflowers..
Nice point about the excellent singles – his greatest hits might be among my favourite compilations. I wondered why he only had 1 album on the 1001, but I suppose that would help explain it
I think two would have been a good representation – one of the first five, then Wildflowers or Full Moon Fever.
Very amusing song, I do like the Dylan-esque feel to it.
It’s like they’d been hanging out in the same band….
You’d think it. 😉
Never heard the tune before. Catchy Petty . I really like the ‘Wildflower’ album. I lived in his first half dozen albums. Real good stuff for me. Mojo and Echo are the more recent ones I listen to a lot.
Cool, I will cover him sometime, maybe this year. Was planning to stop in mid 1990s, but sounds like I should go a bit further?
Lots of good stuff to cover. ‘You’re Gonna Get It’ was my intro. He had just released it. Something about the ‘Echo’ recordings I just dig. I listen to ‘Let Me up ..’ a couple days ago. Good album.