RIP Tom Petty

I saw him once.
Philly Spectrum with the Georgia Satellites.
Probably '88 or '89.

The evening included acid and some Rolling Rocks at the bar at La Terrasse.

 

Saw him twice, once at the United Center with Jackson Browne opening and once at Tinley Park with the Black Crowes opening. The Tinley Park show as the most uncomfortably crowded I've ever been at a venue. Beautiful summer night and it was like all of Chicago descended on the place. I thought about seeing him at Wrigley Field this summer, but my concert schedule was already pretty full for two parents with young children, so I passed. It was on a Thursday night, too, which didn't help.

For some reason, I remember that this year on Fourth of July while we sat in the yard and watched fireworks around the surrounding neighborhoods, per our tradition, I let the Petty playlist play and it was just note perfect. I think that will be a Fourth of July tradition from now on.

 

That's the first time I've ever heard that song. And I can't fathom that. Great tune. How did it not get airplay?

 

Just looking at all of these deep cut mentions and loving every one of them because I know exactly how you feel about them.

Someone posted the cover of "The Stories We Could Tell" earlier and I put that on my FB page as my favorite cover he ever did.

Now as far as deep cuts, man, there's so many. I could post about 12 from "A One Story Town" to "Something Big" to "One More Night" to "Golden Rose"

But I think this one sums up how we're all feeling on this thread.

 

I cleaned more seeds and stems on the crease of his album cover than I can count.

A seminal part of at least three sections of my personal musical life.

I'm supremely sad tonight.

 

Hard Promises is a great album, "The Waiting" and "A Woman In Love" were the singles off it but "King's Road" and "A Thing About You" are great rockers. I looked up the setlist from the first time I saw him, on this tour at Maple Leaf Gardens on July 22, 1981 and he played both of those. Only thing I really remember abut the show was a delay when his amps and monitors kept fucking up.

 

A Woman in Love is in my top 5 of all time Petty songs.

King's Road is fantastic and so is A Thing About You.

Go back and listen to Damn The Torpedoes' song Casa Dega. Pure Petty at his finest. I forgot to mention that one in my above post.

Man, I know he's technically still with us, but I know he's not going to last long. This one will stay with me forever.

 

Pretty sure that was me, Angel Dream was the first dance at my reception.

Some days are diamonds, this one is definitely rocks.

 

Since Dick Whitman did his Petty Playlist, I'll post what I have on mine. Have been lacking in adding everything I need to add onto my phone but here's the list.


Wildflowers
You Don't Know How it Feels
Time to Move on
You Wreck Me
It's Good to Be King
Only a Broken Heart
Honey Bee
Don't Fade on Me
Hard on Me
Cabin Down Below
To Find a Friend
A Higher Place
House in the Woods
Crawling Back to You
Wake Up Time
A Woman In Love (It's Not Me)
Straight Into Darkness
Change of Heart
Rebels
The Best of Everything
Jammin' Me
Love is a Long Road
Yer So Bad
Waiting for Tonight
Casa Dega
American Girl
Breakdown
Listen To Her Heart
I Need to Know
Refugee
Don't Do Me Like That
Even the Losers
Here Comes My Girl
The Waiting
You Got Lucky
Dont' Come Around Here no More
I won't Back Down
Runnin' Down a Dream
Free Fallin'
Learning to Fly
Into the Great Wide Open
Mary Jane's Last Dance
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
Jefferson Jericho Blues
First Flash of Freedom
Running Man's Bible
The Trip to Pirate's Cove
Candy
No Reason to Cry
I Should have Known it
U.S. 41
Takin' My Time
Let Yourself Go
Don't Pull Me Over
Lover's Touch
High in the Morning
Something Good Coming
Good Enough
Little Girl Blues

 

Fantastic.

 

My wife said something odd as we were leaving the Fair Grounds after seeing his show at Jazzfest. "He didn't look very good, like he was fatigued. I know it's a rough life, but I'm wondering about his health." Mind you, this was at the end of April. As you might expect, I'm a little spooked. I don't know if it was her 20-plus years as a critical-care nurse that allowed her to spot something like that from a fair distance or what. But, it's pretty damned prescient.

My Petty Top 5:
1. Runnin' Down a Dream
2. Jammin' Me
3. Even the Losers
4. Don't Come Around Here No More
5. You Wreck Me

Quint Davis, the guru of Jazzfest who usually introduces the big acts, nailed it after they did American Girl for their encore that evening in New Orleans: "One of the giants of American music."

This one hurts.

 

God, I love this song. Surprised this or Last DJ didn't make Tommy's or Dick's list.