ALBUM OF THE WEEK #120 - TOM PETTY - WILDFLOWERS (DISCOVERING TOM PETTY - PART 12)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Artist: Tom Petty

Genre: Rock

Country Of Origin: United States

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: Yes

Album: Wildflowers

Released:  November 1, 1994

Producer: Rick Rubin/Tom Petty/Mike Campbell

Singles: You Don't Know How It Feels/You Wreck Me/It's Good To Be King/A Higher Place

Song Of Week: Hard On Me

RIAA Certification: 3 X Platinum

Album Cover: 6/10

 

Wildflowers is the second solo album by Tom Petty.  I'm not really sure why it's a solo album, as every Heartbreaker except for drummer Stan Lynch played on the album.  The drums were performed by Steve Ferrone who would join the band to replace Lynch.  The album reached number 8 on the Billboard chart and has sold in excess of 3 million copies. There was one reasonable hit from the album.  You Don't Know How It Feels scored a respectable 13th spot on the American chart.  And by the way, it's his first release for Warner Bros. Records.

 

So I've listened to it and here is what I think.  It's average.  There's nothing bad here, but nothing that I would consider remarkable either.  It's nowhere near his first solo outing (Full Moon Fever) in my opinion.  And basically, it's a bit too long.  Again, that's personal opinion.  But it's not all lost, as I found 4 more songs to add to the Ultimate Tom Petty Playlist that I've been compiling.  

 

Next week:  Something "Especially For Scott".  This post will definitely blow his mind to smithereens.

 

Ultimate Tom Petty Playlist (This Album):  You Don't Know How It Feels/Time To Move On/Don't Fade On Me/Hard On Me

 

1. Wildflowers

2. You Don't Know How It Feels

3. Time To Move On

4. You Wreck Me

5. It's Good To Be King

6. Only A Broken Heart

7. Honey Bee

8. Don't Fade On Me

9. Hard On Me

10. Cabin Down Below

11. To Find A Friend

12. A Higher Place

13. House In The Woods

14. Crawling Back To You

15. Wake Up Time

 

Ultimate TP Playlist (Running List): Breakdown/The Wild One, Forever/Strangered In The Night/Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)/American Girl/Magnolia/I Need To Know/Refugee/Here Comes My Girl/Even The Losers/Shadow Of A Doubt (A Complex Kid)/Don't Do Me Like That/You Tell Me/What Are You Doin' In My Life?/Louisiana Rain/The Waiting/A Woman In Love (It's Not Me)/Nightwatchman/Something Big/You Got Lucky/Deliver Me/Finding Out/We Stand A Chance/Straight Into Darkness/The Same Old You/A Wasted Life/Rebels/It Ain't Nothin' To Me/Don't Come Around Here No More/So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star/Insider/Southern Accents/Don't Bring Me Down/Jammin' Me/Runaway Trains/The Damage You've Done/Handle With Care/End Of The Line/Free Fallin'/I Won't Back Down/Love Is A Long Road/A Face In The Crowd/Runnin' Down A Dream/I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better/Yer So Bad/Depending On You/A Mind With A Heart Of It's Own/Learning To Fly/Into The Great Wide Open/All Or Nothin'/Out In The Cold/You Don't Know How It Feels/Time To Move On/Don't Fade On Me/Hard On Me

 

[Jon]

You don't like You Wreck Me?

[RJhog (Admin)]

It's not bad.  I can take it or leave it.  I grade on a 3 check mark system, 1 is a don't really like but not awful, 2 is about average or slightly better, I can take it or leave it, and 3 means it makes the ultimate playlist 'cause I like it.  You Wreck Me was a 2 check mark song.

It really sounds like a leftover from Full Moon Fever to me.

[Jon]

I guess I don't know you as well as I thought I did. 

I think I just made that sentence and this sentence all about me!

[Scott]

So next week is more of the Smithereens?

[Jon]

This is a very good album, I forgot how good it is. I like how it ebbs and flows, mellow, rocker, melloe, mellow, rocker, etc. "Wake Up Time" is a very good track and nice as the last track. I also forgot how long this is, but I have never found it dull.

I'd say nice pick, but you really had no choice, did you?

[Scott]

Ive only heard the radio tunes, so this is all new to me...

Right away I really like the feel of the title track, there's a bluegrass feeling that I can;t get away from listening to it.  Its a not a typical opening track either, so it was a nice surprise.  Sans the 3 radio tunes that I'm aware of (which I also like) here's some additional highlights I liked from this listen...

Time to Move On, To Find a Friend have that sitting on the porch in the Kentucky hill country vibe to it, there's a real bluegrass influence in a lot of whats going on here.

A lot of the more upbeat tunes have a CCR feel, is it just me or does Cabin Down Below sound like a CCR tune?

Favorites tracks for me were..  Wildflower, To Find a Friend, and A Higher Place,

I think my original assumption about these later albums sounding like a Wilbury's album hasn't been as true as I thought, pretty much only one album so far...  And while I don't think this album ends up on my wish list, it was an enjoyable listen.