The Tom Petty Project

"There’s nothing wrong with a solid album track. It’s like the gravy at Christmas dinner. You wouldn’t want it as the main course, but the meat would probably be a little dry without it. The Damage You’ve Done is a fairly unremarkable track in the Heartbreakers catalogue and it doesn’t stand out much on this album, but it’s a fun little number and again, is one of the best-sounding songs on the re...

"After passing on what would become Boys of Summer during the Southern Accents sessions, Tom was clearly ready to try to use a less typical Heartbreakers groove brought to him by Mike Campbell. One of five co-writes on the album, this song shares a definite mood with Boys of Summer, with it’s minor key verse and major key chorus and the healthy dose of 80s synth. As with Boys of Summer, we can pro...

Season seven is here and season six is but a faded memory! Today's episode covers the lead track from Let me Up (I've Had Enough!), Jammin' Me. When Paul asks Tom, “When you write with Bob, is that something where you’re exchanging lines?”, his response is “Yeah, just like you’d think. I remember we would write a lot more verses than we needed. We did that in the Wilburys too. It’s a great honour...

Another surprise bonus episode for you today. John and Kevin take a look at 1985's Pack Up the Plantation: Live! which was recorded mostly at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on August 7, 1985 as a part of the Southern Accents tour. The usual "Producer for a Day" segment is geared more toward the boys compiling their favourite live songs up to 1985 that were included on official releases. You ca...

In this special episode Kevin is joined, once again, by co-host John Paulsen to wrap up the Heartbreakers' sixth studio album, Southern Accents. Lots to talk about on this album and the "Producer for a Day" segment throws up very different approaches to the remix by both chaps! If you want to check out Kevin's alternate track listing for the album you can find it here: https://youtube.com/playlist...

Hey folks! Another bonus episode for ya today. It's the latest in the "10 questions with..." series and this week it's not just another author, but another musician! What song is Michael gonna play with the Heartbreakers? Well, he threw me a little curveball! Don't worry though, I threw one right back when I asked him which song he'd pick to give to a casual or non-Petty fan! Hope you enjoy! Don't...

Today's episode is another guest interview and another author and fan. This time I'm chatting with the fiercely brilliant Michael Washburn, who tackled this season's album, Southern Accents, in his 2019 book in the 33 1/3rd series. The book talks about the songs on the album and the story behind how it came together, it talks about Tom's transition from Southern gentleman to Southern Californian,...

"Lyrically this one is basically a story song. Another brilliant Tom Petty opener; “She probably works in a restaurant. That's what her momma did.” So it’s that faraway dreamy recollection that we’re dropped into where the picture is just very slightly out of focus and we can’t quite make out what’s happening. No matter, whatever the deal is for this girl, the chorus shows that the narrator really...

"A pretty short episode this week, but really, there’s not a ton of meat to scrape off the bones of this song. For me, Mary may have a new car, but it simply never gets out of second gear. In fact, it barely makes it off the driveway. I think it’s one of the only times that Tom got anywhere near an act of hubris in including this song on the album at the expense of some of the songs that were left...

Due to not be able ro record because of covid brainfog, I'm putting out this "10 Questions with" bonus episode pulled from my talk last fall with the wonderful Dan Spiess, the producer of the 2022 Tom Petty Weekend in Gainesville. Hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Follow: https://linktr.ee/tompettyproject...

"Rebels, Southern Accents, Spike, and Dogs on the Run all feel connected by a sonic thread that sits slightly outside the dynamics of each of those four tracks. In its nostalgic wistfulness, it shares part of its soul with Southern Accents. In terms of tempo and feel, it shares its it’s skin and bones with Rebels, and in terms of its narrative form, it dovetails with the preceding Spike nicely and...

"It’s brilliant in that it’s a character song, but the character isn’t Spike. We never learn whether Spike is a good guy or a bad guy. We don’t know his age, any of his characteristics, where he’s from, or what he’s doing there. He just doesn’t belong he’s just there for caricature of unwelcoming yokels to contrast with. It’s a very clever way to write a lyric." Check out the song here: https://yo...

"What song would you perform on stage with the Heartbreakers"? Katie told me she's sing The Waiting and went on to deliver this incredible, succinct reason why. "It's so good. It's got this aphoristic chorus that is towing that wonderful Petty line; not joyful, not sorrowful, but that sort of tense, bright line that is the rest and most of our human experience." This is the second in my "10 Questi...

In this episode, I share the fantastic conversation that I had with writer, editor, music critic, and Tom Petty fan, Katie Moulton. In June of 2022, Katie released her memoir "Dead Dad Club: On Grief and Tom Petty" on Audible and forever changed the way most of us (or me at the very least) are going to want to listen to this type of story. Katie was incredibly easy to talk to and we quickly droppe...

Welcome to the first "Non Petty" bonus episode folks. I think these episodes might focus on slightly-less or smaller artists who either I listen to and other people may not or are close to me in one way or another. The timing of Jake's first full studio-released single was perfect as I was thinking about doing this for the past few weeks. With Tom’s music, I have an invaluable resource in Paul Zol...

"It has lots of elements that I like but it definitely does feel a little cobbled together at times. The minor key changes and the sometimes awkward chord progression just feels very slightly off. And where Don’t Come Around Here No More and You’re Gonna Get It took the Heartbreakers into new territory in which they planted their flagged and owned the space, I just never feel like their living in...

This episode is dedicated to Gwen and to her family, especially her daughter Patricia and her Granddaughter Leila, who she spoke of so fondly and with so much love and pride. It’s also dedicated to the community of decency and love that she built and that will go on in her memory as long as we stand by Gwen’s principles. My favourite author, Sir Terry Pratchett once wrote the following lines: “No...

"There’s so little instrumentation to dig into that I was initially thinking that it would be a fairly short episode. But I’ve ended up realizing that the power of this song is in how you connect with it. Yes it’s brilliant in its arrangement and beautifully played, but the emotion of the song is what carries it, along with one of the most perfect vocal performances Tom ever put onto vinyl." Check...

"Who would ever have thought that Dave Stewart’s underwear would be responsible for one of the highlights of one of the most iconic songs of the 80s? ... Yes it doesn’t really “fit” Southern Accents in the original concept that Tom had, but it soars as a piece of music, is elevated in video form, and perfected in one of the most brilliant live arrangements of all time." Check out the song here: ht...

"It’s another radical left turn for the band sonically and obviously is the first Heartbreakers song to be co-written with someone other than Mike Campbell. The introduction of Dave Stewart into the Heartbreakers tight little circle definitely rocked the boat and was a precursor to the restlessness that culminated in Tom working with Jeff Lynne, thereby capping the first phase of the Tom’s career"...

"I suspect that it’s the last verse that is appropriated by Confederate sympathizers and used out of context of the rest of the song. The last three lines of this verse though are sheer poetry of the very highest calibre. “I can still feel the eyes of those blue-bellied devil. Yeah when I’m walking ‘round at night through the concrete and metal” And all over the world, there are parochial attitude...

In this special episode, Kevin is joined, once again, by co-host John Paulsen. Today's album wrap up episode covers the fifth studio album, Long After Dark. Lots to talk about on this album and a song that both guys picked out as a favourite, with some interesting differences in their alternate track listings. The EPs will be posted this week (Kev is sick and hasn't had a chance to finish all the...

This bonus episode is my first "Ten Questions With" feature. I ask my guests ten questions ranging from who their favourite Heartbreaker is other than Tom, to which song would they love to perform onstage with the band. It's always surprising and Corey was fantastic with his answers! Look out for more bonus episodes featuring past guests trickling out over the next few weeks. Go find Corey on Twit...

Today's episode is a fan chat I had with one of the best indie podcasters, and all round genuinely nice fella, Corey Morrissette. Yes, that's spelled correctly, Alanis doesn't spell her name properly! Corey is the host of the superb podcasts And The Podcast Will Rock (dedicated to breaking down the catalogue of Van Halen with his brilliant co-host Mark Camire), Back Tracks: Aerosmith Revisited (wi...

"Completing the -Iovine Trilogy-, Long After Dark closes in a similar way to Hard Promises before it and Damn The Torpedoes before that. All three songs drop the tempo on each successive album but all three are more “mood”-oriented rather than really hanging on any of the band member’s virtuosity. I actually think this one might be the pick of the three closers. I would say that Louisiana Rain is...