Live Anthology
Probably more rock than country rock, But most people that like country rock also seem to like Tom Petty, I just got this boxed set, So here goes
Four discs-66,55,53,53 minutes each approximately. The discs are in individual cardboard holders,which are slipped into an open side of the cardboard box. The booklet lists venues,dates,and who played on the individual tracks. There is an introduction written by Petty about the making of this box set. The sound (newly mixed),from various venues across 30 years,is uniformly good. The retro style packaging is perfectly in keeping with Petty's approach to music-when a well made and assembled vinyl album made a true r&r statement for an entire (including Petty) generation of listeners.
In this day and age of over-priced "deluxe" releases/re-releases,even of admittedly great r&r,this collection stands apart. Not only are all the tracks heard here chosen by Petty,guitarist Mike Campbell,and their producer,the tracks cover 30 years of TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS in concert. Great music,nice packaging,and a low price make this worth owning. Petty and his band are one of the few groups still playing music that matters. Listen to any track on this collection,and you'll have all the proof you need,no matter if the song is well known,or a live rarity. Their musical sound and approach have changed little over 30 years. Their combination of influences of Dylan/BYRDS,and rootsy garage rock,combined with a bit of the British Invasion sound,have served as the foundation for their sound from the beginning. And that's what gives their music backbone. On these tracks the band effortlessly switches across musical styles,from originals to covers,all with that sound they've played from the beginning.
All the tracks on this set are on an equal footing,from ballads to all out rockers. Long time listeners of the band will need little proof of the great music here. If for some reason you aren't to familiar with the band,and want a lot of their greatest songs ("Breakdown","Refugee","American Girl",etc.),along with some great covers (THUNDERCLAP NEWMAN's "Something In The Air",BOOKER T. AND THE M.G.'S "Green Onions",just two examples),with the added electricity of a live performance-this is it. With hundreds of hours of live material to choose from,distilled down to four discs,a lot of musical ground is covered. Arguably some listeners will wish a certain song was included (personally I would like to hear more Dylan/BYRDS covers),but overall,this is an outstanding overview from one of the few long time bands that still matters.
For anyone who wants to hear music that is important,but more importantly,exciting and visceral,and that guarantees a good time,this is the set to get. Still,listening to this great music makes you wonder-what more great music is still left on the reels? But this collection goes a long way in satisfying that craving (like mine) for a generous overview of TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS doing what they do best-performing great r&r in front of an audience. With that inimitable sound the band has built on all these years,you get the feeling that this band believes in the power and redemption of basic r&r. This set is even better than the 2 CD set released by Immortal,taken from a concert in 2003,in Chicago.
Do your head a favor and purchase this wonderful collection soon. And then sit back and listen to some music from one of the few long time bands that can still rock and roll.
In this day and age of over-priced "deluxe" releases/re-releases,even of admittedly great r&r,this collection stands apart. Not only are all the tracks heard here chosen by Petty,guitarist Mike Campbell,and their producer,the tracks cover 30 years of TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS in concert. Great music,nice packaging,and a low price make this worth owning. Petty and his band are one of the few groups still playing music that matters. Listen to any track on this collection,and you'll have all the proof you need,no matter if the song is well known,or a live rarity. Their musical sound and approach have changed little over 30 years. Their combination of influences of Dylan/BYRDS,and rootsy garage rock,combined with a bit of the British Invasion sound,have served as the foundation for their sound from the beginning. And that's what gives their music backbone. On these tracks the band effortlessly switches across musical styles,from originals to covers,all with that sound they've played from the beginning.
All the tracks on this set are on an equal footing,from ballads to all out rockers. Long time listeners of the band will need little proof of the great music here. If for some reason you aren't to familiar with the band,and want a lot of their greatest songs ("Breakdown","Refugee","American Girl",etc.),along with some great covers (THUNDERCLAP NEWMAN's "Something In The Air",BOOKER T. AND THE M.G.'S "Green Onions",just two examples),with the added electricity of a live performance-this is it. With hundreds of hours of live material to choose from,distilled down to four discs,a lot of musical ground is covered. Arguably some listeners will wish a certain song was included (personally I would like to hear more Dylan/BYRDS covers),but overall,this is an outstanding overview from one of the few long time bands that still matters.
For anyone who wants to hear music that is important,but more importantly,exciting and visceral,and that guarantees a good time,this is the set to get. Still,listening to this great music makes you wonder-what more great music is still left on the reels? But this collection goes a long way in satisfying that craving (like mine) for a generous overview of TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS doing what they do best-performing great r&r in front of an audience. With that inimitable sound the band has built on all these years,you get the feeling that this band believes in the power and redemption of basic r&r. This set is even better than the 2 CD set released by Immortal,taken from a concert in 2003,in Chicago.
Do your head a favor and purchase this wonderful collection soon. And then sit back and listen to some music from one of the few long time bands that can still rock and roll.
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