We are writing about death far too often. The senseless carnage in Vegas yesterday, now the news of the passing of rock and roll great Tom Petty.
There’s no need to list all of his wonderful songs. From the moment I first heard the jangling chords emerging from his Rickenbacker, he had me. His early stuff reminded me of the Byrds, but as time went on, he crafted a sound that was unique yet familiar at the same time. Phrases like, “Even the losers, get lucky sometimes” will resonate forever.
One of my favorites is an obscure little song from Southern Accents called Dogs on the Run. Simple classic guitar hook, great Petty vocal, and trenchant lyrics.
Teamin
g with Dylan, Harrison, Orbison and Lynne to form the Traveling Wilburys? How great was that?
Let’s not forget how Petty cared for his audience. He withheld the release of an album from MCA when they wanted to jack the price up to $9.98, a battle he won, saving us a buck when that meant something. He declared bankruptcy to fight the label’s corrupt accounting practices, that screwed many an artist back in the day.
A career spanning over forty years. Dozens of memorable tunes. A satellite channel on Sirius/XM. A recently concluded tour, which he said would be his last. Sadly prophetic.
Gone at 66. October 2, 2017 was a terrible day.
