Tom Petty: Highway Companion
CML call number: CD/ROCK/Petty
Jon Pareles wrote in the New York Times: "Always one of rock's pithiest lyricists, Mr. Petty sketches characters who may or may not be himself, and he has pared many of his verses down to cryptic images. … That approach to songwriting brings him closer than ever to Bob Dylan and especially Neil Young, and the music doesn't evade the resemblances. The songs are lean and deliberate, played by Mr. Petty (on drums as well as guitar) with Mike Campbell (the lead guitarist in Mr. Petty's band, the Heartbreakers) and Jeff Lynne. The arrangements are still rooted in the folk-rock and British invasion pop that have sustained Mr. Petty's music for 30 years. In the songs on 'Highway Companion,' most of the characters are in motion, with no exact destination. Some are headed toward homes they may never reach. 'It's hard to say who you are these days/ But you ron on anyway,' Mr. Petty observes in 'Saving Grace,' which has verses that ride on a John Lee Hooker-style boogie riff. 'Saving Grace' is the most upbeat track on a largely introspective album. … Mr. Petty's reticence opens the songs to a sense of mystery" ("Critics' Choice," 7/24/06).
Jon Pareles wrote in the New York Times: "Always one of rock's pithiest lyricists, Mr. Petty sketches characters who may or may not be himself, and he has pared many of his verses down to cryptic images. … That approach to songwriting brings him closer than ever to Bob Dylan and especially Neil Young, and the music doesn't evade the resemblances. The songs are lean and deliberate, played by Mr. Petty (on drums as well as guitar) with Mike Campbell (the lead guitarist in Mr. Petty's band, the Heartbreakers) and Jeff Lynne. The arrangements are still rooted in the folk-rock and British invasion pop that have sustained Mr. Petty's music for 30 years. In the songs on 'Highway Companion,' most of the characters are in motion, with no exact destination. Some are headed toward homes they may never reach. 'It's hard to say who you are these days/ But you ron on anyway,' Mr. Petty observes in 'Saving Grace,' which has verses that ride on a John Lee Hooker-style boogie riff. 'Saving Grace' is the most upbeat track on a largely introspective album. … Mr. Petty's reticence opens the songs to a sense of mystery" ("Critics' Choice," 7/24/06).
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