Tom Petty
Highway Companion
American
Tom Petty has got himself a case of the blues. The traveling man, been all over and still can’t find what I’m looking for Blues. His first solo release in 12 years, and first on Rick Rubin’s American Recordings label, has got one foot rooted in his Americana past while the other is moving forward into a Jack White-style blues sound. That’s not to say he’s suddenly layering his songs with distortion, or allowing his famous voice to soar into higher octaves, but there is something inherently new about his sound that calls to mind a certain White Stripe.
The album’s theme centers around a character looking back on a life lived on the road and suddenly feeling trapped by his freedom. Disillusioned by a lifetime of moving from place to place the character is in search of a home that he’s not sure has been waiting for him. “And it’s hard to say/ Who you are these days/ But you run on anyway/ Don’t you Baby?/ You keep running for another place/ To find that saving grace,” he sings on opening song “Saving Grace.” Ironically this collection of songs about finding a home is a fantastic road album!
Petty has recently announced that his upcoming tour with longtime band, The Heartbreakers, may in fact be his last major tour. If so, he’s going out with a bang. This summer he has already done shows with Pearl Jam, and on his Fall tour he’s got some top billing bands as his openers: The Strokes, Frank Black, and The Allman Brothers.
Tom Petty: http://www.tompetty.com/
