Customer Reviews

Conversations With Tom Petty

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been a fan of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers since I first saw their video for "You Got Lucky" on MTV way back in the early '80s. I feel as if I grew up with the band, and it's great to find them today still going strong. This book merely reinforced my opinion of the Heartbreakers and its music, and more importantly, in the way they have conducted themselves over their long career.

What I enjoyed most about this book is that I was able to learn two different things: more about Petty personally, and more importantly, detail after detail regarding each major period in his musical career, along with the songs and albums that highlighted those periods. Each musical period is broken down, whether it is the Damn The Torpedoes period, or Full Moon Fever or Echo, and Petty specifically talks about what was going on during those times in the band, in the business and in his life. It was also nice to learn so many details on the usually quiet Heartbreakers and the politics within the band. Highly enjoyable were the sections on The Traveling Wilburys, which will make you want to join such a band after reading about it, and then the tragic look at the last years of Howie Epstein, bassist for the Heartbreakers who died in 2003. It was also interesting to get Petty's take on former Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch, who left in 1994, and who was a lightning rod in the band for many years, and hear how pleased he was (despite the circumstances) to have original bassist Ron Blair return to the band after Epstein's death.

The last part of the book runs through each album and allows Petty to discuss some songs in detail, which is highly fascinating. Above and beyond these touches, there are excellent photographs, many in color, and most of which I had never seen previously.

Conversations with Tom Petty is a highly enjoyable read because Petty seems to have been pretty weary of the media in the past, and as a result, has avoided long interactions with the press. Here it is clear that Petty is comfortable with author Paul Zollo, and that comes through while you are reading the book. The book is written in conversational style (it reads like a long interview), and as a result, you will find yourself unable to put the book down as it is easy to read and highly addictive.

This is a band that has never embarrassed themselves in the press or in public, and it's great to see their legacy celebrated with this publication. I appreciated the layout of the book as it gets right to the point: it's about the music and the business of being in a band, through all the high points and low points. Petty is neither egotistical nor boring, and it's refreshing to get his perspective on things.

Highly recommended for fans of the Heartbreakers or music in general.

I have always been a big fan of Tom Petty's music. This book follows the course of Petty's carrer and his evolution as a songwriter and musician using Petty's own words. The author (who acts more as an interviewer) has a knack for asking the questions that I wanted answered as well. I came away with the impression that Petty is a very sincere artist who, above all else, cares about the music. A fun and fascinating trip through a great career. Highly recommended.

I am a dabbler in popular music. I like what I like but I by no means consider myself an expert. My knowledge of artists is also rather limited because I don't want my opinion of someone's personal life to play a role in what I think of their art. To wit, I tend to stay away from biographies of popular artists. On the other hand, I make an exception for autobiographies. I'm often interested in what an artist has to say about himself.

Of course, technically this is not an autobiography. But it is only Paul Zollo's book in the sense that he asked the questions. This entire book is a compilation of the author's interviews of Tom Petty and contains nothing but those interviews--no analysis, judgement, etc. Therefore, as a long time Heartbreakers fan, I decided to give this book a try. I'm glad I did because it is a fun and interesting read.

Admittedly, I enjoyed the first part of the book more than the second. I knew very little about Petty's life and hearing about his growing up and his first bands, his trip out to record his first record, was great. It was also fun to hear his opinions on his own fame and the people he met because of it. I always liked the persona he created in his music and I began to get a sense of where that came from.

The second part of the book had its pleasures too but, as a very amateur musician only, there was only so much I could get from the detailed discussions of the music, songs and albums. A true musician would probably have found this much more interesting. Still, it was interesting to get some of his feelings about his own work.

In the end, I'm glad I read this. I really felt I got an insight into Petty, his life and work (not always the case with musician's books). I'd highly recommend it to anyone with a real interest in popular music and for the Tom Petty fan, it is a must-read, of course.

Paul Zollo writes this book as a series of interviews with Tom Petty and the reader quickly realizes that Zollo has done his homework. He knows music and he really, really knows the Petty catalog. Even better, he is a good interviewer, who skillfully draws the soft-spoken Petty out as he shares about his triumphs and tragedies experienced in his 30-plus year career in music.

Emerging out of the Southern rock central Florida scene to become one of the quintessential L.A. bands, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are rock and roll icons, architects of a sound that perfectly blends the Byrds, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Beach Boys, the Allman Brothers, and a dash of Elvis and ELO. Their body of work is among the most impressive and successful of any American rock band, and Petty has been their merry ringleader since day one.

What comes through in the book is not only a very thorough examination of virtually every Petty song and album, but great insights into the creative process and colorful anecdotes of Petty's experiences with a virtual who's who of rock and pop music. I particularly enjoyed his insights into his Traveling Wilbury pals Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, George Harrison, and Roy Orbison. Not to mention his warm thoughts about Johnny Cash.

Reading this book caused me to back through every Petty CD that I own and appreciate all over again the depth and breadth of his work. This man is a songwriter on a par with Dylan, Springsteen, or Neil Young; and that's just lyrically. Melodically, he's got 'em all beat. Of course, having a phenomenal band like The Heartbreakers to work with, plus great producers such as Jeff Lynne and Rick Rubin, has only further enhanced Petty's artistic output.

Petty is amazingly humble and quick to credit others. At the end of the day, this is a guy you'd want to hang out with and learn from. Hats off to Zollo for so perfectly capturing Tom Petty and some wonderful snapshots of many great music heroes.

As a big fan of Petty's music and persona, I found this a fascinating read. The conversational format preserves Petty's voice and mannerisms, creating a lively, first-person presentation. The first half of the book chronicles Petty's musical life history, from his youth in Gainesville garage bands through his subsequent career at the top of the music scene. His experiences: the musical influences, friendships, values, relationships with fellow members of the Heartbreakers, and his critiques of an increasingly corporate music industry, add up to both a cultural history of American rock and a personal biography that will resonate with every apsiring musican. In the second half, which focuses on Petty's prolific body of work as a songwriter, Zollo guides Petty through a detailed, song by song analysis (idea, chorus, bridge, melody, chords, etc) of the craft and inspiration behind the music. A generous selection of pictures is included, although the quality is uneven. Author Zolla's expertise on Petty's music does come across as almost obsessively pedantic, and he presses some points and questions too far. Happily, Petty manages to deliver thoughtful, articulate responses mixed with self-deprecating wit and an awareness that magic and serendipity are part of the creative process. Tom Petty has taken us on quite a ride over the years, and this book is almost as fun as talking to him yourself.

Top-notch writer, Paul Zollo guides you on Tom Petty's journey as a young rocker from Gainesville followed his dream. Packed with nearly 30 years of Heartbreakers' history, the conversations explore Tom's life and the music of one of America's most dedicated and legendary bands. Most interesting is his meeting & friendship with George Harrison. I finally "get" the twang at the start of "Billy The Kid".
When he speaks of sharing/trading vinyl records in his youth, I flashed back to my own teenage years. Comparing my time line with the progress of TP&HB's music, I marvel at the amount of songs that have changed meaning through the events in my life. I feel assured of their longevity and look forward to each new album with more patience, as I am, today, fulfilled.
Paul Zollo's book allows you to become absorbed into the conversations. I treasure my copy of this book as much as I do the collection of albums and cds. A must have for every rock & roll fan!

I've been a fan of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers since 1976 so I thought I knew all there was to know about Tom and the band...how wrong I was! This book was enlightening in regards to TP's childhood, how his love for music unfolded at an early age, and how his life experience naturally seeps into his songs. The book is broken up into two parts. The first part is all about Tom's life and he talks about everything from his parents to getting a record deal to recording with the Wilburys to the tragic death of bassist Howie Epstein. The second part is devoted to TP's songs with comments from him about almost everything he's ever written. For me, the first section of the book was my favorite, though I did learn a few things about Tom's songs in Part II.

This is a terrific book for anyone who loves rock 'n' roll, and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in particular.

This book was absoultely impossible to put down. Whether you are a Tom Petty fan or just a lover of rock and roll, this book is spellbinding in that it takes you inside the mind of how a great artist works. Paul Zollo's question and answer style makes this book read as if you are sitting in a room with Tom, just shooting the breeze. All the obvious questions are asked - but what really works is that Zollo asks all the questions you didn't think about - you know, the kinds you'd wish you asked, that really help you get a feel for how this great man and his fellow musicians have developed and worked at such a high level for these past 30 years.
You also get what you bring to this book - my teenaged son was struck by how such creative genius is born out of such normalcy... that the greatest rock and roll band ever is made of the perfect combination of simple guys with an incredible focus, talent, and the love of their music. Simply inspirational.
A great read for any Petty fan (of course!)- but also anyone who has enjoyed books on the experiences of Lennon, Dylan, Young etc... this is in the same vein.
Oh! and the stuff about the Wilburys!!! I could go on all day!

Paul - we want more!!!!

For fans of Tom Petty and his music, this is the ultimate read. For me personally, Tom Petty is no less than a God in the world of rock and roll music. For those of us who enjoy Petty's music, and desire to know more about this exceptionally talented, but publicity shy man, this book has it all. Zollo asks all the right questions and the "conversational" style seems to work well. It gives Petty fans a glimpse into the mind of this humble, sensitive, and highly intelligent man, who has more integrity, and honesty than one is used to seeing in the celebrity world these days. A satisfying and entertaining read that any Petty fan should not pass up.

This book is not a biography, nor is it intended to be. Essentially, it's just a really long interview. Ths first half of the book looks at Petty's life and career, while the second half focuses on his songs.

This book is pretty long, page-wise. But I was so interested in it that, even trying to take my time with it, I plowed through it in a couple of days. The interview style of the book makes it very eay to read-- it's just two guys talking about music.

Honestly, the book does drag in a couple of parts. Petty's take on his songs is sometimes not very deep. It would have been nice to know why or how he came up with some of his phrases ("nauseous adrenaline, like breakin' up a dog fight, like a deer in headlights, frozen in real time"?). Then again, sometimes even the creators don't know where they came up with their stuff. Also, it's sometimes better to let each person come up with their own meaning. So I'll still rate the book five stars, even with its shortcomings. A must read for anyone who is interested Tom Petty beyond just his music.