Customer Reviews

Highway Companion

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(28)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Tom Petty fans rejoice because he's back with his third solo studio album `Highway Companion.' The album consists of 12 tracks that are perfect for a road trip and live up to the classic guitar rock sound that fans of Petty have loved for years.

`Highway Companion' finds Petty once again teaming with musicians Jeff Lynne (who produced the album and was a member of the Traveling Wilburys band with Petty) and Mike Campbell (longtime guitarist for Petty and the Heartbreakers).

The album features a stripped down studio rock sound closer to the sound that Petty did on 1989's `Full Moon Fever' than the singer's follow-up solo album `Wildflowers' in 1994. All of the songs were once again written by Petty, and the singer/songwriter also played rhythm guitar, drums, harmonica, electric piano, bass, and lead guitar and provided lead and backing vocals on the album's various tracks.

`Highway Companion' (which Petty describes as being about the passing of time) is filled with the type of rock songs that one would expect from Petty, and never strays too far from the formula of song writing that made him a rock icon. It kicks off with the "blues heavy" track "Saving Grace" - with lyrics that set the tone for the whole album.

The song is simply the perfect way to start a rock album, and you will be in love with `Highway Companion' before Petty finishes the track. This is a heavy blues song filled with guitar riffs similar to "Running Down a Dream" or something off a Bo Diddley album. Petty keeps other parts of the album bluesy with tracks like "Jack," "Turn This Car Around," and "This Old Town."

"Flirting with Time" and "Down South" are reminiscent of work done by Petty and the Heartbreakers on albums like `Echo' and `Into the Great Wide Open.' Tracks like "Big Weekend" and "Ankle Deep" seem influenced by Petty's work with the Traveling Wilburys.

Petty then slows things down with tracks like "Square One" and "Damaged by Love" which features the songwriter's unique ability to craft lyrics that seem simple and profound at the same time. If you were not hooked by the end of the first track, "Square One" will win you over.

If you are a fan of Tom Petty's solo work or his work with the Heartbreakers then you will want this album. It is a good blend of all the influences throughout Petty's career, and every song is a hit. Petty packs the album full of guitar driven rock, catchy lyrics, and choruses that have good enough hooks to keep you singing them after one listen.

A new Tom Petty record is always a welcome occasion (even the ones produced by Jeff Lynne.) Highway Companion is Petty's third solo album, and the previous two (Full Moon Fever and Wildflowers) are generally considered to be among the best in his now-30-years-long history.

Jeff Lynne produces with a lighter touch than usual, which is a good thing; he lets the music breathe, and as a result it sounds earthy and organic, which is how Petty should be recorded. Many of the best songs harken back to the breezy, wistful Wildflowers, especially the lovely "Square One," which Petty introduced in concert this past June by calling it one of the songs he was especially close to.

Guitarist (and Heartbreaker "co-captain") Mike Campbell is, as usual, the secret weapon here. Campbell is absolutely meticulous about guitar sounds; he manages to get precisely the right tone on each solo, each track. Listen to the way his brief but poignant solo pierces like an arrow when he steps up during "Down South;" prickly, trebly, a little bit of echo. If you listen closely, you can hear just how much effort Campbell puts into sounding so effortless. Listen to his full, rubbery tone on "Night Driver;" he manages to speak volumes just by the sound of his guitar, almost regardless of what he plays. And what he plays is going to be note-perfect and spot-on.

Indeed, the credits list only three players-- Petty (who covers the drums), Lynne (bass, among other things) and Campbell. The record has a casual feel to it, a gentle, friendly and inviting vibe. After repeated listens, the message-- about the passage of time-- begins to seep in ("Turn this car around/I'm going back...") "You can look back, babe... but its best not to stare," Petty sings in "Big Weekend." "If you don't run, you rust."

I liked Echo (1999) a lot, and was unmoved by The Last DJ (2002). Highway Companion is a "small" record, in the way the Wildflowers was small compared to Damn the Torpedoes. But it is full of grace and easy, confident singing and playing, by a guy (and his musical cronies) who has little left to prove, and yet manages to prove he's still vital. It isn't a pump-your-fist-in-the-air record; it is a sway-in-the-breeze-in-Indian-Summer record. BUt I'm already sure it will end up one of my favorites from the Petty canon.

Petty is on the road with the Heartbreakers, celebrating 30 years together. The tour is a big, boistrous celebration. This record is also celebratory, but in a very different way. It is an adult record, full of tasty and tasteful playing, confronting the passage of time but ultimately finding an easy peace with it. A gently strummed, unilateral cease fire with the passage of time. Bravo.

Tom Petty's timeless HIGHWAY COMPANION is one of those albums that needs some time to marinate in your CD player, iPod, computer, or soul...wherever you best like to house your favorite music. For the most part, it doesn't leap out of the speakers and grab you by the throat, so much as it slips up behind you and drapes a friendly, understanding arm across your shoulders. For that reason, I've waited a week before writing this review, to allow the songs to soak in; and I can honestly say that after listening to it more than twenty times in the past seven days, I'm still finding new bits to love about it every time.

First of all, it starts with the quality of the songs themselves. Tom Petty takes a backseat to no one lyrically. He is as fine a lyricist as there is in this generation, spanning everyone from Bob Dylan to Smokey Robinson to Van Morrison. There are so many incredible one-liners and epiphanies throughout this one CD that it would be a career's worth for many writers. For example ...

* "It's hard to say/who you are these days/but you run on anyway/don't you baby?"
* "Last time though I hid my tracks/So well I could not get back"
* "He was caught up in a lie/he half-believed"
* "You're flirting with time baby/flirting with time, and maybe/time baby/is catching up with you"
* "Create myself down South/impress all the women/pretend I'm Samuel Clemens/wear seersucker and white linens"
* "If you don't run you rust"

...and there are so many more, but I'll let you discover them for yourself.

TP's masterful way with a melody doesn't disappoint either. Each song works its way into that spot in your brain that later triggers bouts of humming, whistling, and meditative la-la-la-ing.

Several of the songs are flat-out gorgeous, particularly "Square One," "Damaged By Love," and "Golden Rose" (which can best be described as a Pink Floydian sea chanty). Others mine a bluesy vein: the John Lee Hooker-esque boom-boom of "Saving Grace," the "Last Dance with Mary Jane"-esque hum of "Turn This Car Around," and the "You Don't Know How it Feels"-esque shuffle of "This Old Town." Elsewhere, "Flirting With Time" flies with the Byrds, "Jack" is spare pop with cool martial breaks and surfing guitar, while "Big Weekend" and "Ankle Deep" are delightful returns to the rollicking country rock of Petty and producer Jeff Lynne's Travelling Wilbury days.

Speaking of Jeff Lynne, he shows once more why he is one of the best and most respected producers in the history of rock and roll. His sensitivity to Petty's songs, coupled with his unparalleled studio craft, results in a sound rich in subtle brilliance. Lynne's enthusiasm and obvious love of the recording process is a somewhat needed kick in the pants/fresh drink of water for Petty, who's previous effort (with the Heartbreakers), THE LAST DJ, was excellent, but dour...and remains underappreciated by the general public. On HIGHWAY COMPANION, you can tell these guys are having a blast, even when the subject matter is serious, or when the tone is delicate.

The playing is spirited throughout, with a core band of Petty, Lynne, and longtime Heartbreaker Mike Campbell handling the instrumentation. Make no mistake: Mike Campbell is one of the great rock guitarists EVER and he shines alongside TP and Lynne, who are no slouches, either, when it comes to working the frets. Even though the name of Rick Rubin does not appear on any credits, the fact that this album is released through his American Recordings label is notable, and his spirit infuses this entire project with a heightened sense of honesty and integrity.

The CD packaging--especially the beautiful sepia-toned booklet--is topnotch and pleasing to the eye...quite befitting the quality of the project overall.

To sum up: I don't want to add a lot of hype to an album that is so wonderfully understated, but I sincerely believe that it's not only one of the best albums of this year, but certainly one of the best of this decade and one that will stand the test of time...an enduring classic for anyone who loves good music made by real people on real instruments, with lots of love and soul.

Key tracks: all, but especially "Saving Grace," "Down South," "Square One," "Flirting With Time," and "Damaged By Love"

BONUS INFORMATION: For a highly enjoyable and informative book on Tom Petty and his monumental career, check out CONVERSATIONS WITH TOM PETTY by Paul Zollo. It contains wonderful, warm stories about the many artists with whom TP has worked, as well as a virtual clinic on how to write classic songs.

Record companies can't figure out why people get music online and don't want to pay money for the CDs? It's because they keep jerking people around with things like this!

I paid good money for this album, happy to support the artist. Now I find I've only got part of the album. I don't care about "leatherette boards." I want what I paid for in the first place--the music. All of it. How many CDs do they expect people to buy to get a full album?

I may wind up with this "special edition" and the four missing tracks, but they sure won't be getting money from me for it.

In his previous two solo efforts "Full Moon Fever" and "Wildflowers," Tom Petty created arguably two of his greatest achievements as a singer/songwriter. The aptly titled "Highway Companion," while not outshining either of the aforementioned works, certainly lives up to the expectations they created - lyrically poignant, musically varied, yet staying true to the southern influenced style that has kept Petty grounded in rock and roll for 30 years.

The album opens with what is also its first single, "Saving Grace." The mellow track is set to a familiar ZZ Top riff. Lyrically it sets the tone for the rest of the album, introducing the recurring theme of travel and motion - whether it be "passing sleeping cities" or "flying over backyards." Contradictions arise as well, easy to overlook upon first listen ("your father's two room mansion," "you're confident but not really sure"). With age Petty has clearly become more lyrically cryptic and profound. Following is the beautifully contemplative track "Square One," an instant classic to add to the comprehensive Petty collection. Continuing to the Neil Young-esque "Flirting with Time," in perhaps a reflection of age Petty warns that "you're flirting with time and maybe time is catching up with you." In "Down South," it seems as though the subject is embarking on a journey back to his home to reconnect with who he is. Standing out in uniqueness on this album is "Jack." In this track Petty rehashes his past works in more ways than one, from the classic southern drawl reminiscent of "Breakdown" to the inner drive shown in "I Won't Back Down." Cryptic imagery, a tool Petty has honed in his later years and which he utilizes throughout the album, dominates the next track entitled "Turn this Car Around." "Big Weekend" follows, a laid back and easy listening track that also gives key lines such as "if you don't run you rust" and "you can look back but it's best not to stare." Again Petty revisits the theme of constant and necessary motion, moving on from what you once may have been accustomed to. The following three tracks are noticeably similar to the three tracks that open the album, from the imagery of travel set up in "Night Driver" to the girl who "doesn't care about time" in the sweet and easy listening "Damaged by Love" to the reflection on the "sad affair" of one's hometown in "This Old Town." "Ankle Deep" follows as a story unfolding between father and daughter, much of which is not surprisingly left open to interpretation. Petty fittingly closes out the album bidding goodbye to "The Golden Rose" in a slow and melodic track that leaves the listener at a satisfied point of conclusion.

After "The Last DJ," which many viewed as a preachy and sub par Petty (and the Heartbreakers) release, "Highway Companion" is sure to please any Petty aficionado, reaffirming the "fine wine" quality that Petty embodies with age. Not many artists can continue to find room for creative development after 30 years, but Petty can certainly be considered the anomaly in this respect.

Ideally, the bonus tracks and demo tracks would have emerged as b-sides to singles or as an EP in their own right. One track, the demo of "This Old Town," surpasses the final version included on the original release. The bonus tracks "Home" and "Around the Roses" are quality additions, and better than most other bands' singles. The "Big Weekend" demo is less necessary.

If you don't own the album yet (five stars in its own right!), this is definitely the edition to get--the additional tracks are worth the extra dinero (although the "leather" packaging is slightly more of a questionable enhancement). But what if you already bought the original version? Find the added tracks on iTunes (if they're available...) or else wait for the used price of this one to drop significantly to, say, $8.98 or less.

I totally agree. I own ALL of Petty's album, and this type of BS is what he was singing about when you listen to his album "The Last DJ". The record companies are trying to get people to actually buy albums, but then they want to d!ck around with everyone. I'm sure that if they would have released this on the SAME day that they released the regular edition, the hardcore fans & collectors would have bought it... but NO... they wait over 2 months until the regular edition is out to put out one with 4 BONUS tracks, so the hardcore fan and/or collector will have to buy a 2nd copy of the album to get the 4 extra tracks.

I gave this item 1 star because it is a RIP OFF... but otherwise, Tom Petty is always a 5 star musician, and this is one of his best albums! Sorry Tom... SOrry that the record company is ripping off your fans!
I think you should put the 4 tracks up on your website to download for free!

I have 2 words for the music industry: Pogue Mahone!

I own everything Tom Petty released, I've seen him at least 3x, multiple T-Shirts, videos, et. al. I would have bought this special edition had it been out day one, (e.g., Dylan Modern Times, McCartey Memory almost full, Harrison Brainwashed), as a hardcore fan should at least be given the choice to buy the special edition. Rather, the fan is forced into it by a record company marketing directly to the small sub-set of completists that they know they can rip off. Hence, I will not be purchasing this, or the Springsteen "American Land" Seeger Sessions Edition, or his "Greatest Hits" or the highlights CD with a whole 2 songs deliberately left off the $65.00 box set. I didn't have a choice from the beginning, and paid for concerts, T-Shirts, box sets, et. al. It's one thing to shell it out for these great artists, they deserve it; however, no one likes to feel used. And, I'd like to know what Tom & Bruce thought about these releases, because it's all too easy to blame the "evil corporation", if anyone has creative say-so, it's these guys.

Record companies mirror the Sopranos more than legitimized business. Doing such a thing with a group such as the Beatles makes a little sense because the band is deceased. "Buyer beware" is the phrase that fits regardless of what "deluxe" edition you purchase.

To me, the original Napster is really Robin Hood......steal from the rich to give to the poor.........

But I will NOT give into this shameless ripoff by the record company. A nice way to treat and reward fans who bought the original CD would be to offer the 4 bonus tracks on an EP for $5 or so. Or offer the songs for download. But when have record companies ever been so thoughtful? I'll just look for these elsewhere, and if I don't get them, oh well. The original CD can be had for around $12 and is a 4 star CD. This rip off amounts to $18 ($26 list!) for 4 songs! They know this is marketed towrds Tom Petty fans, and what fan hasn't already bought the CD? And who cares about leather packages and postcards! May the record company enjoy it's ride down the tubes.