Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Runnin' Down a Dream

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times.


Tom Petty is the most UNDERRATED American rock artist of all time...well, him and Creedence (Fogerty). The two of them do not get nearly enough credit that they so deserve.

Tonight though is about Sir Thomas, not Saint John.


Petty is the best kept (non)secret that everyone knows about but doesn't talk about. Petty is the giant elephant in the room: everyone sees it, knows about it, respects it, but just doesn't really talk about it and gives the due credit. Petty is an American Icon, influencing every garage band, every singer-songwriter and every rock musician in the last 30 years. Go ahead: Argue with me. Make a point. Bring it. You got nothing. You ain't got shit. I will beat you down, then Sir T will come behind me and blow you away. He will play two and a half hours of music for you, and you will know every song, every chorus, you'll tap your toes, hum at the very least the melody and sing at least a line or two from every verse...and then you'll remember that he wrote every single song that he just played, and that you just sang. "Wow, I haven't heard that song in years! What? Tom Petty sings that? Oh Yeah!"

You better recognize. And if you don't, you better start now. You have been missing out. If you're a naysayer on the Petty bandwagon, do yourself a favor and set aside 4 hours (I know...but what do you really have to do? Re-runs of Friends and Sex in the City?) and watch this...well, I mean the entire documentary by Peter Bogdanovich, not just the trailer. It premiered on the Sundance Channel tonight and will be on several more times this week- click here for listings...or watch it on your own time by ordering it here and adding it to your collection that I guarantee is nowhere near complete until Petty is included.

I watched Runnin' Down a Dream tonight, and it only made me realize how important TP has been, and how no one gives him enough credit for all that he and the Heartbreakers have done. Yes, four hours is a long time, but this is worth it. It is absolutely incredible. Imagine Unplugged & Storytellers rolled into one 4 hour show, with electric performances, old home videos of the Heartbreakers when they were starting out as teenagers, interviews with everyone in the band and other collaborators, friends, producers, etc...The list of guests is too long to list. You'll just have to watch.

You are kidding yourself if you don't spend some time with this doc...and you called yourself a music fan. Harummph!


More to come on TP...

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Greetings from Brazil! Yeah man, I totally agree with your opinion! Tom Petty may not be a genius, but certainly, hes one of the best songwriters ever - in the history of pop music. Running Down a Dream (DVD) its not already available for us here in Brazil, but im pretty sure that this motion picture will capture all the excitement from his career and make a honest justice with Petty and the guys... congratulations for your post!