Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers #6: Southern Accents

Release Date: March 26, 1985

Members: Tom Petty (vocals, guitar); Mike Campbell (guitar); Benmont Tench (piano, organ); Howie Epstein (bass); Stan Lynch (drums)

Produced by Jimmy Iovine

Side One: Rebels; It Ain't Nothin' To Me; Don't Come Around Here No More; Southern Accents

Side Two: Make it Better (Forget About Me); Spike; Dogs on the Run; Mary's New Car; The Best of Everything

Conceived as a concept album about the South, Tom Petty's most problematic LP Southern Accents was recorded during a stressful point in the band's career. Nevertheless, it was well received and produced a major hit with "Don't Come Around Here No More." During the tour in support of the record Petty used Confederate iconography during concerts, as modern critics have pointed out the Neo-Confederate undertones running through the record and subsequent tour.

"Rebels" opens the album with a hardscrabble tale of tough love and generational resentments, specifically referencing Sherman's March and the damaged pride of Southern white men, while remaining silent on the debt owed to Black culture. Petty reframes these themes through the lens of '80s rock and roll with a catchy arrangement and impassioned vocal performance. Conflating rock and roll with rebellion appears trite these days and was even showing its age by the 1980s, the sentiment comes through but not without mawkishness.

"It Ain't Nothin" To Me" is a Dylanesque sermon of sorts with hints of a disco beat. The Alice in Wonderland themed music video for "Don't Come Around Here No More" was an MTV staple. Petty wrote the song with Dave Stewart, inspired by a wild L.A. party and an encounter with Stevie Nicks. The most sophisticated track by the band up to that point, the production and vocals are inspired. "Southern Accents" could be accused of trafficking in 'Lost Cause" mythology of the white man being the only one who truly understands freedom (or the perspective of poor whites exploited by the economic system), Petty ends the songs with:

I got my own way of livin'

But everything gets done

With southern accent

Where I come from

The "Don't Tread on Me" sentiment comes off as more aggrieved than poetic, once again tonally out of synch with the song's intention. 

"Make it Better (Forget About Me)" seeks to mend a relationship in a nod towards blue-eyed soul. "Spike" is a playful track about an eccentric character, I wonder if they debated whether this one belonged on the album. "Dogs on the Run" muses on life and desire, the mix of guitars and horns cancel each other out. "Mary's New Car" is exactly what the title promises and nothing less. Ending with 'The Best of Everything", Petty deals in iconography like Bruce Springsteen, a sad romance with a waitress (not that Bruce holds a monopoly on tragic diner romances). 

To his credit, Petty later disavowed the strains of white supremacy on Southern Accents and implored his fans to not display the confederate flag. One can read an interview here with Michael Washburn who wrote the 33 1/3 book on the album and interrogated its ties to lost cause ideology. 

Musically, Southern Accents is a band trying to escape from a creative stupor. Petty's frustration with the production led to him punching a wall and seriously injuring his hand. Whether one views the record as a failed experiment, a misguided reflection on southern culture and history, or a record at best hinting at creative breakthrough, it was anything but a disaster as the band continued to tour and make records in the decades to come. 

The Albums of 1975: Patti Smith: Horses

 Release Date: November 10, 1975

Personnel: Patti Smith (vocals); Jay Dee Daugherty (drums); Lenny Kaye (lead guitar); Ivan Krai (guitar, bass); Richard Sohl (piano)

Produced by John Cale

Side One: Gloria: In Excelsis Duo; Redondo Beach; Birdland; Free Money

Side Two: Kimberly; Break It Up; Land: Horses/Land of a Thousand Dances/ La Mer(de); Elegie

Alongside Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, Patti Smith's Horses embraced rock as an artform of liberation. Smith's poetic lyrics, expressions of pure emotion set to surreal imagery are the hallmarks of her debut album. The influences are manifold drawing from the vibrancy of early rock and roll, the uncompromising mid-60s Dylan, surreal poetry, Gothic literature, and the free stylings of the Beats. The songs are personal and universal, laying the foundation for punk and New Wave. 

"Gloria: In Excelsis Duo" opens the record with a slow burn build, a track that no less attempts to expand and redefine the possibilities of rock and roll. The song is all energy and defiance, joyfully seducing the song's subject, infusing it all with poetic lyrics and impassioned delivery. 

'Redondo Beach" tells of an impassioned fight between female lovers that leads to a suicide, based on a poem Smith write in the early 1970s. Infused with a reggae arrangement, Smith's vocal evokes edgy emotions amidst shock. 'Birdland" is a spoken word track, dealing with transcendence, grief, and intense perception, the birth of a poet. "Free Money" was reportedly autobiographical, about Smith's childhood and poverty, finding hope in dreams and imagination. 

"Kimberly" pays tribute to Smith's younger sister, also with allusions to motherhood and creation. Accompanied by Lenny Kaye's melodic guitar, Smith's vocal once again aims for transcendence and achieves it. "Break it Up" was written as an ode to Jim Morrison , the sense of loss, the idea of a poetic soulmate, and the burden of living up to fallen idols. In some ways the most traditional of "rock" songs on the record. The medley "Land: Horses/Land of a Thousand Dances/La Mer(de)" alludes to Smith's relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe with allusions to surrealist poetry. By turns sinister and adrenaline fueled, another synching of rock and roll with underground art. "Elegie" ends the record on a note of loneliness, haunted by memories of friends and times long gone.

Horses stands alongside Born to Run, as albums from 1975 by the generation raised on rock and roll. Now in adulthood, they are pushing the boundaries and expanding the art form. If Springsteen was synthesizing different eras of rock, Smith was merging the music with poetry and transgressive art. 

The Albums of 1975: Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare

Release Date: March 11, 1975

Members: Alice Cooper (vocals); Dick Wagner (guitars); Steve "Deacon" Hunter (guitars); Prakash John (bass); Pentti "Whitey" Glan (drums)

Produced by Bob Ezrin

Side One: Welcome to My Nightmare; Devil's Food; The Black Widow; Some Folks; Only Women Bleed

Side Two: Department of Youth; Cold Ethyl; Years Ago; Steven; The Awakening; Escape

Alice Cooper's debut solo album, Welcome to My Nightmare, follows the dark visions of young Stephen. Bombastic and theatrical, fifty years later the album still rocks, reveling in its nightmarish themes.

The titular track "Welcome to My Nightmare" opens the record, both playful and menacing with its epic production. The song also sets up the theme of the record - living on the edge of sanity and madness. "Devil's Food" features a spoken word appearance by Vincent Price, joyfully describing the ways of the Black Widow, while the following song is told from the perspective of the deadly arachnid itself. "Some Folks" sounds like a lost song from West Side Story crossed with a standard '70s lament about rock star excess. "Only Women Bleed" is a somber ballad about a woman trapped in an abusive marriage. Released as a single as well, the album version features more orchestration. 

Often compared to Cooper's earlier hit "School's Out", "Department of Youth" is a rock and roll anthem for all the fans with a child chorus and all. "Cold Ethyl" somehow never made the playlists for FM classic rock radio, it sure as hell deserved a place with catchy guitars and macabre lyrics. "Years Ago" is a baroque psychedelia waltz told from the perspective of Steven's wounded psyche. "Steven" opens with hints of "Tubular Bells" and a nuanced performance by Cooper, sounding crazed and haunted throughout. "The Awakening" is a grim companion follow up to "Only Women Bleed." The album ends on a high note with "Escape", channeling the attitude of The Who in their rock opera era.

Welcome to My Nightmare plays like a slightly demented variety TV show with its Gothic playfulness. Cooper's vocals are wide ranging and convincingly inhabit other characters. The music's well produced and brings an essential element that makes it stand out - fun! 

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers #5: Long After Dark

 

Release Date: November 2, 1982

Members: Tom Petty (vocals, guitar); Mike Campbell (guitars); Benmont Tench (piano, organ); Howie Epstein (bass); Stan Lynch (drums)

Produced by Jimmy Iovine and Tom Petty

Side One: A One Story Town; You Got Lucky; Deliver Me; Change of Heart; Finding Out

Side Two: We Stand a Chance; Straight Into Darkness; The Same Old You; Between Two Worlds; A Wasted Life

With their fifth record, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers leaned further into a modern rock sound, a few of the tracks even sound truly New Wave with synthesizers and distorted guitars. 

"A One Story Town" is boilerplate small town blues rock, no doubt informed by Petty's hometown in Florida. "You Got Lucky" is moodier and benefits from the excellent musicianship and production. "Deliver Me" builds on a smooth melody, suitable for a campfire singalong, "Change of Heart" was a minor hit and illustrates Petty's gift for taking a simple notion and making it sound epic. "Finding Out" is unremarkable except for Mike Campbell's heavy guitar. 

"We Stand a Chance" is a hidden gem, sounding very much like The Cars. "Straight Into Darkness" is downbeat, but forceful. On the "The Same Old You" Petty allows the band to let loose a little. "Between Two Worlds" returns to familiar rock staples of life on the road, once again carried along by Campbell's distinct guitar leads. "Wasted Life" ends the record on an uneasy note.

Long After Dark is a middling album at best, still sounding vibrant but resting upon some recycled ideas. Floating between despair and hope, the songs point to a band trying to make the next big step, but not quite there yet. 

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers #4: Hard Promises

 

Release Date: May 5, 1981

Members: Tom Petty (vocals, guitar); Mike Campbell (guitars); Benmont Tench (piano, organ); Ron Blair (bass); Stan Lynch (drums)

Produced by Jimmy Iovine; Tom Petty

Side One: The Waiting; A Woman in Love (It's Not Me); Nightwatchman; Something Big; King's Road

Side Two: Letting You Go; A Thing About You; Insider; The Criminal Kind; You Can Still Change Your Mind

Hard Promises built off the momentum of Damn the Torpedoes, staying the course with a collection of more FM hits solidifying Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as a major force in rock during the 1980s. 

The cover is a photo of Petty browsing in a record store, alluding to a dispute with the record company over pricing, Petty insisted the record stay at the standard $8.98 rate. The album cover may reference the dispute, but also a charming reminder Petty himself was a fan of records. 

"The Waiting" remains a rock classic, irresistibly catchy with its killer hooks. It's also a testament to Petty's songwriting, taking a universal situation and providing a bit of comfort. "A Woman in Love" is a moodier track, "Nightwatchman" also rocks along distilling a Springsteen song down to its bare essence. "Something Big" works nicely as a middle track on the album, a story song with an edge, no doubt sordid tales of the music industry. "Kings Road" could be a sequel to "Century City" in a fish out of water take that was Petty's specialty. 

Petty also excelled at writing sunny rock songs with hints of late summer melancholy, "Letting You Go" being a great example. "A Thing About You" is charming in its lack of pretention. Stevie Nicks joined Petty on vocals on "Insider", another highlight of the record. "The Criminal Kind" is a neo-noir tale that roots itself in the blues. "You Can Still Change Your Mind" plays homage to dreamy California pop in a change of pace, ending the album on a soothing note.

Hard Promises is of a piece with Damn the Torpedoes, but more serious in tone. The band's reverential approach to making rock records allowed them to tap into writing those rare songs that hit a universal note, while avoiding falling into being a mere retro band. Petty's precision songwriting and the pristine musicianship of the band suggested a longevity that would elude their peers.  

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers #3: Damn the Torpedoes

Release Date: October 19, 1979

Members: Tom Petty (vocals, guitar); Mike Campbell (guitars); Benmont Tench (piano, organ); Ron Blair (bass); Stan Lynch (drums)

Produced by Jimmy Iovine

Side One: Refugee; Here Comes My Girl; Even the Losers; Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid); Century City

Side Two: Don't Do Me Like That; You Tell Me; What Are You Doin in My Life?; Louisiana Rain

Damn the Torpedoes launched Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to superstardom after their promising first two albums. The album yielded four hit singles: "Refugee", "Here Comes My Girl," "Even the Losers," and "Don't Do Me Like That." 

"Refugee" channeled primal rock and roll with its supple statement of defiance, lyrically vague enough to make it relatable to many. All cylinders were firing from the jump: Petty's iconic vocal, the melodic guitars, and Tench's keyboard smoothing out the edges. "Here Come My Girl" channels angst, desperation, and salvation. Petty's "talkin" delivery brings an edge and passion to an otherwise conventional love song. "Even the Losers" is more pop perfection, Petty knows his audience. "Shadow if a Doubt (A Complex kid)" is about another mystery girl, with another great vocal from Petty, a voice relatable with great details to make the song unique. "Century City" evokes the chaos and splendor of California life. 

"Don't Do Me Like That" opens with one of the iconic intros in rock history. Even though it was overplayed on FM classic rock radio, the beats and the riffs remain catchy as hell. Imagine a sunny day in the late 70s, this song just might send you there. "You Tell Me" is more conniving and hints at a darker relationship, and let the band go into something approaching a jam. "What Are You Doin' In My Life" taps into the country rock influence on the band. The closer "Louisiana Rain" could easily be a country song, but Petty and the Heartbreakers transform it into an epic rock song.

There's a progression on Damn the Torpedoes, charting Petty's growth as a songwriter. Petty's contemporary Bruce Springsteen reimagined rock as a mythological landscape to write his tortured ruminations on modern America. Yet Petty made it all look so easy, channeling early rock into a fresh sound, creating something singular in the era of Punk and New Wave. 

The Albums of 1966: The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

Release Date: October 17, 1966

Produced by Lelan Rogers

Side One: You're Gonna Miss Me; Roller Coaster; Splash 1 (Now I'm Home); Reverberation (Doubt); Don't Fall Down

Side Two: Fire Engine; Thru the Rhythm; You Don't Know; Kingdom of Heaven (Is Within You); Monkey Island; Tried to Hide

Led by Texas rocker Roky Erickson, the 13th Floor Elevators created some mad alchemy on their debut record. Their distinct sound blended the blues with many other influences, crafting a surreal sonic landscape. "You're Gonne Miss Me" sounds like some lost unhinged Yardbirds track, Erickson's croaky vocals and the heavy guitars. The "electric jug" gives the record an otherworldly sound, especially on the frenzied jam of "Roller Coaster." "Splash 1" is a haunting folk rock with mystical undertones. "Reverberation" describes a cosmic trip, "Don't Fall Down" offers some advice when on the skyway locomotive.

"Fire Engine" is all bacchanalia set to sirens, "Through the Rhythm" builds to a glorious cacophony. "You Don't Know" turns a Kinks song inside out. "Kingdom of Heaven" offers a tripped-out sermon, "Monkey Island" is all surreal imagery and slashing guitars. "Tried to Hide" encapsulates the tension between chaos and coherence running through the record.

The 13th Floor Elevators achieved something times on their all too few records, a unique sound occupying a space between the rebelliousness of early rock and roll and the experimentation of the era that followed.