It was announced late Monday night UK time, that Tom Petty, one of America's greatest songwriters and singers had died on what had been a pretty dark day for the Las Vegas shooting with its 59+ dead and the violence in Catalonia by Spanish Police in response to an illegal poll.
This was the formal announcement as issued on the day:
On this blog we have reviewed some of his albums not least his final one, 2016's Mudcrutch2 that surprised and enthralled us as someone who was sixty-six years still had the vitality to pull off as much as 2014's Hypnotic Eye did with its social and political observations did two years before.
Tom goes way back to '76/7 with me with the release of "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers" a 30 odd minute much needed straightahead roots rock that garnered attention in New Wave's spiritual home, Great Britain, which presented the opportunity to develop the live act and then 'sell back' to the States that bought You're Gonna Get it and its 45's I Need To Know and Listen To Her Heart.
If I was to pick just one of his albums outside of 1994's Greatest Hits, I'd pick Damn The Torpedos, his 1979 release which in so many ways encapsulated his simple but effective way of reducing down complex ideas to the most commercial while not losing the 'message'.
The best known examples from that album are "Refugee", "Don't Do Me Like That" and "Here Comes My Girl", all hit 45's.
Tom was a member of the Travelin' Wilbury's a 'super group' with former beatle George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne of England's Electric Light Orchestra that blended the talents into a very much 'Americana' feel best exemplified by the mainly Canadian band, The Band but being contemporary too selling well beyond each members own audience.
It is hard to put across what Tom meant to us: At a human level he was very genuine, reflective, free from the ego grabbing me,me,me that the so many in the music business have.
Musically he straddled that gap between so-called 'Classic Rock' and 'Indie Alternative' in a way another of my music loves, Bruce Springsteen never quite pulled off even if he did do the long epic song.
'Refugee' was a song whose theme spoke to me as a disabled person battling not be defined by events, unable or unwilling to move on.
Writing this has been emotionally exhausting cos Tom meant so much almost on a par with David Bowie.
Rest In Peace, Tom.
It's been a banner year for fans of The Band, the mainly Canadian group who backed Bob Dylan for his 'Basement Tapes' sessions and whose recordings encapsulate over 40 years of North American musical heritage in a seamless mix.
The Band are regarded together with the Byrds and the Flying Buritto Brothers as founders of the music template for what was later dubbed Country Rock, paving the way for the Eagles.
Licensed from Capitol-EMI, in October 2013 Mobile Fidelity issued The Band S/T (aka the 'Brown Album') originally issued in 1970 and home to the hit single Rag Mama Rag issued in April that year.
Re-mastered by Shawn R Britton in SACD from the cleanest sources available it has never sounded better. I preferred this to Steve Hoffman's May 2009 Audio Fidelity cd for its more open top response.
Around late 2009 Mobile Fidelity Sound Laboratories announced a series of SACD issues also licensed from Capitol of which this - Music from Big Pink originally issued in 1968 and featuring The Weight - is the first out. This album features the songs This Wheels on Fire, Tears Of Rage and I Shall Be Released, the first two recorded originally with Bob Dylan and eventually being released in 1975 on his Basement Tapes album issued by MFSL on sacd in 2012
These SACD's have two layers - one for SACD players and the second for regular CD playback which with my NAD CD player I'm using. MFSL are using the mini lp style packaging for this series which I have to be honest and say I prefer over jewel boxes.
This is slightly bright sounding but generally a improvement on all previous CD issues.
The third album Cahoot reissued in October 2009 by MFSL in sacd showing the hybrid sacd/cd information sticker. This album features Bob Dylan's When I Paint My Masterpeice and 4% Pantomine
Rock Of Ages
Recorded December 31 1971 this classic concert double lp was reissued April 2010 by Mofi as a two on 1 hybrid standard cd/SACD with re-mastering duties performed by Shawn R Britton.
He managed to improve on how the horns arranged by Allan Toussaint sounded and bring some much needed bass into this disc. Recommended.
Northern Lights, Southern Cross was originally issued in 1975 and issued May 2010 by Mofi on sacd, mastered by Rob LoVerde featuring songs written exclusively by Robbie Robertson and also featured for the first time synthesizers on a few tracks such as Jupiter Hollow. Although a poor seller, Levon Helms regards this as one of their finest achievements on record.
Stage Fright originally issued in 1970, reissued in 2011 on sacd with mastering by Rob LoVerde recorded live at Woodstock Playhouse in Woodstock, New York State with Robbie Robertson been credited with writing the majority of the songs.
* This post revised and generally tidied up 2013 by Caroline.
