Highway Companion by Tom Petty Jill edited and contributed to this review. I have always liked Tom Petty. Being out
of range of any quality radio station growing
up on the ranch, I use to listen to my Dads
records and practice dancing with my sister,
just in case I ever actually got invited
to a dance somewhere . When Wildflowers came out, my Dad bought the CD. I can remember
dancing on his shoes and in the following
years I listened to it until I knew every
word to every song, and it helped me form
a love affair with Petty's clear wording
and his ability to place a picture in my
mind. When I heard that my buddy Tom had released
a new CD, Highway Companion, I bought it and expected to hear something
that sounded remotely like his arrangements
on Wildflowers. I was pleasantly disappointed. The CD is chocked full of great songs that
vaguely have to do with traveling or driving.
I listened to it for the first time going
over Cerro Summit coming back home from Grand
Junction. The first track, Saving Grace is my favorite on the CD. Being an angel
in Moove, it seems to touch me more than
any other. With a steady beat and a growing
rock ensemble, Saving Grace just makes you
want to crank the stereo as loud as it can
go, roll the windows down and dance in the
car. You can hear this track on my Nick page.
Tom gears it down on track two with Square One, but the flow to the slower arrangement
seems to fit perfectly. Square One is a melancholy
guitar solo with Tom's voice the main attraction,
with a tiny bit of slide guitar that sets
a feeling of a man who has struggled through
challenges and is ready for a fresh beginning.
Flirting with Time, the third track, picks the pace up once
again with some of the most amazing visual
writing you will ever come across. I believe
a lot of the residents of Moove can relate
to lines like, "A Coyote ran across the road, on the move
without a home, a flash of light reminded
me of you", and "this could well be your last stand, hold
the sunlight in your hand, spread your fingers,
feel the sand fall through". This is one of those songs, you just
never get tired of listening to and will
most likely be one of the most listened to
tracks on the CD. Down South is one of my least favorites on the CD.
It could be that I've never been down south
so I can't relate, but the writing is impressive. The fifth track, Jack is a sing along favorite of mine. The lyrics
are rapid fire followed by a refrain that
you will get stuck in your head, "you say what you want to Jack, I'm gonna
get my baby back". The guitar work on this is just fab.
It is highly reminiscent of an oldie surf
song. The only problem with this song is
that it is too short (2:28). Turn This Car Around offers a beat driven love song which gets
your head a bopping. One of the more abstract
songs on the CD in terms of lyrics, it still
has a way of placing a strong picture in
your mind as Tom bellows in his trademark
voice. The slide guitar adds a melancholy
tone as you visualize a lonely soul struggling
on whether to turn around and go home or
keep driving into loneliness. Track seven, Big Weekend, is as close as Tom comes to playing country
music and he succeeds at it quite well. The
lyrics flow as if they had always been there
and a lot of Moove residents will enjoy cranking
this up as they drive home on a Friday after
work. Tom brings back his harmonica on this
tune and his refrain of, "If you don't run, you rust" is a good rule to add to your "How
to Live a Good Life" notebook. Night Driver, the next track, is by far the most addictive
song on the CD. We all can relate to that
long drive home late at night on any given
night. A love song in an almost traditional
lounge type arrangement, Tom has reached
new heights in mixing guitar, slide guitar
and just enough keyboard to leave you begging
for more. Don't miss the two seconds of keyboards
after the refrain of "night driver, drifting home again". It is simply one of the most well
arranged Tom Petty songs ever. Slide guitar is also used heavily on the
slow Damaged by Love, the eighth track. For many Moove ladies,
whose hearts have been broken by a love gone
bad, this song will no doubt bring a tear
to the eye. With lines such as, "she has nothing to hide, and she hides it
so well - keeps broken dreams to fix up and
sell", Tom is able to touch even the most
damaged heart. This Old Town is one of my top three favs on the CD. Another
of my regular sing along songs, this song
is clear and easily understandable with a
story line I can relate to with my move to
a small College Town where I don't know a
lot of people. Strong acoustic guitar work
from Tom, unbelievable lyrics (this old town is a sad affair, you be glad
you're not there - it ties your hands, it
spikes your drink, I'd say more but I can't
think) and a piano that will steal your heart.
Although I love horses, I am not all that
impressed with the second to last track,
Ankle Deep. For this blond, the lyrics seem to be put
together haphazard making it difficult to
create a visual of what Tom is trying to
get across - although the composition of
music is well done with some really nice
electric guitar work. The last track Golden Rose is fabulous. Slow and melodic, telling a
story of a ship called the Golden Rose, this
is a true Tom Petty love song. Slide guitar
also plays a big part in setting the feeling
of a love lost and a lover aching for her
companion. I fell in love with this CD the first time
I heard it, and I know both Petty fans and
non-Petty fans will also be adding this to
their collection of great CD's. Highway Companion by Tom Petty is a perfect highway companion
CD and should be kept in your car for those
times you just need to have the perfect music
to cruise with. Vehicles used in our photos are courtesy
of One Magazine
by Tom Petty
I have always liked Tom Petty. Being out
of range of any quality radio station growing
up on the ranch, I use to listen to my Dads
records and practice dancing with my sister,
just in case I ever actually got invited
to a dance somewhere .
