Tom Petty's new album shows a new dose of inspiration
By Eric Broecker and Erich Hennig (E&E's Musical Jactation)
The Concordian - February 10, 1995

This week we bring you a new album from an artist whose career has spanned a good part of three decades. We find it amazing that an artist so old can dominate so much air time on MTV. Not that the single "You Don't Know How It Feels" isn't good, but really, five times an hour?

By now you're wondering where we are really going with this. Well, we realized that no one really reads our article, they just like our picture. Therefore, instead of reviewing albums, we'll change our picture weekly.

But seriously, the new album, Wildflowers, really delivers. Gone is the whimpery, nasal whining of the early years. In its place comes a thoughtful, acoustic dose of Tom Petty. Somewhere he lost his talent for poor albums and released a wonderful compilation of folk tunes straight from the soul. Blame middle age and a fear of burning out. Whatever it was, it inspired an album rich in creativity brewing fascination and appeal among the listeners of his new music.

His new music sounds peculiarly similar to the laid-back style of Bob Dylan, much as if Petty grew up on Dylan's music. Reestablishing the hits Dylan made infamous in the 60s. However, an interest change seems a provocative reason for the transfer of his talent. No more dos it seem like he is living within the opinions of the critic, but playing for his own impressions of music, melody and life. Without sounding redundant, Petty has completed a new phase in his career while still complying to his older impulses by adding a few songs which complete the style Petty made famous.