A Tribute to Tom Petty: You Got Lucky
Review by Tim Martin
Round Up - September 15, 1994

What does a record label do with a punk rip-off band that isn't selling any albums? Well, several record labels decided to let their no-brainer poor sellers perform a Tom Petty cover for the Tom Petty tribute album You Got Lucky on Backyard Records.

Here are all your favorite Tom Petty hits, reduced to an orgy of punk energy sans originality.

I don't know what Tom Petty thinks of the project, but if I were him I would be downright mad.

For any fans of Petty who might see this album in stores and be tempted to buy it, beware.

If you like Tom Petty for his originality, then you obviously don't want a cover album.

Or if you like Petty for his great arrangements and cool melodies, forget it. You Got Lucky mangles almost every cool melody into a punk grinder mercilessly, making the songs sound more like a really bad rip-off of the Ramones instead of Tom Petty.

If you are one of the few who actually likes Petty's voice, You Got Lucky has nothing for you.

The vocals are generally buried in the mix, and for good reason. The vocalists here couldn't convey a genuine emotion if their lives or record sales depended on it.

The worst butchering job was performed by Fig Dish on "Don't Come Around Here No More." Not only was the Middle-Eastern atmosphere and melody transformed into a basic rock and roll riff, but the highly creative and unique drum groove was replaced with a sickening and incredibly boring rock and roll back beat for the first half of the song.

There are exceptions to the destruction of Petty's vision, such as "Insider" by Silkworm and "Night Watchman" by Punchdrunk.

Actually, these are the only two exceptions. Everything else on this album is beyond worthless.

The only people who really get lucky on You Got Lucky are the bands who braved the waters of popular music without talent and without success but got to be on a Tom Petty tribute anyway.

Unless you happen to be rich enough to waste money on an album for a couple of good songs, pass this one up.