Members acousticDave Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 From today's wall street journal: Where does Tom Petty fit in the rock pantheon? Musicians from Ike Turner to Aerosmith have been the subject of such debate, which rock fans conduct as if they're carving Mount Rushmores, in barroom arguments, Internet flame wars and even a Hall of Fame in Cleveland. But Mr. Petty is especially emblematic of the blurred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members benricci Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Mere mortal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alecto Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 {censored}ing awesome songwriter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Petty is right where he belongs in my opinion. Not legendary....but a cut above most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JohnnyRaincheck Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Mike Campbell is the rock god in that band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guitzilla Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 {censored}ing awesome songwriter. Agreed. I saw him shopping in Chicago Music Exchange. I did not bother him, but what I saw of his interaction with others, he seemed to be very down to Earth. I wasn't impressed with his playing. It was fine, but his writing skills make up for it 100 fold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Selsaral Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Since 'rock god' usually includes flashy guitar technique, he probably doesn't qualify. But I revere his songwriting ability. I put him in the same category as Neil Young and Bob Marley. Besides, he has Mike for the flashy stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members New Trail Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 I thought he sounded like a Bob Dylan rip-off early in his career. He wrote some good things, but I've not been a big fan. To me he's in the second or third tier of rock hierarchy. I don't think he's had as many hits as Bob Segar or John Mellencamp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Funkwire Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Once upon a time, I might have agreed with you...but Petty has 32 years of hits. You don't realize how many he's had until you look at his albums. One of the best "less is more" songwriters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rvschulz Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 {censored}ing awesome songwriter. this. not a good singer. not a good player. not a lot of rhythm. his POETRY is ungodly. one of the few poets in Rock & Roll history. i put him on a pedestal for that right next the Neil Young and Bob Dylan ... slightly lower, but there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jimtalkbox Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Tom Petty was and still is a fantastic songwriter. Lots of hits and few misses IMO. Mike Campbell is a fantastic player and writer. Definitely a GREAT slide player as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ExiledCrow Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Great, great songwriter. He's not the best singer or player, but gotta give him props for doing what HE wants to do for all these years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gjh73 Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 I consider him a mere mortal but he seems like a really good guy and fit in nicely with the Traveling Wilburys. If you ever listen to his Buried Treasures show on XM Sirius he seems very down to earth and a cool dude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cincy_cosmo Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 I like Petty alot because his songs have pretty simple arrangments that have alot of punch. Like said before, he writes some awsome lyrics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Flogger59 Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 He spins songs out of nothing, NOTHING, Jerry!And that is an art form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members evh1984 Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 "It was me and my sidekick, he was drunk and I was sick; We were caught up in a barroom fight, til an Indian shot out the lights" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members roygbiv Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 All are mortal. He's a mortal who writes effortlessly good tunes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cngracin Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 {censored}ing awesome songwriter. YES! And kick ass performer too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hubert Stumblin Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Rock God? I think he'd probably be embarassed by such an accolade. He's a great song writer and his songs have been woven into the fabric of American music for the last 30 years. Many hits and an early darling of the rock video phenomenon. The documentary "Runnin' Down A Dream" is really terrific (but very long- 4 hours!). Though I like his music well enough I'm not a rabid fan, but this documentary was very interesting to me. I'd recomend it to anyone interested in a real life rock-and-roll story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C-4 Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 While there are others who can play more notes and faster runs, it takes taste and ability with melodies to play fewer notes and make music.Tom Petty and Mike Campbell do this effortlessly. While watching flashier players is fun, it's usually the melodic players that get me emotionally. Jeff Beck comes to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Who honestly cares about being called a "rock god"? Well, maybe some wannabes, but the guys like Petty could probably care less about a title like that. I'm actually listening to him right now. Just writes great music, has a style all his own, and is an amazing live performer. I'd take 1000 artists like Petty anyday over 1 "rock god." Funny that Slash is in that "Rock God" category, but hasn't been in a really good band in years. Great guitarist...but without G'NR...he's just not the same, IMO. He now pushes video games and monster cables... I'm just sayin'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kap'n Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Once upon a time, I might have agreed with you...but Petty has 32 years of hits. You don't realize how many he's had until you look at his albums. I was listening to Playback last week. Each time a tune came on, it was ""Oh, yeah! All right!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 The whole deifying of '60's rock stars and bands was something that started in the late '80's, with the emergence of the classic rock radio format, some sort of Baby Boomer worship out of nostalgia. Thus developed the "legacy act" phenomenon, bands that make more money when they're greatest creative period has long since been over. I think a lot of acts that emerged in the '70's and had their biggest mainstream success in the late '70's through late '80's won't ever capture enough of that Baby Boomer nostalgia to made "rock god" status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RingoCalamity Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 I love the guy, one of my favorites. He keeps going back to the same well, but always comes back with something that sounds fresh, to me anyway. That spinning songs out of nothing comment was right on the money. I don't know if he's on the same level as say, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, but I'd put him ahead of Bob Seger and Johnny Cougar. My own opinion of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members crashclc Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 He's undeniably a terrific song writer. He's also a pretty decent guitar player when he feels like it. I've seen him live maybe half a dozen times in the last thirty odd years. For half of those shows he was on fire and the other half he just phoned it in. He certainly didn't suck, but "meh"... I would have to say he's better playing new material than recycling his hits and let's face it, he's had a ton of hits. So is he a rock god? Not really, but then who is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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