The accidental sole album

Press, 2 June 1989, Page 21

The accidental sole album

Rock

By

COLIN HOGG

CALL IT THE accidental solo album. Call it a case of seven-album itch. But there is a new album with the name Tom Petty on it, without “and the Heartbreakers.”

Don’t call it a case of ego attack. After seven albums and 13 years in the spotlight as one of the great American rock ’n’ roll bands of the last 20 years, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers aren’t about to kick a winning combination out the back door.

It’s just that Petty — who’s on the phone from Los Angeles, gargling on a drawl as slow as mid-winter molasses — started messing around with some new songs a while back, found his band was out of town, messed around some more.

He found he had a fullyfledged album on his hands. He’s called it “Full Moon Fever,” and he’s kind of pleased about it. “I’m over the moon about it,” he says, hastening to add that it doesn’t spell the end of his band: “No, not at all. It just means stepping out for a while. It’s something that happened by accident.”

It all started way back around Christmas of 1987. Petty and Jeff Lynne, leader of The Electric Light Orchestra and travelling catalyst and producer, started hanging out together, writing some songs.

“I wasn’t planning on making a record,” says Petty. "Most of the band was out of town.” He and Lynnne went over to Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell’s home recording studio, and the songs “turned out to be really good.” “So I thought I’d like to do nine more and make it an album, and then get right back to business. It ended up taking a lot longer than I thought.

“The real reason it’s a solo album is because I made the record and the band’s not on it. It’s something I’d played with in my mind — a little fantasy I’d had about what it would be like if I got to do everything my way.

“I don’t think it’s something I’ll be doing a lot of. But I had a wonderful time doing it. It’s got some of the best songs I’ve written in years, and it has a sense of humour, more than a Heartbreakers record.”

Boasting 12 songs, including a faithful cover of The Byrds’ oldie “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better,” the album isn’t going to let down any old fans. On many tracks, you could add "and the Heartbreakers” and never known the difference.

But the album’s freshness and energy, and the strength of the songs — the bulk written in partnership with Lynne — are likely to win Petty a new tribe of followers.

All of which runs the risk of leaving the Heartbreakers heartbroken at the prospect of their singer and star peeling off to go it alone, albeit briefly. “I think they’re OK about it. They weren’t in love with the idea. When I first did it, some of them were a little bitchy about it, as I expected them to be.

“I think the band felt a little left out for a while, but they were all pretty busy themselves. “But I’ve just been in the studio three days with them, and we’re all still talking and getting along. We’re planning to tour this year, so we haven’t broken up.”

The advent of The Travelling Wilburys punched a happy hole in what would turn out to be the solo Tom Petty album project. He was nine songs into it when the big distraction came along. "I did it in two stages, one version where there were nine songs. The record company told me it was only 24 minutes long. “So I told them to wait until I’d got done with the Wilburys thing and I wrote some songs during that period and added them.” Petty won’t be stepping out alone to play “Full Moon Fever” live, though. “I can’t see myself out with a hired band playing on my own. I’d feel real funny about that.

Tom Petty goes alone on 'Full Moon Fever’

They (the Heartbreakers) are such a good group I’m not naive enough to think I’m gonna fall into another band like that in my life.

“I’m just going back to being in the Heartbreakers. Back to my old job.

“We’ve known each other a long time — since we were kids in Gainesville, Florida. We keep on refining it and finding more in our music.

“When we don’t, we’ll probably call it a day. But right now we’re all still anxious to do it.

“We just want to maintain a tradition of guitars and drums, having a rock group that really plays all their instruments. It’s funny, but that in itself is becoming a novelty these days. “I don’t go in for push-button drums and computers. I think it’s a lot more interesting to be in a group. “The Heartbreakers — we’re all just happy to be still around and have a job. None of us ever thought it would last this long. My challenge right now is to try and get a little more out of it.” Not before he squeezes in another plug for the solo project he’s still openly in love with.

“I feel a little embarrassed to be gushing on about my record. But every now and then you get one that feels real special to you and this one I really do like. I can even still put it on and listen to it ...”

“Full Moon Fever” review, page 23