Details
Contributing Artists:
Benmont Tench, Carl Wilson, Howie Epstein, Jim Horn, Michael Kamen, Mike Campbell, Ringo Starr
Distributor:
WEA Distributor
Recording Type:
Studio
Recording Mode:
Stereo
SPAR Code:
n/a
Album Notes
Personnel: Tom Petty vocals, acoustic electric guitars,
harmonica, piano, organ, bass Michael Kamen conductor Carl Wilson
vocals Mike Campbell acoustic electric guitars, sitar,
harpsichord, bass Marty Rifkin pedal steel guitar Jim Horn, Brandon
Fields, Gary Herbig, Kim Hutchcroft saxophone Benmont Tench
acoustic electric pianos, organ, harmonium, Mellotron Howie
Epstein bass, background vocals John Pierce bass Steve Ferrone,
Ringo Starr drums Lenny Castro, Phil Jones percussion .
Producers: Rick Rubin, Tom Petty, Mike Campbell.
Engineers: Jim Scott, David Bianco, Richard Dodd.
Recorded at Sound City and Ocean Way Recording, Los Angeles, California.
You Don t Know How It Feels won a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Male Rock
Vocal Performance. WILDFLOWERS won a 1996 Grammy for Best Engineered
Album, Non-Classical. WILDFLOWERS was also nominated for Best Rock
Album.
It is hard to believe that Tom Petty first stepped onto the rock
roll carousel eighteen years ago. Hard to believe because the best
moments of his sizable catalog--the perfect guitar pop of American
Girl, the faux-psychedelia of Don t Come Around Here
No More, the sharp-tongued putdowns like Century City and Zombie
Zoo --have all developed a rare timeless quality. A quality that few, if
any, of his contemporaries Eddie Money, the Cars, etc. were able to
achieve. Harder, still, because in the course
of his long career we ve never noticed Petty gettin on in years or
becoming an anachronism.
So it is somehow appropriate that on WILDFLOWERS, his second solo ride
without the full complement of the Heartbreakers, Petty s musings fall
predominantly toward his current role in the world. Throughout these
reflections Tom Petty plays the kid s game he s
been good at for years but let me get to the point, let s roll
another joint he sneers knowingly in You Don t Know How It Feels .
More often than not, the future the songwriter envisions for himself is
full of doubts Time To Move On and soon-to-be-dull
memories Don t Fade On Me . This makes WILDFLOWERS speak in a far
more subdued and wistful tone than most Petty records, creating a darker
self-conscious persona.
Tom Petty understands that he s far too established to keep playing a
rebellious, one-dimensional rock roll singer. On WILDFLOWERS he
attempts to ground this understanding in a purposeful existence.
Editorial Reviews
Included in Rolling Stone s Essential Recordings of the 90 s.
Rolling Stone 05/13/1999
Included in Mojo s 25 Best Albums of 1994 - ...highlights Petty s oddly
poignant pop writing which, though full of nostalgic resonances, sounds
fresher than ever...
Mojo 01/01/1995
8 - Excellent - ...the soundtrack for people who felt they were experiencing their mid-life crisis at 14...
NME 11/19/1994
Recommended - ...Petty has an evocative voice, and writes great, simple
melodies. These are his strong points, and both are amply in evidence on
WILDFLOWERS...
Spin 01/01/1995
4 Stars - Excellent - ...Petty s music...has always demanded a respect
that no amount of wry humility could undermine, and his new album
WILDFLOWERS proves no exception...
Rolling Stone 11/03/1994
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