Mudcrutch

Petty continues to be at his best. Mudcrutch proves it. You won't be sorry to add this to your collection.

Everyone says that their album is good all the way through. Petty jokes/claims that his new album with Mudcrutch actually is - I took him up on it, kind of on a whim, because I like his earlier stuff. He was surprisingly close, but misses by a few songs. These aren't platinum smash hits, they are old school classics tribute-ing the wholesomeness of home. They aren't all hits, but the density of songs that connect per album is surprisingly high - my favs were the winsome 'shady grove' ('little bare feet on the floor') the radio hit 'scare easy' tho that gets old, six days on the road (excellent car song), the wrong thing to do, the cool-noir 'lover of the bayou' and 'bootleg flyer' last but not least. Like all good art Petty's reminiscing pulls out the past, unravels it, and stitches something that makes more sense than before.

Tom Petty and Heartbreakers, Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, reunite with former bandmates to produce the best Petty album in years. It sounds like he and the whole group had fun making this one too. There are at least four classic Petty tunes that rival his breakout early efforts, one of them eerily remiscent of Bob Dylan in his prime. "Shady Grove" and "Six Days on the Road" go back to the group's Gainseville, Florida country roots and, as with other offerings on the album, innovative, tight instrumentals add life to these two familiar songs. Always a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers fan, I'm now a Mudcrutch fan as well.

Classic Petty with country overtones. The best part is it grows on you. I could do without a couple of the classic country songs, six days on the road for example, but overall a great summer CD.

I'm hearing this album in my car for the first time. I'm returning from the post office, where I get my mail, and I'm hearing Bluegrass coming in through my stereo speakers. And I have to wonder, where the heck did Tom Petty come from. I suppose should find out from Google before I continue this review.
Anyway, it's not important. What matters is that Petty is a song writing master who can create music and lyrics utilizing any genre he cares to engage in. It's a pure, raw sound that is definite Americana.
When Petty agreed to partake in George Harrison's "Traveling Wilburys" project, he helped reenergize the "rockabilly" sound that started Roy Orbison's career. That sound too, is pure and raw Americana.
I love all the songs on this album and wished I have more time to disect each song, but I have appointments to keep and miles to go before I sleep.