Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have been together since the mid ‘70s, and since then they’ve released 17 albums as a band, done solo projects, revitalized their band prior to becoming the Heartbreakers - Mudcrutch - have toured the world many times over, have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and have worked with epitomal rock legends such as Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and more, sold more than 60 million albums and have amassed legions of fans running the gamut in age. What’s left for this band to accomplish?
Well, that answer’s easy. Make more solid rock ‘n roll music for their fans, of course.
Enter “Mojo,” the band’s first album with Petty since 2002’s “The Last DJ,” where this usually steady, American heartland/garage rock band takes on foreign territory to the band, but territory that’s highly influenced the group - the blues.
The rest of the band’s lineup includes Mike Campbell on guitar, Scott Thurston on guitar and harmonica, Benmont Tench on keyboards, Ron Blair on bass and Steve Ferrone on drums, and they help set the tone nicely for the band’s loose, freewheeling interpretations of the dirty South.
The album opens with “Jefferson Jericho Blues,” in which Petty pens a track about Thomas Jefferson’s extramarital affairs with maids that also hints at a disdain for modern-day Southern racism. Slide pedal steel guitar, faster-paced drums, harmonica and more all solidify the bluesy jam sound the band was going for. The track remains lighthearted and translates to a song about missing a girl when time passes by too slowly.
The fourth track “The Trip to Pirate’s Cove” highlights Tench’s pianowork and the guitar and drums provide solid bases for the lyrics. “In my buddy’s old Defender/ we ran until the gas got low/ we were flying close to heaven/ everything was starting to glow” painted a slower-paced yet not sleepy, romantic, idyllic song that sounds perfect for driving. Campbell’s guitar solo is epic, drawn out and filled with bluesy lust.
“I Should Have Known It” pushes its way to the fore as a standout on “Mojo,” revving up the Heartbreakers’ rock engines and throwing in loads of heavy guitar and drum. “I should’ve known it/ I should’ve seen/ leave it to you/ to treat me mean” affirms a situation about seeing a girl with a bad rep, and getting hurt in the end. Campbell is akin to Jimmy Page here, letting loose on a Zepplin-esque blues and rock combo that’s unbeatable when listened to at full volume.
With the release of “Mojo” and the band furiously touring to promote it and sate diehard fans wishing to hear new songs mixed with classics, Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers prove that they’ve still got it, they still make music worth listening to and enjoying for years and affirms that they are one of the last living and true American rock ‘n roll bands.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers recently visited the Gorge and are currently on tour promoting “Mojo.” To hear new songs, buy the album, see more tour dates and learn more about the band, visit their website at www.tompetty.com.
