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Original Article By: Dennis Cook - June 8, 2010
Today we kick off a new series of posts called JamBase Rewind in which we present
some of the many
wonderful features we've published over the last 13 years. For our first installment of
JamBase Rewind we look back at
an article Dennis Cook wrote about Tom Petty in 2010. Petty, who hits the road with The
Heartbreakers on May 16 for a
six-week tour, discussed his new-at-the-time album Mojo, his reunion with
Mudcrutch and much more
with Cook.
Tom Petty by Sam Jones |
Gris-gris, jack ball, hoodoo bag – all different names for the same thing, a totem that
signifies rejuvenation, root
energy, life force. When one's mojo is workin' they hum from the inside out and their
actions strike like a marksman's
arrow, sharp and true. So, it's fitting that the latest long-player by Tom Petty & The
Heartbreakers
is dubbed
Mojo
(arriving June 15 on Reprise/WEA). Despite 35 years and counting on the ramparts,
this band sounds like they
scored a swell new mojo hand, coming on as fired up and ready to wave rock's banner as
they did back in 1976.
Mojo feels engaged on every level, the unadulterated sound of a rock band making
rock music.
"That's exactly what it was. We had a terrific time doing it. I don't think we could have
had more fun," says Petty. "We
recorded it live-in-the-studio. We did a few overdubs, not a lot, and the rule was to try
and not do any. We like it and
feel really good about it."
Mojo is the first Petty and the Heartbreakers studio release since 2002's The
Last DJ and the first time
recording together again after the 2008 self-titled Mudcrutch record, where Petty and Heartbreakers Mike
Campbell and
Benmont Tench reformed their pre-Heartbreakers band. That record was similarly cut
with a live approach
and influenced Mojo's general feel.
"I think the Mudcrutch record turned a lot of things around for me in terms of how I
approach recording. That was
such a pleasurable thing. It was a record that we made that I actually like to go back
and listen to [laughs]. I
don't normally do that; I'm usually fed up with it by the time I'm done with it.
[Afterwards], I thought, 'Why would I do
it any other way?' and let's see how it works on the Heartbreakers," explains Petty.
"With the Heartbreakers, we hadn't
made a record in so long I really wanted it to be really good."
The new record has a darker hue in places than some chapters in the Petty catalogue, with
a thick, present sound and
lyrics so sharp they draw blood. A bit of Mudcrutch's psychedelic bent also finds its way
into the proceedings,
particularly on standout "First Flash of Freedom."
"The takes were usually very early takes, and I wanted to leave room for improvisation.
We didn't really demo this up. I
just came in with my guitar, played them a song on it and took it from there," says Petty.
"So, everyone had a lot to
contribute. I guess 'organic' is an overused word but it is pretty organic because it was
created right there on the
studio floor. We didn't polish it up. We just took it as it wa
The new record has a darker hue in places than some chapters in the Petty catalogue, with
a thick, present sound and
lyrics so sharp they draw blood. A bit of Mudcrutch's psychedelic bent also finds its way
into the proceedings,
particularly on standout "First Flash of Freedom."
"The takes were usually very early takes, and I wanted to leave room for
improvisation. We didn't really
demo this up. I
just came in with my guitar, played them a song on it and took it from there," says
Petty. "So, everyone had a lot to
contribute. I guess 'organic' is an overused word but it is pretty organic because it
was created right there on the
studio
floor. We didn't polish it up. We just took it as it was. The groove was the
important thing. I wanted everything to
have a deep pocket, and I think we succeeded pretty much on that level."
In 2010, rock has largely lost its hips, ceded the dance floor to urban soul and
mainstream pop and country,
forgetting
its early primary purpose of getting folks to sway and grind together to the beat.
Thankfully, masters like Petty and
his
running partners haven't lost the script.
"Swing is the key word. The swing has kind of gone away, and it's become a little
stiff to me. I really admire
what
Booker T & The MGs do, that sort of groove. JJ Cale has a great groove, too," offers
Petty. "This is what the band has
grown into [laughs]. This accurately reflects what we've turned into. We've got
a lot deeper pocket than we
used to. In the early '80s I don't think we would have or could have made this record."
Even Rock Stars Get The Blues
Petty & The
Heartbreakers by Mary Ellen Matthews
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There's a blues undercurrent to the album, from the title to opener "Jefferson Jericho
Blues" to something more
indefinable and haunted in the shadows. If anything, Mojo hews close to the
blazing blues-rock of early
Fleetwood Mac.
"I love Peter Green!
He's
one of my idols. I could listen to Peter Green all day. And that's very much what I
had in mind on a lot of the [new]
stuff. I wanted to get a sound that mixed up say the Chicago Chess stuff and John Mayall, Peter
Green's Fleetwood Mac,
early Jeff Beck Group. These were records I played to the engineer a lot before we
began the project," says Petty. "I
told
him, 'I want the guitars right up loud, as loud as the vocals when [Mike] plays,' and I
think we succeeded at that.
Mike's
just amazing. He really stepped up and did his part."
Campbell is right out front on Mojo. It's a refreshing change of pace and
perhaps a chance for
folks who
haven't paid close attention the past 35 years to discover just how tremendous a
guitarist Mike Campbell truly is.
Often
he's an extremely tasteful, subtle, respectful player, working into the muscular of the
music rather than riding on top.
"I tried to kinda drum that out of him [laughs]. It was like, 'Okay, let's
show 'em what you can do.
Just rip and
have some fun.' He never let us down," enthuses Petty. "I've known Mike and Ben for so
long and they still amaze
me. I
couldn't dream of playing with anyone else."
Tench, Campbell and Petty have played together for close to four decades, and yet
their chemistry and
obvious
camaraderie make each new chapter feel fresh and exciting for them, which in turn sparks
off fan enthusiasm in a
very
tangible way. Nothing compares with the force of a shared endeavor that guys put their
backs into, and these three
do
that again & again.
Vintage Mike Campbell by Dennis Callahan
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"What else would I want? I've always been so satisfied with them and the position I'm in
with them," Petty says. "When
we came together we had very similar record collections, very similar tastes, and that's
always been important to us,
that
our reference points are really clear. But I've always felt it was a little bit of luck
that they walked into my life when
they
did. And I think we all respect each other and we're who each of us wants to play with."
The impression from the outside may sometimes be that this is Tom Petty's band but
spend a little time talking
with the
man and it's clear he sees this as a full-blooded collaboration. And it always has been
in his mind.
"We've never looked at it as me and a backup group. We've always treated the band
as equals. Maybe I'm
sort of the
final stamp of approval, but I think everybody has an equal input. And it's not
something we work on; it's very
natural.
We don't talk about it a lot, we just do it," says Petty. "I'm very grateful for
whatever force of nature brought them to
me."
"Mike has always understood [me]. If I have a song he'll play something better
than I picture it. He'll always
hand me
something better than what I handed him. There's very little to say but, 'Oh yeah,
that's great.' It's a great little
group
and I'm really glad I'm still in it."
Continue reading for more on the new album, new tour and Mudcrutch...
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