Tom Petty — 282, 283

ALBUMS: Damn the Torpedoes (1979); Let me Up I’ve Had Enough (1987);

MVC Ratings: Torpedoes, 4.5/$$$$; Let me up 4.0/$$$.

Of course like nearly every Florida southern boy (at least partly) I was a big fan of the Gainesville, FL, native. He became big when I was in late high school, early college age. ‘Let Me Up’ came out about the time CD’s were taking over and I’m kind of surprised i don’t have this in CD format.

The Let Me Up album was a surprise — I don’t think I listened to it much and it has some great playing and singing on it. Jammin’ Me is a good one although it exposed what may be the reason this album was on the verge of busting out but never had the song to push that on through. Jammin’ Me has a lot of cultural references that I think are cool and most people got. But when you are raising up issues in song about the news, sometimes the stories get old in a 24-hour news cycle.

I would also like to point out here that one of Petty’s best records, unbeknownst to much of the public, was the soundtrack to the movie “She’s the One.” His masterpiece, I believe was ‘Full Moon Fever,’ but that movie soundtrack had some of Petty’s best work such as Walls Pt. 1 and 2; Change the Lock; Asshole and California.

If memory serves me correctly.

I remember we had a road trip to see Petty the main act with the DelFuegos and the Georgia Satellites. Fun time had by all. If memory again serves me correctly. There was me, Bob Carlton, Rick Bragg and Dennis Love. But that may be wrong. I know I was there.