Released in the fall of '94, Wildflowers came about during a period of change for Tom Petty. His first album since leaving MCA for Warner, and his first solo record since the 1989 smash hit Full Moon Fever, it introduced a new drummer (original Heartbreaker Stan Lynch left the group during recording) and tested the waters with a fresh producer. Petty was also in the early stages of separating from his wife of twenty-plus years, which led his songwriting in softer, more contemplative directions.
Armed with an exhaustive collection of candid behind-the-scenes footage, filmed and narrated by friends and family, this documentary takes us beyond the veil of a rock legend to reveal the man beneath. Fans won't be disappointed: the famously mellow, good-natured singer seems just as cool in the studio as he was on the stage. The music still holds up, too. It's been a few years since I gave this one a listen, but the old magic drifted back like memories of a good friend. Petty's one of those guys most people don't realize they love as much as they do. His greatest hits album is all killer, no filler, a dozen-and-a-half cuts that charted the course of pop/rock throughout the '70s and '80s. Wildflowers follows that same blueprint. It's rock-solid; even the deep cuts are grooves.
This record was a challenge - a lengthy writing and recording process that demanded tough answers and moved in uncomfortable directions - but the Petty we see in Somewhere You Feel Free faced it with patience and good humor. It's a privilege to eavesdrop on his constructive working relationship with longtime bandmates, to hear familiar songs emerge from rough drafts, and to catch his rapport with new producer Rick Rubin, who pushes him to expand his sound and test his limits as an artist. The world lost a little luster when Petty passed in 2017.
Armed with an exhaustive collection of candid behind-the-scenes footage, filmed and narrated by friends and family, this documentary takes us beyond the veil of a rock legend to reveal the man beneath. Fans won't be disappointed: the famously mellow, good-natured singer seems just as cool in the studio as he was on the stage. The music still holds up, too. It's been a few years since I gave this one a listen, but the old magic drifted back like memories of a good friend. Petty's one of those guys most people don't realize they love as much as they do. His greatest hits album is all killer, no filler, a dozen-and-a-half cuts that charted the course of pop/rock throughout the '70s and '80s. Wildflowers follows that same blueprint. It's rock-solid; even the deep cuts are grooves.
This record was a challenge - a lengthy writing and recording process that demanded tough answers and moved in uncomfortable directions - but the Petty we see in Somewhere You Feel Free faced it with patience and good humor. It's a privilege to eavesdrop on his constructive working relationship with longtime bandmates, to hear familiar songs emerge from rough drafts, and to catch his rapport with new producer Rick Rubin, who pushes him to expand his sound and test his limits as an artist. The world lost a little luster when Petty passed in 2017.