keepers 3
keeper avg .200
"Jefferson Jericho Blues" starts the album off in the blues of Chicago, like Paul Butterfield, and moves the band further into the jam-band camp when the solo takes on a very "One Way Out" (Allman Brothers) flavor. Indeed, this first Tom Petty album to have an overtly blues-y theme, which the band does best on the deep and muddy "Takin' My Time" and slow-blues "Lover's Touch", though the mellower, Booker T. MG's moments ("Candy", "Let Yourself Go") seem lightweight. Petty echoes his fellow Willbury (Lucky that is) on "US 41" and even his mumble-y delivery on "Something Good Coming", while "Running Man's Bible" feels and is structured like a countrified "Runnin' Down A Dream." There are a few welcome moments of rock-n-roll bombast, such as "I Should Have Known It"****, the most Zeppelified and the most head-banging Tom Petty song ever, though Mike Campbell resembles Joe Perry more than Jimmy Page. Speaking of Pagey, the album closer "Good Enough"**** definitely lifts some of his riffs, while the song itself combines Dark Side-era Pink Floyd and The Beatles' "I Want You/She's So Heavy." And "First Flash Of Freedom"***** is a doozy, combining Crosby, Stills, Nash float-y swing with a nice circling bass line, and searing Allman Brothers' dual-lead solos; and if that wasn't enough that aggressive riff that begins and ends the song is like being beat about the head with fifth interval chords. Some great stuff.
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