Even the Losers Get Polled Sometimes: Tom Petty DAMN THE TORPEDOES

I have to go for the obvious: "Refugee" is almighty.

it's the tom petty album in a lot of ways, but it's never been my favorite. i mean, it's arguably his best and most solid top to bottom, but i think by the time i came to it half the tracks had already been permanently enshrined in rock radio rotation, so it was hard to hear it the way it might have sounded when it came out. heartbreakers at their absolute peak on this one, though.

Even The Losers

"refugee" is undeniable and i won't argue at all if it wins. its opening couple of bars by themselves deserve some kind of commendation. my personal pick is probably "even the losers," because i love the lyrics so much. (and the hook's fine too.) i also think the closing trio of tracks get overlooked.

"Here Comes My Girl"

As much as I love "Refugee," and as crazy as this might sound, "Listen to Her Heart" cuts most of these tunes to shreds.

btw tipsy I'm polling Southern Accents next; I've a few thoughts.

yeah "listen to her heart" is why there's no point in polling that second album. there's basically "listen to her heart" >>>> "i need to know" >>>>>>>>>>> everything else.

southern accents poll will be good. that's a problematic record in lots of ways, but also some great tracks.

'We've got armadillos in our trousers'

there's no point in polling that second album.

It also has one of his best ballads, No Second Thoughts.

Tough one. Might go with "Don't Do Me Like That" -- total AM radio gold, except for Petty's sandpapery voice.

"don't do me like that" but this from the latest 'rolling stone' is kind of cool: "Even the Losers" is an amazing story. I had written all of it but the chorus. Every time I got there, I drew a blank. This is how bold I was. I said, "Let's cut the song; I'll get those words later." On the first run-through, those were the words that came out: "Even the losers/Get lucky sometime." It fell out of my mouth, a perfect example of working backward to get to the right thing.

My rockin' grandparents bought this for me (on 8-track tape) while it was still on the charts; 10 years later, Gramps bought Full Moon Fever for himself. He woulda been about 75-ish at the time.

Voted "Century City" just so it won't get shut out

hell of an A side on this thing.

"refugee" is an all-time classic for the riff alone... that and the fills throughout put mike campbell in the big leagues. but it's hardly flawless. The whole "refugee" conceit never quite jells but you forgive because who cares this shit rocks..

but "even the losers" is the JAM. An old story we all know told so well it sounds new. The chords are right, the melody's right, the phrasing is right... Might be my Petty POO tbh.

got some love for "shadow of a doubt" too, but yeah...

The chords are right, the melody's right, the phrasing is right... Might be my Petty POO tbh.

yeah it might be mine too. i love the verses, but what really puts it over for me is the bridge, the two cars parked on the overpass. so evocative. the key to his good lyrics (they aren't all good, obv) is the eye/ear for detail, the specificity. that it's nearly summer, that they smoked cigarettes, that he tried to show her constellations.

this is as buried as any track gets on this album, and it's still pretty great.

live and in color

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB42I5PO5_4

^clip just sealed my vote^

This album was played to death-squared at my high school. The guys could never figure out why all the girls had crushes on TP. Looking at the video clip, I still don't get it. Guess it was the great music.

I'll be the one to vote for Louisiana Rain. I love its relaxed country-tinged vibe.

the demo version of "louisiana rain" on the petty box set has a couple lyrical switches. originally in the first verse, he's taken in "by an aging boardwalk queen." in the second verse, he gets in trouble with "some mean old poison that i took up my nose." but the "english refugee" in the 3rd verse is the same: eating pills like candy, and chasing them with tea.

what really puts it over for me is the bridge, the two cars parked on the overpass

i almost mentioned this as well! absolutely seals the deal. You know right then it's too good to last!

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

the key to his good lyrics (they aren't all good, obv) is the eye/ear for detail, the specificity. that it's [i]nearly summer...[/i]

yeah, it was kinda cold that night...

in that Refugee clip, does anyone know what that obscure little screen on top right side of Benmont's Hammond (shown around the 2:00 mark)is all about?

has that Napoleon Dynamite guy ever done any Petty impressions? dead ringer

does anyone know what that obscure little screen on top right side of Benmont's Hammond

It's actually a monitor. You can see one just like it on the other side around :58 - 1:02.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

shakey u voted 6 times?

loooool

y'all reppin for Refugee and votin for something else...

Here Comes My Girl tops it for me because of its narrative structure, punctuated by the beautiful Byrds-y chorus - its standard rock cliche about being redeemed by love but it just builds it up so perfectly. at first its just spare chords and "aw man remember when things were better, I hate this town, I'm all confused and fucked up" and then bang in walks the girl and the sun comes out and the harmonies and chiming piano comes in and everything's better. Kinda Spector-ish in the way it tells the story.

that's as perfect a description of that song's magic as i've ever seen... it's just not as visceral as Refugee... or Even The Losers which kind of fuses the best elements of both

lol apollo/dionysus/hegel in mid-seventies major label release by bands from florida

my favorite Tom Petty song is "Last Nite" by the Strokes

jk

LOOOOL

sb

been listenin' to the new live release and disc one may be the best single Petty disc ever. also, "Refugee" flat-out rawks!; "She's a woman in love" is a brilliant version; "friend of the devil" is Dead-worthy; and most impressively, "oh well" on disc four cuts fleetwood mac's own version down, IMO.
it's nice that the early, obscure, previously unreleased "Surrender" is on the set, but i was hoping for a "Casa Dega", too. anyway, it's a nice price and a pretty great set.

what the hell is "refugee" about?
"casa vega" is a great b-side

*casa DEGA oops

i read that they formed the song in like 20 minutes and the lyrics came together naturally.. which makes me think they're not really about anything. I know he was pissed at mca or abc at this time for selling his contract or w/e

can't believe you guys did "Don't Do Me Like That" like that, one of my all-time favorites

yeah "Don't Do Me Like That" is the best one here

i agree

love the 9th chord totally kills it