T or F: If Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers had written and recorded "You May Be Right" instead of Billy Joel, it would have been among their best songs and greatest achievements

tbh, back in the day billy joel seemed to fancy himself a greasy NYC tough -- like this video, where Billy and crew morph from looking they walked offa the set of either mean streets or the warriors into the slick 1970s NYC studio hobbits that they really were:

#!

― kurwa mać (Polish for "long life") (Eisbaer), Saturday, 17 March 2012 22:07 (1 year ago) Permalink

tom petty vs. billy joel poll?

― sleepingbag, Saturday, 17 March 2012 22:41 (1 year ago) Permalink

LISTEN, that's simply the greatest segue in 70s videos. "Yo, Vito. Let's get movin'. Cetera's waiting for us back in the studio!"

― pplains, Sunday, 18 March 2012 00:34 (1 year ago) Permalink

LET'S SEE OL' MR. THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART PULL SOMETHING LIKE THIS OFF.

― pplains, Sunday, 18 March 2012 00:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

otm, also never seen that video before - awesome.

― Doctor Casino, Sunday, 18 March 2012 00:45 (1 year ago) Permalink

ok that video is kinda neat ... it also gets right to what a scuzz BJ is.

― kurwa mać (Polish for "long life") (Eisbaer), Sunday, 18 March 2012 05:54 (1 year ago) Permalink

lol compare that song with "Elstree" by the Buggles - songs from 1980 with responsporial vocals that go "O-o-o-o" or "O-o-o."

― timellison, Sunday, 18 March 2012 06:32 (1 year ago) Permalink

Oh man, I love ''Elstree'' and wd buy a comp of only such songs

― Doctor Casino, Sunday, 18 March 2012 06:34 (1 year ago) Permalink

lene lovich's "lucky number" pretty much reigns high and mighty over that particular singing tic, does it not?!?

― kurwa mać (Polish for "long life") (Eisbaer), Sunday, 18 March 2012 06:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

Just listened to that - great song, but different kind of "oh ooh OHHH" I'd say.

― Doctor Casino, Sunday, 18 March 2012 15:21 (1 year ago) Permalink

xp The music, vocal melody and production of "You Got Lucky" are a million times more enjoyable than anything in "You May Be Right."

― billstevejim, Sunday, 18 March 2012 16:20 (1 year ago) Permalink

Speaking of "Sometimes a Fantasy," as much as I love Tom Petty, I don't think he has the strength to do this to a piano:

― we can be gyros just for one day (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 18 March 2012 16:40 (1 year ago) Permalink

That's true, "You Got Lucky" has aged well.

― โตเกียวเหมียวเหมียว aka Colored on TV! (Mount Cleaners), Sunday, 18 March 2012 16:52 (1 year ago) Permalink

I've never disliked You Got Lucky.. I'm not sure why it's been used here for comparison.

― billstevejim, Sunday, 18 March 2012 16:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

How weird it is to see the "You Got Lucky" video today... a young Tom Petty & Heartbreakers finding 30-year-old video games and music equipment. Only change they'd need to make is to have them drive up in a PT Cruiser.

― pplains, Sunday, 18 March 2012 17:53 (1 year ago) Permalink

I've never disliked You Got Lucky.. I'm not sure why it's been used here for comparison.

I mentioned it just cuz it's sort of thematically similar to "You May Be Right" -- both are basically assertions of "Hey, I'm pretty awesome" to obviously skeptical women.

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 18 March 2012 18:08 (1 year ago) Permalink

(And I've always liked the video's complete lack of engagement with the lyrics. It's endearing and makes me wish there had been a Saturday morning cartoon featuring a time-traveling Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.)

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 18 March 2012 18:09 (1 year ago) Permalink

idk "You May Be Right" to me comes across as "I'm a piece of crap, but c'mon, you know you really love me..and besides some of my craziness is your fault".

― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Sunday, 18 March 2012 18:10 (1 year ago) Permalink

xpost

― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Sunday, 18 March 2012 18:10 (1 year ago) Permalink

What exactly is Billy's problem in that clip? The audience just seem to be grooving.

― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Monday, 19 March 2012 18:31 (1 year ago) Permalink

The show was part of Billy's USSR tour, and was being filmed for a documentary/home video release. The lighting crew/director kept bringing up the house lights on the audience in order to get crowd shots. It distracted Billy, obviously, but his claim was that he didn't want the audience to feel like Soviet cops were watching them.

― we can be gyros just for one day (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 19 March 2012 18:38 (1 year ago) Permalink

Also, those Yamaha electric pianos weigh as much as Rhode Island. Billy must've turned into the Hulk or something.

― we can be gyros just for one day (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 19 March 2012 18:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

HULK JOEL TAKES SHIT FROM NOBODY

― pplains, Monday, 19 March 2012 18:41 (1 year ago) Permalink

i fucking hate this song so much

― JIM THOMETHEUS (zachlyon), Monday, 19 March 2012 18:44 (1 year ago) Permalink

Friday night HULK SMASH YOUR PARTY
Saturday, Hulk say HULK SORRY
Sunday came,
HULK SMASH IT OUT AGAIN

― Doctor Casino, Monday, 19 March 2012 18:51 (1 year ago) Permalink

lol

― EZ Snappin, Monday, 19 March 2012 18:55 (1 year ago) Permalink

hahaha

― pplains, Monday, 19 March 2012 18:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

irl lol

― we can be gyros just for one day (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 19 March 2012 18:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

If CCR had written and recorded "Witchy Woman" instead of the Eagles...
― chocolatepiekid, Friday, 4 December 2009 20:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

I can sorta hear Petty singing You Might Be Right, and it would sorta work, but what I really want to hear is ^^^

― On the sidelines in a trash can grumping (Dan Peterson), Monday, 19 March 2012 20:18 (1 year ago) Permalink

okay full confession: I did not know Kool G Rap's "Road to the Riches" was built around a Billy Joel sample

― the sir edmund hillary of sitting through pauly shore films (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 19 March 2012 20:23 (1 year ago) Permalink

I don't know if it would be the best thing ever, but this thread is making me wish I could hear Petty covering this tune. He released a live box set with a ton of covers recently, so I guess it could still happen. Someone should send him this thread.

― o. nate, Monday, 19 March 2012 20:28 (1 year ago) Permalink

I actually had the idea one night listening to some prog song that it could be converted to the chiming guitars and McGuinn-isms of Petty. I think it was "Northern Lights" by Renaissance, but I just listened to that, and I must have been high.

― On the sidelines in a trash can grumping (Dan Peterson), Monday, 19 March 2012 20:30 (1 year ago) Permalink

okay full confession: I did not know Kool G Rap's "Road to the Riches" was built around a Billy Joel sample

Yeah! That's the one being played at the beginning of the "My Life" video upthread.

― pplains, Monday, 19 March 2012 20:35 (1 year ago) Permalink

"You May Be Right" as is would fit right in on a Johnny Cougar (Mellancamp) album like American Fool or Uh Huh, when his sound was pretty much cold tapping the Stones before he brought in the violin and the accordion. I definitely think "You May Be Right" has a big time Stones sound especially with the harp and beat.

I think it is a pretty good rock and roll tune, there is just the automatic flinch factor that it is the dude that did "Piano Man".

― earlnash, Tuesday, 20 March 2012 00:16 (1 year ago) Permalink

if looks could kill, this dude's face is genocide

― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Tuesday, 20 March 2012 01:29 (1 year ago) Permalink

hodor

― balls, Tuesday, 20 March 2012 02:07 (1 year ago) Permalink

There is definitely some Stones in "You May Be Right" - also some "new wave". Check out his outfit on the cover of the single:

Other bands who might be able to do interesting covers of "You May Be Right": The Cars, Elvis Costello

― o. nate, Tuesday, 20 March 2012 14:05 (1 year ago) Permalink

That pic above but one: Who painted a face on a lightbulb?

― Mark G, Tuesday, 20 March 2012 14:19 (1 year ago) Permalink

daaaaamn Joan Jett was mannish in '80.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 March 2012 14:26 (1 year ago) Permalink

Man, just listened to the first side of Glass Houses for the first time in a while - it's pretty damned solid. Nobody's idea of a great new wave record but as far as pop-rock goes I'd rate it decently. Wouldn't say it's his best but I think it's underrated within his catalogue.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 29 March 2012 02:06 (1 year ago) Permalink

dunno about Tom Petty, but somebody coulda really gone somewhere with this - good material on this record!

― Doctor Casino, Friday, 30 March 2012 02:44 (1 year ago) Permalink

^^^^ The standout gem on this record, along w/the rarely discussed Don't Ask Me Why. Still have unabashed love for this record more than 30 years after first buying it.

― jpattzlovevampz 2 hours ago (Phil D.), Friday, 30 March 2012 13:22 (1 year ago) Permalink