New Tom Petty/Heartbreakers Compilation: "The Best of Everything"

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by McCool, Oct 5, 2018.

  1. DolphinsIntheJacuzzi

    DolphinsIntheJacuzzi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    This makes much more sense. It would also explain why there are unreleased tracks on both sets.
     
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  2. DolphinsIntheJacuzzi

    DolphinsIntheJacuzzi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    No, but before the digital era, there was an industry standard for volume levels. Nowadays, you'd have to go back and individually balance each track to a set standard just to make the set listenable.
     
  3. McCool

    McCool Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Hey gang

    - So I decided to give myself a few days to ruminate over what is what that I wanted to say exactly regarding the current and likely future Tom Petty/Heartbreakers archival releases. To begin with nothing of what follows should be looked upon as an attempt on my part to coerce or entice anyone to buy any commercial music product. Sometimes what gets lost in discussions such as these is it is ultimately the consumer who decides whether or not to purchase product. Therefore, the consumer is not being forced to buy a product just based upon it's sheer availability on the market. If in this case purchasing unreleased archival music that has been authorized for release by Tom Petty's estate and The Heartbreakers is not to your taste, then by all means nobody is forcing you to buy it.

    - Secondly, Mark Felsot (of SiriusXM's "Tom Petty Radio") took the opportunity this past weekend to remind Tom Petty/Heartbreakers fans that their catalog is spread out between two labels. These two labels were once upon a time known as MCA and Warners but are now distributed through Geffen Records/UMe and Reprise. According to Felsot, in order to get all of the extant material to be included on "An American Treasure", a deal needed to be struck to satisfy both labels. As Felsot correctly noted "record labels by their nature sell records". Additionally, one point of dialog that I find to be truly unfortunate regarding any current/future Tom Petty archival releases, is the idea that Tom Petty's legacy is somehow being exploited by those closest to him. From my vantage point, nothing can be further from the truth. As some of you are no doubt aware, the two conventional means that a classic rock artist has of making revenue is through the release of albums and especially through concert tours. Sadly those options are no longer available as it pertains to Tom Petty/Heartbreakers. Therefore, in their place unconventional avenues such as the release of commemorative merchandise and archival collections become the primary way for the estate and the band to earn money going forward. So to me, that is not indicative of trying to "cash-in" on an artist's legacy and instead an extension of being a commercial artist. While the consumer is under no obligation to purchase any product, in my opinion they over step the mark when they believe they have the right to dictate the course/trajectory of a given artist's legacy.

    - Finally, it is worth taking into consideration that it is through the release of collections such as "An American Treasure" and "The Best of Everything - The Definitive Career Spanning Hits Collection 1976-2016" that folks who are unfamiliar with the catalog or never had an opportunity to see the band in concert can get acquainted with Tom Petty/Heartbreakers music and hopefully become fans. As much as many of us die-hards find ourselves firmly in camp "An American Treasure", a narrative box set is not necessarily to everyone's tastes. Remember most die-hard fans usually begin as casuals who pick up a hits collection, enjoy what the hear and make the decision that the artist warrants further exploration.

    Regardless of whatever collection you choose to add to your record shelf, at the heart of the matter is that Tom Petty/Heartbreakers fans are being afforded the opportunity to hear some truly wonderful music from the archives, something that should not be taken for granted.

    ~ Cheers!
     
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  4. tlake6659

    tlake6659 Senior Member

    Location:
    NJ
    That's fine, but they should have included the 2 unreleased tracks on American Treasure as well.
     
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  5. AKA

    AKA Senior Member

    I’ve since read that Tom wasn’t a fan of “Make It Better,” so if I ever revisit my comp, I’ll exclude it and replace it, perhaps with “The Best of Everything” or “Runaway Trains.”
     
  6. The CD for American treasure isn't brickwalled so I see no reason for this to be.

    I love his version of "Something In The Air" and the fact that it isn't on here (didn't it get airplay?) is a bit disappointing but I have it elsewhere.
     
    N.T.Wrong likes this.
  7. Thomas Casagranda

    Thomas Casagranda Forum Resident

    I'll buy this on top of what I have already: I have American Treasure, Playback, Echo, The Last DJ, Mojo, Hypnotic Eye, Mudcrutch, Mudcrutch II, Bidin' My Time, Back From Rio, Wallflowers, She's The One OST, Full Moon Fever, Into The Great Wide Open, Let Me Up, Pack Up The Plantations, Live Anthology, Damn The Torpedoes, Knocked Out Loaded, Wilburys, Unchained, Bella Donna, etc etc.

    Hey, even TP's appearances on other artist's albums are great !!
     
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  8. ryan de topanga

    ryan de topanga Forum Resident

    Location:
    Topanga CA USA
    Before the digital era the songs from original tapes would have been copied and sequenced to a second tape (the "cutting master" or "EQ Copy"), losing a generation and further degrading the sound. Nowadays, especially since some of the masters are digital only (and never were analog), it makes more sense to use Hi-Res digital files for the cutting master.

    If possible we'll always use the original source for mastering, when we can't (as is the case with this compilation), we believe the sound of the original masters translates better to vinyl through using digital for the cutting master, rather than second generation analog. In addition, for archival purposes, this digital cutting master can be copied and used to create vinyl for other territories and re-releases without degradation. In the old days, the second generation EQ copy-cutting master would be copied again to create vinyl in other places. That's why so many old records can sound so bad, there was no guarantee of the source of the tapes that were used to create them. Many were cut from third (and even 4th) generation copies.

    With Hi-Res Digital (and current vinyl releases) we can get you a lot closer to the sound of what we were listening to when we mixed this stuff. Now is the best time for those that are into high quality sound.
     
  9. Indeed, I could see this easily being a four disc set or even a six LP set. Petty had a lot of great deep album tracks and b-sides out there which certainly deserve attention in a set like this. yes, a lot of that is taken up with "American Treasure" but that's kind of like "Anthology" to me with all of its alternative mixes, etc.
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2018
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  10. jmxw

    jmxw Fab Forum Fan

    I was going to post that I was surprised there was not a track from American Treasure on the new comp, until I read this. I did not realize his material had not been consolidated under one label yet.

    Now these two releases make much more sense... :magoo:
     
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  11. DolphinsIntheJacuzzi

    DolphinsIntheJacuzzi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    An American Treasure is a Warner Bros. release. The Best of Everything is Universal. They're likely using the same sources for many, if not all, of the tracks. But it doesn't necessarily follow that they'll have the same mastering / EQ.
     
    ARK likes this.
  12. McCool

    McCool Forum Resident Thread Starter

    For those interested Benmont Tench will be going live on the official Tom Petty/Heartbreakers Facebook page in around a half hour 3 P.M. ET/12 P.M. PT where he will speak about "An American Treasure" and take questions from fans regarding the release.

    Link: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
     
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  13. DolphinsIntheJacuzzi

    DolphinsIntheJacuzzi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Does anybody have the lyrics to this second verse? I'm having problems understanding a few lines.
     
  14. DolphinsIntheJacuzzi

    DolphinsIntheJacuzzi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    It also explains why An American Treasure has beautiful artwork that looks stunning, while The Best of Everything has a cover that looks like a grey-market comp.
     
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  15. McCool

    McCool Forum Resident Thread Starter

    2nd Verse:

    Yeah and it's a rough way of living
    And it's a hard price to pay
    But she looked around and she just couldn't see it any other way

    Cause we've been looking at it's limits
    And the rich all seem so poor
    Well some said they were happy, but they never really looked sure
     
  16. ElevatorSkyMovie

    ElevatorSkyMovie Senior Member

    Location:
    Oklahoma
    Cool. Hopefully the hi-res versions will be available for separate purchase as well.
     
  17. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    Bidin' My Time is excellent. One of the best albums of last year.

    Tom, wherever he is, can be entirely proud of his work there.
     
  18. windfall

    windfall Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    Interesting. I’ve been singing it quite a bit at gigs and open mics and I have it as “cos being good looking had its limits”. Which fits the narrative better by my reckoning.
     
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  19. McCool

    McCool Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I listening to it again right now and I'm hearing your interpretation as well. :shtiphat:

    Edit: Just checked with a source who would know better than I. You are correct windfall. The line should read "Cause being good looking had it's limits". So when are you going to post your cover version?
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2018
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  20. windfall

    windfall Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    I do love that middle verse. Such sadness in that “she looked around and she just couldn’t see it any other way”. Perfect.
     
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  21. The Killer

    The Killer Dung Heap Rooster

    Location:
    The Cotswolds
    Most of us get that but the fact is they put two unreleased tracks on a Best Of and really they should have been on American Treasure or similar/future releases, lots of folks who already have everything on the Best Of will buy the physical product just for that. The reality is that is a bit cynical, no doubt about it. And saying that isn't having a pop at the TP estate/legacy/band, etc. it's a marketing ploy and that, for me, is a little bit disappointing.
     
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  22. Dr. Zoom

    Dr. Zoom Forum Resident

    Location:
    Monmouth County NJ
    Well, the “record companies” got my $$$ for AAT, but they won’t for TBOE. And many will no doubt “get creative” in obtaining the bonus tracks on TBOE since they “just didn’t make it for some reason” on AAT. And on and on it goes.
    Still think it smells bad.
     
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  23. windfall

    windfall Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    Ha ha! I will wait until I can get some studio time and do it properly!
     
  24. beatleroadie

    beatleroadie Forum Resident

    Only thing is the Wilburys songs you mention were mostly George songs (with some lyrics from the others).

    I do think "Last Night" from the Wilburys is the most solo Petty song in the bunch, and it would have been great to include it in a comprehensive Petty album, just as a nod to the Wilburys! Good point.

    On this compilations album art:

    I LOVE IT....Except for the small explanatory text at the bottom which I think could have been on the back cover not the front. Just having TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS as is at the top, and THE BEST OF EVERYTHING at the bottom with more whitespace would have been powerful.

    I do like the B&W photo "floating" in white in general though.
     
    Hep Alien likes this.
  25. sonofjim

    sonofjim Senior Member

    I figure I’ll be kicking myself when the limited clear vinyl sells out so I went ahead and pre-ordered it. I didn’t do it for the bonus tracks. I didn’t do it to be a completist. I did it because I think it’ll most likely be a great sounding interestingly sequenced super cool bit of Petty memorabilia.
     

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