Well, in the 80's for me and my group of friends Huey's music was commercial made for the mainstream people who didn't know any better than to consume what they were served by top 40 radio. People look back at the past more fondly than at the time and of what came after for popular music was even worse so its not seen its seen in a more positive light today.
Let me save you the trouble. Nobody did. At most, a few people said that they caught HL & TN live and that it was a good show. Didn't see one post from somebody who could be considered a hardcore fan, and it'd be a surprise if there even is such a person. Here, you never know though.... The defensiveness clearly seems to be coming from the Petty fans, especially through the last few pages. How dare anybody say anything critical about one of the all time greats!
I don't hear that in his voice at all. I hear TP being TP. He does not seem overly concerned about it.
And way back someone suggested he was trying to imitate Dylan in 65/66 ("I don't believe nuthin that guy says"). That's just the way he talked. Double negatives all over the place. Even in one of his song titles.
I don't think there'd be much of an argument to say TP's work overall is more consequential to the overall picture of rock than Huey's. Better to have both than only one or the other, or neither for that matter.
Huey Lewis wasn't my cuppa tea, however the few songs i heard quite a bit on the radio in the old days sounded just fine to me. Happy music. In interviews he seems a nice bloke, and he has a connection to Thin Lizzy! Tom Petty's music did very little for me except American Girl. Someone described him as an all-time great, never saw him in that way.
My friends and I used to laugh at how utterly lame we thought it was. Hasn't aged well at all IMO. Especially this -- it's supposed to be about the beat of rock 'n roll and we could never hear anything more than a robotic chug. We'd joke "The Heart Of Rock and Roll" is the beat but someone forgot to put any in that tune. Showing clips of seminal, classic rock 'n rollers amidst the oppressive, sleep inducing dullness just seemed to add insult to injury. If the roommates and I were all watching MTV late at night if this came on it was our cue to turn the TV off and hit the sack. That's not to say Petty could do no wrong. He made some misfires. But IMO he laid down not just a few classic, timeless and enduring tracks. I'd have to say he probably does rank as an "American Treasure." Lewis? Not by an astronomical long shot, except maybe with aging lawyers at the golf course. About their speed both then and now. Get it on, counselor.
The forum cop had better police those last few posts. TP was referred to with less than fawning praise.
i noticed something. if we like someone, they are just being honest when they criticize someone else. if we don't like them, they are being jerks when they criticize someone else. if we don't like someone, it is funny when they got put down. however, if we like someone, it is not so funny anymore.
I've already said I like but don't love Petty. He was a good, consistent artist but not a seminal figure in rock history. People have made plenty of semi-critical comments about Petty. It's the HL fans who seem hurt and offended...
This debate reminds me of those old Burger King commercials where they bragged that their burgers were flame-broiled while McDonalds used a griddle. I mean, I guess flame-broiled is better (is it?) but, I kinda like them both but, neither one is really filet mignon?
Again, don't think anybody here even cared that much about the specific comments. It's the way he said it. Then one mediocrity taking down another...
19 pages of the Tom Petty vs. Huey Lewis! LOL i will say some of this reminds me of an old friend from high school. Back then we were the typical immature music loving snobs dubbing what was cool or not. We COULDN'T love things if it didn't come from the right place etc. Then years later i reconnected with him and was shocked that he held on to this attitude. I was excited to have someone that really loved music to talk to (actually hard to find) and he acted like some punk kid. It had to be obscure or underground or noncommercial or well you know the type. I couldn't believe he'd put these immature restrictions on his listening. The only thing that counts is if you like it.
Not saying you did. Somebody else is calling him an all time great (yes, free to his opinion, as anyone else is free to disagree). At least one other is passing him off as this great songwriter (ditto). As for your continued assertion about HL fans, who are they?? A few said that they went to shows in the 80's and liked it. That's it. Don't think it has anything to do with any loyalty to Huey as annoyance at TP. Plus, others have pointed out that he had a history of doing it. **** what he thinks.
That's a great point, & is how I've always approached music. I'm not particularly a HL&TN fan, though I consider them harmless enough. But, I do consider Tom Petty the better artist, whether or not he made the same type of "mainstream" music HL did. One can be mainstream & still have depth to your music, & in this case, Huey's music did sound like calculated product when compared to Tom's music, at least to me. Your mileage may vary...
