Product description

Playback

Price: $29.99
RRP: $51.98 This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery
You save: $21.99 (42 %)
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Average customer rating: 4.5

Binding : Audio CD
EAN : 0008811137526
Label : Mca
Manufacturer : Mca
Publisher : Mca
Release date : 1995-11-20
Title : Playback
Format : Box set
Original release date : 1995-11-20
Studio : Mca
Brand : PETTY,TOM
MPN : 008811137526
Number of discs : 6

Editorial reviews

Product Description
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Amazon.com
Tom Petty peaked early. In 1974, Petty's northern Florida bar band, Mudcrutch, moved to L.A., signed a deal with Shelter Records, and transformed itself into Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. By 1976, they had released their self-titled debut album, a seemingly impossible blend of the Byrds' jangly harmonies and Southern-California idealism with the Rolling Stones' bluesy punchiness and working-class grittiness. The rhythm section rocked; Mike Campbell was an effortlessly elegant guitarist, and Petty himself was a passionate singer. By the third album, 1979's Damn the Torpedoes, the band was creating such timeless rock & roll singles as "Refugee" and "Even the Losers." By 1980 their best music was behind them. The rhythms slackened; the melodies no longer grabbed; the performances lacked the same urgency. They played with admirable craft and sold millions of records, but they never again made music as powerful as their first three albums. This creates a serious imbalance in this box set, "Playback" (MCA), which fits 21 songs from the first four albums onto one overwhelming CD and then fills up another five CDs with 71 more tracks, which suffer by comparison. For the hardcore Petty fan, though, Playback is a treasure trove of obscurities. While most box sets adopt an 80/20 split between greatest hits and rarities, "Playback" is closer to 50/50, and includes B-sides never released in album form, rare Mudcrutch cuts, shelved studio tracks, and cover versions of songs by Jimmy Reed, Conway Twitty, and Elvis Presley. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-09-05 rating:

its all here
all of tom pettys good songs are found in this collection, although they are spread out on the different discs. the first thing i did was rip them all and make two discs with songs i like. but yes i would say this set is definately worth the money even though i got a deal by buying it from one of amazons merchants.

review by: date: 2008-04-07 rating:

TOMPETTY ROCKS THE HOUSE
GREAT BUY IF YOU LIKE TOM PETTY. NICE HEARING NEW STUFF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD A MILLION TIMES. 5 STARS IN MY BOOK.

review by: Jake The Snake date: 2007-07-25 rating:

Excellant Compilation
Playback contains all the classics which made Petty and the Heartbreakers famous, as well as the lesser known songs. A sure bet to please even the most discriminating Tom Petty Fan.

review by: date: 2007-03-09 rating:

Tom Petty Playback
I bought this after reading "Conversations With Tom Petty". I really like TP & the HBs and have every album/CD, so it's no surprise that I quite enjoy this set too. Fun hearing different takes on songs I know and hearing new material as well. Perfect for the TP fan-

review by: date: 2007-02-05 rating:

Excellent overview of Petty's early years
Let me start out by saying Tom Petty is a national treasure when it comes to music in general and rock and roll in particular. The man has consistently written and recorded great songs for more than 30 years, both solo and with the Heartbreakers. The Heartbreakers are simply one of the finest rock and roll bands ever; Petty and crew don't receive the credit they deserve for whatever reason. It's seems since he's so consistent that people take him for granted, which is a shame. Even his latest, Highway Companion, holds some wonderful music. This box set holds a whole lot.

You can't beat this box set for the cost. It covers Petty and the Heartbreakers career from 73-93 and it includes almost all the hits, a great selection of album cuts, and many songs that were never released for one reason or another. The most glaring omission I found was "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." It's here in demo form, but not the hit version with Stevie Nicks.

As with all box set, you can complain about what track was left off, but there's so much great music here that you can't find anywhere else. Disc Six "Nobody's Children" is a treasure-trove of unreleased songs. I was skeptical about this set because it's six discs, with three of them rare or unreleased material, but the unreleased material stands up to what came out.

You'll find Petty's version of "Ways to be Wicked," which Lone Justice recorded. The version here rocks! The set has several gems from the "Let Me Up (I've Had Enough)" period, and, just as much of that album, rocks harder than much of the Petty's other material. Some other gems include "You Get me High," "Turning Point," and "Keeping me Alive," both of which were left off the Long After Dark album. Also, there is a fantastic accoustic version of "King's Highway" that you can't find anywhere else. It's such a beautiful song, and this version really highlights the lyrics. It rips the version on Into the Great Wide Open to shreds.

If you're trying to figure out if you like Petty and the Heartbreakers, then obviously a greatest hits is the way to go. If you like it, then grab this because it sums up his early career a lot cheaper than buying all the discs. If you are a fan and don't own this, then get it! You won't regret it because it has too much good music to ignore.

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