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Rating:
Tom Petty doesn't miss a beat! This is evidenced by his latest musical release that strongly echoes the seventies. After bringing the Mudcrutch to the scene for the first time in almost forty years with a splendid work, a direct descendant of the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers, which earned well-deserved praise from critics and an excellent public reception, the blonde musician from Florida returns with an atypical release. A live album in the form of an EP, lasting about half an hour. However, the brief duration of the record should not be misleading because it is a simply explosive musical offering.
The group plays a seventies-era country-rock that is quite different from what Tom usually plays with the Heartbreakers, rich in long and fluid guitar jams. The sound of the brilliant Mudcrutch confidently travels on the improvisations of the guitars by the great Mike Campbell, a U.S. musical institution, and the excellent Tom Leadon. Tom Petty, relegated to the bass, sings with great enthusiasm, and Professor Benmont Tench completes everything with his innate mastery. There is no type of tension surrounding the band. There's just a strong desire to have fun. And you can feel it.
The EP, recorded during the brief tour held by the group in California between April and May 2008, consists of only four tracks. But what tracks! "The Wrong Thing To Do" is a classic Petty piece, winning and full of pathos. "Bootleg Flyer" is a decisive, intense, and tight rock track that we already appreciated on the studio album. The long "Crystal River" is a spectacle where Petty and his musicians embark on an extended rock-psychedelic jam full of solos and inventions. A song, though it's ridiculous to call it that, which makes us understand what this great band is made of. Right at the end comes "High School Confidential", a classic by Jerry Lee Lewis reread with fun. A tribute to our roots that could not be missed and concludes an EP that is splendid and powerful, showing us an artist in form with a formidable band. There's the regret of not being able to have a whole and complete concert in hand, but these days it's better to know how to be content.
Small record, great music!
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