Marty Stuart on Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers:

@bdp245:

"What I above meant by saying you can’t argue with success, is not that "popularity is proof of artistic merit", or even that there aren’t examples of garbage that sells well, but rather that anything that is popular and does sell well is providing something of value to the people who like it, even if I myself don’t". 

Gotcha. Thanks for the further clarification. Sorry It took me so long to fully grasp your point about "providing something of value". You're right-- in that respect, you "can't argue with success". 

Commercial success is a signifier of commercial success and it may or may not correlate with artistic achievement.  To maintain commercial success, or even viability, over decades is rare and IMO to be applauded.  Tom Petty did that and he did it while maintaining the respect of other high quality musicians.  What more can you ask of a guitar player boy from Gainesville?

Agreed, @onhwy61. Though he and his band are not amongst my favorites, he and they certainly had a very long and artistically and commercially successful run. Good for them. I also like that Tom stood up to his record company when they were intending to raise the price on their LP’s, starting with his at-the-time new one.

Speaking of Petty’s large-scale success always brings me back to Dwight Twilley, whose songs, singing, and band I have always greatly preferred to Tom’s. They plow the generally same field, though Dwight’s music contains far more of a 1950’s influence that does Tom’s, perhaps why I find it more to my liking. The mass audience disagreed, rewarding Tom to a much greater extent than they did Dwight.

Even more to my liking is Dave Edmunds, my favorite 1970’s/80’s artist. But that’s another story for another day. Let me just say that both as a solo artist and as a member of the super-group Rockpile (with Nick Lowe, Billy Bremner, and Terry Williams)---and as a producer-for-hire---Dave was one of the very best sounding live performers I’ve ever seen and heard. His 1983 show at The Ritz in NYC was my ex’s all-time favorite live shows. She has great taste. ;-)

The latest TP  and HB release has had me playing it 1x per day…. Angel Dream

do I like Lucindas own version of change the locks ? H$$ yes, but I enjoy this take…and indeed the entire disc.

Hwy61 Again are you posting from Desolation Row? Being from any particular place does not support’best’ of anything ie Gainesvlle…IMO place does not correlate to any type of talent in anything. “The Titanic sails at dawn, which side are you on”?