Greatest Hits

by

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

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Do not be fooled by this newest "Greatest Hits" collection released for Tom Petty as it is the same as the package released in 1993 with one minor and one major exception. Additionally, the proclamation that this contains 'EXTRA TRACKS' is completely misleading.

The minor exception is that they have simply changed the cover and the major exception is that they REPLACED the last track on the first Greatest Hits ("Something in the Air") with the Petty/Nicks collaboration "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." Hence, there are no EXTRA tracks, but simply a substitute of one for another! "Something in the Air" was an exclusive track and cannot be found on any other Tom Petty collection. Adding "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" as the last track also interrupts the chronological order of the first 17 songs, as it was released in 1981 and follows his 1993 track "Mary Jane's Last Dance." As of this writing, the first Petty hits collection is still in print and about two bucks cheaper. However, I cannot imagine the record companies keeping both available.

As far as the songs go, both of these collections include Petty's biggest hits up to 1993 such as "Refugee," "Don't Do Me Like That," "The Waiting," and "I Won't Back Down" and it is second only to the two disc anthology titled "Anthology: Through the Years" which I would recommend over this one if you prefer a more comprehensive overview of Petty's work as that collection includes his hits up to the year 2000 and has everything that is on here at a very good price.

If you already own the first "Tom Petty's Greatest Hits" you can always just download "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" if you need that song. As far as a one disc collection goes I cannot imagine one being more thorough than this one. Minus one star, however, for the redundancy and misleading information regarding 'extra tracks.'

Over the past 32 years, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have given us nothing but great music. These guys have lasted 30+ years and proved that they can still rock and roll just as good as they could when they first started. So, in 1993, MCA (now Geffen) released the classic hits collection 'Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Greatest Hits.' The record has now been considered a classic compilation.

Earlier this year, Geffen remastered the album and added a bonus track. So, how does this album measure up?

Well, when I saw this in the stores, my feelings were mixed.

I'm glad to see this album remastered. If you own the 1993 version and you decide to buy this because you had heard that the sound was going to be great, right you are! There is a huge difference in terms of sound here.

And, of course, this collection has all the Tom Petty songs the casual fan will probably ever need. 1970s hits like 'Refugee,' 'American Girl,' 'Breakdown,' 'I Need To Know' and 'Don't Do Me Like That' are here, as are his '80s hits like 'Free Fallin,' 'Don't Come Around Here No More' and 'Runnin' Down A Dream.'

Still, the three stars are here because of the track listing. Why did they substitute one of my personal favorite Petty songs, 'Something In The Air,' for the 1982 Heartbreakers collaboration with Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks in 'Stop Draggin' My Heart Around'? I'll confess, I never was crazy about this song, and I definitely think it's out-of-place here.

Also, why did they completely remove 'Something In The Air'? That track was new in 1993, meaning it was only offered on the original 'Greatest Hits' album, which is now out of print, and in several years it's going to be a hard-to-find track? They had plenty of room to keep that song and add 'Stop Draggin' My Heart Around' to the track listing. Why Geffen was stupid enough to make that decision is beyond me.

Overall, if you can, buy the original 1993 compilation, because the sound quality on that is pretty great too. But, if you are a Petty collector or a fan who is particularly picky about sound quality, buy the 2008 version. Don't get me wrong, besides 'Stop Draggin' My Heart Around,' every song here is five stars. But I question Geffen's decision to remove 'Something In The Air.'

Recommended for the collectors and the sound quality-picky Petty fans. Otherwise, hunt down the original 1993 version or just buy his studio albums.