Runnin' Down a Dream

Free Falling Through Thirty Years
"I feel pretty blessed really right now, when I see it, that most of us made it through that maze that is growing up in rock 'n' roll," he says. "And I think we've matured in a way that we're maybe better now, you know, maybe better musicians, and enjoying our craft more than we ever have. So I'm very lucky." Tom Petty

I found this four hour anthology of Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers on Sundance Channel. I immediately notified my best friend, and we watched unbelievably spellbound. This story of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was directed by Peter Bogdanovich. He begins with the start of Tom Petty's life in Gainesville, Florida and ends with a 2006 commemoration concert of his thirtieth anniversary in music.

The entire story is told through home movies, television shows and rememberances in narrative form. Tom Petty does much of the narrative and this is his profession and musical life, after all. The list of friends, colleagues and those in the know who...

Shockingly good.
This FOUR HOUR documentary is a must for all Tom Petty fans and honestly anyone weaned on late '70s early '80s Rock 'n' Roll. Spanning Petty's humble beginnings in Gainesville, Florida to the launch of his career in California to his battles with record labels and sleazy lawyers and his ultimate triumph, the documentary finally shows us Petty at the top of the rock heap alongside Jeff Lynn, Bob Dylan and George Harrison, the quintessential independent rocker/ musician/ songwriter. Shows Petty to be the ultimate self-sufficient iconoclast. Bogdanovich shares old reels of Petty's first band Mudcrutch and we see the evolution of a young idealistic kid with a chip on his shoulder transform (over a 30 year period) into a bona fide rock legend. Saw this on Sundance channel and bought the four disc box set which includes a soundtrack CD and the 30th anniversary concert in Gainesville. This documentary is overflowing with interviews, clips, personalities, history and a catalog of live...

This is how documentaries should be done!
I extremely enjoyed this and I am not what you would call a die-hard Tom Petty fan. It just seems like growing up that Tom's music has always been there. I discovered Tom around the "Hard Promises" album via MTV videos and now that I think about, he has consistently released great music for 30 years. I have listened to the new album "Highway Companion" and I find it to be as good as anything I've heard from him.

What I did get from the movie is that Tom may be the most geniune rock & rollers ever. He knows what he wants and never lets up. Also the movie reinforced what I already believed: Mike Campbell is the most underrated guitarists ever. He may not be flashy but he can play just about anything. The same is true of Benmont Tench, both are incredible musicians. In fact, as you can see from lineup changes, without Mike & Ben the Heartbreakers sound is not complete.

Bottom line: Tom is one of the greatest American songwriters ever and watching this will...

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