The run-of-the-mill Long After Dark was the first album from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers to garner a less than stellar reception. The frustration Petty felt became evident in the tales that emerged during the recording of "Southern Accents," including a broken hand incurred when Petty punched a wall in frustration. The desire to create something outside the box was evident when the first single appeared. "Don't Come Around Here No More" twanged out with psychedelic sitars and a wild "Alice in Wonderland" video, and was unlike any Petty song before it.
Dave Stewart was feeling his oats outside Eurythmics and it was his eclectic production spiced up "It Ain't Nothin' To Me" and "Make It Better," yet he was just one of three outside producers, including Robbie Robertson and long-time associate Jimmy Iovine. Petty and Mike Campbell also indulged in self-production on three numbers. It does make for some odd juxtapositions, like "Spike" veering close to Randy Newman territory and the soul-inflected "Make It Better." If you're looking for that traditional Petty sound, both the title track and "Mary's New Car" land on target.
This was also Petty's slickest album. It was given some criticism for that at the time, but the album's best songs ("Mary's...," "The Best Of Everything," "Don't Come...") still make this worth having. It's really a three and 1/2 star effort; INHO, the oft slagged "Long After Dark" and "Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) have aged better.
July 15, 2008 |  | be a rebel and buy this underrated album |  |
Southern Accents is probably Tom Petty's most underrated album. What amazes me especially is how a song like "Don't Come Around Here No More" sounds totally different from anything else Petty has ever made, not to mention VERY freaky and haunting. On the flip side however, a song like "Rebels" is a lost gem. "Spike" is a very catchy song as well. An album that combines Petty's most memorable songwriting with his most underrated effort as far as radio exposure goes.
April 7, 2008| | | Review with a Northern Accent | |
I'm a blue-blood New Englander to the core but I still love Southern Accents, because it is a quintessential American album. This may be not TP's most acclaimed release but it is his most autobiographical, since he grew up in the everglades of Florida, a topic explored in great detail in Petty's recent book that came out in 2005. Because I am a student of the Civil War, "Rebels" is one my favorite all-time songs and the best reason to buy this cd. How this masterpiece of songwriting didn't end up on the greatest hits collection in 1993 is perplexing to me! Petty's haunting verse about how our history remains with us today still sends chills down my spine:
"Even before my father's fathers
They called us all rebels
Burned our cornfields
And left our cities leveled
I can still see the eyes
Of those blue bellied devils
When I'm walking round tonight
Through the concrete and metal"
While sometimes the overall sound of this cd is a bit jarring, and honestly the horns do not always fit in with Petty's laid-back sound, the wonderful "Dogs on the Run" and the final track with the late lamented Richard Manuel of The Band singing backup vocals help to make this album a must-have for hardcore Petty fans.
April 2, 2007first off i would just tell you that tom petty and the heartbreakers are by far my favorite band ever and i think they are the greatest thing to ever happen to music. better then elvis, the beatles, dylan, the stones or anybody else i realize these artist have had a huge impact on music and petty as well but in my mind their is no one better then tom petty and the heartbreakers. having said that while this album is enjoyable i can not say it is his best in fact in my opinion it is probably his worst. that doesn't really say much though since most artist would be thrilled to have an album this good and i would rather listen to this then 95% of all other music. this album is definitly worth owning as are all of petty's albums. now to the music. i like all the songs on this album and as already said in previously reviews this is probably his most diverse album which kinda makes it a collection of songs rather then an album. it doesn't flow together like an album. it's more just listening to some songs written at the same period of his career. so basically if you like petty at all give this a chance. you might be surprised. and hey a bad (or should i say not as good) petty album still beats pretty much anything else.
May 22, 2006With 1985's Southern Accents, Petty and the boys decided to add some experiments to the album, adding touches of new waves and psychedelica to the mix this time. Southern Accents is a winner, while not as popular as some of Petty's other albums Southern Accents is one of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers most rewarding albums. Highlights include the opener Rebels, the psychedelic Don't Come Around Here No More, the ballad Southern Accents, Spike, and the Best of Everything. Do yourself a favor and get the highly underrated Southern Accents.
October 9, 2005More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(28 reviews)