Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Greatest Hits

iTunes Review

For a sense of Tom Petty’s longevity, consider that the Heartbreakers’ debut LP was released in 1976, a year in which Abba were the best selling act in the world. For over 30 years, Petty has remained remarkably faithful to the course set by “American Girl” and “Breakdown,” songs that still get played on millions of radios every day. The decades changed, the trends shifted, but Petty stayed the same. Even the most ambitious song on here, “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” contains echoes of the Byrds and Bob Dylan, Petty’s two unchanging idols. The only major variation between this 2008 edition of Greatest Hits and the 1993 version is the substitution of the impassioned Stevie Nicks duet “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” for the rather bland Thunder Newman cover “Something In the Air.” For diehard Petty fans, the improved audio quality will be the real draw. The difference is particularly noticeable on the early tracks which once were tinny but now sound full and sharp — in particular, Benmont Tench’s Wurlitzer keyboard on “Breakdown” has never sounded so rich. If you only know “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” or “I Won’t Back Down” from the radio, be prepared for these classic tunes to reveal themselves like newly varnished hot rods.