European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Entertainment Tom Petty Sright where he wants to be by Karen Schoemer the new York times on i he Kiy after a recent concert Tom Petty s Brown suede jacket the same one he wore on stage hangs on the Back of a chair in his hotel room. When Petty himself walks in his outfit too matches that of the previous night Blue jeans a White shirt a dark Vest. This is appropriate because the Tom Petty you get in person is not All that different from the one you get on stage. Like his music Petty is direct and unpretentious. He s not Loo keen on publicity Quot being on the cover of rolling Stone terrifies me Quot he says. Bui once he gets going he s a thorough talker when he hits on a subject he likes to gel to the Bottom of it. And his conversation like his songs communicates a sense of conviction. He s easy to believe in. Petty s conc erts have always been straightforward. Theatrics Are kept to a minimum which allows him to get in a lot of music. The songs on his recent tour touch upon almost every moment of his recording history. The songs cover More than 2r years of Rock n Roll history and Petty 40, has lived through it All. Now with the release of his 10th album Lynh it the  wide open he has reached it not exactly a Crossroads then certainly a Point of collection. Into the  wide open is All about reflection. Two of its i 2 stories Deal with a subject perhaps closer to Petty than any that of being a teen Ager in a Rock n roil band almost All the others Many co written with Petty a Friend and co producer Eft Lynne a look at either the past or the Distant future from the narrative Vantage Point of the present. The album says Petty Quot is about being Young and old Quot it seemed like when i was a kid in the bos it was so easy it be a teen Ager Quot he says. Quot everyone was so United on what we were about. Now there s so Many different ways to go. I mean a lot of Young kids Are republicans. It s a whole different thing now. 1 was just trying to compare it to my own  Petty came of age in the1 mid to late 00s, watching bands like the beatles on the de Sullivan show listening to Elvis Presley singles he had traded for a Slingshot. At that time in his Hometown of Gainesville fla., Rock n Roll was pure and simple tin1 music of transcendence. Potty tric d other work construction washing dishes at a Barbecue restaurant even digging Graves a Quot it was the Only Job in i9 >7 where they did t make you Cut your hair off Quot he says. Nothing panned out a i got fired from every Job i Ever had. Without exception. Because i obviously was t that  although to had played guitar in High school and club bands from the Ages of 1 4 to 1 7, he had no expectation erf making it a career just something to do to pass some1 time. With that in mind lie loll Home at 1 7 and played in bands around Florida then eventually headed for los Angeles. By the mid 70s, he and the fear Breakers had signed a record Deal and their debut album was released in 197b. I Lis Early songs Are swathed in a Jungle upbeat innocence. Quot i think i was innocent in some ways Quot Petty says. Quot when we started in this business it was a lot More innocent than it is now. Now it s very organized it s big  Petty was affected by the change. The group s third album Damn the torpedoes made the heartbreaker marketable. Mca their record Label decided that their fourth album hard promises should be one of the first titles to undergo a Price hike from $8.98 to $9.98. To retaliate Petty threatened to change the album s title to $8.98, Quot it was very obvious to me at the Lime that you can t Price this stuff out of the Range of the average Fella or girl Quot he says. Quot none of us needs another Dollar on every record. I was already Rich and they Quot a the record company executives a Quot Damn sure were Rich. So being Young and stubborn i would t turn the record  Petty won that Battle but the Victory had Long term repercussions. Quot when it came to my next record Quot he said Quot i could t even get an  for personal and professional reasons his career slumped. It was t until 1989 that he got a fresh perspective with an acoustic based Solo album full Moon fever and a sideline project called the travelling wilbury the a amps Anita Gosch after years of battling with the recording Industry Tom Petty is enjoying playing music again. Super group featuring Lynne George Harrison Boh Dylan and the late Roy Orbison. The hard lessons he Learned though stayed with him. It you really take this record business seriously it will just kill All desire to do anything Quot he says. Quot the innocence is gone. It won t be Back. It s gone. By the time it came to making full Moon fever Petty had Little to lose. He temporarily freed himself from the heartbreaker hooked up with Lynne and decided not to take anything too seriously. Quot full Moon fever was like skipping school Quot he says. Quot it was emancipation. I was just enjoying myself every  the album went on to sell More than 3 million copies and the audience s encouragement gave him a new sense of Freedom. Quot at this Point in life artistically i m not really very concerned with anything but satisfying myself and thinking that i did a Good Job Quot he says. And with his new allium and tour he feels he has done just that. Tom Petty will be touring Europe in March for dates and venues Check me on singe listing on pages 14-15.pop a singles 1 All 4 love color me bad 2. Can t let go Mariah Carey 3 Don t let the Sun go Down on me George Michael amp Ellon John 4 Black or White Michael Jackson 5. Finally ice be Peniston 6 diamonds and pearls Prince and the . 7.1 love your smile Shanice 8. Smells Uke teen spirit nirvana 9. Mysterious ways u2 10. I m too sexy right said Fred top a albums 1. Robin the wind Garth Brooks 2. Dangerous a Michael Jackson 3. Too legit to quit Hammer 4. Never mind nirvana 5 time love and tenderness Michael Bolton 6. Achung baby u2 7. Meta Luca a Metallica 8.  boy ii men 9. Emotions a Mariah Carey 10. No fences Garth Brooks country a singles 1 Sticks and stones a Tracy Lawrence 2 love me Collin Raye 3 a Jukebox with a country song Doug Slone 4 Cadillac style Sammy Kershaw 5 without you what do i do with me Tanya Tucker 6 turn that radio on a Ronnie Milsap 7. The dirt Road Sawyer Brown 8 the whiskey ainu to Workin  Antt 9 you can depend on me restless heart 10 broken Promise land a Mark Chesnutte amp by singles 1. Keep it comin Keith Seal 2. Tell me what you want me to of Tevin Campbell 3 insatiable a Prince and the  4. Black or White a Michael Jackson 5 can t let go a Mariah Carey 6 the Rush a Luther Vandross 7. Stay a Jodeci 8 i want you a Jody Watley 9 huh Ash a Boyz ii men 10.1 love your smile Sham Ejazz a albums 1 Blue Light red Light a Harry Connick or. 2 the Gershwin connection Dave Grusin 3 the Beautiful ones Are not yet born Branford Marsalis 4 you gotta pay the band a Abbey Lincoln 5 Dingo a Miles Davis 6 live at Birdland a Gerald Albright 7 to roots a Maceo Parker 8 the Earl Klugh Trio volume 1 Earl Klugh Trio 9 Kenny Kirkland a Kenny Kirkland 10 unforgettable Natalie Cole _ comped by billboard 10 stripes Magazine january 23, 1992