Tom Petty is one of the most celebrated singer songwriters of our era, and though he's been responsible for a ton of classic songs, for Tom Petty Wildflowers is a career high water mark.
Wildflowers was released as the second single from Tom Petty's third solo album (which was also called Wildflowers), following on the heels of the debut single You Don't Know How It Feels. Though the track didn't make too big cartier Baignoire Automatic Watch of a splash on the charts initially, it's proven to have the staying power of a true classic, the kind of song that parents tell their kids about, and that brides have played at their weddings.
Wildflowers initially appears to be a simple folk song, with little in the way of excess instrumentation or slick production to interfere with the simple message delivered by the lines "You belong among the wildflowers", and "You belong somewhere you feel free", each of which is repeated many times. However repeated listens reveal hidden depths to the song, as subtle piano flourishes, a triangle groove and even a harpsichord part slide quietly into the mix to add dimension to the track.
The album lists several producers in its credits, but the deceptive simplicity of Wildflowers can probably be laid at the doors of Tom Petty himself and especially executive producer Rick Rubin. Rubin, of course, was also heavily involved in producing Johnny Cash at the time and must have had simplicity on the brain; his epic six-album series of collaborations with Cash features little more than Johnny's lonely guitar and gravelly voice on its grooves.
Wildflowers is officially a Tom Petty "solo" album, but, as with his other solo records, the difference between it and a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers record is elusive. Every member of the current Heartbreakers appears somewhere or other on the album; original Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch didn't make Best Mens Dior Bagheera Large Watches the cut. Perhaps Tom called it a solo album in order to make room for the session players and A.Lange Sohne Cabaret Watches guest stars, a list which includes the Beach Boys' Carl Wilson on backing vocals, and Blancpain Speed Command Replica Ringo Starr on drums.
Whatever the reason, Petty's handpicked lineup meshes perfectly with the understated production and simplicity of the songs - some of the most straightforward of Petty's career, which is saying something - and even the cover art to create a timeless, classic impression. Wildflowers the song and Wildflowers the album represent high points in Petty's illustrious career.