No. 70: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Southern Accents

On this episode, we talk about the 6th studio LP by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1985's Southern Accents.  Released three years after their last album, it was originally conceived as a  concept album about the Southern experience. However, the band was at a  bit of a crossroads and that concept became derailed when Petty, looking for outside inspiration, teamed up with Dave Stewart from the  Eurythmics to write a trio of songs that didn't really fit with the overall theme but were be included on the album anyway (including the monster hit "Don't Come Around Here No More"). 

By all accounts, the sessions for Southern Accents were strained, largely due to the presence of large amounts of cocaine,  and the absence of structure resulting from recording at Petty’s home studio.  Petty even famously broke his hand punching a wall, and almost lost the ability to play guitar as a result, because he couldn't get the sound he wanted on a particular song.  The break (both in hand and schedule) helped Petty reassess things and refocus. Co-produced by Dave  Stewart,  Jimmy Iovine, and Robbie Robertson (on one song), Southern Accents ended up being Tom Petty's most unique and adventurous album of his storied career.