TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS : LIVE AT THE FILLMORE

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS : LIVE AT THE FILLMORE 1997

Disc One (62:03)

Pre-Show
Around And Around
Jammin' Me
Runnin' Down A Dream
Good Evening
Lucille
Call Me The Breeze
Cabin Down Below
The Internet, Whatever That Is
Time Is On My Side
Listen To Her Heart
Waitin' In School
Let's Hear It For Mike
Slaughter On Tenth Avenue
Homecoming Queen Intro
The Date I Had With That Ugly Old Homecoming Queen
I Won't Back Down
You Are My Sunshine
Ain't No Sunshine
It's Good To Be King

Disc Two (66:02)

Rip It Up
You Don't Know How It Feels
I'd Like To Love You Baby
Diddy Wah Diddy
We Got A Long Way To Go
Guitar Boogie Shuffle
I Want You Back Again
On The Street Intro
On The Street
California
Let's Hear It For Scott And Howie
Little Maggie (Scott Thurston)
Walls
Hip Hugger
Friend Of The Devil
Did Someone Say Heartbreakers Beach Party?
Heartbreakers Beach Party
Angel Dream
The Wild One, Forever
Even The Losers
American Girl
You Really Got Me
Goldfinger

Disc Three (45:59)

Mr. Roger McGuinn
It Won't Be Wrong (Roger McGuinn)
You Ain't Going Nowhere (Roger McGuinn)
Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man (Roger McGuinn)
Eight Miles High (Roger McGuinn)
Crazy Mama
Everyone Loves Benmont
Green Onions
High Heel Sneakers
John Lee Hooker, Ladies And Gentlemen
Find My Baby (Locked Up In Love Again) (John Lee Hooker)
Serves You Right To Suffer (John Lee Hooker)
Boogie Chillen (John Lee Hooker)
I Got A Woman

Disc Four (70:12)

Sorry, I've Just Broken My Amplifier
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Honey Bee
County Farm
You Wreck Me
Shakin' All Over
Free Fallin'
Mary Jane's Last Dance
Bye Bye Johnny
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
It's All Over Now
Louie Louie
Gloria
Alright For Now
Goodnight

Label : Warner Records

Venue : The Fillmore, San Francisco, California, USA

Recording Date : January 31 - February 7, 1997

Release Date : November 25, 2022

Review (Pitchfork) : By 1997, Tom Petty had achieved his wildest rock’n’roll dreams and then some. He’d released nine albums with the Heartbreakers as well as two million-selling solo albums; morphed into an improbable MTV favorite with a succession of delightfully idiosyncratic videos; toured internationally with Bob Dylan as Dylan’s opening act and his backing band, simultaneously; and he’d played the role of Charlie T. Wilbury Jr., the kid brother in the classic rock supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. Even with all of that, and perhaps because of it, he was restless. After decades of playing arenas—venues where “you do feel compelled to play them the most popular songs,” as he told critic Joel Selvin—the music business hamster wheel of album-videos-tour-album felt uninspiring. This is the point at which, historically, bands either self-destruct or break up. Instead, Petty decided they’d play 10 shows at San Francisco’s legendary Fillmore Auditorium, which expanded to 20 shows by the time the tickets were done selling out. The Heartbreakers hadn’t played live in more than a year when they got together for a couple of rehearsals beforehand, coming out with a list of almost 60 prospective entries for the setlist, everything from bluegrass to covers to, yes, some of their hits. (“We do like those as well,” Petty told Selvin.) The 20 nights were a joyful, relaxed, and abundant journey through the musicians’ personal rock’n’roll history, mixing the beloved covers they’d started out playing alongside thoughtful revisitations of the songs that got them here. It was a Hall of Fame-level set by a band who still had a lot more history ahead of them. Petty and the band played the music they loved in front of a Fillmore audience that combined devoted fans (many who returned night after night) alongside everyday Bay Area rock’n’roll devotees. There were special guests, inside jokes (Petty referred to the band one night as “the Fillmore House Band” and the promoters quickly made up hats), live broadcasts, and given the history of the building, probably a few ghosts. The last six shows of the stand were recorded professionally, and it’s from there that Live at the Fillmore (1997) was assembled. As is de rigueur these days, there are multiple configurations available, but it’s the 4xCD deluxe that’s most of interest, as it provides the essentials, the rarities, and the special guests—57 tracks in total, 35 of which are covers or guest performances. But those numbers don’t adequately convey the strength of the release. Live at the Fillmore sounds and feels vibrant and inviting, and it is curated with obvious attention and care. The first two discs present a version of the core set that evolved after the first few nights, the third disc showcases special guests the Byrds’ Roger McGuinn and John Lee Hooker, and the last disc presents the back half of the show, the energetic and emotional coast to the end. It feels like it all could have been one single performance, and it almost could have been, given the extent of the band’s output across those 20 nights. They played close to 30 songs almost every show, about a third of which were classic rock—including Little Richard (“Lucille” or “Rip It Up”), J.J. Cale (“Call Me the Breeze”), the Rolling Stones (“Satisfaction”), and even “You Are My Sunshine,” which Petty mentions he’d learned at summer camp. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve heard “Free Fallin’,” the epic opener of 1989’s solo release Full Moon Fever: Here you get to hear Petty rediscover his own composition, to hear the Heartbreakers act like the finely tuned machine that they were (even with new drummer Steve Ferrone behind the kit), and to appreciate a huge song in the intimacy of a small club. Elsewhere in the set, someone in the audience yells a request and Petty responds, with some measure of disbelief: “Did somebody just say ‘Heartbreakers Beach Party’? What key is that in, Benmont?” and the Heartbreakers proceed to perform a song they’d never played live. It doesn’t matter that the song is a silly in-joke, a non-LP B-side written to accompany a 1983 MTV special that hasn’t been seen since; the band plays it with attention and care. It’s a hilarious, fantasy moment that could never happen in an arena, but it’s exactly the serendipity you hope for in this kind of setting. McGuinn had long been one of Petty’s personal heroes, and although this isn’t the first time they’d performed together, it’s a great document of their affinity and connection. Hooker (whose Boom Boom Room was across the street from the Fillmore) got invited over to delight both backing band and audience, connecting the dots from the Mississippi Delta to rock’n’roll, and specifically the marriage of the blues and the British Invasion that Petty and the Heartbreakers embodied. Like McGuinn’s set, this isn’t a vanity appearance; everyone on stage stepped up, and that motor was purring by the time they get to “Boogie Chillen,” as guitarist Mike Campbell, Petty on harmonica, and then (as Hooker introduces him) “the 88 man,” keyboardist Benmont Tench, get a chance to stake their claim. One of the best moments on the release isn’t a special guest or a rare cover, but in the chorus of “You Wreck Me,” from 1994’s Wildflowers. It’s in the lead-in to the first chorus, not lyrics, just a “whoa-oh-oh/yeahhh,” but the crowd sings along perfectly, on time and in tune. It’s genuinely affectionate, warm, and almost tangible. “You Wreck Me,” an absolute gem of a song, was still a new addition to the Heartbreakers’ set. This moment of call-and-response, energy reflection from the band to the crowd and back again, is emblematic of the intimate charm this release captures. “I just want to play,” Petty said before the shows. “We want to get back to what we understand.” What Petty wanted was connection, that intangible ingredient that you can’t fake, predict, or force. It vibrates out of every track of this set.

Review (AllMusic) : Early in 1997, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers set up shop at the Fillmore in San Francisco, playing 20 consecutive concerts during a residency that amounted to their only live shows of the year. Being anchored in one spot paradoxically gave them the freedom to move, to not constrain themselves to their standard repertoire. Over the course of 20 nights, the Heartbreakers excavated treasures from deep within their vast catalog, set time aside to have their heroes join them in a jam session, and hauled out covers of their favorite oldies. The 2022 set Live at the Fillmore, 1997 collects four CDs' worth (or six LPs) of highlights, all taken from the final six shows at the Fillmore, which were the only concerts that were professionally recorded. Producer Ryan Ulyate and Heartbreaker Benmont Tench shaped those shows into a box set that contains the arc of a massive concert, one that feels more like a sweaty bar than a packed arena. A lot of that is due to how Live at the Fillmore, 1997 presents the Heartbreakers as the world's greatest jukebox, playing any hit or obscurity on demand. Over half of the set is dedicated to covers, some of which are performed by the originators themselves: John Lee Hooker and Roger McGuinn each sit in with the Heartbreakers for multiple songs. What impresses is both the band's range - Booker T & the M.G.'s groover "Hip Hugger" sits alongside the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil," while the band takes an instrumental stab at the James Bond theme "Goldfinger" and offers a simmering reading of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" elsewhere - and how loose the group sounds. They're so relaxed, Petty winds up confusing Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" and its sequel "Bye Bye Johnny," and the mistake seems invigorating: the group is here to have a good time and mistakes come with the territory. Although it's a bit light on the hits - many are here, often in slightly different arrangements, such as the acoustic renditions of "Even the Losers" and "American Girl" - it could be argued that Live at the Fillmore, 1997 is the definitive live portrait of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers: not only do they sound mighty, this freewheeling eclecticism rooted in 1960s rock and pop is the best showcase of the band's aesthetic.

Review (BiffBamPop) : With 72 tracks stretched out over four discs, the Live at the Fillmore (1997) box set from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is a raucous, joyous set, showcasing Petty and his stalwart band honoring their roots and influences without straying away from the hits that made them famous. Consisting of tracks from the last six performances of their month-long residency at the famed San Francisco venue, the Fillmore, Petty and the Heartbreakers were beyond well-rehearsed. They were tight. Listeners can almost feel the telepathic waves between the band members as they work their way through the set-lists. It helps that Live at the Fillmore (1997) is one of the cleanest and best-mixed live albums ever created. The soundstage is immersive and precise. You’re three rows back, two beers in, and watching one of the most beloved bands in rock history. There are some deep cuts on Live at the Fillmore (1997), surprising in their range. Their cover of “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” by the Ventures is wonderful. The Heartbreakers jam their way through songs by the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, and the Kinks. There’s even an instrumental version of the theme from the James Bond movie, Goldfinger. We’re being taught rock and roll history by someone who was utterly enamored of the subject. Things get even more interesting when Petty brings guests onto the stage to strut their stuff. Byrds frontman Roger McGuinn joins the band for a few tunes, including an excellent version of “Eight Miles High.” Grab a seat for the John Lee Hooker set, which features a rollicking rendition of “Boogie Chillen.” A crowd-prompted version of fan favorite “Heartbreakers Beach Party” is one of the high points of the set. You can hear and feel the fun Petty and the band are having, the connection they have with the crowd, and it brings a smile. Tunes like that serve to offset the poignancy of the times when the Heartbreakers tone it down and let Petty do what he did best. Stripped-down versions of “Angel Dream” and “Even the Losers” reveal hidden layers of emotion, a grimy beauty unheard in their original state. It’s been difficult for fans to hear the music of Tom Petty since he joined the ranks of Dead Rock Stars in October 2017. His unmistakable voice, that mixture of longing, contentment, and that Florida twang. Those three-chord songs, ubiquitous on FM radio for decades. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were a staple and, frankly, we took them for granted. We thought Petty would be with us longer, if not forever. Live at the Fillmore (1997) refuses to mourn Petty or Heartbreakers bassist Howie Epstein, who passed away in 2003. There’s a giddiness to these recordings, a snapshot of a time when Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were making incredible music with people they admired, in front of appreciative and receptive crowds. More of a remembrance than a memorial, Live at the Fillmore (1997) celebrates not only Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but rock and roll itself. Live at the Fillmore (1997) by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is scheduled for release November 25, 2022, from Warner Bros. Look for it wherever fine music is sold and on various digital streaming platforms.

Review (Wikipedia) : Live at the Fillmore 1997 is a 2022 live album compiling Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 20-concert residency at The Fillmore in San Francisco in January and February 1997. The album includes 58 tracks pulled primarily from the last six concerts performed in the residency.[1][2][3] Those six shows were professionally recorded and tracks from the setlists in those shows have seen previously released on The Live Anthology and the 2020 expanded reissue of Petty's 1994 album Wildflowers. Tom Petty considered the residency by the Heartbreakers at the Fillmore "a highlight of his career" and guitarist Mike Campbell labeled the concerts "some of my favorite gigs ever."[4] During the final concert at the Fillmore, Petty remarked to the audience that, "We all feel this might be the highpoint of our time together as a group… It’s going to be hard to get us off this stage tonight."[1] In addition to a selection of the Heartbreakers and Tom Petty's solo tracks from their career by 1997, the residency and the album documented the band's music interests and featured performances by guests such as Roger McGuinn and John Lee Hooker.[5] Of the 58 songs included in the collection, 35 are covers of songs by those that influenced, inspired, or performed with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.[3] The first two singles released from the set in September and October 2022 highlighted performances of "Listen to Her Heart" and "I Won't Back Down," while the third single released in early November 2022, "Call Me the Breeze," showcased one of two tracks originally by J. J. Cale covered by the band during the Fillmore residency.[6]