“When you’re young, you’ve got that party period you’ve got to get AT HOME IN MALIBU WITH TOM PETTY AS THE ETERNAL SOCAL through,” says Petty, who was photographed in ROCKER, NOW ON HIS 13TH ALBUM WITH THE HEARTBREAKERS, his Malibu studio on June 26. “If you’re a rock’n’roller, that might SOUNDS OFF ON THE ONE PERCENT, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE last till you’re 58.” CORRUPTION OF POWER: “THE GOOD THING ABOUT GETTING OLD . . . YOU KNOW WHAT’S WORTH SPENDING TIME ON AND WHAT’S NOT”

T H I S T I M E

IT’S PERSONAL

BY FRED SCHRUERS PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE PUGLIESE tiques, but it also has intensely personal momentslike “All personal hasintensely butitalso tiques, You Can Eye. memory that comes to life in a track on his vibrant new album, I’m OK withthat.’ things Because come back, don’t.” butpeople where everything out?’ Iown wiped isjust ‘Well, AndthenIthought, ‘Hell,that and I went, is this going to me twice to in my happen life every record, andyou can’t findanotherone,” says Petty. “Igrabbed Canyon Fire.so-called “Itfled the was a Hohner bassthat I’ve on used friend inanearby hehadtimeto grab building, onlyoneitem asthey smoke.night to of the odor After rousing his wife, Dana York, and a hecrawleda side to door thepool, through smoke to save himself. after hisfamily hustling inthehouse Trapped homicidal out intent. in Encino, his home burnt to cinders in an arson that may have had he hassuffered through it—twice.1987, In when helived over thehill destroy oreven ahome, alife. oraneighborhood, mudslides —andworst all,wildfires. of The rampaging flames can Though the house was spared, thatThough thehouse emotionsof nightseared a Two decades later, after hehadrelocated to Petty Malibu, woke one Tom Petty knows this danger more keenly than most locals, because It’s ahard-rocking songs cri laced pack 11 withfeisty social of T hazards like traffic gridlock,rock slides, beyond the mortgage payments, lies in world-class paradise, Thecost sushi. of inevitable sky and golden blue hills and reason — there’s rolling and almost surf retreat for wealthy hedonists for good The seaside community Malibu of isa Hypnotic - with Benyo, to whom he was married married was he whom to Benyo, with from left) in his first band, The Epics, Epics, The band, first his in left) from trademark top hat onstage at a 1978 a1978 at onstage hat top trademark concert with The Heartbreakers in in Heartbreakers The with concert Clockwise from top: Petty (second (second Petty top: from Clockwise for 22 years; cover art for for art cover years; 22 for them into working arrangements, inaday. often Thentheycutthe brings where themto thebandin the studio, theycommunally worry dictatorship works. The songwriter churns up sketches for songs and and thephrase guarding hintsat thedoor how thebenevolent Petty band albums, three (more or less) solo ones projects, and a few offshoot attention engaged. isfully “We’re professionals, right?” through peering people theglass that encloses thisspace —butPetty’s afewacted feet just away —photo andvideo work setups, inthestudio, a scrawled “Beware warning, sheetCranky paper of Hippie.” has hosted countless late-night creative conclaves andisguarded by (the Shoreline Recorders facility the album of credits), aspace that The comfortable anteroom where Petty sits leads to studio a full-scale Pettyrock. onethingiscertain: Ifso, hasnever fallen flat. innovation andcommercial success inthefickle worldof alternative “Burntof OutTown.” Maybe thehighwire stretches between creative nova bossa Mythe “Sinseaseful of Youth” skepticism to the pissed-off involve River” to of “Red poesy from flipping the dulcet Dylan-esque illuminates thelong path that Petty’s hastaken muse himdown. Petty saga details for thealbum. making-of thetwo-year adreamer’sand issues grumbles as from aslightly pose immodest where his aging and hefty Lab, Ryder, wanders mounts the couch in, cross thesprawling butunpretentious We compound. head inside, Petty, emerges 63, from thetree-shaded oneof walkways that criss guitarswith baleful andPetty’s impassioned vocals. Carry,” which recollects thefear that andthelessons of traumatic night which played in his hometown of of hometown his in played which Gainesville, Fla.; posingGainesville, in Fla.; 1986 Eye Petty andhisbandmates have honedawork ethic that hasyielded 13 He slides shut a door with a wry smile at all the chaos trans being The autobiographical underpinningsare clear. theacrobatics Part of It’sIn short: ajourney. been on Astanza We’re at hisMalibutoday. studio Wearing denim from head to toe, , due out July 29; rocking his his rocking 29; July out , due “ON THE HIGH WIRE, THE WILDFIRE/ ABOVE NOT TO FALL FLAT” ON FAULTY CABLE, STILL HE’S ABLE/ AN OLD ACROBAT/ Knebworth, England. England. Knebworth, Hypnotic Hypnotic ing cut“American Dream Plan B,” it’s clear experience ifyou to choose have it.” middle andanend—it’s acomplete andthere’sin front it, of abeginning, where every the one is thequality of song says: “I’ve worked hard to make an album that willfeature newsongs, Petty some at least while we were makingthisrecord.” together. “I think there were three tours long the album to come so took because challenging with butit was more group effort, atrue been music to of chime into.”same type the whole who group people like of the years. “Tom’s40-odd avehicle been for and thrived functioningunitfor asafully Epstein overdosed onheroin in2003) (bassist RonBlair returned after Howie he, Petty andMike Campbell have survived in Gainesville, finds Fla., itmiraculous that withodyssey Petty were when both teens he adds, “neither isoilpainting.” creating isn’t common days. these “But,” as possible. Petty admitsthat hisstyle of method aspires to keep the music as “live” tionism can elongate, The at thestudio. tracks, aprocess that theleader’s perfec From thefirst crunchingof open bars As heanticipates rehearsals for atour Almost all Heartbreakers albums have Benmont Tench, who began hismusical Hypnotic EyeHypnotic Hypnotic Eye, ’s “Fault Lines” says Petty, Petty, says - - - - choose to have it.” have to choose you if experience a complete on tracks honed the Heartbreakers where heRecorders, and The studio called the Shoreline a in sitting Petty, says it,” of front in one the of quality the is song every where album an make to try to worked real hard“I’ve Hypnotic Eye Hypnotic . “It’s “It’s .

GROOMING BY SUNNIE BROOK AT CELESTINE AGENCY. THE EPICS: CLASSMATES.COM. BENYO: NEAL PRESTON/CORBIS. THE HEARTBREAKERS: GUS STEWART/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES about areligious scandal downwhenasked back won’t blunt conversation —Petty track —anda new a In Don’t Write Me’ ‘Catholics,

write me,“hesays.write “I’m religion fine withwhatever youwant eyebrow recorder at thedigital before him.“Catholics, don’t song. thechurchsettlements eventually This made. isnot alove Catholic clergy, andtakesaimat thecontroversial financial that lives withhiddendevils.” thatconfession wasn’tonthelevel/For every manofGod Dumb.” “For In thelyrics,heproposes every lightingacandle vinyl release.on theaccompanying cutof thetracks,asabonus included says—itwillbe Petty make album thenew —itwaswiththerest hard sequence to changeanyone’sDumb” won’t mind.Though thesongdidn’t D When asked about“Playing Dumb,” arches Petty an The ofsex song mournsabuse the victims at thehandsof inhisseat back whenasked about “Playing hitches Petty disagree —andacorrosive track“Playing new called wouldn’t The artist asintense. labeled been has often uring hishard-fought, career, ascendant Tom Petty “ ANY LOVE CRISISAT THEMOMENT. SONGS himself, Petty to has begun despair the One Percent’s of motives. in theworld. It changes just theminute them, thebadge goes on.” alltheway security . frompeople concert upto themostpowerful to from. Iwas when choose happy Igot that it’s line, because very true boys to war. “You can put whoever you want in there. There’s many so adds that he’s talking about Washington not just sending politicians . You andIare left inthewind/In thewake arich of man’s sin . .” that believing there’sand asnarl. “Starts hisrange nothingoutof in “Power Drunk,” withavoice that issomewhere between acoo ity? Ithinkthelevel caring isdisappearing.” of aboutotherpeople It’s about what’s missing —why isthe‘human’ missing from human not on either side,” hesays, “Shadow thelyrics of People.” quoting surlinessception of inthenational ethos. “It’s apoliticalalbum that’s acquisitive and manipulative culture. Many tracks convey Petty’s per has sketched withhistrademark elegantly simple writing. Dream Plan B” and“Forgotten Man,” where heinhabits he apersona Petty’s oncutslike vocal “American delivery powerful isespecially that character over, to bring whatever character itisto life.” Indeed, likehe sounds hedidonthefirstsecond albums.” and really urgent like and committed on a song ‘Fault hesounds Lines’ — Girl” in1976. “That was my first comment,” recalls “how Campbell, like the lad who busted music’sinto pop consciousness with “American Campbell told thebandleaderco-producer that hewas singing much From theearliest Heartbreaker session, lead guitarist and —noise, andleavingtightly focused thetender ballads for anotherday. Eye Hypnotic I DON’T WRITEAS MANY I DON’T As someone who hasgivenAs someone thegovernment afair money amountof Petty won’t take thebaitwhen are two neocons mentioned,but onabadge“Pin to onamanandbegins change,” sings Petty Petty says thesubtext is“really more about morality thanpolitics. The album’s recurring Everyman isanordinary an guy inthegrip of “It’s probably thematerial,” says Petty. “It my was just way getting of “WELL I AIN’T“WELL ON THE LEFT/ I GOT A DOG IN THIS FIGHT” THIS IN ADOG I GOT I AIN’T SURE/ EVEN AND I AIN’T ON THE RIGHT/ isanalbum devoted aggressive to makingsome —if AS IUSED TO. I’MNOT IN Christians.” methat no one’s to seems got Christ more wrong thanthe It violent. be youto thattelling should ofGod be conception spiritually think, speaking,but Idon’t that there’s any Southern Baptists.“I’ve nothing against defending yourself, Petty,continues whowas among raised, unconvinced, paid somemoney, soit’s all over.’ trust Idon’t that. ‘OK, well, they describing howthesongemerged. “That, give themany more money. was that up, covering Iwouldquittheclub. AndIwouldn’t generations abusing of people children, andthenthat club “If Iwas inaclub, andIfound outthat there been had many years.” abuse children knows forit can’t God systematically how it’s and anybody kill people, tell OKto have, butitcan’t to “Religion seems to me to be at thebaseofall be wars,” meto to “Religion seems “I justfelt that Iwasaskedplay being to dumb,” says Petty, pauses,Petty asifhe’s continue. to reluctant momentarily —F.S. JULY 26, 2014 |WWW.BILLBOARD.COM 2014 26, JULY LOVE

Hypnotic Eye Eye Hypnotic

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43 - - “Life’s a bitch,” says Petty, who turns 64 on Oct. 20. “I think it’s just about trying to gain as Petty hopes that Hypnotic Eye’s mesmerizing cover graphic rein- much wisdom as you can. forces the title. “It’s just a little bit of a play on words for me,” he says. That’s the only good thing “I feel like the culture in America is a bit hypnotized by various eyes about getting older.” that they keep staring into. The album is really about what the eyes are feeding them and how they are reacting to it.” He gives in to a laugh: “I mean, it’s pretty abstract.”

Petty seems content with his personal life now and many of his newer songs reflect this, but he has experienced famously fertile periods of misery. His classic 1994 solo album, Wildflowers, seemed to antici- pate his 1996 divorce from his first wife, Jane Benyo. And two years later he released the brilliant, scorched-earth divorce apologia Echo. Making Echo, he recalls, “was a tough time, and only just recently on this last stand did we play anything from that album.” He’s happy to be comfortably stable (“Romantically, anyway!” he exclaims) as a continent-crossing tour looms, and has no urge for creative misery to visit. “I’ve had enough of that. I don’t write as many love songs as I used to. I’m not in any love crisis at the moment.” Petty is content as a family man. He married his current wife, Dana York, in 2001, a decade after they met at a show in Texas — she trav- els with the band and helps manage Petty’s schedule. He has two daughters: Adria, 39, a video director, and AnnaKim, 31, an artist. He also has a 21-year-old stepson, Dylan, from York’s earlier marriage. Perhaps late fall’s release of a passel of songs from the highly pro- ductive Wildflowers sessions will reflect the past difficulties, as the selection scoops into his favorite recording stretch. Working with Ryan Ulyate, co-producer of Hypnotic Eye and a key creative partner over the past several years, Petty unearthed half-forgotten tracks. (In that vein, Petty spends much of his free time working on his popu- lar SiriusXM radio show that is fittingly calledBuried Treasures.) “There are some beautiful songs,” he says, “I think people who liked Wildflowers will certainly feel like they got part two of that record.”

Petty knows he’s not a young man — he turns 64 in October — but he likes to think that he has picked up some wisdom along the way. “The only good thing about getting older is you get smart enough to “That’s a huge problem in the world right now — you can see these Clockwise from top: The avoid unnecessary problems. You know what’s worth spending time soundboard at Petty’s wealthy people who have made so much money that making more will Malibu studio, where most on and what’s not. If I had known that at 20, life would have been so not change an hour of their lives or their children’s — yet they’re con- of the songs on recent much easier, but you have to experience all these things so you figure sumed with the idea of making more. Once they do that long enough, albums were arranged; the out how to find your way through the woods.” musician, York and Petty’s that doesn’t turn them on anymore. They want power, and a great deal stepson, Dylan, at the 2007 He draws meditatively on a blue-glowing electronic cigarette. of money buys power. Very few people know how to handle power and world premiere of Peter “Some people don’t ever quite figure that out. Some people figure it Bogdanovich’s documentary once they just become completely immoral, they’re dangerous people. Runnin’ Down a Dream in out quicker. When you’re young, you’ve got that party period you’ve This attitude is what, to me, wipes out the middle class.” Burbank; Petty (center) and got to get through. If you’re a rock’n’roller, that might last till you’re Petty hunches forward with his right hand tapping the table almost The Heartbreakers in front of 58 — cause there’s nobody encouraging you to grow up or anything. their tour bus prior to a 1981 inaudibly: “I’m old enough to remember an America where if you concert in Chicago that was “You want to get through the party period, and live, and wise up, were willing to be a fairly hard worker, you could support your family. part of a 28-city tour. without anything tragic happening to you, but people are people. I’m You could even maybe own a home. Everybody was happy — not this, still fascinated [that] they’re just all in some sort of situation that ‘Well, I’m not succeeding if I don’t have what these phony people, they’re trying to figure out, trying to constantly put out fires in their these soulless shells on TV, are wearing or doing.’ People have been lives. That’s like ‘Fault Lines’ — I have a few of those running under conditioned to think that they should be wealthy.” my life that could erupt at any time. We all do.” CRARY/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES c

The Band Before The Heartbreakers f you excavate the history of Tom Petty & roommate, Mike Campbell. (The band name college to join the band full time. The Heartbreakers, you’ll eventually hit would later be lent to Mudcrutch Farm, the Shelter Records’ Denny Cordell lured I the story of Mudcrutch. This Gainesville, tin-roofed shack where Marsh and Campbell Mudcrutch from Los Angles to a Tulsa, Okla., Fla., rock band emerged in 1970 from lived.) Petty still tells with great amusement studio to record an album that was never Petty’s primordial combos, The Sundowners how Campbell informally auditioned with a released. Discouraged, Mudcrutch disbanded, and The Epics. And somehow, Mudcrutch is cheap Japanese guitar to play Chuck Berry’s but soon Petty and Campbell were invited to still alive. “Johnny B. Goode.” As Petty recalled for play with Tench’s nascent band — and soon Petty has deep connections to the players. Paul Zollo in Conversations With Tom Petty, The Heartbreakers were born. The original lead singer, Jim Lenehan — who “When the song ended, we said, ‘You’re in the Mudcrutch re-formed in 2007 with Petty, Mudcrutch wore an eye patch for effect — has been doing band, man.’ ” Mudcrutch was rounded out by Marsh, Leadon and Tench. A self-titled released its Petty’s lighting ever since he was replaced. guitarist Tom Leadon, whose brother Bernie album, a short tour (and live EP) and a only single A newspaper want-ad brought drummer helped found the Eagles, and Benmont documentary arrived in 2008. Petty says a in 1975.

Randall Marsh to the band, as well as his Tench, who Petty convinced to drop out of new release is coming in a few months. —F.S. THE HEARTBREAKERS: GEORGE ROSE/GETTY IMAGES. CHARLEY FAMILY: GALLAY/GETTY IMAGES. MUDCRUTCH: JIM M

44 BILLBOARD | JULY 26, 2014