79. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers “Even the Losers” (from
Damn the Torpedoes)
https://youtu.be/TNMT4AYf6Xo
”It’s just normal noises in here!” -Mike Campbell’s wife after Campbell complained that the washing machine sounds were interfering with his practice- he left it on the recording.
The first two Tom Petty albums were terrific, but their third album,
Damn the Torpedoes, was one of the greatest rock records of the decade. The band reached a peak of songwriting, performance and high energy that would last another 30 years or so.
“Even the Losers”, written about a one night stand that Petty had with a girl he had dreamed about back in high school, became over the years a fan favorite and anthem. I’ve always loved certain little touches, such as when Petty sings the “Two cars in the overpass” verse, he rhymes all four lines with each other- a typical Dylan and Byrds technique that Petty imitated.