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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: The group Rick Rubin known as “the most effective American rock band”

Rick Rubin has been across the block greater than a few instances on the subject of any style of music. From working with the most important names in nation music to founding the primary main imprint for hip-hop with Def Jam, Rubin has by no means saved any style off the desk when it got here time to work with a band. As far as the most effective artists that America has to supply, Rubin stated that nobody may beat Tom Petty when he was working with him.

Considering Rubin’s background in punk rock and hip-hop, it’s unusual how he would find yourself recording one of many greatest names in what many think about to be dad rock. When Petty was first making his classics, Rubin was on the fully reverse facet of the spectrum, pioneering the sounds of Run-DMC and likewise discovering time to work with steel juggernauts like Slayer on their first masterpieces.

Rubin doesn’t wish to restrict himself to only one style, although. From the second he walks into the studio, he has at all times been extra involved with the way in which that the music is transferring him than whether or not every thing is in tune, seeking to get the most effective out of each artist he works with. While he had drifted in the direction of mainstream music prior to now, his conversion second got here when he heard Full Moon Fever for the primary time. 

Listening to the album on repeat for months, Rubin fell in love with Petty’s music and was decided to work with him, solely to be given a agency no. Since Petty had been produced by longtime pal Jeff Lynne on the previous few records, probabilities had been slim that he would have the ability to work with somebody like Rubin in any respect.

As the Heartbreakers entered the Nineteen Nineties, Petty began transferring in the direction of a brand new sound, eager to seize the sort of authenticity of the band enjoying within the room. Liking what he had heard from the previous few Johnny Cash records, guitarist Mike Campbell was the primary to recommend Rubin as a chance for the subsequent album, Wildflowers.

With the bearded guru sitting behind the desk, Petty may experiment with no matter he may, attempting his greatest to create totally different textures behind the board. Although the album would have solely Petty’s identify on the entrance, he by no means noticed Wildflowers as a solo report, typically calling it probably the greatest Heartbreakers albums that the band ever made.

Looking again on working with Petty, Rubin was satisfied that out of all of the bands he had labored with, The Heartbreakers had been what American rock and roll was presupposed to sound like, saying, “[They’re] arguably the most effective American rock band, so you might have an important band, with nice songs, who make nice records. It’s actually arduous to beat”.

Rubin wasn’t prepared to surrender working with them after the report had completed, both, happening to assist produce their subsequent album, Echo and utilizing many of the band when he labored on Johnny Cash’s subsequent report, Unchained. This was removed from the sounds of arduous rock and hip-hop, but when it sounded good within the room, nothing else appeared to matter.