In 1994, Tom Petty broke away from his long-time backing band The Heartbreakers to make what would become his best-selling solo album, “Wildflowers,” which yielded such classic hits as “You Don’t Know How It Feels.”
Just last year, this 16 mm behind-the-scenes footage of the making of “Wildflowers” was found in Petty’s archive, shot by photographer Martyn Atkins between 1993 and 1995.
Director Mary Wharton pieces this mostly unseen footage together with new interviews from Tom Petty’s daughter, producer Rick Rubin, and numerous friends and musicians.
It was a pivotal time for Petty: Not only was he leaving behind The Heartbreakers after nearly 20 years (which mostly meant dumping his longtime drummer), his marriage was breaking up, and he was on a new record label, Warner Bros.
He produced so many songs for his first solo album it could have been a double album, something Warner Bros. was not keen on, since it wouldn’t sell as well. In 2020, three years after his untimely death, “Wildflowers” was re-released as a four-disc box set. But it’s both fascinating and frustrating to see Petty at perhaps the peak of his creativity being forced to narrow down all his new songs to fit just one album.
Looking back at this hopeful, happy period in Petty’s life is more than a little bittersweet since he’s no longer with us. And it’s kind of hard to believe so much time has passed, until the film cuts from ‘90s footage of producer Rick Rubin with his trademark beard to Rubin today, whose full beard is now white.
Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free is a wonderful look at a beloved musician, but for me this look backward was tinged with a lot of sadness. It’s great to have the footage and the additional songs from this period, but you can’t help miss the guy.
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Produced by Peter Afterman, Mary Wharton, Dan Braun, Adria Petty,
Aaron Bay-Schuck, Tom Corson, Charlie Cohen
Directed by Mary Wharton
Featuring Tom Petty, Rick Rubin, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Steve Ferrone,
Stan Lynch, Howie Epstein, George Drakoulias, Alan “Bugs” Weidel, Adria Petty
