Frank's Picks
By Frank Matheis
Harlem Valley Times - August 15, 1996

Motion Picture Soundtrack | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | She's The One | Warner Brothers | 1996
This movie will open in theaters nationwide this weekend and Tom Petty fans will rejoice, whether the movie is good or not. This soundtrack features 15 new tracks of signature Petty -- straightforward, unadulterated rock delivered in Petty's naturally raw-edged style. Petty is a purist who has kept his various projects free from the technical gimmickry of modern recording and all the associated trappings. These guys still go to the studio together and play with the tape rolling. It's beautiful. No overdubbing and faking, no synthesizers or drum machines. It's plain, stripped bare and feels like garage music -- the same formula which has served rock 'n' roll well since day one. The "She's the One" soundtrack is no exception, no deviation, departure or disappointment. With help from guests like Ringo Starr and Lindsey Buckingham (who "Fleetwood Macs" everything) and a string section of a violin and two cellos, the Heartbreakers strut like peacocks in China. They even cover a wonderful Lucinda Williams song, "Change the Locks."

If you like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, this record is predictable and totally satisfying -- good music and great rock 'n' roll. If you are new to Petty, go see the movie first.

This album also offers an intriguing mystery: Who is playing the second lead guitar during the closing of song 14, "Hung Up and Overdue"? While he's not listed on the official credits, I think it clearly sounds like Petty's longtime friend and collaborator George Harrison! Is it Petty or Mike Campbell just boldly ripping off Harrison, or did Harrison sneak in the studio to help his buddy without telling us? You be the judge. Send me a note.