T.P.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are on my personal Mount Everest of legendary artists. They've written and recorded some of the greatest songs and albums in rock history, and are still relevant while making music on their own terms. Not many bands have sustained that kind of career. I've seen them so many times over the years that I've lost count, and they've rocked every time. Now they have a new album and new tour, and I was excited to hear about both. Not so much anymore.

First, I bought/downloaded the new album, Mojo. I immediately thought it sounded pretty cool. But then, as the album unfolded, I thought to myself, "where are the songs?" Almost every song is a long, bluesy jam with little or no real substance. Don't get me wrong, the musicianship is outstanding as always. It's just that the songs weren't very good, at least by Petty's standards. And what surprises me are the overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and fans alike who are hailing Mojo as Petty's album in years. Huh? I read that TP has listened to a lot of blues overr the last couple of years, which has influenced his writing. Fine. I've immersed myself in jazz over the years, but that doesn't mean I'm trying to re-write Steely Dan's Aja. I just don't get it.

Then I got online to check out the set lists from the first few shows of the tour. Along with a handful of new tunes, the set was sprinkled with songs that have now become annoyingly repetitive (I know this because I've been to at least one show on every tour since '89, except for the last one) - "Free Fallin'", "I Won't Back Down", "Runnin' Down A Dream", "Need To Know", "American Girl", "Breakdown", "Mary Jane's Last Dance", "Don't Come Around Here No More", "You Don't Know How It Feels", etc. Unfortunately, most fans in attendance will expect to hear these classics and cheer like a pack of school girls at a Justin Bieber concert. I, for one, won't be because I'm sitting out this tour. Oh sure, they spit out a "Too Much Ain't Enough" every once in awhile, but these are the same songs that have been played at every show for 20+ years, and I've had enough.

I'm not saying they have to go all obscure on us, but they can at least dig into their massive catalog of hits and mix it up a little. So, Tom, here's a list of songs I propose for this or any future tour, in no particular order:

"Jammin' Me"
"Here Comes My Girl"
"Don't Do Me Like That"
"You Got Lucky"
"Rebels"
"Woman In Love"
"Yer So Bad"
"The Apartment Song"
"Letting You Go"
"Change Of Heart"
"Honey Bee"
"Wake Up Time"
"Into The Great Wide Open"
"Southern Accents"
"Shadow Of A Doubt"
"Swingin'"
"Walls"

I'd give a nut for that show.

Dear Blackberry Users...

I'm sorry, but your product sucks. After losing my iPhone to a hot tub a few weeks ago, I've been using a Blackberry temporarily until the new iPhone 4 comes out in 168 hours. For years, I've heard "Crackberry" users sing the praises of what they claim is a superior device to all others, especially the iPhone. Having now used both, I must say that the comparing the two is like comparing Pong to a Wii - there is no comparison.

I will go ahead and disclose that I am indeed an Apple snob. Say what you want to about the company's editorial policies or how it limits users to its own native hardware/software, but the bottom line is functionality and ease of use, and the damn Blackberry doesn't come close. It's slow, the apps suck, the scroll ball is annoying, the interface makes no sense, and I can't seem to be able to use a normal browser. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to throw this object against a wall. If anyone can offer me an intelligent argument about why the Blackberry is better, I'll be happy to listen. And then have you committed.