“Free Fallin’” is my favorite Tom Petty song. I know that makes me sound basic, since it was his biggest hit, and the rest of his catalog is so wide and deep. But “Free Fallin'” really does it for me. In the wake of Petty’s death, I found the multitrack stems and listened to them closely. Later on, while singing the song to my daughter, I realized why I think it’s so cool: its ruthless, fearless minimalism.
Oh god – where to start with this one. It’s been a shitty week in America – a shitty week in many places on the planet. Aside from the insanity of the Las Vegas mass shooting, Tom Petty died. The minute I heard, I knew what this week’s track would be.