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33⅓ Main Series #139
Southern Accents
By 1985 Tom Petty had already obtained legendary status. He had fame. He had money. But he was restless, hoping to stretch his artistry beyond the confining format of songs like “The Waiting” and “Refugee.” Petty's response to his restlessness was Southern Accents . Initially conceived as a concept album about the American South, Southern Accents 's marathon recording sessions were marred by aesthetic and narcotic excess. The result is a hodgepodge of classic rock songs mixed with nearly unlistenable 80s music. Then, while touring for the album, Petty made extensive use of the iconography of the American Confederacy, something he soon came to regret. Despite its artistic failure and public controversy, Southern Accents was a pivot point for Petty. Reeling from the defeat, Petty reimagined himself as deeply, almost mythically, Californian, obtaining his biggest success with Full Moon Fever.
Michael Washburn explores the history of Southern Accents and how it sparked Petty's reinvention. Washburn also examines how the record both grew out of and reinforced enduring but flawed assumptions about Southern culture and the Lost Cause of the Confederacy.
Michael Washburn explores the history of Southern Accents and how it sparked Petty's reinvention. Washburn also examines how the record both grew out of and reinforced enduring but flawed assumptions about Southern culture and the Lost Cause of the Confederacy.
- GenresMusicNonfictionBiography
136 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 13, 2019
Southern Accents is few people's favourite Tom Petty record. The myth goes that it was intended as a double album about the American south, but its troubled creation - including Petty pulverising his hand after punching a wall - and the intervention of a Eurythmic led to it being condensed into a nine-song mish mash, interspersing its original concept with what are now some exceptionally dated tracks.
Michael Washburn's book on the album digs deep into that myth and, while not quite debunking it, certainly sheds some interesting light on the record. It's an extremely well-written entry in the series, picking apart the songs which need dissecting, and all but ignoring the ones which aren't so worthy. It's something of a piece with the recent entry about Drive-By Truckers' excellent "Southern Rock Opera". The DBT album (and the book about it) fixates on "the duality of the Southern thing" - the racial and psychological divide of how Southerners today have to grapple with their heritage.
Unsurprisingly, Washburn makes no mention of DBT in his book on Petty. There's no telling he's ever heard the album. However, the duality of the Southern (Accents) thing is implicit in every page. The writer concentrates as much on the Southern Accents that could have been (which he refers to as "the Shadow Southern Accents") as the Southern Accents that was, and that concept drives his book's main thesis: yes, the album would have been better in its original guise, but even that would still only tell half the story Petty intended. "To put it bluntly," he writes, "Petty's South is the white South", in terms of not only its musical and lyrical content, but the imagery of the record sleeve and its ensuing tour.
Petty, himself a Southerner, was raised in Florida - home of Lynyrd Skynyrd and, by definition, Southern Rock, but is best known as an LA musician. Washburn more than capably explores all of this detail and more, mixing straightforward band biography with historical information and personal memoir, paralleling Petty's evolving relationship with Confederate iconography with his own reckoning with his own. Ultimately, it's a 130-page checking of white Southern privilege, whether it be Petty's, Washburn's own, or that of the 21st century South.
The book also contains new interviews with two of the key Heartbreakers - Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench - which are thoughtful and funny, particularly the full transcript of the latter's thoughts on cocaine's impact on both the album and one's hair. One major tragedy regarding the book is that Petty was also willing to talk, but sadly passed away not long after Washburn signed the contract to write the book. His retrospective insight into this troubled era of his own career would have been truly fascinating, but Petty's absence, and the notion of the book that could have been seems strangely fitting.
Michael Washburn's book on the album digs deep into that myth and, while not quite debunking it, certainly sheds some interesting light on the record. It's an extremely well-written entry in the series, picking apart the songs which need dissecting, and all but ignoring the ones which aren't so worthy. It's something of a piece with the recent entry about Drive-By Truckers' excellent "Southern Rock Opera". The DBT album (and the book about it) fixates on "the duality of the Southern thing" - the racial and psychological divide of how Southerners today have to grapple with their heritage.
Unsurprisingly, Washburn makes no mention of DBT in his book on Petty. There's no telling he's ever heard the album. However, the duality of the Southern (Accents) thing is implicit in every page. The writer concentrates as much on the Southern Accents that could have been (which he refers to as "the Shadow Southern Accents") as the Southern Accents that was, and that concept drives his book's main thesis: yes, the album would have been better in its original guise, but even that would still only tell half the story Petty intended. "To put it bluntly," he writes, "Petty's South is the white South", in terms of not only its musical and lyrical content, but the imagery of the record sleeve and its ensuing tour.
Petty, himself a Southerner, was raised in Florida - home of Lynyrd Skynyrd and, by definition, Southern Rock, but is best known as an LA musician. Washburn more than capably explores all of this detail and more, mixing straightforward band biography with historical information and personal memoir, paralleling Petty's evolving relationship with Confederate iconography with his own reckoning with his own. Ultimately, it's a 130-page checking of white Southern privilege, whether it be Petty's, Washburn's own, or that of the 21st century South.
The book also contains new interviews with two of the key Heartbreakers - Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench - which are thoughtful and funny, particularly the full transcript of the latter's thoughts on cocaine's impact on both the album and one's hair. One major tragedy regarding the book is that Petty was also willing to talk, but sadly passed away not long after Washburn signed the contract to write the book. His retrospective insight into this troubled era of his own career would have been truly fascinating, but Petty's absence, and the notion of the book that could have been seems strangely fitting.
March 10, 2024
This was the first time I ever heard a Tom Petty album and I didn't mind Southern Accents at all.
Michael Washburn takes a standard approach for this one: bio about Tom Petty , The Making of Southern Accents, the cultural backdrop and Petty's career (aka MTV stardom) after.
Solid
Michael Washburn takes a standard approach for this one: bio about Tom Petty , The Making of Southern Accents, the cultural backdrop and Petty's career (aka MTV stardom) after.
Solid
January 30, 2022
Excellent entry in the 33 1/3 series. Interesting, unlike most of the series, it focuses on one of Petty's lesser albums. Washburn, who is a terrific writer, for the most part, seems to take Petty to task for his failed attempt at a concept album on the South. The album was originally envisioned at two disc effort, but quickly fell apart. In the end it only had 9 tracks, with only half (or less) of them being specifically "southern" in subject matter. Petty himself seems to have grasped this early on, sequencing the album after stunning opening song "Rebels" (one of Petty's best songs IMHO) with two fun co-written works with the Eurythmics Dave Stewart. It's like Petty threw up hands as he was coming out of the gate with a "Fuck it." Wasburn examines each song in-depth, and for the most I had to agree with his assessments. Whenever I sensed disagreement coming up, it was as if Washburn anticipated my protest. My one truly remaining protest however was his take on the song "Southern Accents." One one hand he thinks it Petty's best song (I disagree), while on the other hand calling it flawed because the "accents" of the "I" of the song don't take into account other southern accents (African-American). I think that asking a bit of much of any 5 minute song. It's as if Washburn wanted 1985's Tom Petty to address all the big problems in a song about memory, place, and mom. If Petty had freighted it with more, the song, any song, would fall apart. That said, Washburn does back his complaints up with Petty's own activities via the ensuing Confederate flag draped tour. Petty doubled down, probably, to my mind at least, to promote the album and the tour. People didn't view the battle flag then as they do now (though they should have). In later years Petty seems to have viewed the album and tour as embarrassments. If you were to view the track listing for Petty's recent "Best of Everything" compilation album, you will note that "Rebels" or "Dogs on the Run," persona songs from "Southern Accents" have gone down the memory hole. There is no question that those two songs are superior to some of the songs on that collection, but there is an attached stain to them that doesn't allow them to exist separate from their 1985 album and tour contexts. That's a shame, but Petty would go on to write many other great songs and albums, all Confederate free. Rock writing (my quibbles aside) at its finest.
November 2, 2024
Unfortunately, this is not one of the better 33 1/3s. The central, dual, thesis of the text is that 1. Petty made a ham-fisted attempt to evoke 'southern culture' in his 1985 release Southern Accents which blew up in his face as a result of his lazy use of racist tropes (e.g. the Confederate flag as a stage backdrop for the album's subsequent tour cycle); and 2. The failure of the album, partly resulting from personal and substance issues within the band, helped Petty transition to a major revitalisation of his career, resulting in the Travelling Wilburys collaboration and his (very excellent) Full Moon Fever album (1989). All fine there and kudos for focusing a 33 1/3 on a critically derided album, rather than being tempted by the allure of hagiography.
However, the author doesn't do a great job of synthesising these two themes, despite stating this as a goal. Some of the claims regarding US race relations and the way in which unresolved tensions between North and South continue to play out in a Trump-haunted USA, are inadequately supported. Plausible, for sure, but they ring like the thoughts of a slightly lazy, but well-intentioned, rock journalist dabbling in the sociological and out of their wheelhouse. In better hands, the fascinating conceit of the text could have led to some quite excellent music writing. Frustratingly, also, the text was not well edited. Repetition, perhaps due to a lack of material, abounds. As do a series of copyediting mistakes.
Overall, closer to a 3 than a 2. Maybe a 2.65.
However, the author doesn't do a great job of synthesising these two themes, despite stating this as a goal. Some of the claims regarding US race relations and the way in which unresolved tensions between North and South continue to play out in a Trump-haunted USA, are inadequately supported. Plausible, for sure, but they ring like the thoughts of a slightly lazy, but well-intentioned, rock journalist dabbling in the sociological and out of their wheelhouse. In better hands, the fascinating conceit of the text could have led to some quite excellent music writing. Frustratingly, also, the text was not well edited. Repetition, perhaps due to a lack of material, abounds. As do a series of copyediting mistakes.
Overall, closer to a 3 than a 2. Maybe a 2.65.
February 17, 2021
Didn’t really know much about Tom Petty despite owning Damn The Torpedoes as a kid (like everyone else did) but living in North Carolina for 20 years made me want to read about a southern concept record that tragically adopted confederate imagery. I wasn’t disappointed, and finally got a good explanation of The Lost Cause (which i hadn’t heard of, since i went to schools that actually taught accurate history). Thumbs up!
August 6, 2019
A nuanced take on Perry’s most flawed and problematic album
October 19, 2025
TAUGHT ME SO MUCH I DIDN’T KNOW IN THE TOM PETTY LORE - LIKE I DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE THE PAINTING THAT SERVES AS THE ALBUM COVER IS ACTUALLY OF A UNION SOLDIER LOL
January 31, 2020
There are many flavors of 33 1/3 books (personal exploration, straight narrative, art piece) and this is one of the thesis books. Washburn argues Southern Accents was pivotal because its failure pushed Petty into embracing a Southern Californian rather than Southern identity. The authors own experiences in being raised in an environment where much of the Lost Cause ideology was commonly accepted wisdom certainly informs his analysis. A little short, perhaps, but in this series length does not equate to quality.
March 2, 2022
I'm not sure where these 4 and 5 star reviews come from. This book was really unreadable, and frankly, it felt disorganized. In the final chapter it feels like it was meant to be a bit of commentary on the evolution of the Confederate Flag and its ties to racism (well, duh), but then half the book is there loosely pointing the finger at Petty and his band, yet in the end, a simple acknowledgment seems to erase all that. Not really sure how this dives into the album. The mention of the singles seems to just scratch the surface, and doesn't even seem tied to the mythology of the record or the later controversy. Skip it.
April 2, 2020
Tom Petty's Southern Accents (33 1/3 Series) by Michael Washburn offers both a rough track by track accounting as well as contextualizing the album both within Petty's career and society as a whole.
I love this series specifically because it is more than simply a track by track analysis. Some books include one but the series concentrates on bigger issues, whether a personal attachment, societal importance, or the place of the album in the artist's career. Washburn handles all of these elements quite well.
The main thesis is that this album (and technically coupled with Let Me Up) serves as a major pivot point in Petty's career. I think I always believed that but I hadn't thought closely about why, I leaned toward some basic explanation that he had simply matured. While that no doubt plays a part, the experience of making it as well as its reception made him mature a whole lot faster.
The majority of the book weaves the two elements of making the album and what the "concept" represented (knowingly or not). I can remember seeing him on this tour and thinking I might never buy another album of his. And I really like them. Many of my contemporaries in the US bought Damn the Torpedoes as their first Petty album and then bought backwards. I was introduced to the first album while in England so I actually bought the albums as they came out. That is to say I was not someone who just heard the hits and claimed to really like them. But the Southern Accents tour was offensive. I did not buy Let Me Up until much later (still not sure why), though after Full Moon Fever I came back to them.
The discussion Washburn offers about the rationale for the war as well as the shiny veneer concocted to dress the pig up is as good a basic explanation as I have seen is a popular nonfiction book, especially one not a history book about the war. Just know that those claiming to know better and tell you to "read your history" are the ones who don't know, or won't acknowledge, the actual history.
While this book does spend a lot of ink (or pixels) on the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, and current white supremacist terrorism, it is all tied directly to what the songs, the album, and the tour promoted and the segment of the population it encouraged.
In addition, the musical analysis is very interesting and points out some subtle differences that might often be missed.
I recommend this to music fans, Petty fans, and readers interested in the dynamics between popular culture and societal issues. I believe that Petty would have appreciated the even-handed approach that both discussed the problems with the album as well as Petty's attempts (successful, I believe) to make amends for his gross misstep.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
I love this series specifically because it is more than simply a track by track analysis. Some books include one but the series concentrates on bigger issues, whether a personal attachment, societal importance, or the place of the album in the artist's career. Washburn handles all of these elements quite well.
The main thesis is that this album (and technically coupled with Let Me Up) serves as a major pivot point in Petty's career. I think I always believed that but I hadn't thought closely about why, I leaned toward some basic explanation that he had simply matured. While that no doubt plays a part, the experience of making it as well as its reception made him mature a whole lot faster.
The majority of the book weaves the two elements of making the album and what the "concept" represented (knowingly or not). I can remember seeing him on this tour and thinking I might never buy another album of his. And I really like them. Many of my contemporaries in the US bought Damn the Torpedoes as their first Petty album and then bought backwards. I was introduced to the first album while in England so I actually bought the albums as they came out. That is to say I was not someone who just heard the hits and claimed to really like them. But the Southern Accents tour was offensive. I did not buy Let Me Up until much later (still not sure why), though after Full Moon Fever I came back to them.
The discussion Washburn offers about the rationale for the war as well as the shiny veneer concocted to dress the pig up is as good a basic explanation as I have seen is a popular nonfiction book, especially one not a history book about the war. Just know that those claiming to know better and tell you to "read your history" are the ones who don't know, or won't acknowledge, the actual history.
While this book does spend a lot of ink (or pixels) on the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, and current white supremacist terrorism, it is all tied directly to what the songs, the album, and the tour promoted and the segment of the population it encouraged.
In addition, the musical analysis is very interesting and points out some subtle differences that might often be missed.
I recommend this to music fans, Petty fans, and readers interested in the dynamics between popular culture and societal issues. I believe that Petty would have appreciated the even-handed approach that both discussed the problems with the album as well as Petty's attempts (successful, I believe) to make amends for his gross misstep.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
March 28, 2025
I am a big Tom Petty fan, and was able to borrow a copy of this book by Michael Washburn. I was really looking forward to reading this. I have never heard of this author before, so I have nothing else to go on other than this book. This is also my first time reading a book in the 33⅓ series of books. After reading the book, I was very disappointed. If the rest of series is anything like this book, I will not be reading anything else from the series.
I happen to think the “Southern Accents” album is very good album—far from perfect—but definitely not the worst album in the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers catalog. I was aware of the original plan to make this a southern themed album, and that the plans were eventually scrapped.
The author—who is definitely not a fan of Tom Petty—seemed to seek out every negative quote and comment he could dig up about the album and about Tom Petty from this time frame. He called out Tom Petty for being stupid to omit the African American population in his songs on the album, and chastises him for using the Confederate Battle flag on stage during the tour supporting this album. Then later in the book the author talks about at the time this album was released, we had television shows like The Dukes of Hazzard that had a car in it emblazoned with the Confederate Battle flag, and yet he says he was fond of the show and especially Daisy Duke. He also talks of remembering watching and liking the television miniseries North and South. Yet, Tom Petty is somewhat of a bad person for what he did and needed to be taken to task.
Yes, Petty was wrong in using the Confederate Battle flag but once he stepped back and realized his misstep, he corrected himself and distanced himself from that symbolism.
Really, the book doesn't go that in depth into the album at all. The author is more interested in making this book a history lesson about the Confederates, the Civil War, and how wrong Tom Petty was. Without the history lesson, the book could have been about a dozen pages long, tops!
Am I a little angry—maybe angry is too strong of a word—about what is portrayed in this book? Absolutely. This book was released a couple of years after the passing of Tom Petty, and I wonder what would have come from a sit down with the author and Petty had he still been alive.
I am sure that some of you reading this will disagree with my perception of this book, and that does not bother me one bit. But I found this book to be one that I wish I had skipped.
I happen to think the “Southern Accents” album is very good album—far from perfect—but definitely not the worst album in the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers catalog. I was aware of the original plan to make this a southern themed album, and that the plans were eventually scrapped.
The author—who is definitely not a fan of Tom Petty—seemed to seek out every negative quote and comment he could dig up about the album and about Tom Petty from this time frame. He called out Tom Petty for being stupid to omit the African American population in his songs on the album, and chastises him for using the Confederate Battle flag on stage during the tour supporting this album. Then later in the book the author talks about at the time this album was released, we had television shows like The Dukes of Hazzard that had a car in it emblazoned with the Confederate Battle flag, and yet he says he was fond of the show and especially Daisy Duke. He also talks of remembering watching and liking the television miniseries North and South. Yet, Tom Petty is somewhat of a bad person for what he did and needed to be taken to task.
Yes, Petty was wrong in using the Confederate Battle flag but once he stepped back and realized his misstep, he corrected himself and distanced himself from that symbolism.
Really, the book doesn't go that in depth into the album at all. The author is more interested in making this book a history lesson about the Confederates, the Civil War, and how wrong Tom Petty was. Without the history lesson, the book could have been about a dozen pages long, tops!
Am I a little angry—maybe angry is too strong of a word—about what is portrayed in this book? Absolutely. This book was released a couple of years after the passing of Tom Petty, and I wonder what would have come from a sit down with the author and Petty had he still been alive.
I am sure that some of you reading this will disagree with my perception of this book, and that does not bother me one bit. But I found this book to be one that I wish I had skipped.
March 15, 2019
I'm not really much of a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers fan. He has some great songs; I love listening to "American Girl" and "Into the Great Wide Open" while driving with all of the windows down in the summer, but to say that I am a fan, will be too much of a stretch. I do not own any of his albums, and I really was not familiar with the "Southern Accents" album, so I was interested in someone doing a deep study of one of his minor releases instead of his commercial successes. I listened to the album before I started reading it, and I knew "Don't Come Around Here No More," but that was it. And then Michael Washburn takes me on this journey.
Washburn looks at "Southern Accents" as a deeply flawed, deeply troubling album. Originally Petty was going to work on a double concept album about the South, narrated by a fictional white Southern man, but at the end of the day, Petty released a nine song album, three of the songs cowritten by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. The bigger problem though is Petty ignoring people of color and the history and influence they have in the South. "Southern Accents" does not become a concept album about the south, but about the white south. As Washburn points out: There is nary a mention of a black person on the entire album. But there is the great amount of time Petty spends on tour for this album, including a tour album called, "Pack Up the Plantation: Live!" surrounded by Confederate Battle flags. Washburn takes on these problems with a full head of steam, and he does not make any excuses for Tom Petty and his team's flaws. I like that Washburn is a fan of Petty but not so much of a fan that he does not call him out on his behavior during this time. Washburn uses interviews with the surviving Heartbreakers and with some in the Petty camp for this book, and he uses care with the story, trying to explain it without making a single excuse. At the end of the day, Washburn does a really good job, and the end product is a compelling account of an album that really isn't that great.
I received this as an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Washburn looks at "Southern Accents" as a deeply flawed, deeply troubling album. Originally Petty was going to work on a double concept album about the South, narrated by a fictional white Southern man, but at the end of the day, Petty released a nine song album, three of the songs cowritten by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. The bigger problem though is Petty ignoring people of color and the history and influence they have in the South. "Southern Accents" does not become a concept album about the south, but about the white south. As Washburn points out: There is nary a mention of a black person on the entire album. But there is the great amount of time Petty spends on tour for this album, including a tour album called, "Pack Up the Plantation: Live!" surrounded by Confederate Battle flags. Washburn takes on these problems with a full head of steam, and he does not make any excuses for Tom Petty and his team's flaws. I like that Washburn is a fan of Petty but not so much of a fan that he does not call him out on his behavior during this time. Washburn uses interviews with the surviving Heartbreakers and with some in the Petty camp for this book, and he uses care with the story, trying to explain it without making a single excuse. At the end of the day, Washburn does a really good job, and the end product is a compelling account of an album that really isn't that great.
I received this as an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 10, 2019
This is one of the best 33 1/3 books I have read, the author gives a great description of where Tom Petty was when he made the album , “Southern Accents”, the idea behind the album, and a very thorough analysis of what went wrong when making the album. He talks to former Heartbreakers members Bermont Tech and Mike Campbell. They give a lot of insight into where the Heartbreakers were at the time of the album and how the album affected the band. In addition to this the author gives his opinion on how the album romanticizes confederate imagery and gives a great account on where he thinks Petty may have been coming from when he made these decisions and how apologetic c he was just a few years later.
There is insight into the creation of the Don Henley hit “Boys of Summer” and the effect it had on the band. Background is provided on everything from where Petty likely was influenced for the sound on the album (a remix of one of his own tracks) and how Dave Stewart was brought in to produce some songs on the album.
A description of how the Heartbreakers reset after this album and what led to Full Moon Fever is also described. Also included in the book is a very thoughtful analysis of how the Civil War has been remembered.
The best 33 1/3 books I have read so far either come from a place of love for the album or take an aspect of the album and expand on that subject. This book is written in a way that you could appreciate equally whether this is your favorite or least favorite Petty album, the author remains neutral and provides enough background on the album that anyone could enjoy it. Highly recommended.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Here is a link to a playlist I made on Spotify to accompany the book
https://open.spotify.com/user/1236788...
There is insight into the creation of the Don Henley hit “Boys of Summer” and the effect it had on the band. Background is provided on everything from where Petty likely was influenced for the sound on the album (a remix of one of his own tracks) and how Dave Stewart was brought in to produce some songs on the album.
A description of how the Heartbreakers reset after this album and what led to Full Moon Fever is also described. Also included in the book is a very thoughtful analysis of how the Civil War has been remembered.
The best 33 1/3 books I have read so far either come from a place of love for the album or take an aspect of the album and expand on that subject. This book is written in a way that you could appreciate equally whether this is your favorite or least favorite Petty album, the author remains neutral and provides enough background on the album that anyone could enjoy it. Highly recommended.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Here is a link to a playlist I made on Spotify to accompany the book
https://open.spotify.com/user/1236788...
March 21, 2020
A thoughtful study of a pivotal time in the career of legendary musician Tom Petty and the ambitious, fractured album that was produced as a result. Insightful and thought provoking.
Author Michael Washburn has produced a really good book that examines not just the album Southern Accents (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) but the inspiration behind it, the often painful making of it, the immediate response to it, and its legacy - both musically and culturally.
I found the analysis of how the fallout from Southern Accents indirectly led to Tom Petty becoming more of a "California" musician particularly interesting. In many ways this book reads like the most interesting thesis you will ever read.
There is a great deal of discussion on The Lost Cause myth of the American South and a lot of evaluation done from a "woke" perspective that, to me, seemed to get slightly heavy handed at times.
Guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench, both founding members of The Heartbreakers, were interviewed for this book. Tom Petty had agreed to participate but passed away prior to meeting with the author. A poignant moment occurs when Mike Campbell tries to give some insight to a particular moment by saying, "Well, you'd have to ask Tom that, but you can't now."
A great read. I enjoyed it.
There is some strong language and references to drug use.
***Thanks to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Academic and author Michael Washburn for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Author Michael Washburn has produced a really good book that examines not just the album Southern Accents (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) but the inspiration behind it, the often painful making of it, the immediate response to it, and its legacy - both musically and culturally.
I found the analysis of how the fallout from Southern Accents indirectly led to Tom Petty becoming more of a "California" musician particularly interesting. In many ways this book reads like the most interesting thesis you will ever read.
There is a great deal of discussion on The Lost Cause myth of the American South and a lot of evaluation done from a "woke" perspective that, to me, seemed to get slightly heavy handed at times.
Guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench, both founding members of The Heartbreakers, were interviewed for this book. Tom Petty had agreed to participate but passed away prior to meeting with the author. A poignant moment occurs when Mike Campbell tries to give some insight to a particular moment by saying, "Well, you'd have to ask Tom that, but you can't now."
A great read. I enjoyed it.
There is some strong language and references to drug use.
***Thanks to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Academic and author Michael Washburn for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2020
Considering this is a critical study of my least favorite Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers album, I was pleasantly surprised to find how engaging and relevant it was throughout. Washburn establishes the context of the record, tracks and organizes the development of the songs, and links its themes and problematic elements with issues of American history and representation that are central to our modern-day moment. This book is compelling both as a study of Petty’s music and as a review of larger issues of representation and empathy in our society today. If nothing else, it has led me to listen to Southern Accents with a fresh perspective, consider Petty and his work more critically than I ever have before, and ultimately walk away with an even greater appreciation of Tom Petty as an evolving artist and human being than I initially had.
July 8, 2022
For an album with such an abundance of material and information, it's strange how thin the real content of this book is. 50% is about other Petty albums, Petty in general and what the author thinks of Petty. Not written in the best style. Washburn also get lost in recurring rants about racism and nationalism, cleary an officer of the woke culture and making definite conclusions on very vague proof. This is not one of the better 33 1/3-books, compared let's say with "Born in the USA", "Tusk" or The National's "Boxer". Pettys untimely death is of course one reason for the author's speculations, but as a whole, this is very weak writing. I had much greater expectations than this expanded Wikipedia on the album.
December 27, 2020
Book 18 of my #2020readingchallenge is Southern Accents by Michael Washburn. I started this way earlier in the year and finished it today.
So, this is a bit tedious when it's analyzing the chords and the studio... the mountains of cocaine... and then Washburn does a 180 and dives deep - real deep - into the Civil War and the Southern myth and folklore, even Dylann Roof. What the Confederate flag means to the author, to the South as a whole, and mostly, to Tom Petty.
It's hard to read these books about albums you don't know inside and out - I'm a Tom Petty fan but these 33 1/3 books are best suited for super fans. So hard to follow without pausing to listen to the track.
So, this is a bit tedious when it's analyzing the chords and the studio... the mountains of cocaine... and then Washburn does a 180 and dives deep - real deep - into the Civil War and the Southern myth and folklore, even Dylann Roof. What the Confederate flag means to the author, to the South as a whole, and mostly, to Tom Petty.
It's hard to read these books about albums you don't know inside and out - I'm a Tom Petty fan but these 33 1/3 books are best suited for super fans. So hard to follow without pausing to listen to the track.
May 25, 2025
Southern Accents is an unflinching analysis of Tom petty's 1985 titular album. In a series often dedicated to the brilliance behind an artist work, Michael Washburn uses this opporitunity to uniquely examine the album for its cultural significance and sonic disarray. In doing so, Souther Accents uses the album, and perhaps Petty's greatest blunder, as a context to discuss cultural insensitivity, heritage, ignorance, and hatred surrounding the use of confederate imagery in a manner that feels surprisingly respectful to the character and integrity of Petty's legacy.
June 18, 2024
This book could have been a think piece article, but was taffy pulled into book-length. I'll save you the time: Tom Petty had the Confederate flag featured prominently during the tour and in the concert movie of this tour. Not a good look. Oh, and the planned concept album descended into an uneven mess heavy on 80's production thanks to cocaine.
March 30, 2020
Interesting guide through the making of the most unsounding Petty disc. The band’s clear displeasure with Stewart as producer and alcohol field rages that dragged out the recording of the album are interesting too.
May 31, 2020
Loved this - unique approach too, taking a book that is basically "half a classic" / "half a mess" and looking at the wider context around the south, racism and the creation of the album. Much recommended.
May 3, 2020
Iffy album is nonetheless praised as essential
April 11, 2020
There's been a lot said about Tom Petty's career but this still had info to share. Featuring new interviews with band members and contrasting the "concept" of the album with the history of the south; this is a great read for music fans.
April 26, 2020
This was a worthy addition to the series. Lots of information on the making of the album. I remember not liking "Don't Come Around Here No More" but digging "Rebels" and Make It Better" when it came out. In time, I have come to revere "Southern Accents" I grew up with that narrator and maybe I am that narrator. Now, I gravitate towards "The Best of Everything" in my middle aged years.
With regards to the writing about the southern iconography the author focuses on, I've just heard it all before. It was good, interesting to read and all, but just endless repetition. Reckon I'm not woke enough. As I sit here wondering which bills I can put off to make sure I pay my health care, I sure do hanker for some of that "southern white privilege'.
With regards to the writing about the southern iconography the author focuses on, I've just heard it all before. It was good, interesting to read and all, but just endless repetition. Reckon I'm not woke enough. As I sit here wondering which bills I can put off to make sure I pay my health care, I sure do hanker for some of that "southern white privilege'.
May 8, 2019
Of course you should read this if you are a Petty fan. But more than that, Tom Petty's Southern Accents is a fascinating account of Petty and Washburn's own complicated relationships with their region's history: the uncomfortable appeal of the false narrative of the Lost Cause, the pervasiveness of its imagery and culture, and ultimately their rejection of it. Washburn's book is an engaging, well-researched account of the making of this album and proves Southern Accents to be much more than a drug-driven creative mess, but the messy result of an artist reckoning with nostalgia for a place and a history that never really existed and a desire to break free from it.
August 18, 2019
It’s a deep dive into one of Petty’s albums. It’s too bad he wasn’t alive when the author started writing this. It would have been interesting to get his take. Instead we have interviews with Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell. If you’re a casual fan of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, this goes too deep for you. If you want to read about the background to some of the songs on “Southern Accents”, you might enjoy this.
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