Rick Rubin revealed the album that “scared” Tom Petty
Rick Rubin has always been known for his eclectic flair for production style. While some producers may be technicians, Rubin’s ability to find the music that speaks to him as a fan has led to an array of rock legends wanting to work with him, being credited for records by the likes of Slipknot, The Strokes, and Johnny Cash, to name just a few. Though Rubin was recognised for primarily intense music for the first half of his career, Tom Petty was the one who made him see the mellow side.
When working out of his NYU dorm room studio, Rubin was known for picking up on rising talent with potential, spawning artists’ careers like Run-DMC, LL Cool J and Beastie Boys. After working with thrash legends Slayer on albums like Reign in Blood, Rubin suddenly became aware of Tom Petty’s music when listening to the album Full Moon Fever.
Produced by ELO frontman Jeff Lynne, Petty’s first true solo effort comprised his biggest hits to date, like ‘Free Fallin’ and ‘I Won’t Back Down’, each of which struck a nerve with Rubin. Although Rubin initially got a cold reception from Petty’s camp when he called, Petty slowly warmed up to him when beginning work on what would become his second solo outing.
Later on in life, Petty talked about channelling his emotions differently going into the album as well. Seeing a therapist for the first time during the sessions, Petty poured his feelings into each song, all while his world was crumbling apart at home due to his collapsing marriage and strained relationship with drummer Stan Lynch.
Wanting to break away from the building blocks that he got used to from Lynne, Petty’s next solo effort benefited from Rubin’s outlook as a fan. When talking about his style, Rubin told Somewhere You Feel Free, “What I have to offer is as a fan. I can come in and say what I like and don’t like and steer in a direction that feels good to me.”
While Rubin couldn’t get down the specifics, his quality control across the album made for Petty’s most complete record experience, pairing the mellow side of his sound and rock cuts under one roof without stepping over each other in the mix. Performing with the rest of the Heartbreakers, Petty later told Rubin that he thought the sessions were almost going too well.
After having to slave through one record after another, Rubin talked about Petty feeling desensitised to working in this laid-back environment, saying, “He told me Wildflowers scares him because he’s not sure why it’s as good as it is. So it has this haunted feeling for him.”
Originally wanting to make the project a double record, Petty eventually relented to make it a single album, acting as a songwriting diary of the time that he spent working with The Heartbreakers on the porject. Even though it bares his name only on the album sleeve, Petty still felt the music was a group effort, claiming it to be the best record that The Heartbreakers ever made.
