Tom Petty’s ‘Echo‘: A Raw and Personal Album

Tom Petty had a gift for writing songs that many people enjoyed. He often did this by telling stories from the point of view of characters different from himself, and he made it seem effortless.

When he wrote more personally on the album Echo, he felt uneasy with the result. But songs like the title track were powerful and resonated with listeners.

Petty’s Pain

Even though many artists start to decline after a long career, Tom Petty was at his best in the 1990s. Albums like Into The Great Wide Open and Wildflowers included some of his best songwriting and excellent performances by the Heartbreakers.

Though, Petty was facing personal difficulties at the end of the decade. His first marriage was ending while he wrote the songs for Echo in 1999. He wrote songs that were very personal, which wasn’t typical for him.

For some time after its release, Petty wasn’t very fond of Echo. Maybe it was because it was a tough album to create. Many fans now see it as one of his best, a honest record that helped both him and those who listened.

The title track was perhaps the biggest example of this change.