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Highway Companion
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 21 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 25 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: American
Release Date: 25 July 2006
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rock
Summary
The rocker's third solo disc has only one Heartbreaker (Mike Campbell) in tow, with the rest of the instrumentation handled by Jeff Lynne (who also produces) and Petty himself.
Also On Metacritic
MUSIC: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: The Last DJ
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Entertainment Weekly
A huge improvement on 2002's [The Last DJ]... a true return to form. [4 Aug 2006, p.67]
The Onion (A.V. Club)
It's an extended salute to killing time, telling stories, swapping jokes, and singing along to the radio. An album title has rarely been more apt.
Read Full Review >Slant Magazine
These 12 often-elegiac tracks are machine-shop sleek, effortlessly buffed to a precision gloss that buoys Petty's irresistible harmonies and layered compositions.
Read Full Review >The Guardian
If [Petty]'s third solo album proves to be his last, he has delivered one of rock's most eloquent goodbyes.
Read Full Review >Uncut
[An] instant classic. [Sep 2006, p.84]
Q Magazine
Yet however familiar its themes may be, they all seem reinvigorated... by Petty's songwriting smarts and fantastically weathered vocals. [Sep 2006, p.110]
Mojo
Highway Companion abounds with Dylanesque first-, second- and third-person stories of rolling stones with no direction home, and how wear and tear is grinding them to a halt. [Sep 2006, p.90]
Los Angeles Times
It's... a more writerly exercise than typical of his concise and straightforward Heartbreakers hits. [23 Jul 2006]
New Musical Express
Contains... some of his finest ever songs. [5 Aug 2006, p.29]
Prefix Magazine
Highway Companion contains the most clear-eyed and hopeful songs that Petty has written in memory.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
The album runs out of gas a bit toward the end, with a few too many songs in a row stuck in a midtempo Neil Young-ish lope. But for most of the ride, Highway Companion is worth the trip.
Read Full Review >E! Online
The album's bluesy Americana-inspired tunes like "Saving Grace" and "Turn This Car Around" are, sure, kind of predictable, but they make up for that by being pretty darn good songs.
Read Full Review >Blender
Petty, never good at deep thinking, tries to introduce some grand gestures and literary flourishes, but they're forced compared with his amiably corny odes to driving and boozing. [Sep 2006, p.147]
The New York Times
For about half of “Highway Companion” Mr. Petty’s reticence opens the songs to a sense of mystery. For the rest, he just sounds reserved and cagey, singing about restlessness but sounding all too settled. [24 Jul 2006]
Village Voice
This rarely works as the heart-heavy traveling music Petty has in mind; while he flees or revisits dark corners in every song, Petty sings like he has nothing at stake.
Read Full Review >Spin
Moodier moments respectably imitate Dylan and Neil Young, but often fall asleep at the wheel. [Sep 2006, p.110]
Paste Magazine
So why is his new album so underwhelming? Because Petty has gotten away from his strength--whipping pop hooks into an emotional frenzy of harmonies--and has focused on his weakness: overly ambitious lyrics.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 25 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Nate K gave it a10:
While I rank this 4th best in Petty's catalogue, with or without the Heartbreakers, Highway Companion is a lyrical masterpiece. It's almost Dylan-calibre, but without ever being self-conscious of it; in the end, it's all Petty. The predictable Jeff Lynne production, while leaving some to be desired in musical creativity, actually works to focus our attention to the lyrics in many very subtle ways (the use of electric piano on "Night Driver", the vibraphone on the waltz, "The Golden Rose"). The album's grooves unapologetically borrow from many (Dylan, Young, but especially George Harrison), but through the course of Petty's war-weary yet crisp voice--on top of his incredible round-a-bout tales of displacement, lack of closure, and coming to terms with it all--we soon realize we're not looking for anything new; we're coming home full circle.
jyotirmaya d gave it an8:
I have never bought a Tom petty album before but this one will have me going through his back catalogue to see what else I have been missing. A solid effort with great melodies and lyrics.
Doug C gave it a7:
Spare in production. Strong in lyrical impact. The more I listened, the more I liked it.
Andy W gave it an8:
Using similar riffs and harmonies, this CD sounds like the "Full-Moon fever" and "Wildflowers" efforts. Almost too much so..still enjoyable nonetheless.
Mark D gave it a9:
Tom was around for the best of Rock and or Rollin. Tom has allowed his music to evolve into 2006. Love this record!
Guy H gave it a6:
It is fair to say that this album is hardly groundbreaking ... but there is something undeniably appealing about Tom Petty's music. I recently purchased 5 albums along with Highway Companion - and I would definitely rate this as the weakest of the bunch. However, when it comes to choosing a soundtrack to my journey home from work each day - Petty wins almost very time! 'Nuff said.
Jennifer 61 gave it a9:
Love my Petty! True Gainesville Green!
