In a recent issue of Rolling Stone, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers discuss their current tour and how they've decided to make a bold choice with their set list or rather, several bold choices. They've chosen to eschew the well-worn hits that have served them well throughout big arena shows for the past three decades. As guitarist Mike Campbell puts it, "we're free from 'Free Fallin'."

Now, I've seen Petty twice in my life (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers are actually my favorite band of all-time, but that's for a later discussion), and each time, I enjoyed the hit parade that made up the gig. Who wouldn't? Petty has the one more durable sets of greatest hits around. "Refugee," "American Girl," and "Running Down A Dream" all sound just as strong today as they did when they came out.

Still, I had to admit that the second time around, it all felt a bit predictable. I mean, of course he's going to play "Free Fallin'." It's his biggest hit, and in all likelihood, the song most associated with him. Knowing this, it's easy to also understand that Tom Petty might have gotten really, really sick of playing "Free Fallin'" every damn night. So, he made the decision that a lot of performers likely consider; consciously choosing to not play all the constants that everyone expects to hear. The fact that he chose to do this at a set of venues quite smaller than what Petty & The Heartbreakers normally play gives us a strong indication of two things: 1. This is on a trial basis. 2. Petty isn't sure if he wants to do this among large crowds of more casual fans.

You could understand why on both accounts. The person going to see Petty at a smaller theater gig would theoretically be the more serious fan, while the person seeing him in a large, open air venue may have just heard that Tom Petty was in town, and thought "why not." That second fan might be also be a more insistent on hearing "Free Fallin'." But since the Heartbreakers tour of clubs and theaters isn't coming to Buffalo, and the only local venue I've seen them play in recent years is Darien Lake, I'd like to see him try this approach at the larger shows, too. Shaking up the set list a bit is a healthy thing, and all of Tom Petty's fan should a get chance to hear of play some the obscure gems we've grown to love over the years. Personally, I'd give my left nut for a live rendition of "Keeping Me Alive."

Moving away from Petty to popular music in general, one of the biggest issues plaguing the current scene is the idea of "shut up and the play the hits" (as LCD Soundsystem's career ending concert film was dubbed). When we see bands with a fair amount of hits in their catalog, we expect to hear the songs, we feel entitled to hear them. Most often, the band obliges that demand, leaving the set list stale and predictable, and the overall experience rather sterile. You could understand why the casual fan just wants to hear the hits, but it's more fun when there's a greater element of surprise.

Bands that have few hits can be affected by this as well. Fountains Of Wayne are a well-respected power pop band, but the majority of the public just knows them for "Stacy's Mom." This was all too obvious when the band came to Thursday at the Harbor last year. They played plenty of great tunes, but a large portion of the crowd was just there for "Stacy's Mom," and that became abundantly clear when they finally obliged the crowd, playing it as their penultimate song of the night. The stage was quickly mobbed, as dozens of fans who had been anemic throughout the evening suddenly decided they care about the music. There were some serious FoW fans there, as well some open-minded casual fans, but the "Stacy's Mom" crowd drowned them out. When the show was over, FoW frontman Chris Collingwood joked about the situation on Twitter by saying "we play all the hit."

Bands can often feel chained to their hits, and the circumstances aren't fun for anyone. The band is forced to plow their way through the same tunes night after night, while the serious fans are denied the element of surprise. Petty's decision to play the deep cuts is what the concert scene needs. Seeing a band should be about more than just hearing the songs you've heard on the radio a thousand times before. It should be about experiencing a musical entity performing on its own terms. The drab experience of exchanging upwards of $100 for a set of songs you can see coming from a mile away sucks life out of the music industry, and cheapens the concert experience. More bands need to follow Petty's lead, and pick set-lists on based on what they want to play, and not what they think we want to hear. And if the casual fans don't like it, they're welcome to stay home next time.

I still buy CDs. I suspect I'm the minority when it comes to that. It seems like most of my friends fall into one of two groups: people who only get their music from the internet, and the more hardcore fans, who pay the big books for that shiny, 180-gram vinyl. I see the advantage in either of these choices, but I just like CDs. Admittedly, they don't have an immediate cache. They aren't the obvious preferable choice of casual fans or hardcore fans.

So, what keeps the CD from being completely dead? The reissue! There's nothing I enjoy more than hearing that one of my favorite classic albums is being reissued in a glossy two-disc set, with fancy liner notes, and long forgotten live tracks. It just makes my day. When the Beatles were given the remastered treatment in 2009, I was there on the day of release, upgrading my copy of Abbey Road. I was similarly thrilled for the Pink Floyd reissues last year. It's a fun thing for music nerds, and people who still enjoy CDs.

Unfortunately, many legendary albums still go un-remastered, which is a shame. Seeing an immortal album rotting away in a dusty CD case from the late 80s just bums me out. That's why I present you with this list of classic albums that are in dire need of a modern-day upgrade.

Guns 'N Roses - Appetite For Destruction
Every song here is great, from the big hits like "Welcome To the Jungle," and "Paradise City," to deep cuts like "Rocket Queen," and "Nightrain." Once more, the album turned 25 this year. Shouldn't it be celebrating its anniversary in style? Surely there's some old chestnuts of Axl and the boys jamming while stoned off there asses that would make for nice bonus tracks. Come on, people! Let's give this album the deluxe treatment it deserves.

Beastie Boys - License To Ill
As popular as the Beasties' first album is, the group hates it. In a way, that's understandable. It's juvenile, occassionally sexist, and not at all representative of the music or the attitudes they would express in the future. It's also a really, really fun album. Who's never fought for their right to party, or gotten funky with a certain monkey? Sure, this might not be the quintessential Beastie Boys album, and it lacks the diversity of their later works, but it's a much-beloved album, and an important part of hip-hop history.


All Of Metallica's First Five Albums
While their later works have been inconsistent, pretty much anything Metallica put out between 1983 to 1991 is gold. From the sped-up head rush of Kill 'Em All to the intricate math-metal of ...And Just For All, these guys were pretty much infallible in their early years. That's why it sucks to see the same copies of these albums that were on shelevs in 1992 still there today. Come on, let's get some outtakes! Surely you have some late-night jam sessions with Dave Mustaine that he'll eventually sue over. Let the fans get in on some of that!
Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever
Petty's works have been horribly ignored by the remaster gods, with only Damn the Torpedoes getting the deluxe treatment in 2010. The rest of his albums rot on the shelves, with some of the his most popular albums dying a slow death in the discount bin. Surely the album that gave us "Free Fallin'," "I Won't Back Down," and "Runnin' Down A Dream" deserves better than that. I'm guessing Petty has plenty of stuff in the vaults; jams with the Wilbury's, live recordings with Dylan, maybe even a few Apple jams with George Harrison. Whatever he's got lying around, I'm sure it would make for an excellent bonus disc of this classic album.

The First Three Stone Temple Pilots Albums
Loathed by critics at first, people have finally discovered that STP are actually pretty damn good. the first three album rank among the best (and most overlooked) albums of their era. Tracks like "Interstate Love Song," "Sex Type Thing," and "Trippin On A Hole In A Paper Heart" have become well-deserved classics. Unfortunately, the most likely place to find the albums those tracks come from is in the used bin at record stores, gasping for air next to Deep Blue Something and Sister Hazel. Let's treat STP better than that! their debut, Core, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Let's give it the gift of a shiny new remaster.


Anything By The Dave Clark 5
Now this one is a real tragedy. The DC5 were a great British Invasion band, but they've been all but forgotten. More importantly, their albums don't exist on CD. I did see one old greatest hits in the used bin at FYE, but it was $60, because of how hard it is to find. Surely the band that gave us "Glad All Over," "Bits And Pieces," and "Catch Us If You Can" deserves to be discovered by new listeners. In an ideal world, we'd get a fresh new greatest hits on CD, and high quality vinyl reissues for the hardcore fans. The DC5 released tons of killer songs, but there's a whole generation who hasn't heard any of them. Let's try to fix that.