10 Underrated Albums By Legendary Bands
5. Echo - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
At the end of the '90s, Tom Petty had just come off a writing streak for the ages. Starting with his 1989 release Full Moon Fever, Petty put out some of his greatest tunes both with and without the Heartbreakers, which culminated in the 1994 masterpiece Wildflowers. Once he came up for air though, he found that he had lost quite a bit along the way.
As such, Echo shows Petty at a troubled time in his life as he deals with his separation from his wife. Along with dealing in his marital woes, bassist Howie Epstein was quickly falling apart due to his ongoing heroin addiction. Given the external struggles, fans tend to bypass this one as uninspired, but the pain in this album is all too real.
The opener "Room At the Top" is a strained letter of reconciliation by Petty, while the title track is a six minute recount of his turmoil that will rip your heart right out of your chest. Even for all the pitfalls, Epstein is also still able to hold everything together on tracks like "Swingin", where his backing vocals bring a little light to the devastation all around. This album is not exactly a pleasant listen, but it is one of the most interesting peeks into Petty's fractured world.