"Mudcrutch"

Mudcrutch (Reprise)

Tom Petty wondered what might have been, and the result is "Mudcrutch," a self-titled country rock tone poem from the reunited band that preceded The Heartbreakers 33 years ago.

"Mudcrutch" is a hazy memory of good times spent in Gainesville, Fla., and Los Angeles chasing the dream of rock 'n' roll stardom - or at least a steady paycheque.

Petty, Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell went on to fortune and fame after Mudcrutch broke up as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, a band with a string of hits few can match.

Mudcrutch's other two members stayed in music, but didn't find success. Tom Leadon, brother of Eagles and Flying Burrito Brothers mainstay Bernie Leadon, was working as a guitar teacher when Petty floated the idea. And Randall Marsh was making ends meet in bar bands.

They drop into Mudcrutch seamlessly, as if 30 years passed by in a heartbeat. The band recorded these songs - with Petty on bass - live with no overdubs, and it has the well-worn feel of players who know each other.

While all five members contribute on songwriting for at least one of the original tunes (there are three covers), Petty wrote or co-wrote eight of the 14 tunes. The ones with his stamp stand out, from the defiant "Scare Easy" ("My love's an ocean/You better not cross it") to the edgy humour in "The Wrong Thing To Do" and the cocky strut of "Bootleg Flyer."

"Crystal River" clocks in at 9 1/2 minutes and is the album's centrepiece. It's low-key psychedelia-drenched wonder that has a jammy feel and gives away seemlessly to Petty's wistful "Oh Maria."

Check out this track: Petty lays down a jaunty bass line, Campbell and Leadon play a swirling duel and "Shady Grove" sets the perfect tone to kickoff this album. It's easy to close your eyes, drift back and feel like you're catching a show 30-plus years ago.