Album of the Day

Released on this day in 1999, ECHO was the tenth studio album from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; the set would be the band's last with producer Rick Rubin and longtime bassist Howie Epstein. While it was being recorded, Petty's 20-year marriage was disintegrating, so it's natural that the Warner Bros. collection is colored by sadness. Heartache lurks on tracks like “Swingin',” “Room At The Top” and the jangly “Free Girl Now,” but it's always offset by solid songwriting and muscular performances – resignation just isn't part of Tom Petty's vocabulary. A strong return to form for the group, ECHO reached the Top 10 on the Billboard chart and still reverberates with rock 'n' roll spirit.