Some people on Twitter and Instagram asked me to repost this. It's a conversation from last year with Dr Warren Zanes, who wrote the recent Petty: the Biography, which is still on my desk, with Petty's twinkling eyes beaming up at me.

At some point I will get a proper Petty tribute episode together, but it's just too fucking raw right now. This is a good conversation and gets a lot of what made the man such a rock'n'roll genius. Please listen to the album after you listen to this.

----

Singer/songwriter, journalist and author of the definitive ‘Petty: The Biography’, Dr Warren Zanes, joins me to celebrate the 1976 self-titled debut of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

How did the band find their sound and identity while making the album? Why were the limitations of vinyl LPs creatively helpful? Did writing the book change Warren’s perspective on Petty’s music? What doubts did people have about Petty’s voice? What is the secret of keyboardist Benmont Tench’s genius? How do the Heartbreakers look back on the album today?

Plus we talk about Petty’s pre-Heartbreakers band Mudrcrutch, and speculate about why he’s currently reviving it, and Warren’s own personal history with the album.

My Favorite Album is a podcast on the impact great music has on our lives. Each episode features a guest on their favorite album of all time - why they love it, their history with the album and how it’s influenced them. Jeremy Dylan is a filmmaker, journalist and photographer. He directed the the feature music documentary Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts (out now!) and the film Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins.

If you’ve got any feedback or suggestions, drop us a line at [email protected].