Review: Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs ‘Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits’
By Hal Horowitz
It was once said about The Who’s bassist John Entwistle that he had the misfortune of being a good songwriter in a band with a great one. That comment, in some ways, holds true for Mike Campbell.
It’s impossible to ignore Campbell’s nearly five decade-long tenure as Tom Petty’s shotgun-riding compadre; a co-founder of the Heartbreakers, potent lead guitarist and co-writer of some of the band’s biggest hits. “You Got Lucky,” “Here Comes My Girl” and “Refugee” feature Campbell’s name in the composing credits. Additionally he penned two big hits for Don Henley (“The Boys of Summer” and “The Heart of the Matter”), further enhancing his credentials as a great songsmith as well as a world-class lead guitarist.
Campbell formed The Dirty Knobs in 2000 as a side project when he was off the road with Petty, yet they didn’t record much more than a single in 2010 before Petty’s 2017 death. After touring as a replacement for Lindsey Buckingham on what is probably Fleetwood Mac’s final tour, the Knobs regrouped to release 2020s debut full-length. A second album followed in 2022 and now its Vagabonds, Virgins and Misfits (released June 14).
Campbell describes his Knobs music as being “rougher-edged” (than Petty’s), “less polished with lots of 60s influences.” Even though this is considered a band project (members have changed consistently over the years), it’s only Campbell’s photo on the front cover, he takes all the lead vocals, and writes the material.
Not surprisingly, the songs on the previous sets and especially this one, sound a lot like what Tom Petty would have written. That’s not damning Campbell with faint praise since a talent like Petty appears once in a millennium. But with Campbell’s warbling voice sounding eerily like his old boss’s, the similarities are inescapable.
Campbell expands from his garage-infused rocking, bringing in occasional horns and even a string player to add depth and slightly more complexity. Graham Nash, Lucinda Williams (a longtime Petty fan), Chris Stapleton, ex-Heartbreakers Steve Ferrone (drums) and Benmont Tench (keys) also make brief appearances.
You’ll recognize Petty’s impact on songs like the ringing “Angel of Mercy” in its strummy construction, catchy chorus, sing-along bridge and Campbell’s slide guitar bringing the southern accents. On “Hands are Tied” Campbell channels Petty’s spirit in his snappy licks, the swampy rock feel, the gradually building chords, anthemic texture and his languid vocals. Ditto for “Hell or High Water” where Williams enters for a few mystic verses on a future classic, one that would have been a natural fit on Wildflowers. It’s made more powerful by a Campbell vocal that could easily be mistaken for Tom’s, although it’s questionable whether the latter would have added strings and horns.
But when Campbell rocks out on the road-running “So Alive” and the Brit-infused “Innocent Man” he creates more individualized terrain. “Shake These Blues” combines Bowie’s “Jean Genie” riff with a Yardbirds mindset for one of his toughest, most blues-based selections. The lyrics to “My Old Friends” however, where Campbell runs through a bunch of liquor names (“there’s Bud Wezier and Ann Heizerbush/Bloody Mary and Brandy Alexander/In a bottle or in a can/They really put a hurtin’ on ya”) are a little too cutesy for a track that might work in the live setting but not here.
Regardless, there is plenty to warm the hearts and ears of Tom Petty fans. And if anyone has earned the right to emulate the iconic singer/songwriter’s style it’s Mike Campbell who has happily promoted Petty’s legacy, keeping it alive for the next generation.
“Innocent Man”
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