strength, indefatigable love, and willingness to carry the load mostly alone. " Momma gets by while papa gets high," sings McCartney from the point of view of the couple ' s young son.
The commercial success of The Boys of Dungeon Lane benefits from the biggest builtin audience in popular music, but the real success is that the album is worthy of discovery by newcomers interested in hearing the fresh work by a master of pop songcraft. If it ' s not quite a world-shattering masterpiece, the album still provides evidence that twilight years can be full of creativity and fresh surprises. It could easily become the sentimental favorite solo album of many diehard McCartney fans. Hopefully, there will be another one to challenge it before long. The erstwhile Beatle is still on his game.
– Jeff Elbel
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MIKE CAMPBELL & THE DIRTY KNOBS Mission of Mercy( Soundly Music / Thirty Tigers)
There was never much reason to doubt Mike Campbell’ s chances of making a frontline success of his one-time side project, the Dirty Knobs. On top of being one of rock and roll’ s most tuneful guitar soloists, he wrote or co-wrote piles of great rock and jangle-pop songs, including“ Refugee” and“ A Woman in Love( It ' s Not Me)” during 40 years as cocaptain of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. He scored hits elsewhere with songs including Don Henley’ s“ The Boys of Summer,” Stevie Nicks’“ Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” and Lone Justice’ s“ Ways to Be Wicked.” Campbell has been a reliably loyal team player, though. As a result, it wasn’ t until after the untimely loss of Petty in 2017 that the guitarist released his own album. The Dirty Knobs had been around for 25 years or more, but 2020’ s Wreckless Abandon was the first collection released under the band ' s banner. Now comes the fourth album Mission of Mercy, a veritable jukebox with wide-ranging styles centered upon classic pop, rock, and roots music. Campbell naturally tops the bill, but his top-caliber bandmates are not-sosecret weapons. Multi-instrumentalist( and Eagles sideman) Christopher Holt is a perfect foil to Campbell, whether it’ s trading guitar lines, taking the solo on“ Vicious Hangover,” sharing Carl Wilson-inspired vocals on the title cut“ Mission of Mercy,” or playing piano
reminiscent of Fats Domino and Dr. John on the New Orleans stroll“ Done to Me.” Bassist Lance“ Crawdaddy” Morrison pays tribute to Carol Kaye on“ Mission of Mercy” and steps forward with smoldering lounge-blues accompaniment on beatnik tone poem“ Vagrant.” Former Heartbreakers drummer Steve Ferrone keeps things tasteful and tight throughout the album, but goes appropriately bananas on percussion during garage rocker“ Bongo Mania,” which features a delirious guest vocal from Kate Pierson of the B-52 ' s. Campbell’ s singing voice and Florida drawl sound close enough to Petty’ s to think that they were biological brothers. The similarity makes the sun-dappled chime and jangle of“ No Regrets” sound all the more familiar to songs like“ Learning to Fly,” with a healthy dose of The Byrds. Like the Heartbreakers fare, the Dirty Knobs’ material is designed for a good time and is largely apolitical. Still, Campbell gently sneaks in occasional statements on the wicked world. The resilient protagonist of“ No Regrets” overcomes forces of prejudice and division. Echoing Led Zeppelin’ s“ Kashmir,” the turbulent“ Armageddon” seeks shelter from the lunatics running the asylum. Urgent rocker“ Let Me Back in My Dream” traces a thread to the Beatles’“ I Want You( She’ s So Heavy),” with desperate wishes to escape reality and return to midnight fantasy.“ I Remember” rumbles with stormy introspection, ruminating upon devotion and ties that bind. The sound hints at‘ 70s-era Kinks favorites like“ Catch Me Now I’ m Falling.”“ Vicious Hangover” cribs from the Rolling Stones and T. Rex.“ Wrecking Ball” is swinging bluesrock that wryly surveys a father’ s attempt to connect with a rebellious daughter. The album ' s sonic outliers all have their charms. Morgane Stapleton sings a country folk duet on“ More Than Gold.”“ True love can’ t be bought and sold,” Campbell sings winsomely.“ Mission of Mercy” is the biggest diversion from the Knobs’ fundamental four-piece interplay, crafting a fond homage to Brian Wilson-styled production. The song reveals affection for deeper cuts than“ Fun, Fun, Fun,” with threads to Surf’ s Up, Holland, and Smile songs, including“ Child is Father of the Man.” The urbane“ Vagrant” suggests a mélange of the Doors, Tom Waits, and Frank Zappa while spinning stream-of-consciousness concern for an inner-city casualty.
Among the character sketches, observations, humor, and declarations of love and madness, listeners can rest assured that Mission of Mercy is loaded with licks, lines, and solos from a fiery yet impeccable guitarist. Petty’ s posthumous retrospective was called American Treasure. Campbell is a kindred spirit and American treasure himself. Appearing at the Vic Theatre, 7 / 9
– Jeff Elbel
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18 illinoisentertainer. com july 2026